[friendforafoe]

Originally Posted by Desecrated

Yeah I guess they fall under self-help books, some where under the business section but it's pretty much the same idea.

i'll have to look online for something along those lines...most of the bookstores here have nothing in english other than "learn english, make easy!" it's a little humorous. I appreciate the responses guys! keep em coming

[Mattmc74]

I also like to listen to differnt instruments and copy what they are doing on the guitar. Like listen to a piano or a brass piece and figure it out on the guitar. Thats fun!

[friendforafoe]

Originally Posted by Mattmc74

I also like to listen to differnt instruments and copy what they are doing on the guitar. Like listen to a piano or a brass piece and figure it out on the guitar. Thats fun!

Yeah I've done that before...i used to do it often with those crap polyphonic ring tones you hear on old cell phones...now i just find those annoying and grating to my ears sigh...like the only thing i've been attempting to do lately is remake all my older songs now that i have all equipment i wanted (i'm working on a new version of "Reunion" on my music pages), but as far as my creative streak is concerned, I (and i know i'm reitterating this) can't come up with anything. I'll sit and master a song by somebody else, but as far finding my creative niche i just literally stare at my fret board ... i'll sit at work or whatever and come up with this amazing riff/passage and i'm so eager to get home and play it, record it, and have you all listen to it, but when i get home, set everything up, plug in, then it just goes out the window...it's frustrating as hell

[Mattmc74]

Man that sucks!!!! Sorry but i'm out of options for ya. Hopefully someone on here can be of more help than I was. Good luck!!!

[friendforafoe]

Originally Posted by Mattmc74

Man that sucks!!!! Sorry but i'm out of options for ya. Hopefully someone on here can be of more help than I was. Good luck!!!

sorry for being pessimistic

[Mattmc74]

It's cool! Really, good luck to ya!

[Ryan]

Listen to new music! ;D

[budda]

do you have an acoustic with you? play it.

i find i play my best more often on my acoustic then on my electrics. the tone of an acoustic will take you somewhere else if you let it. then you get all invigorated and you want to try wailing on your 6/7 again.

just go with how you feel. start with 2 or 3 chords, or even 2 or 3 notes and take it from there. dont say "i am going to write a riff today!", try "i feel like expressing my feelings right now".

how do you approach the instrument? my 7 will yield different results then my sixes or my acoustic.

sometimes just chillin out w/ 2 or 3 chords helps, finger pick 'em a bit, then go abck.. its simple but soothing.

[thedonutman]

I find that whenever I jam with other people or watch other bands play live, I get an uncontrollable urge to play guitar when I get home.

[MerlinTKD]

Some good advice here!

More advice: take some time off. Stop pushing, tell yourself it's absolutely okay (because it is), and decide not to play guitar for a length of time. A week, 2 weeks, a month... something long enough to let it go for a while, and potentially start the jones again. While you're not playing, don't think about it. Don't write riffs at work, don't listen to other people's recording efforts, maybe even stop coming here for a bit Let your ear and your brain rest. Give them something else to do; read for pleasure; write poetry (or prose); socialize; something, anyway, to occupy the time you would be spending on guitar, but occupy it constructively.

Then, when enough time has passed, pick up the guitar, and really look at it. Hold it on your hands. Turn it over, look at it from many angles, run your hands over it... get close, really look at the grain in the fretboard, the detail someone put into putting it together. Get closer, and smell it. (yes, I'm serious ) Activate your senses with your guitar (licking it, I will leave up to you, and don't really want to know about ). Then play, in the truest sense of the word: have fun with it! Play acoustically, not plugged into anything. Remind yourself what you like/love about this guitar. Play old covers you learned in high school. Play AC/DC. Anything to just have fun with no pressure.

Eventually, the creativity will flow like water again. Let it come at it's own pace, don't rush it. It's funny, the desire to create is like fire, but the act of creating is like water; sometimes the two don't mix.

Good luck!