Is anyone else just...blah...burnt out with guitar?

[Codeman]

I have a similar problem but for different reasons, this phase for me is becoming permanent.

Played my last gig over 5 years ago and even before that I was mostly stalled.

I have been too long without any musical output and no foreseeable change in the future as all the local scene, bands and venues are dead and gone.

Every 3 months or so I get to practice for about 20 minutes and then I start thinking "this is stupid, whats the point?" and stop.
Playing music was the greatest thing ever and now whenever I try to pickup any instrument it just makes me feel sad and frustrated.

Not sure what advice I can give you but I hope you can find some inspiration and output for your music to keep you motivated and bring back some joy in your guitar playing.

 

[SCJR]

Yeah it's normal, I haven't played much in the last few months. I've played a little bit of piano here and there since high school but finally decided it's time to develop a proper technique and get better at reading sheets so I'm taking lessons. It's refreshing and humbling to be at the beginning again.

 

[OmegaSlayer]

After my band broke up I went on a 7 years hiatus.
Not touching the guitar for 7 years.
That's my biggest regret in life.
Nowadays playing guitar is my yoga, my zen, something that keeps me sane in this crazy and stressful world.
And I need at least 2 hours per day.
Luckily my family has understood and have come to term with the thing.

This summer was too hot and could play my 2 hours and I was very difficult to deal with.

 

[SilentStrummer]

Your story sounds similar to mine. Started playing in HS, jammed with friends basically every weekend. It was great. Once I left HS I played more sporadically, bought a cheap strat, played a little more, and then…just stopped. Senior project for college, then grad school and I just never did anything but school or work in the lab. Then I got a job and didn’t play at all.

I ended up selling or giving away my gear after not playing for about 4 years.

3 years later my son was born, and I started to want to play again. 1 year after that, and my wife and 1-year old son got me an acoustic guitar for Father’s Day. I learned a few childrens songs, and took some classes. This ended my first 8 year hiatus from guitar.

Two years later I purchased an electric and a mustang practice amp. Oh and then another son was born….

I then went through another ~7 year hiatus. I had at least hung my guitars up on the wall so they would look at me in shame and disappointment, but I didn’t play then more than 4x a year.

Then…global pandemic. Hmm, I should pick up my instruments. I started to play a little more here and there, then in 2021 I found a YouTuber free 30 days of guitar course where you learned a riff a day. So I said “I’m gonna do that” and the magic of doing something for over 21 days turning into a new habit happened.

I may have started playing in 1994, but I didn’t really start playing until 2021. I stayed at the beginner level for about 27 years.

Life happens, I took a break from college to 1st job, and then after my 2nd child was born. It was too hard to make time. Now I squeeze in 20-30 mins a day no matter what, many times it’s either before or after everyone else has gone to bed.

 

[Seabeast2000]

I had periods where I would go months without playing. The thing that got me out of those ruts was messing around with other genres and techniques a lot, so anytime metal gets stale for me, I'd go play other genres like flamenco or some country/bluegrass. Playing other genres made me think about how I approached guitar differently than I would otherwise.
I also play a ton of rocksmith on nonstop play. It forces me to play lots of songs and genres I 'd otherwise be uninterested in.

I see rocksmith on steam. Considering hard as it's like under 50 bucks after buying the cable.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

I see rocksmith on steam. Considering hard as it's like under 50 bucks after buying the cable.

I think it's worth it personally. I've gotten years of use out of it, especially with all the custom DLC and paid DLC you can download.

 

[Seabeast2000]

I think it's worth it personally. I've gotten years of use out of it, especially with all the custom DLC and paid DLC you can download.

Can you confirm Rocksmith Remastered Edition 2014 is where I start?

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Can you confirm Rocksmith Remastered Edition 2014 is where I start?

yep

 

[HoneyNut]

Just got back from work and came across this thread.

I've struggled with this at times. There was a phase where I quit altogether and sold my favorite Ibanezes. For those 2 years, I also quit smoking, hit the gym daily, maintained a proper diet, got to work on time. I also picked up photography and was more outgoing than usual.

But it all just went out of whack when I walked into this store (L&M @ Bloor West), and plugged into a cheap SS with a Player Strat. It wasn't the gear that did it. It wasn't exactly the amp either. It was my own abilitity to bend the string the way I did that surprised me.

Now, I'm not someone who's impressed by his own playing, but I was a little dumbfounded when I heard myself after not touching the guitar for 2 years. Maybe I couldn't alternate pick, but my bends were spot on and my legato lines and sense of musicality was there.

It felt like being fluent in Chinese all of a sudden.

And since then, I keep remembering the words of friends and distant families from years gone, "always keep playing", or "never give up". And that was the day I ordered my only guitar that I have now.

