How did you get out of a mental rut?

[shar-vell Dan]

Sometimes life happens and interests and priorities change, i look at dates i upload music and sometimes there’s six months between where I barely picked up an instrument in that time, then there’s times like the last couple weeks where im playing hookie from work to sit home all day and night to work on things. thinking you need to force yourself to do something you're just not feeling at the moment i feel can lead to even more burnout

When you get older only one thing changes and thats EVERYTHING.

 

[CoreyW]

Since I am in a similar situation here is what I do... but a little back story to help...

I moved to digital load boxes around 2017, new marriage and life style changes, these allowed me to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it without upsetting the misses. It tooks a while to get use to them, but once I did it made everything after a lot more convenient and comfortable. I always liked the idea of MFX units, but struggled with a few namely Helix, to get sounds that I enjoyed...

About 5 years ago I took a job where I travel typically 4 nights a week, I wasnt playing much at all when I started this job and had other hobbies I was into, but I would take a guitar occasionally. During this time, my interface died on me and left my home set up almost unusable, took longer than I care to admit to fix it, but I finally did a little over a year ago. I was getting the playing bug again and getting it pretty hard but I knew carrying amps in a car and hotel room night after night wasnt a great idea. I was using the Helix for a bit and comfortable enough with the sounds I was getting, that I ended up snagging the Pod Go, it made things significantly easier to lug around. I was content, but not thrilled with it... but this time I wanted to actually get better at guitar. So, the Truefire membership, Troy Grady membership, Lick Library membership, all gave me a load of material to sift through but no clear direction.

When I started back this past year I decided to keep a practice journal as well. I was keeping track of what I was working on, setting goals, using it to set my practice routine based on what I wanted and needed to work on. I filled this note book up completely and keep forgetting to buy a new one to continue doing this. It has really helped me hold myself accountable to achieving the goals I have set. For the most part it has been a success, but I still have a few areas I really need to work on and dont dedicate the time I need to in order to do that.

I started taking lessons with @Techdeth this summer, and I am doing things now I was only dreaming of doing when I was younger. I also moved into the fractal gear earlier this year and have really become a fan boy since I started using it, even replacing my pod go with an FM3, and now instead of just having sounds I was ok with, I have sounds that I actually enjoy. But one thing the Line 6 did do for me, it stopped me from obsessing so much over what my rig sounded like, and just get to the playing and practicing.

I have built a small mobile studio so to speak I can set up in a hotel room in just a couple of minutes, and I have yet to receive any complaints about volume at any hotel I am at. Laptop, small interface, IK multimedia iLoud small monitors, FM3 and guitar, everything but the guitar fits in a back pack. I have the EZdrummer and Superior drummer to build drum loops with, guitar pro to play a long and practice with, pro tools to record with when I finally start doing that again. The main thing I am looking for now is people to collaborate with. I would love to get in with some people around my home to play with, but being gone Mon - Fri, im overly cautious about trying to dedicate too much time where I would be gone during the weekends.

 

[Techdeth]

Since I am in a similar situation here is what I do... but a little back story to help...

I moved to digital load boxes around 2017, new marriage and life style changes, these allowed me to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it without upsetting the misses. It tooks a while to get use to them, but once I did it made everything after a lot more convenient and comfortable. I always liked the idea of MFX units, but struggled with a few namely Helix, to get sounds that I enjoyed...

About 5 years ago I took a job where I travel typically 4 nights a week, I wasnt playing much at all when I started this job and had other hobbies I was into, but I would take a guitar occasionally. During this time, my interface died on me and left my home set up almost unusable, took longer than I care to admit to fix it, but I finally did a little over a year ago. I was getting the playing bug again and getting it pretty hard but I knew carrying amps in a car and hotel room night after night wasnt a great idea. I was using the Helix for a bit and comfortable enough with the sounds I was getting, that I ended up snagging the Pod Go, it made things significantly easier to lug around. I was content, but not thrilled with it... but this time I wanted to actually get better at guitar. So, the Truefire membership, Troy Grady membership, Lick Library membership, all gave me a load of material to sift through but no clear direction.

When I started back this past year I decided to keep a practice journal as well. I was keeping track of what I was working on, setting goals, using it to set my practice routine based on what I wanted and needed to work on. I filled this note book up completely and keep forgetting to buy a new one to continue doing this. It has really helped me hold myself accountable to achieving the goals I have set. For the most part it has been a success, but I still have a few areas I really need to work on and dont dedicate the time I need to in order to do that.

I started taking lessons with @Techdeth this summer, and I am doing things now I was only dreaming of doing when I was younger. I also moved into the fractal gear earlier this year and have really become a fan boy since I started using it, even replacing my pod go with an FM3, and now instead of just having sounds I was ok with, I have sounds that I actually enjoy. But one thing the Line 6 did do for me, it stopped me from obsessing so much over what my rig sounded like, and just get to the playing and practicing.

