7 years and thinking about taking a break

I don't know about anyone else but I find my personal mood has a lot to do with how much i want to play. When i am a bit down or grumpy I just don't feel like it.

I am stuck now until i make the jump to barre chord heaven. And what a jump its seems to be. I watched Jack Johnson on AOL yesterday - how depressing was that. The man makes barre chords look as easy as playing an Am!! He just seems to flow round the fret board. I am stumbling, at best.

Hang in there, listen to some new music, it might open you up to some new styles.

Matt

I am stuck now until i make the jump to barre chord heaven. And what a jump its seems to be.

A hurdle I sort of just got through. I found the magic this week in fact. I can do barre chords up until about the ninth fret. Then I have a problem itting my fat fingers into the non-barred frets.

I can't resist.

Wes is right about Nils being right about lars being right about dogbite being right.

right on....

my bad

Hey, everyone, just a little update if you're interested. I really became inspired to play after I was watching the Red Hot Chili Peppers - Live at Slane Castle DVD (if you're a fan and don't own it, I suggest you go out and buy it), they're one of my favorite bands and I love how John Frusciante can play the simplest thing on guitar and make it sound incredible.

I guess that's where this whole problem stemmed from: I dig players like that who just play what they want, without much regard to technique or anything like that, but I'm also interested in (I don't want to call it shred necessarily) playing fast sequences and stuff, like Kirk Hammett, Zack Wylde and Randy Rhodes. I think I was really focusing too much on technique and scales and stuff before, I was thinking: "Ok, I have to know this scale with this pattern and play it at this speed or else I suck". But after watching someone play something so simple, and see how it can work so well, I realised that I should play MUSIC and not scales or technical exercises, and that I don't really suck, I'm just not the most technical player in the world, but I'll get better as I go along.

I guess what this all means is that i'm done with scales for now, I'm gonna focus more on songwriting, improvisation and applying what I know in terms of scales and theory to music

Good for you! I'm glad to hear things are working out for the better! :)

I like what Miles Davis once said, 'if you cant play fast, play sloooow.'

some of the best and amazng tunes are simple three chord progressions. G C D hs gone a long way.

since Ive been playing slide guitar alot lately Ive noticed the beauty of following two or three notes around the fret board.
the tension/release/resolution is simple and beautiful and intrigueing.

sry didnt have time to read all the posts, so if someone already said this...sorry!!!

find an inspiration to your playing, I recently had an event such as yours, then found my inspiration!

Well, like alot of players, i go through phases... went through the metallica phase, zep phase...learning every song, er, well alot... went through the theory phase, blues..jazz...my own composing.... and now im getting into shredding. i mean i was in that zone back when i was learning every oldschool metallica song, but now im getting more and more into players like dime bag. (RIP) and I found a player called Paul Gilber, many of you probably heard the name...but I hadnt. I listened to so muhc of his stuff, and it blows me away.

So long story short, let inspiration find you, and you take it from there.

*aswell as listen to everyone else :P **

Steve-0

Don't throw your scales and exercises under the bus yet, it will still be helpful when you are recording your own songs. You should keep these chops and the theory that goes with them, but don't painfully go through them and focus to much on them were you got bored and want to retire. Also I do I lot of improvising, so get yourself same backing tracks and jam on 8) .

Like B.B. King said "I going to play this guitar to the day I die."

I would suggest getting "De Stijl" by the white stripes. After hearing that disc I asked for only one thing for christmas, a slide. A fabulous guitar album.

I know the feeling. I have been playing for 16 years but i always find somthing to do.

occasionally i will go a week or two with playing little but most of the time i spend running speed scales and inventing little riffs or finding new things to learn.

Some things i practice are sweep arpeggios etc (their tough to get used to!) etc.

Hey Steve. Yeah Ive felt that way before and actually quit playing for a while. But one thing that you will find out is that playing guitar is an addiction and soon you will be right back on it. My advice to you is to spice it up a little. Try getting in a band, or just play with a group of people for fun.

you should never give up!!