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[Lemurnator]

Could just have been an influence on your listening habits, or if you're a musician an influence on your playing/writing style.

I've always been interested in music and musical instruments. Namely the guitar, drums, and keyboards. I got my first guitar when I was 6 years old but I only had it for a month before a friend came over and totally destroyed it, putting that hobby on hold for 7 years costing me valuable childhood practice. Last year I first picked up a new guitar with a real intention of mastering it. Now it's been a little over a year later and not more than a few days have gone by where I haven't practiced for at LEAST an hour. Other than when I have absolutely no means to like if I need new strings or am in the hospital.

Anyways since then I've gotten a lot better. Unfortunately I don't feel as though I have my own style. I'm unsatisfied with everything I write and every song I cover. It feels flat to me, like I'm playing by numbers. Nothing feels or sounds unique about it when I play it back after recording something. I feel as though I already have the techinical skill but am not making any progress toward developing my own style.

For anyone who considers themselves a skilled musician, how do you suggest I get out of this rut? Hopefully it's not unique to me.

 

[dog$]

holy shit drinky the jokes really getting out of hand now</first ten replies>

I can only speak as someone who played in traditional school bands (clarinet in grade school and 4 years of saxophone in HS); find a new place to play, without music, and just start making noise and building on it. Just play and listen to how you sound in your surroundings. Just go somewhere you can be isolated and bring the guitar with you, then play. That's what I did when I played, and it made me feel better.

 

[bionic77]

Drugs are the key.

 

[Zensetsu]

Go listen to a whole bunch of different music, find something new you like. Try to immitate it or improvise on it. So much random stuff around on the net.


Also, play music with other people. My playing dramatically improved when I got together with some friends and started having regular practices. We just get together once a week, stuff around for half a day playing jazz. You find that often you're playing a unique kind of thing, maybe something you wouldn't normally play when everyone is putting ideas in.

 

[ronito]

listen to as much music as possible, and NOT just music you normally listen to, listen to everything, Tibetian chanting, taiko, bach, jazz, rock, disco everything.

As you listen to anything clear your mind of all prejudices and ask yourself whether you honestly like it or not. And then figure out why. The things you don't like never do, the things you do like incorporate.

 

[Raxel]

.

 

[tt_deeb]

Yeah, I learn A LOT from just listening to other bands or watching people play. I'd be like "hm...that sounds neat. let me try something like that."

I've never really even used tabs or learned any other bands music. I just mess around on the guitar and watch people play and occasionally read some techniques on the internet so I don't develop bad habits and then learn a few tricks for sounding cool.

It also might be easier for me since I have lots of friends that are exceptional at their instruments. But still...there are videos out there too.

It's also pretty smart to go to some music theory sites... www.musictheory.net is a good one. It teaches you stuff with the keyboard but once you understand the concepts and translate that to guitar (keep in mind that going down one fret is a semi-note and figure out what intervals sound good for switching strings). Might want to check out some scale patterns (at least the major ones and then you can mix it up). But even just understanding intervals and the basic idea of a scale you can fool around and begin making assumptions on your own.

THEN AGAIN I'm not a very technical player so this may not be the best advice, especially if you want to master it completely. I just use it as a tool for expression.



KIND OF OFF TOPIC:

Awesome video: mms://nhnext.hvod.nefficient.co.kr/nhnext/nhnsupport/naverboom/0905_best_JerryC-CR.wmv

 

[iced lightning]

listen to acid jazz, trip-hop and ambient stuff. It will really expand your knowledge of rhythmic and melodic structures.

One duo that I highly recommend checking out is Kruder and Dorfmeister. You'll be pleasantly surprised at all the little touches that they put into their music.

 

[Tarazet]

In the last several years of piano lessons with a world-class instructor, what I've learned is that if you actively move with the music, it has a big impact on the quality of the sound, the rhythmical security, and in the emotional connection between person and instrument, no matter what you're playing. And it definitely helps to be grounded in technique - there is a right and a wrong way to breathe, to finger a guitar, to shape a phrase on a keyboard, and a good instructor should be able to make everything both easier and more satisfying to accomplish.

 

[WHOAguitarninja]

When I'm in a rut, or feel like I'm hitting a creative wall, I like to (as others have probably said, havent read the replies) try and take inspiration from things that are completely non guitar. I'll go listen to a trance cd for an hour then sit down and try and write something on the guitar. Or sometimes I'll try writing things on other instruments. Or sometimes doing something as simple as forcing yourself to play in a key that you rarely play in can yield some pretty cool results. Always try and stretch yourself in different and creative ways. You'll only get in a rut if you let yourself.

 

[ronito]

In the last several years of piano lessons with a world-class instructor, what I've learned is that if you actively move with the music, it has a big impact on the quality of the sound, the rhythmical security, and in the emotional connection between person and instrument, no matter what you're playing. And it definitely helps to be grounded in technique - there is a right and a wrong way to breathe, to finger a guitar, to shape a phrase on a keyboard, and a good instructor should be able to make everything both easier and more satisfying to accomplish.

qft

 

[Vennt]

Technique comes with practice, but Style comes with time, 1 year is nothing but baby steps.

Once you've been playing long enough to play without effort your own style will develop.

What I mean about "Without effort" is this: Some of the guys I work with laugh at the fact that they've been playing so long that instead of worrying about their timing, or technique whilst playing in front of thousands they are worrying about the drive home, the next days dentist appointment or something equally mundane, and you need to be working well towards that point in your ability before your own style will start to show.