This was about 4 years ago. But I do go through phases when Im too tired to practice, or even question myself why I still do. Im in my late 30s, and the kind of music I enjoy won't become mainstream in my lifetime. But it is a part of me, and us.

It will come and it will go. And it might return again later. But let it evolve. Enjoy the ride while we can. I saw some Collins guitar photo that looked like an ES355. Or hear Kriesberg. And then remember Josh Middleton's downpicking. It's all love and passion. I don't make money of it.

Sometimes I wished I didn't love the guitar, maybe then I'd be travelling more, reading, and doing so much more than just being on SSO or TGP. But, for myself, at least Im being appreciative of this collective force here.

You might lose interest once in a while, but the club will always have its doors open for you. I wish this was more in person, and this is exactly why I loved the places I've lived in before - closer proximity to the kinds of music I love and similar taste.

But the music itself, or the gear itself means nothing after a certain point. It's also the people, the friendships, the community. If you're too busy for it now, maybe do it later. Maybe in the meantime force yourself to not listen to any metal at all, and just classical and jazz. Or the other way, force yourself not to listen to anything that is complicated for complexities sake. Or maybe force yourself not to listen to any music at all. Give it up. Cold turkey. Return 2 years later.

 

[TheBloodstained]

I guess I'm in a similar rut right now. In early 2020 I joined a band, and we went to town with writing and rehearsals. Creative and personal differences ultimately resulted in breaking up the band in july 2022. During that period though I went all-in with gear purchases to build a great bass rig and to give me the capability to record demos at home to share with the guys.

After the breakup I pretty much stopped playing (again). The last couple of months my main focus have been on work and family, and currently I'm heavily invested in gaming, so...
No real playtime.
I'm still buying gear. Currently waiting on a Schecter guitar that keeps getting postponed. I like having gear that allows me to bang out quick demos. I haven't notice any noticeable degradation of my skills, but then again, I never was the greatest or most technical player!

I know my passion for playing, writing and recording comes and goes, so I'm not worried. It's only a matter of time before I pick up the axes again and bang out some more demo recordings.
I'm doing the occasional YouTube videos of different stuff, and I've been thinking a lot about writing and recording some good background music for that. It would save me the trouble of dealing with royalties and stuff, and then there would be an end goal with the writing/playing. Sometimes it's easier to find the motivation to play, if you have a achievable goal to aim for with your playing.

 

[ElRay]

Just another data point:

• I was down about music, playing, demands on my time, etc.
• I got low enough that I deleted all the music off my computer & phone, never played the radio in the car, packed CDs in a box & prepped all gear for the next garage sale, etc.
• We went ice skating with the kids, their friends and the friends' parents.
  • I was the only adult in the crew that rented skates
  • I was wobbly for a bit, but was able to eventually pick-up speed
  • I realized:
    • I don't need to be a pro or be "as good as I used to be" to have fun
    • I don't need to base "what I should spend my time on" based on what other adults have "grown out of"

 

[concertjunkie]

I've been there, and it's shifted based on what's going on in my life.
During the peak of covid I barely picked up my guitar for 6 months or so. Definitely had some mental health struggles that exacerbated that. I ended up being offered to fill in for a friends band, learned their tunes and eventually joined as a full member. Being a part of that band helped me get back into music and loving the instrument again. Two years later, I'm now realizing I'm over being in the "band grind" and want to focus on creating more music and on my own time and terms. A big part of me getting there was having a consult with a guitarist who did a bunch of PR and marketing for other bands and hearing how backwards I've approached being in a band and just fighting tooth and nail to get crumbs in return.
The takeaway was thinking about who I am as a musician and what is my end goal, and that led me to the current spot I'm in now. I still have some times where I want a day off but I'm spending a lot more time with the guitar with purpose, and that's been great!
Might be good to assess for yourself, what is your end goal as a musician? What do you want to do?

 

[5dollarbrownie]

No, it’s probably just you.

Kidding though, seriously. It happens sometimes. You get stuck in practicing ruts or life just catches up and you don’t feel as inspired. Time away can be good. Then you pick it back up when it feels right. Even if it’s just playing along to some of your favorite songs. Guitar is always there my good dude

 

[sacguy71]

Ever since my first son was born (he's 7 now), my interest and desire to play guitar seems to all but be gone. I've really gotten into working on guitars and collecting them. My guitar gear right now is the best I could have imagined and yet, I have no desire to sit and play anymore. If I could have shown my high school self this is what you're going to have, I'd lose my mind! And yet...all my stuff just sits. I have noticed that my skills have deteriorated and when I do pluck around, I get discouraged that I can't play what I used to with relative ease.

