[kmanick]

All good advice.
When I get less than motivated to play (which happens a lot since I'm ot playing with a band right now) I either just take some time away from playing altogether, or I switch it up as to what I'm playing.
go learn some Jason Becker, or some Greg Howe, or som Al Dimeola, or some John 5.
I use these people as examples because their styles are all wildly different from each other and each player brings his own "thing" to the table.

[sepherus]

What I do when i get stuck besides taking a break from guitar for a little bit is try and play OTHER instruments (might be hard where you are) and then i try and mimic the phrases and such i played on those. There is also listening to really out there music and trying to play along. If you can't do the really out there avante stuff, you could try some jazz or fusion. Also you can try forcing your self to play in a different style in the same genre. If you normal play rhythm, try some lead stuff, or vice versa. when playing melodies, figure out what your habits are and then force your self not to do them. For example I used to play things like m3 M2 to a m7 and slide up to the tonic (in E minor it would be G, F#, D ->E) I just wouldnt let my self play that phrase or various others i played all the time. It made me use bends, taps, and accidentals a lot more. It has really helped me improve my versatility and enjoyment of music

[Aled Smith]

its because psychologically your bored, id completley go for a change. Something totaly different and you will get it back. I go through it all the time. and its not about having more gear to make you feel better. If you have less gear you have to work harder to try to come up with something so its usually much better material.

[tonyhell]

My advice would be to get a tube amp and a 4x12. A badass amp will inspire you and make you want to play all the time.

[budda]

tony.. he's posted in the middle east - im not sure that's feasable.

i have a halfstack - i dont play every single day, nor am i always creative

[Desecrated]

Get some arabic instrument, like the oud.

[Demeyes]

One thing that usually gives me some ideas and an urge to play is to watch other players. Go to a few gigs if you can with good musicians, it doesn't have to be metal. Also youtube is great for this. I'll watch a load of videos of great players, usually I'll see something I'd never thought of before or I'll catch a great progression. Then I go off and try and apply it myself. It hardly ever comes off too similar to what sparked the idea because of twists that just happen.

Something else fun to break a rut is to program a beat and then try jam a riff over the top of that. trying out a few ideas and then something comes out that I'll dig.

Once I get one idea I'll try and play something to follow it. Then a new riff can spawn from it.

[friendforafoe]

wow...i wasn't really expecting this many responses guys. I really appreciate it. This is all really good advice too. I think it has a lot to do with my overall morale being low and it's lack of motivation from working horrendous hours (12-15 hours a day, 5-7 days a week) and being stuck in the middle east. Like i do go out, socialize, read, play videogames, or whatever, but it's like i have that mental block on the one thing i love the most, which is music. Seeing bands here is nigh on impossible...there's a few bands that play here, but they're phillipino top 40 cover bands. One place the live band covers hip hop and r&b, and the other place's band covers modern alternative/rock. They're both amazingly good bands and put on a great show, and seeing them every now and then (they play literally every night...house bands...go figure) is relaxing and entertaining, but i still don't get that urge to play like i used to when i went to concerts (probably because most of the songs are a) rap or b) crap bubblegum music ). I also think it might be because at any given moment i have six trillion things running through my mind so when i sit play guitar or write a song, all this mental "noise" probably cock blocks my guitar. Tony, good advice, but the amp thing is a little hard here Actually, good news though, my girlfriend left the room for some reason or another last night and i had the tv on and i just grabbed my hellraiser (acoustically) and without looking, started just playing and came up with this really nice acousticish/proggish riff and the best thing about it is i actually remember it haha. Everyone's advice has actually helped me in some way. The one thing i wish was full on internet access like in the states. toutube is blocked here at work so i can't get that creative visual stimuli i used to, so i also don't get to access my "tools of inspiration" per ce. Anyone have any recommendations of instructional dvds, books, etc?

[budda]

playing unplugged/acoustic guitar is good for you.

like i said before, if you're feeling stressed out and wahtnot from being there, and whatever else - play and see if that can be expressed. it doesnt have to be tech metal, it could be 2 or 3 chords with a melody on an open string - just relax, and see what happens. like you did w/ the hellraiser.

[friendforafoe]

Originally Posted by budda

playing unplugged/acoustic guitar is good for you.

like i said before, if you're feeling stressed out and wahtnot from being there, and whatever else - play and see if that can be expressed. it doesnt have to be tech metal, it could be 2 or 3 chords with a melody on an open string - just relax, and see what happens. like you did w/ the hellraiser.

I used to be able to take any given mood at any given moment and transpose it to the guitar...i would be hungry and >BAM< there's my newest riff, Stubbed my toe earlier than morning >BAM< broken toe >BAM< newest riff >BAM<>BAM<>BAM< yeah that was excessive, but it used to literally be like that, now it's like "meh" and some sort of farty noise is made in the process. I gave myself a swift kick in the ass yesterday by officially starting work on a collaberation with a fellow ss.org forum member (we'll announce stuff soon! For now it's a surprise ) of a rerecorded, retuned, reriffed, redrummed version of "Reunion" that you can hear the old version on any one of my music pages. So there's a little spark for myself One thing i think i can do to get back "in the game" is actually learn what i'm doing...learn scales, note names, theory...a lot of people ask me for transcriptions/tabs or for advice/lessons...to this day i can't read music or tell you the note and/or chord name i'm playing nor do i know any scales...8 years of playing and i learned ass backwards haha. I've just played by ear my whole life. listen to my music and you'll see it sounds like i know what i'm doing, but in actuality i have no effin clue what i'm doing bad i know...anyone have lesson recommendations or dvd suggestions?