Anyone Else?

glpg80

glpg80

Well-known member
In a rut lately of just no desire to play or look at your guitar gear? Or is it just me?

Works been kicking my ass for an extended time and responsibilities have zapped me of free time. Just the ability to block out things so I can sit down to learn songs or work on amps is challenging if not impossible. This started late spring of last year but I honestly just don’t have it in me to want to pick up a guitar and play, let alone formally practice. I spent an epic amount on mics and recording gear/software hoping to improve my shit videos but I don’t even desire to play guitar let alone record.
 
I feel the opposite.

All the kick ass gear I've gotten recently, learning to use a DAW to do multi-track recording, all the free backing tracks out there..

:rawk:
 
Get on YouTube and watch someone inspiring like Warren, Nuno, EVH or whoever and listen to a lock or something you don’t know but love. Attempt to learn it- not the whole thing just the vibe. Just something different I guess. Might be inspiring. Or not; Like I tell the kids, let’s have fun with math.
 
glpg80 said:
In a rut lately of just no desire to play or look at your guitar gear? Or is it just me?

Works been kicking my ass for an extended time and responsibilities have zapped me of free time. Just the ability to block out things so I can sit down to learn songs or work on amps is challenging if not impossible. This started late spring of last year but I honestly just don’t have it in me to want to pick up a guitar and play, let alone formally practice. I spent an epic amount on mics and recording gear/software hoping to improve my shit videos but I don’t even desire to play guitar let alone record.
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This happens to me from time to time. My interest will wane and I’ll be more focused on something else for a few months when I have free time, then eventually I’ll come back to it. It helps that I’m in a cover band, so I’m forced to sit down and learn songs or rehearse a bit each week.

I wouldn’t beat yourself up about it. The desire will come back to you at some point. Focus on other hobbies that interest you until then.
 
I felt like that for a good chunk of last year. Company policy change forced me to use up a lot of remaining PTO by the end of the year, and the extra time at home had me playing a lot more, just because.

I’m on a better schedule overall this year, so I’m hoping that ball keeps rolling. Every few years it seems like I go through a bit of a slump for a while.
 
alund said:
Get on YouTube and watch someone inspiring like Warren, Nuno, EVH or whoever and listen to a lock or something you don’t know but love. Attempt to learn it- not the whole thing just the vibe. Just something different I guess. Might be inspiring. Or not; Like I tell the kids, let’s have fun with math.
Click to expand...
I’ve been picking up bits & pieces of EJ songs I never had the patience to learn when I was younger. Just a few bars here & there when I feel like it; challenging enough to keep my attention and give me a goal, but still melodic & attainable. More or less.
 
I've had periods like this where I am just generally not interested in playing. Generally it isn't a reflection of my true interest but rather external factors like work and school taking all of my mental energy and not really having a lot of light at the end of the tunnel for a definite end to the period. Then I get out, recharge, and then my obsession comes back. For what its worth I mixed stuff up like walking around more, being more active, and doing activities I just didn't normally do and it snapped me out of it.
 
I didn’t pick up a guitar for months, my wrist was bothering me and I just kind of stopped, I was playing drums a lot in that time though. I did just get my studio cleaned up and I’m ready to go again
 
I just came out of a 2.5 year bout of writer’s block that just about put me in therapy. I was actually starting to buy into the idea “Maybe music doesn’t come with me for the second half of life?”, which was one of the most terrifying thoughts I’ve ever had.

At the tail end of it I was watching a vid with Kip Winger and Vai talking about writer’s block and Vai says something along the lines of “It’ll happen and you can’t force it back, but when it comes back, be ready for it because it’s going to be abundant” and like everything else out of Vai’s mouth, he’s not wrong.

Once it came back I haven’t been able to stop, if I didn’t intentionally set my life up to accommodate the amount of time I want to work on music, I’d think it were obsessive/compulsive.
 
Still playing, but have been feeling pretty uninspired these past few weeks. I’ve sometimes solved that in the past by buying gear, but I’ve other stuff I need to spend my money on right now, so there’s no buying my way out of this particular rut. Decided to try and find a few new (to me) bands to check out - that’s usually a good source of fresh inspiration for me. That, and learning to play a riff or two I love but never got round to learning before.
 
A few years ago I went thru a rough period in my life and started writing songs and singing on recordings, which I never really did. Right after that, I started a band with some friends and we just had our first gig with me singing and playing guitar. My wife started calling me "Dolly" because I've been writing lyrics and riffs like hotcakes. Just songs about all types of stuff.

At 53 years old, I'm at my most creative but feeling it in my knees, back, etc. I don't want to slow down though. I want to keep creating and packing as much as I can in while I'm still on this Earth.
 
I have been playing more lately, but I mostly just mess around. I have no goals around it. I can sit and mess with delay settings for 2 hours for all I care, lol. I just get small blocks of time a few times a week between all the other things I have to do.
 
glpg80 said:
In a rut lately of just no desire to play or look at your guitar gear? Or is it just me?

Works been kicking my ass for an extended time and responsibilities have zapped me of free time. Just the ability to block out things so I can sit down to learn songs or work on amps is challenging if not impossible. This started late spring of last year but I honestly just don’t have it in me to want to pick up a guitar and play, let alone formally practice. I spent an epic amount on mics and recording gear/software hoping to improve my shit videos but I don’t even desire to play guitar let alone record.
Click to expand...
Don’t sweat it dude. Art..(guitars/ music) is a release. Comes in waves..
 
I had a "situation" with one of my favorite rigs a few years ago and basically boxed it up and set it aside. Tho I have bought some amps and such, I haven't played hardly at all since that rig got boxed up. Now I just don't give a fuck. Maybe I'll come back to playing again one day.
 
Comes in waves is right.

Sometimes I don't play much for years. Often don't play for weeks. Think nothing of playing ten or more hours in a day.

It's basically my therapy and religion. So I won't really quit till I can't play.
 
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