# Stuck in a Rut



## Inepsy (Aug 15, 2011)

Yo!

I find that lately I've keep hitting ruts in my playing that I can't really get past. I want to diversify the stuff I play (its almost all pentatonic, 12 bar blues) but I really don't know how. Help me get out of the pentatonic box! Does this happen to anyone else? Any tips on how to enter new territory in guitar playing?


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Take the same stuff you know and play it in a different genre. Then make a list different stuff to try.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Not really that uncommon


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

You need the company of other players. Nothin like a good dose of "Whoa, show me what you just did there." to get interest back.


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

washburned said:


> You need the company of other players. Nothin like a good dose of "Whoa, show me what you just did there." to get interest back.


good advice here. you also might want to try some music instruction videos, Justine guitar does quite a bit of online teaching it won't make you a genius but he does offer many helpful hints, there are several others that have posted here on GC as well.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

learn some metallica, brad paisley and Django Reinhardt.


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## Big_Daddy (Apr 2, 2009)

Whenever this happens to me (which is often), I pick a song I really like and have always wanted to learn, sit down for a few days and learn it (solos and rhythm) note for note. I'm working on You Shook Me All Night Long right now (AC/DC) which I will never probably play live (vocals anybody????), LOL. This almost always shakes me out of the rut I'm in. Learning tunes in different styles than what I am accustomed to playing really helps to expand my thinking (and my repertoire).

BD


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Take some lessons from a good teacher.........seriously. To get out of the pentatonic rut you need to delve into major scales, minor scales, triads and arpeggios which all require some minor theory. No one better suited to get you there than a qualified instructor.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Learn some different scales/modes to get yourself out of that pentatonic "box". Try some weird tunings (not just the open ones blues players gravitate to). Try learning slide. Try listening to different musical forms from which to get ideas - jazz, Eastern music, gypsy, zydeco, reggae, ska, bluegrass.


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## geezer (Apr 30, 2008)

Even if you stay with what you already know ....repeating a lick up / down an octave or two can add lots to an otherwise old standard lick .


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2012)

washburned said:


> You need the company of other players. Nothin like a good dose of "Whoa, show me what you just did there." to get interest back.


Does it for me too.


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## georgemg (Jul 17, 2011)

+1 more on playing with others. I do fill-ins, and whenever there's another guitar player on the gig I always learn something from them. It really inspires you to figure out what the other player was doing. Videos are helpful too, but nothing beats the kick in the pants of seeing it done in person by one of your peers.

I haven't been able to go lately, but jam sessions are also a great way of getting together with other players. Not familiar with the Ottawa scene but I'd imagine there would be some that you could check out. If you're not comfortable with that, I have seen people post on Craigslist and Kijiji in the musicians section that they are looking for other players to jam with. That might be a good option to find other players that might be in your situation as well. Maybe you could even try posting something here?


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## alex1212 (Nov 9, 2011)

as a beginner too i am sortve lost ,i found that playing songs like neil young ,etc chords ! just play around with chords and youll see that a mix of a lick and 2 or 3 chords join the another chord and 1 or5 or 2 riffs, its this place now were you have to dig deep and start your drive without mommy pentatonic helping,break the habit even use a flat note in the right beat ,,its back to being frustrated but !!! you should never never feel like that because remember ,,, how happy you were when you got to slam out a 12 bar blues run????? it was probably one of your best highs !!! now you have to seek that next step that one that will give you that same buzz!! it never ends my friend !! just keep reminding yourself on the progress you have done and that first day were you thought no way !! ssooooo look at it as well life! your on your own but with friends and hopefully family each of us moves ahead! and ,,, i always like when i jam to a blues back track that its mine ,,there is no other song exactly like mine its an original! who in life can have that oppurtunity to make something thats them ,enjoy each note sour or sweet and always remember that first day ,and were you are now!!! cheers


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## Jocko (May 17, 2010)

Try a bit of Open G tuning and play instant Stones. How to sound like "Keef" without the chemicals.


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## jeremy_green (Nov 10, 2010)

Variety is such a key to avoiding ruts. Learning a completely new style of music for a while can switch it all up. Learn some Jazz or country or flamenco.... Something OTHER than what you usually do for a bit. You'll come back to what you like to play full of new ideas.

I agree, this is VERY common


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## ezcomes (Jul 28, 2008)

sorry...i didn't read a lot of the thread...but the name cracks me a little everytime i see it, b/c the first thing that pops into my head ar the high notes from this...

[video=youtube;YhH3BBgw0Ww]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhH3BBgw0Ww[/video]


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## Inepsy (Aug 15, 2011)

Swervin55 said:


> Take some lessons from a good teacher.........seriously. To get out of the pentatonic rut you need to delve into major scales, minor scales, triads and arpeggios which all require some minor theory. No one better suited to get you there than a qualified instructor.


I've thought about this, more than once but didn't do it mainly because of money. I'm also concerned that if I take lessons I'll learn guitar in a sort of "cookie-cutter way". What I mean is that well I won't be stuck in a pentatonic box anymore, I will be stuck in a "what-my-guitar-teacher-taught-me box". But that was back in the day, and I think I've learned enough now to stay away from something like that....sounds like lessons are a good idea...


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

You only get stuck in whatever you're comfortable with, teacher or not.


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## whammybar (May 7, 2008)

There are afew ways to stay out of 'the box' and I find it always includes guys who like minor and major scales mixed in (john Mayer, Joe Bonamassa) or who are just plain nuts on guitar (Chris Duarte). I use Amazing Slow Downer and really get to hear, and learn, what they play note for note. It sounds tedious and at times it can be, but the results are great. It's all about learning the fretboard realestate and once you follow these guys who are all over the place, the 'box' will disappear. At least it did for me.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

It's also about being fearless and trying things, even if they may not work. You'll do better with people who won't judge you on notes that sound "wrong" but will simply let you try whatever you want to try.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Inepsy said:


> I've thought about this, more than once but didn't do it mainly because of money. I'm also concerned that if I take lessons I'll learn guitar in a sort of "cookie-cutter way". What I mean is that well I won't be stuck in a pentatonic box anymore, I will be stuck in a "what-my-guitar-teacher-taught-me box". But that was back in the day, and I think I've learned enough now to stay away from something like that....sounds like lessons are a good idea...


This is just my opinion and personal experience but to play the guitar better I believe you need to better understand basic theory and have a pretty good familiarity with the fretboard. A good instructor will teach you these things without biasing what kind of music you like to play. In my own experience, I finally came to the conclusion that all the money I was spending on gear was much better spent on learning how to play. That's where I'm at now and I can honestly say that in some small way, it's cured a lot of gas and I'm spending a lot more time playing (practicing and learning) than tweaking gear. It's liberating. To be honest, the money spent on lessons has so far been a fraction of that spent on gear.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

I can agree with what Swervin said.

I personally spend too much time worrying about gear and I'm quite honestly a terrible player with some really nice gear. I surely couldn't hold my own in a jam session of any capacity.

I took lessons for a short while and it really got me thinking more about playing when I was trying to figure things out in a sense of why I was doing things. 

having said that, I'm back in a little bit of a rut and considering lessons once again. the hot weather this summer has also put a big stop on my playing. i'd rather be out in the sun than sweating my bag off trying to play some tunes.


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