I have built a small mobile studio so to speak I can set up in a hotel room in just a couple of minutes, and I have yet to receive any complaints about volume at any hotel I am at. Laptop, small interface, IK multimedia iLoud small monitors, FM3 and guitar, everything but the guitar fits in a back pack. I have the EZdrummer and Superior drummer to build drum loops with, guitar pro to play a long and practice with, pro tools to record with when I finally start doing that again. The main thing I am looking for now is people to collaborate with. I would love to get in with some people around my home to play with, but being gone Mon - Fri, im overly cautious about trying to dedicate too much time where I would be gone during the weekends.

You’re consistent af now with practicing new shit . And when I make you learn even harder shit you just do it . That atttiutde is killler . I love new things and going for it as well . Also though I’d like to see you just taking the TC 50 halfstack to the hotel with you each week . You can do it lol

 

[CoreyW]

You’re consistent af now with practicing new shit . And when I make you learn even harder shit you just do it . That atttiutde is killler . I love new things and going for it as well . Also though I’d like to see you just taking the TC 50 halfstack to the hotel with you each week . You can do it lol

Thank you sir.

 

[Devin]

I always have fun and get inspired just by jamming along with and learning songs I love

 

[C0UNT3RP01NT]

Thanks for all the great advice everybody! It’s nice to know that even among enthusiasts we can all feel a bit disconnected at times.

This originally started as a GAS motivated thread until I realized that probably wouldn’t solve the underlying issues. I mean heck my rig with all the bells and whistles is well over $10k, all boutique pedals carefully selected over years, through an amp I always wanted, my main guitar is a Gibson Les Paul that I grew with. I can’t be so foolish to act like I don’t have the gear to sound great… and yet my favorite thing I have ever recorded was done on an $80 multifx, out of a $100 pair of monitors, on a squier I dug out of a pile of junk in my cousins garage. I listen to that recording sometimes and try to remember what I was feeling then, what I was going through, what my life was like? I hadn’t had a band at that point, at most I had just sat in with others. I had just moved to a new city, I didn’t really know too many people or the area. I was living by myself at this run down 120 year old haunted swamp mansion, fixing it up for the owners. The room I was in didn’t have electricity, so I ran my recording setup and pedals off an extension cord, and did everything by candlelight (maybe used the fireplace as well). I can’t say anything about the set up was high quality, professional, or conducive to playing well.

I recorded a loop over a drum beat, no bass, no keys, no vocals, built up this vamp into a riff which built into a solo and for 45 seconds, it felt like I touched glory. Funny thing is that it’s not even that complex. It’s pretty non technical, there’s definitely a sloppy note in there but it was the perfect note somehow.

There were a lot of good recordings from that period.

What happened to me? I was hungry. I had a vision. I was inexperienced but I knew what I wanted to sound like. I didn’t have the gear so I did everything I could to compensate for it. I wanted to be as good as my idols, and I knew I wasn’t and I had a lot of work to do. I think at that stage, that feeling like I wasn’t where I wanted to be, caused me to sound better than I do now; despite how much I’ve advanced in my knowledge and gear. There was a rawness to it.

Then I think I grew up honestly. I realized my idols had strong bands around them, and much of their sound was supported by the talent around them. They were either lucky and found a band that could really create a certain sound democratically, or were so talented that they could lead the band to that sound. I got busy and stopped practicing so much to advance as instead to reliably fit the band. This past year the new job is paying for an apartment on site, but that comes with a roommate so I’ve become more mindful of how often and loud I play. And that’s in between life just getting busier.

This got more philosophical than I intended, but I think I just kinda needed to vent it out. The bright side is I don’t think it’s impossible to regain my fire, I just think I need to figure out a space going forward for me to get back into it.

 

[BABMusic]

Clean up your rooms.

(I do this).

 

[ZEEGLER]

I got into a similar place a few years ago. Covid put an end to my old band, the death of our drummer put an end to the next one, and new job was just making it hard to find the desire.

For me it was the opposite. The previous band fell apart when the drummer died. The subsequent band was going great until Covid hit. Our upcoming shows were cancelled and we just fizzled out.

 

[fantom]

OP, you described my situation like 15 years ago. I had a gigging band that consistently rehearsed and was a solid group of humans. I was on very good terms with local promoters and we were able to play as a local band for many major touring artists.

I moved for work. I couldn't find anyone (despite trying) who had music on their list of actual goals. Concerts, ya. But consistently playing, nope. I had so many flakey prospects. Excuses were almost always related to work or family. And I didn't realize it, but I was also overworking myself and using TV/games on weekends to decompress.

