Keeping Motivated

[Bojangles]

When your motivation to keep playing drags a bit what do you do to re-energize it? I am at a point where my motivation is at a low point and I am sort of forcing myself to pick up my guitar and play/pratice.

Any help with this subject matter will be appreciated

And
TIA

Bojangles

[The Fury]

I listen to Jimi live at Woodstock. Although this can have a downside, I'm either so inspired to play or I get annoyed because I'll never be that good.

Or I learn something completely different to what I've been playing for the last couple of weeks. That usually does the trick.

Maybe just take a few days off, resisting those little urges to play (when the adverts are on for example), so when you do finally play it feels really good.

[fizz]

Think of the girls youll get in the end. ;)

[Bojangles]

Fury--thanks I was thinking about doing something simular to this...Either listening or watching a video of the artist that influences me the most (Clapton, SRV).

Fiz--Not practical since I already have the women I desire (I have been married for many years).


Thanks for the ideas and if anyone else desires to share what they do in this situation they are more than welcome to add comments.

Bojangles

[55'gibby]

fizz... us middle ages fat guys don't get the girls clamoring for us (maybe I'll try wearing spandex).

keeping motivated is tough, more so after you have played for years. I have a passle of kids, a shrew (make that wife), job etc etc.... and it is REALLY easy to not play the guitar for extended periods of time (like weeks). so when I do sit down to play most of the time my energy is really low, not thinking about playing, and just go thru the motions for a song or two then put it away. the problem is that I just am not motivated to really play like I should. sometimes I will listen to some of my motivation music (Johnny Winter, Little Feat, David Bromberg... ) and get motivated to play. sometimes if I pick up a new toy it will keep my interest for a while (effect, or something). maybe I'll decide to play live (either with my band, or an open mic night), fear is a great motivator. sometimes I can break the funk by jamming with new people. I will take a lesson or two just for a new point of view or style. mostly I have found that if I lose my focus and direction on playing I won't play. look for something to give your playing direction, that may help.

[Bojangles]

You have hit the nail on the head :) This is exactly what is happening to me, my energy has been low over the last couple of weeks plus everytime I get ready to play the wife has something for me to do (dang honey do list:D). I am thinking if I can get rested maybe the desire to play will return. I would like to jam with some folks but don't really know where to find them and I have never tried an "open mike" session and if I did I think the wife would really object because she would be afraid that I would really embarass myself.

Anyhow, thank you for the feedback Gibby it has been very helpful. By the way I was born & raised just a couple of hours North of you (Bay City) and probally born around the sametime (1955). Some of my favorite bands when I was young was Blood, Sweat and Tears, Three Dog Night, The Eagles and Doobie Brothers.

[55'gibby]

Bojangles, your much much older than me, I was born in 1956. I was into the early heavy metal (black sabbath, Led Zep, Steppenwolf... ) then met some of the local heros in the early 70's (Iggy, Glen Frye,... ) and really got interested in playing live. I played almost every weekend for about 20 years, now I play the gigs I want to. Been playing blues and Jazz exculsively for about the last 5 or 6 years (although I haven't had a gig since June). I have found that things like giving lessons, or learning radical new stuff has been more rewarding than playing live, I have been doing some home recording and am putting together a home studio, this new step has given me some direction for both playing and writing. you could get a mic and use your computer for putting together some stuff just for fun. that may help turn you back around. the nice thing about home recording is you can pick it up when you get some free time (btw, what the heck is free time?), and you can fiddle around with when your not playing.

[55'gibby]

Bojangles... I was a BIG eagles and doobies fan as well... couldn't hazzard a guess how many times I played desperado or china grove

[JiMi=GoD]

Originally posted by The Fury
I listen to Jimi live at Woodstock


thats what i do! every time, i never get bored of that video! it inspires me every time, i think im gonna put it on now!

[Bojangles]

Gibby I think the first Hard Rock (metal) band I enjoyed was Black Oak Arkansas...I saw them live in Chicago 1973. I did listen to some SteppenWolf but didn't really appreciate them. Who was the Hard Rock band that recorded Iron Man? In the song the singer goes into a really mettalic like voice and sings "I am Iron Man." It was a very popular song back in the 70s.

Of course you always had the local band that made good Grand Funk Railroad! :D

The artists that really turned me on to pick up the guitar was the folkies(Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, John Denver, Niel Diamond etc). I only picked up an electric in the 90s when I wanted to play Chicago style blues(I am still a beginner in this area) but my true love is acoustic blues(a little slide on the side also) and artist such as BB King, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Rory Block, Bonnie Rait.

Gibby I will probably take your advice and do some recording of my playing to help me with giving me some direction.

Jimi=God--The video I love to watch is 24 nights (Eric Clapton) and I will probably (if I get a chance watch it tonight after work).

[55'gibby]

Bojangles

I was a metal lover till my musical tastes changed. one weekend in Chicago I seen Muddy Waters play in a club, he had James Cotton on harp and Johnny Winter playing slide on a old National Steel. I haven't been the same since. ever since then I have been trying to find that raw emotion in my playing (I still haven't). been a blues guy ever since. I went out bought a slide, learned some tunings, then realized just how hard that is to do. have you listened to Hard Again by Muddy Waters? a great primer on the blues

[JiMi=GoD]

Originally posted by Bojangles
Gibby Who was the Hard Rock band that recorded Iron Man? In the song the singer goes into a really mettalic like voice and sings "I am Iron Man." It was a very popular song back in the 70s.



i think you mean black sabbath or ozzy osbourne i cant remember if it was done with sabbath.

[55'gibby]

Iron man was Black Sabbath, off the second BS album (I think it was called paranoid)

[Bojangles]

JiMi=God--Now that you mentioned it I think it was Black Sabbath.

Gibby--That must have been something special to see live! I have a lot of Muddy in my collection but can not say I have heard Hard Again. What album is it on? I would love to hear it. I was stung by the blues bug in the 90s while I was on a Gulf Deployment (U.S. Navy retired)and have never looked back. I still play some of my all time favorites from when I was a kid and some from a little later (ie., Harry Chapin, Jimmy Buffet) to mix up the flavor of my repertoire.

a tape I will dust off every now and then is Muddy and the Wolf. A song on there I never tire of listening to is Howlin Wolf teaching Eric Clapton and I think Duane Allman how to play My Little Red Rooster. Wolf was teaching them on acoustic and was just going to do the vocals but Clapton convinced him to play acoustic while they done the electric side. Great music! Especially to hear how an Delta Acoustic Blues song was electrified

[55'gibby]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000258J/ref=m_art_li_4//104-7343249-8358331?v=glance


I found the album on amazon, I'm sure it's available elsewhere. The show I seen was in promotion to that album.

I think I have heard that tape of howlin' wolf teaching someone that song (red rooster)... aaaah howlin' wolf, a voice only a blues freak could love

[suppaenitetere]

According to 55 gibby, im officially a blues freak (i knew that already).

[Bojangles]

Great I will check it out...there is a pretty extensive music store just down the road I think I wil check them out to see if they have it. If they don't will definetly order from Amazon.

You were correct on the BS album it was paranoid.