Do you ever find yourself in a playing rut? You know..playing the same licks over and over not even knowing that your playing is getting a little stale? Then one day you either hear a recording of yourself from a gig or rehearsal and it dawns on you that your playing sounds pretty much the same as it did a few months ago.
I know that this happens to me every so often. Instead of going into a panic I have a few things that work for me when trying to get out of a playing rut. I’ll share some of them here with you.
The first thing I do is start listening to other players and very often I listen to every other instrument except for guitar players. Listen to pianists, horn players, harmonica…anything but guitar oriented music. I’ll even throw on some classical….Bach baby..!!
Another thing I do avoid listening to the typical styles of music that are your favorites. I really like blues, country and rockabilly so I’d steer clear of those styles for a little while.
Sometimes taking a break helps. It not only clears your head from guitar playing it gives your hands (tendons, ligaments, etc) a break as well. I know after taking a short break from playing (a week or two) I find myself feeling fresh again with new ideas.
Some more suggestions….
Try doing something completely different from guitar playing. Workout, take walks, read a book or two try cooking something new. Anything you feel that is unrelated to guitar playing.
And after the break, listening to other instruments, working out and reading a book or two you may want to get back to your playing with some lessons. Find a great teacher in your area and let him/her challenge you. If you cannot find a teacher you want to study with you can go online and look for some good and challenging instructional DVD’s. I know that True Fire has some interesting looking titles. As a matter of fact Robbie Calvo has a new one coming out called “Sweet Notes” soon.
So those are my few suggestions for breaking a playing rut. Please leave your comments here with the things that you do to break out of your rut. Keep rockin’!!
My shop is located at 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or are in need of some tech work.
- Monday: 10am - 5pm
- Tuesday: 10am - 5pm
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: 10am - 5pm
- Friday: 10am - 5pm
- Saturday 10am - 2pm. (I am in every other Saturday).
I am also an Eminence, Mercury Magnetics, Mojo Musical Supply dealer.
I do all the tech work myself so you deal directly with me. I am a one man shop and my hours can vary so please contact me to confirm that I will be open.
Email me: billy@300guitars.com
Call or text me: 848-218-0362
Shipping Info for all repair work:
Please ship all repairs to: 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
I am currently offering all phases of guitar work which includes:
- Set-ups
- Fret dressing
- Re-fretting
- New hand cut custom bone nuts & saddles
- Electronics work
And amplifier work which includes:
- Basic maintenance
- Bias adjustment
- Repairs and restorations
- Modifications
- And more....
Testimonials:
David Nicholas - The 20watt amp is sounding fantastic! Delivered the goods at the gig and I'm finding cool tones all over the place with it. Love the cab w Emenince Tonkerlites too- perfect for my sounds! Makes the 12 string sound like a grand piano!
Peter Lacis - I had an audition for something recently that was all about Led Zeppelin I -- my custom Pennalizer BLEW THE MINDS of the guys I was playing with. They couldn't believe the sounds coming out of that amp. That album was never in my mind when I came up with the idea....so that's yet another testament to the amazing work that you do.
Scott Goldberg - I am very satisfied with the set-up, and the fast turn around. With the "lower" action it feels easier to play. I will definitely spread the word.