I don't know what it is, I WANT to play but I just don't. Anyone else ever feel this way for any extended period? I'm at the point that if I sold off all my stuff it wouldn't be the end of the world but playing guitar has been the best thing I had ever done in my life....is this how it happens? Just fizzles out?

I go through phases like this and find motivation in music and people I know. New pedals help make things more fun for me. I am working on mastering complex diatonic scalar sequences and while not fun to practice, using effects makes it more fun and come up with new riffs and licks based on these helps me stay motivated.

 

[creepymcpeepers]

Ever since my first son was born (he's 7 now), my interest and desire to play guitar seems to all but be gone. I've really gotten into working on guitars and collecting them. My guitar gear right now is the best I could have imagined and yet, I have no desire to sit and play anymore. If I could have shown my high school self this is what you're going to have, I'd lose my mind! And yet...all my stuff just sits. I have noticed that my skills have deteriorated and when I do pluck around, I get discouraged that I can't play what I used to with relative ease.

I don't know what it is, I WANT to play but I just don't. Anyone else ever feel this way for any extended period? I'm at the point that if I sold off all my stuff it wouldn't be the end of the world but playing guitar has been the best thing I had ever done in my life....is this how it happens? Just fizzles out?

I Wana get the music nomad stuff to do setups really bad I get burnt out sometimes that’s why I start making YouTube videos of me singing and I can’t sing good. But I don’t care if people laugh at me. I have always been that way though. I’m cringe creepy.

 

[Jwhitin]

Legit same thing here almost exactly.
Twin sons are 7, I have 10 guitars, high end Ibanez and Schecter with Sustainiac, evertune, variax plus 7,8 and 12 strings and have continued to buy gear last few years.

Weeks would go by and I just stare at them even though i love them but have no interest to play them or just find it easier to mindlessly watch YouTube while scrolling reddit.
Craziest part is I also bought an axe fx 2 that I've wanted for years since the axe fx ultra was out and I can't be that bothered although my pod HD500 heavy tones sound better as I obsessively tweaked them over the years.

It might be in part slight depression or being burnt out but for me the last year I've been killing it and writing lots of good riffs I actually like.
Partly as I've sorted my head out and partly because I've sat down with diagrams of 24 fret board images and laid out scales I never learnt, especially learning them on 1 string which makes 10x more sense to me.
That really expanded my horizon and made jamming fun again as did getting an 8 string.

Buying a Nux Mighty plug to easily jam along to stuff without getting gear out helped alot too although weirdly I play guitar a good 90% of the time unplugged when writing riffs ir messing about despite my gear.

Another good thing to try is alternate tuning like say
AADGBE (low e becomes a bass version of A string
DADADD (riffing in that tuning everything makes sense to me, it's like open D5 power chord and any 2 note chord you make you can easily double up or expand upon knowing all string are either D or A)

Don't sell all your shit anyway and just try to f**k about without expectations etc
Good luck

 

[Breeding The Spawn]

During Covid Quarantine, I got into Laser Engraving as a side hustle fell in love with that and still doing it, and didn't pick up my guitars at all like I used to. On top of that I lost my father. Our band decided to take a long break, well fast forward to last week we got invited to play a gig, we all got together to jam and noticed my calluses have all gone soft, had trouble keeping up with a fast drummer again. I became an uncle to a niece and she is very much interested in my guitars and always wants me to play her something, so that and the fact that our band got together for a jam since a year ago made me pickup my guitars again. It happens to everyone.

 

[alex_x]

I don't know what it is, I WANT to play but I just don't. Anyone else ever feel this way for any extended period?

Literally me, but I have some reasons to downer myself sts, 1st is my strings got old and they became much more expensive recently and 2nd - there're some problems with its neck, I think it's either wood or anker, and my small town haven't got normal guit master unfortunately. But that're not only reasons, I guess it's common frustration also, in life & music.

 

[tom schelfaut]

Virtually every day, every time I play or practice it seems I suck and I'll never get better.. but something keeps me going, this need to improve, almost obsessive.. and honestly looking back I've improved sooo much, but it never seems that way in the day to day playing experience..

 

[Luvless]

Man, I haven't touched a guitar in about 5 months. Before that it had been almost 2 years. Before that it had been months. I still enjoy playing, until I grab a guitar to play, then it feels like a chore. After my band broke up,I just stopped playing entirely. I lost all interest. Now I want to play, and I miss it. But I don't get the same vibe as when I was younger. I don't get the good feelings. I feel like I have to do it. I can't sell all my gear because I feel like I would want to get back into it and I would never be able to afford it, but at the same time it just sits and collects dust in my closet and I stub my toe on my amp. It sucks but I try to not think about it honestly. It just makes me sad.
I've tried taking a break, I've tried playing daily for a few weeks and every time it just feels like I'm forcing it when I pick a guitar up. I wish I had a better answer for you.