Ideas on escaping a creative rut and learning something new?

pikingrin

pikingrin

what is this?
I've hit a plateau in my practice routine. Not necessarily getting bored but I'm realizing that I'm stuck. I can rip through the major scale, major and minor pentatonics and a few other short arpeggios...but...that's where it all kind of comes to a stop. :facepalm:

When I first started playing almost 20 years ago, I got a ton of tab books and mainly played by those or by ear. Slow going and it resulted in a somewhat sloppy, but workable, playing technique. Since I stopped gigging about 4 years ago I have seemed to have been regressing into a less creative rut and it's getting frustrating. The only thing that I can link it all to is that I don't have to push forward because there is nothing riding on it (like an upcoming gig). That, however, leads to a string of less-than-interesting recordings, and on to lower overall satisfaction. I'm not one to give up, this is my main outlet and will always be. I just don't want to get stuck regressing into the C,G,D, Em chord sequence and being happy with it, I want to move forward again.

Having said that, I don't have the time to get involved with a band these days - 18 credit hour semesters and having a wife to keep happy doesn't allow for it - so I'm wondering if any of you know of or utilize any sites worth mentioning to increase my repertoire of scale/mode knowledge to start moving forward and getting out of this frackin' rut.

If there are any other suggestions worth mentioning, other than "man up, sally," I would be open to them as well. I've got the gear and the patience, just need to re-up the drive and find my creativity again... :o
 
With no sarcasm or smugness intended: Make music.
Maybe listen to some Arabic...Oriental...Celtic...whatever ethnic flavor and phrasings...forget what you already know.
 
start learning scales you have never done before, for example lydian b7, augmented, half-whole, whole-half, wholetone, and 6 tone scales, there are a LOT of modes even in pentatonic scales, both major and minor. Try having a break from all playing for a week or two, I do this every so often and it can help.
 
I think what beeza says holds true. Make music. Either do covers or wrote some stuff. Practice is for eventually doing.
 
beezelbubba said:
With no sarcasm or smugness intended: Make music.
Maybe listen to some Arabic...Oriental...Celtic...whatever ethnic flavor and phrasings...forget what you already know.
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I agree with this.

I was in a classic rock rut for years and rather than trying to play new music I went backwards and started listening to big bands, Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and standards. It's all music, and as different as Sinatra and Hendrix are, they're still using the same notes as you and I.
 
I just tuned my Strat to open G to learn how to play Honky Tonk Women for first time the right way.
I found lead playing was very interesting in that tuning. Lots of new ideas.
 
Write songs. Change your guitar tuning. Listen to a different type of music.

What everyone else said... ^^^^
 
Yup^^^ all that. Forget scales. Ever go to a show and see some shredder doing scales? BORING! If you can't do the band thing, then play along with music - new stuff as well as old.
 
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Thanks for all of the suggestions. I don't ever want to be a shredder but I'd like to have a little more variety in my overall knowledge and ability. These all sound like great ideas and I will see where they take me; will definitely be better off changing my listening habits for a while. Comedy Central radio isn't exactly ideal for musical inspiration...:o
 
Mick Doobie said:
maybe listen to some horn players....different phrasing and use of scales/patterns/improv
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I got onto a slight Miles Davis kick a few years back; I'll have to dig through the vinyl to see if I still have any of his albums. Al DiMeola has been my go-to for the day; "The Wizard" and "Egyptian Danza" have practically been on repeat. Good point though, improv works.
 
Btyre2013 said:
start learning scales you have never done before, for example lydian b7, augmented, half-whole, whole-half, wholetone, and 6 tone scales, there are a LOT of modes even in pentatonic scales, both major and minor. Try having a break from all playing for a week or two, I do this every so often and it can help.
Click to expand...

Make mine a Double Ristretto Venti Nonfat Organic Soy Chocolate Brownie Frappuccino Extra Hot with Foam and Whipped Cream Upside Down Double Blended with a Cinnamon Sprinkle.
 
I like to practice on phrygian scales. They just sound so...different. Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. :)
 
If you want to get a whole bunch of different ethnic flavors from one source, check out Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble.
 
pikingrin said:
I got onto a slight Miles Davis kick a few years back; I'll have to dig through the vinyl to see if I still have any of his albums. Al DiMeola has been my go-to for the day; "The Wizard" and "Egyptian Danza" have practically been on repeat. Good point though, improv works.
Click to expand...

If you're gonna do Al, it's got to be Mediterranean Sundance.
 
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