What Keeps You Motivated?

[LiftedArtifact]

I'm sure everyone that has ever picked up a guitar and tried learning has had this problem... After practicing and playing for awhile there comes a point where I kind of hit a wall and lose motivation. I really hate to admit this, but it is honestly the one thing I struggle with when trying to keep playing and learn new techniques. When this happens, I tend to switch to a different genre.. For example, I will play rock and get stuck on something and get REALLY frustrated and then I will just switch to blues or something to get my mind off of it... What do you do to keep yourself motivated to keep playing?!? I honestly have been struggling with this for years!

[john]

Honestly, these days it is purely for the love of playing. Playing in bands or simply jamming with other guitarists and other musicians on a regular basis helps keep you fresh, because you can see an more immediate use of all your hard earned riffs and techniques, plus often a set of goals that can help drive practice.

[Rudi]

Odd that you should ask this now. I have never had this problem in 40 years, until now.

I think I know why

1. I stopped playing when I went on 2 weeks holiday. Habitual playing creates its own momentum.

2. My creative urge has diverted into photography. This will settle down eventually though I am sure. Other creative interests can distract you.

Try to have fun when practicing. Try to combine it with composing (making riffs, make them challenging enough to need practice).

3. Dont lock your guitar away in a case / or anywhere its awkward to get at.

Leave it out. If you dont want it leaning against a wall, get a stand. Better still, get a wall mounting bracket (like in music shops).

Make your guitar easy to pick up ready for anytime you have an idea.

Habits are easy to aquire. So try and make them good habits.

[TapperMike]

Both Rudi and Tom have sage advice.

I'm not playing in bands anymore, I don't play in front of people. I've grown very tired of playing everything I used to play. What's worse is when I do play guitar I have to play it so low as not to disturb the neighbors (at a whisper) Much of the magic is lost as all I have are electrics and I can't run them thru an amp. Writing music has also faded with me. Everything I do is instrumental though I'd love a singer lyricist who can collaborate irl.

I just recently started pulling my guitars out of the closet. They should be closer to my computer which has become the center of my universe but they are in the other room.

A few years back when I picked up my first ztar it possessed me. Everyday I'd be discovering new approaches with it. I still haven't given many of the newer approaches the time I need to for development. And because it's a ztar there is the chance that I'm doing something different no one else has. Simply put I look for new approaches. I've even documented a few on my website. Then came the chasing sound years (I'm still doing all three finding new ways to play, refining those stills, looking for different sounds) When you enter the world of midi whole new worlds open up with just different sounds you've never played before. When I'd find a familiar sound like Supertramps Wurly or Dizzy's Flugel (Usually they aren't named like that) I'd get them stuck in my crawl. WHAT IS THAT FROM? Then I'd try to think of the song I associated with the instrument. If I did remember I'd try to recreate the song from memory, I don't have perfect pitch. I do have relative pitch from years of practice. I could easily look for the song on the web and try to transcribe it or look for the midi/print version but I was having too much fun trying to figure it out on my own. It was and is an adventure in sound and would/does occupy me for hours. Prolly not the most productive use of my time.

If we are talking about just playing guitar the best advice I can offer is play out. Even if you are playing to the birds and bees at a park. Put it down on a calender.

Playing (location) at (time) on (day of the week) Playlist of songs I know already all the way through

.

Maybe someone will hear you maybe someone won't but it will give you and end goal for your efforts. There is a possibility that you may encounter other musicians and jam or just talk music. Talkng music IRL and getting feedback IRL is much more effective as a motivator then on the internet.

[Toro]

When i loose motivation, i usually watch some interviews / live clips from my favorite band, Metallica! xD

It makes me motivated, whenever i see those guys on stage, i just want to pick up my guitar and play the fatest, fastest and heaviest

riff ever made, and i know that some technuiqes i need to learn if i want to become a guitarist... so i kinda just watch / listen to my idols

and it makes me motivated x)

[pwrlftr15]

for me, youtube is a great source of motivation. Whenever I want to feel inspired I watch my favorite players play and it helps to get my ass in gear to keep practicing.

Also, keeping recordings of my own playing and then listening back to them 1 or 2 years later gives a great inspiring feeling to know how much you progressed.

[LayneGreene]

Whenever I get stuck with my playing I go back to the basics. I hit one of these walls recently, so I went back and started really going over my scales and arpeggios again. It worked for me! I was back up and running in no time.

[TapperMike]

I have to say. I've been listening to you on sound cloud and youtube. There is no shame in your game. You have a wonderful mature sensibility to your playing in that you play songs all the way through. Believe it or not this takes a greater self discipline then all the w*nkage improvisation with backing tracks I see posted on the web. It gives you what some require most....professionalism.

If I were you I'd be pursuing the local music scene (I don't know what it's like in your area) Getting in with a band or forming one. Doing live performances anywhere you can even if it's for free in smaller more intimate settings where people aren't coming for the music and your just background to them. Because a lot of that goes into the life of a musician. You'll play gigs with all your heart and it will fall on death ears (I have) and learn to keep on going on. Occasionally you might during the course of your performances receive a compliment or two. The more you play out either with positive or possibly negative encounters (see Tom's Post) The more motivated you'll be.

I had one blues jam once. That I was thoroughly ashamed of my performance. I'd practiced and practiced and still wasn't on my game. It knocked me down a few pegs and I had to make a decision over whether to give up the guitar or double down. Fortunately I stayed in the game, got better and reclaimed my self esteem.

The upside is John's situation where he's been doing it for awhile and it's a positive motivator. You may encounter both negative and positive motivators but it will push you to the next level while also giving you the assurance that your efforts are worth it.

[TapperMike]

I just wanted to add....

Nothing gets me quite as pumped up as watching a good action/adventure movie or show....So long as it has an upbeat ending where the good guy wins.

[Jim622]

Not that I'm trying to get a brown nose - this forum helps alot. Theres

a lot of talent on this site that just can't help but to give you a little

kick and push you forward.

Jim

Edited November 28, 2012 by Jim622

[James Anderson]

i find there are times that my playing can go flat when i compose a song in my head its a real buzz i only ever want to play a song once and move on to the next so having to play a song more than once to get it right can dull the performance