Losing the urge to play

[Flemmigan]

Great advice in this thread. Something else that's worked for me is to focus on a different intellectual or artistic pursuit until I spontaneously get back the "spark" to play again. Reading, drawing, watching movies---really anything that you find stimulating. Inspiration can come in many unexpected places, and giving your musical pursuits "room to breathe" is rarely a bad thing.

I also go through phases where I work on composing songs in Guitar Pro with very little actual playing of my guitar. I try not to do it too much for any given song since I feel like I could risk it becoming less organic, but a lot of times it helps me break through layered or transitional parts. It keeps me interested in music while giving me a break from riffing. But, other times I'm just not interested in working on music at all and I'll spend my time playing video games or other stuff in my free time.

 

[vansinn]

Well.. you could simply be loosing interest in playing, in which case you'll simply go do something else.
It could be temporary, which happens to all of us. I'm 59, been playing in and out since around 10. Never had the urge to go pro, always too much rocket fuel in my so-called, so had shorter or longer periods without playing.
No biggie - I'm still playing.

You're playing some half an hour a time.. many will tell you that their too busy day to day schedule doesn't allow any more than that, so your playing may not be any different than how it is for may others - other than, of course, you're worried about loosing interest.
Maybe it's the usual styles in music that's turning into musick for you. If so, go check out something completely different, like I got seriously interested in Mexican chillout, then Afgan chillout oh yeah, very cool stuff.

I'd say, just play when you feel like it, and go take a hike into something else when this gets into you. Like caressing you girlfriend

Foremost: have a great 2017!

 

[Esp Griffyn]

If you're not feeling it, don't force it. That's the best way to ensure burnout.

 

[conorreich]

I just went through. 2-3 year period like this. All of a sudden got G.A.S. for a tribal purple Septor. Bought one and now I've been playing for 2-3 hours a day. It happens. Interests change. Don't force it or you'll wind up not wanting to play rather than just being disinterested.

 

[Leberbs]

I've gone through dry spells too.

My advice would be to stay musically involved: Go to shows, support local artists, get connected with other musicians and lend your knowledge.

At the time of my rut, I owned a full PA system. I'd rent myself and my gear out. I got hooked up with 2 bands and did about 2 months of weekend shows (small festival in between) running sound, guitar teching, loadin and loadout, and helping set the stage. Met a lot of cool people and it really recharged my batteries to continue playing. Not so much that I wanted to start a band and do what I was helping others do, but I kept playing.

Later on, I got hooked up in 2 churches playing Sunday mornings. There, I would alternate guitar and bass. Again, it just kept me playing. I didn't have to rely on myself to play - others were relying on me. Which from the above scenario, I like to help people. So, it worked out and I felt good about it.

These are some ways I stayed musically active over the years. Maybe for you it's building an instrument, building pedals, servicing others instruments, wiring up a pedalboard with custom cables, making cable snakes, repairing cable snakes, installing pickups, installing new instrument hardware, making straps, building speaker cabinets, re-tolexing an enclosure, building a rack for the studio, installing/replacing speakers and tubes... etc.

I think there is something for everyone in music regardless of where you are on your musical journey.

 

[Danukenator]

One thing that helped me was to go back and play something I struggled with a long time ago. For kicks, I just went back and re-learned the solo to the "Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle" by Dethklok. I remember totally failing at it when I was new to playing. This time it took me about 20 minutes to have it up to speed .

It's easy to lose sight of your own progress and get frustrated.

Also, try and find music you like that you can actually play well! I don't ever play enough to play half the stuf posted on this forum. However tons of songs from 80's/90's thrash bands are a ball to play.

 

[oompa]

What do you guys do when you run into this? I couldn't be happier with my gear, honestly. I have an amazing amp (JP2C), a couple incredible guitars - one of which are custom & a pedalboard with some pretty inspiring effects. On top of that I have all the gear needed to silently practice or record if I want to.

The problem is, I just end up looking at all the unused gear in my room more than actually playing it. I'll start playing a video game or watching a movie with the girlfriend before getting the desire to pick up the guitar. If I do pick up the guitar, it's maybe for 30 - 40 minutes and done. I've played since I was 13 years old and my passion seems to be waning a bit. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has run into this - what have you guys done in this situation?

Don't worry about it. Happened to every player. I went more than year barely playing at all ten or so years ago.

From personal experience, any technique you lose you can get back to respectable levels in a few weeks of hard training should you ever get the hunger back anyway, there is absolutely no need to stress over it whatsoever mate

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I didn't read through everything, but I didn't see it suggested really. Perhaps try changing your listening habits.