It hit me, I was just getting older and my peers had different priorities than what we had in our 20s. I can't tell you what works, because networking is hard. I can tell you that binge watching TV or playing through your backlog of games isn't going to work. What helped was putting guitars on stands in every room. I would bring one with me to the laundromat and just play while my laundry was running. I also worked a lot more on mixing, ear training, and general composition (or decomposing if you want to call it that).

Unfortunately, it won't just get better. My biggest issue now is living in a 2 bedroom with my family. I am lucky if I get one day a week to turn on an amp and just play. Most of the time it's just an unamplified electric at night. Gear (digital or physical) didn't help. It's 100% a "schedule time for it and don't skip sessions" problem. It's just really hard to schedule time when not mentally or physically exhausted.

 

[nightlight]

Do you have any old recordings of your band. Go through them, and listen critically. In between, start listening to new music, stuff that's normally not in your comfort zone. Separately, take up some small hobby like model building or carpentry to keep yourself occupied and less frustrated that the music isn't coming to you at that point of time.

Just relax and keep occupied, and when you feel like playing guitar again, go for it. No point pushing yourself if something makes you less satisfied or happy. These kinds of phases come and go, and you just need to detach and go back to simple things like breathing or listening to comedy shows or exercising to get you back in the right frame of mind.

Good luck! And remember, you got this.

 

[LanBaul]

Yeah, being stuck solo can be rough. even small experiments can make it fun again.

 

[IHateRap]

I say get in touch with your old band members. Have them hook you up with some videos from their recent killer gigs with their new guitar player. Live vicariously through him/her.

 

[DrewJD82]

I can’t be so foolish to act like I don’t have the gear to sound great… and yet my favorite thing I have ever recorded was done on an $80 multifx, out of a $100 pair of monitors, on a squier I dug out of a pile of junk in my cousins garage.

HARD relate here. When I first started recording on my own I had minimal gear, a shitty Peavey XXL amp, 2 guitars and a bass, but holy shit did I milk rocks from that stuff and then when I finally got all the gear I’d been dreaming about that well of inspiration closed right the fuck up.

It coincided with some major life changes (divorce) and I’ve come to realize that if I’m going to use a situation as motivation for music, I need to be well removed from the situation before that’ll happen and despite music being the most important thing in my life, sometimes life itself will force you to put it on the backburner. After 3 years of that I started coming to terms with the idea that music would no longer be a priority and that’s pretty much when it all came flooding back.

I know one thing that definitely helped was the cliched ‘getting back to my roots’; I started listening to Gilmour and EJ, my first two guitar heroes, and rekindled the initial spark that made me want to play when I was 11. I didn’t worry about writing, I just started playing like I did when I was a kid, listening to the music and playing along, missing most the notes but just remembering why I loved those notes so much to begin with. Songs I got sick of hearing years ago suddenly started feeling new again and before long I was just as addicted to playing as I was when I first started.

Definitely force yourself to pick it up each day, even if it’s just 5 minutes of unplugged noodling on the couch. Ya never know when that right combo of notes will fall out that make you enticed to keep developing it and sometimes just that is enough to keep you going.

 

[ewill52]

man everybody goes through it. I try and break the rut by learning something completely different and listening to something other than my normal stuff. Right now i'm on a big country kick and Matt Schofield. Not radio country, but stuff like Winchester 49, Steel Woods, old Merle and Waylon, etc. Zach Top is crazy good too. serious Brent Mason\90's country vibes. And Schofield is such a great player. This stuff may not be for you. Maybe it's jazz. or flamenco. or whatever. Just dig in to something new.

 

[Uzi Nein Millimetah]

Try listening to "new" music. Maybe you will find a band that can get your juices flowing. This has happened to me. As a teenager I didn't get into Iron Maiden. But in my 30s I did. Then in my 40s, got into Accept, Loudness, UFO, WASP, Krokus. Yes, I "regressed" that was because I couldn't stand the current day music. I still can't. (Even Metallica's last 2-3 albums. My genre is 70s/ 80s/early 90s rock, metal etc. I'll be 52 soon. That music makes me feel like a kid. Better late than never! A lot of bands I am into were introduced to me by my friends. "Hey check this band out!" Inserts cassette into car tape player and cranks it. Ohh those good times!

Ahh, I remember the days of trading cassettes and mix tapes. I knew a guy in high school who was a bigtime collector of all of the heavy and/or obscure and underground bands I had no exposure to, and I would say "hey, let me borrow some heavy stuff". I was on a quest then "who is the heaviest of them ALL and has the heaviest/best guitar tones?" One day he put in a cassette called "South of Heaven", and a new world was opened for me. Others that he introduced me to within a 1 or 2 year period included To Mega Therion, Don't Break the Oath, Trouble, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, and lots more. What an amazing time of discovery that was....

I'm guess I'm eternally stuck in the '70s/'80s/'90s metal era, and I'm fine with it. That was the era of Epics! It was when my musical identity was formed.