 

[SeanC]

All the comments about not forcing it are very true. Don't force yourself to do something because you feel that you should. Things happen when they are supposed to. I spent a long time pouring all of my focus into playing guitar and it really started to kill everything I loved about it. Find something else to care about so you are not putting all of your focus in one place. I picked up juggling and making chainmaille and both have been things that I have been able to put the same amount of passion into that I used to with playing guitar. I have struggled in the last few years with motivation to play guitar, but I know that it is still there and I pick it up enough to remind myself that I am not losing it, and I know that it will always be there if that spark and motivation comes back. If it is supposed to happen then it will.

 

[stratjacket]

I agree with the sentiments here, don't force it. It'll come back or something will spark it. It's a life long quest with peaks and valleys.

 

[primitiverebelworld]

OP! How to you generally play daily? If you just shred or practice techniques it is really easy to lose your goal or motivation. Playing would become work to me this way. Here goes my advice - start recording asap and or join some band. Maybe you did already. My purpose is to have fun and challenge myself a little by playing the instrument and what I do is - create full backing tracks in daw, go to music room at work where loud playing is ok, have some PA speakers there, have favorite drink and rock the hell out of my guitar for three hours. Music varies from self creation project and a lot of in flames and soilwork covers. It feels like having a gig but without the worries like other members not playing good, bad audience, crappy venue, transport etc. Maybe it sounds rediculous and probably does but I either play like this or just quit. To play guitar a purpose one must have

 

[jerm]

Writing/recording music really keeps me inspired.

If I wasn't writing with the mindset of recording it, I'd just be noodling around aimlessly.

 

[InFlames235]

Writing/recording music really keeps me inspired.

If I wasn't writing with the mindset of recording it, I'd just be noodling around aimlessly.

This is something I need to do more. I had a LOT of fun recording my first song ever, which was a cover of Overture 1928 by Dream Theater. It was a blast. I just have trouble with recordings because I only play guitar - I don't really remember my way around Reason to make drum tracks or what to use for bass tracks. As far as Overture 1928, I was able to find a website that provided all the instruments minus the guitar so it was perfect.

I end up just picking up the guitar and noodling or playing along to some tabs and such currently.

 

[eugeneelgr]

I play less and less electric as time passes actually, mostly only for the occasional band practice. I find myself picking up the acoustic more often nowadays.

I would say, if you have a band, try to get some gigs or make it a point to have a session with them say...once or twice a month? And start enjoying music, regardless of genre. The only genre i play with my electric is blues and rock. Hardly even touch/listen to metal nowadays.

 

[p0ke]

I don't really see the problem. If you don't feel like playing, don't play. The urge will return at some point, trust me.

 

[primitiverebelworld]

You say you had LOT of fun with recording so why not go that direction? A lot easier than dealing with band situation. I recommend EZDrummer and some daw that has piano roll to create drum patterns like FL studio Producers edition as a start. When I create drums I make em good. Takes time but when you play along a nice sounding track that you created you have quality time

 

[Stuck_in_a_dream]

Learn another instrument! Actually, I just ended one of these phases last night. I haven't had the urge to play for a couple of weeks now, in these 2 weeks I picked up my bass and had fun, learned a few bass lines ...etc. Then, last night, I was listening to Vinnie Moore stuff (Time Odyssey, The Maze, Meltdown, ...) and man! His tone is just amazing, he has this smooth, organic tone that I had to pick up my guitars, turn on my 5150 III LBX at 2:00 am and try to see how close I'd get to Vinnie's tone

tl;dr it's a fact of life/brain/psycology, use it constructively to deepen your music learning experience. Soon enough it'll come back, don't sell anything you'd regret later

 

[chickenxnuggetz91]

If you listen to too much music, it may be because you feel like anything you do has been done. If you practice all the time without much creativity, that can be a downer too. Try giving your ears a break, meditating, or if none of this applies to you, set a goal to practice at least 20 minutes a day. Do this for a couple of weeks and then bump it up to 30-45 minutes. Soon you'll fall back into a regular routine of practice.

 

[primitiverebelworld]

Yeah I purposefully listen to UK top 40 at work for 8 hours a day(no sarcasm) because I have too much experience in overplaying albums and I want to keep it fresh. Not that they play only 20 songs in playlist for two months in Estonia but this is not the case. The point is play what YOU want and dont overthink what you should/ought to play. This is the greatest advice you will have.

 

[MrBouleDeBowling]

I've been through this countless times. Practicing or doing shows with my bands were the only time I'd actually play my guitars.

Forcing yourself to play will just make the situation worse. However, I'd suggest trying as many new things as possible. Is there a tuning you never tried? A genre of music you never though would interest you? etc.