Just disgusted myself with my own playing.

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  • HAL9000HAL9000 Frets: 9551
    edited March 2020
    I can pretty much guarantee that everyone here has been through this at some time or another. For me the solution is to put the guitar down for a week or two and listen to music, bone up on a bit of theory, etc. I always come back to things fresh and inspired. Other people will have other methods that work for them.
    I play guitar because I enjoy it rather than because I’m any good at it
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  • gringopiggringopig Frets: 2648
    edited July 2020
    .
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  • Jetsam1Jetsam1 Frets: 602
    HAL9000 said:
    I can pretty much guarantee that everyone here has been through this at some time or another. For me the solution is to put the guitar down for a week or two and listen to music, bone up on a bit of theory, etc. I always come back to things fresh and inspired. Other people will have other methods that work for them.

    Been listening to a lot of new stuff, investigating metal actually which I haven't in the past really.

    Is it potentially something to do with only having played through earphones and a Pod for quite a while and the amp, just sounded wrong? It's a Fender Super Champ X2 and so valve and just sounded wrong.
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7731
    If you suck at guitar, then there's always place for a new bass player.




    :)
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  • tone1tone1 Frets: 5112
    Jetsam1 said:
    Could not for the life of me get a sound I liked, Ended up just turning off the amp and am now considering if there is any point continuing with the charade............. When all the virus is over considering just getting rid of everything. I really struggle to find any enthusiasm any more.

    20 plus years and it may be over,
    I feel like it constantly....I think YouTube doesn’t help, where everyone sounds bloody brilliant...Not sure what the answer is, but take a break maybe  :)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    Jetsam1 said:

    Been listening to a lot of new stuff, investigating metal actually which I haven't in the past really.

    Is it potentially something to do with only having played through earphones and a Pod for quite a while and the amp, just sounded wrong? It's a Fender Super Champ X2 and so valve and just sounded wrong. 
    Try running the Pod into the clean channel of the amp.

    If you're playing metal I wouldn't necessarily expect that amp to sound right either... maybe not even with the Pod, but it's worth a try. Unfortunately the amp doesn't have an FX loop so you can't bypass the preamp entirely.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • BlueingreenBlueingreen Frets: 2582
    edited March 2020
    We all have times when we're really on a roll and playing above ourselves with a big smile on our faces and other times when we sound like shit and wonder why we bother.  But in truth to an outsider listening in we would probably sound approximately as good or as bad both times. The difference is probably about 5% difference in your playing, 95% difference in your mood. 
    “To a man with a hammer every problem looks like a nail.”
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  • brooombrooom Frets: 1170
    We all have those days, remember why you picked up the guitar in the first place? Take a rest, and when you're ready, you'll be playing and enjoying again.
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  • As it happens yesterday decided to go over some tracks I thought I knew really well plugging in as haven’t done that for a while and it was horrible. Did the same tonight but tweeked the tone controls on the amp to where I thought they shouldn’t be and everything fell into place happy as a pig
    www.maltingsaudio.co.uk
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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    Try learning all those jazzy 9ths ,13ths ,diminished and then string them together randomly while noodling .its amazing what comes out .
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  • Man I bet it's the champ. If you like the pod play through that. No rules. And stick on YouTube and learn something new you wouldn't normally play. 

    Then stick some Clutch on. Because they are awesome.

    Instagram is Rocknrollismyescape -

    FOR SALE - Catalinbread Echorec, Sonic Blue classic player strat and a Digitech bad monkey

     

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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14030
    tFB Trader
    Jetsam1 said:
    Could not for the life of me get a sound I liked, Ended up just turning off the amp and am now considering if there is any point continuing with the charade............. When all the virus is over considering just getting rid of everything. I really struggle to find any enthusiasm any more.

    20 plus years and it may be over,
    Don't know if you just play at home, or gig - Easy to question the purpose of playing if no goals, targets or end game - Easy to say 'I only play for pleasure' 

    I find the biggest issue for me is endless doodling - Certainly no end game other than being a better doodler - So time spent improvising over backing tapes, or similar, can be fun at times, but you also run out of ideas - Or worse still, sometimes you find something that sounds great, but often can't find it again, be it 10 mins later and certainly not the following day - Yet I still end up doodling to much

    I find as a player I think I improve more when I have specific targets - Often learning a new song - As such something to recall on a regular basis, plus you instantly know if you can improve what you are playing and/or add to it - Yet it is this approach that once made me think about walking away from it all - I had just seen a Jeff Beck interview and at the end of the 1 hour show he played, by himself, his version of 'Somewhere over the rainbow' - So I went to my guitar room and thought I'd have a go at this song - I wasn't going to copy his version, but I wanted to be influenced by it - I didn't want to play it in a more 'corny Hank Marvin' style either - And I certainly had not got the ability to play it Martyn Taylor style - The melody is easy enough to play - After an hour or so my wife walked in and said something to the effect that ' that is the best I've ever heard you play' - I thought she was joking, as I thought it was the worse - I had the idea in my head, but the phrasing, tone and ideas IMO were poor - As I said nothing complex about the melody - But it made me think that I could never achieve anything like I wanted to - Alas the whole bad vibe had gone 24 hours later - Yet I do recall the moment - Somehow I have never tried to play that song again

    IMO the bottom line is to have a goal - It might be simple or complex but it gives you a purpose and something to work at - In my case I find no problem trying to find new targets - But I still doodle with no end game, but also I find doodling can be fun - But let it be part of a goal and not the goal itself

    Keep playing 
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  • soma1975soma1975 Frets: 6627
    edited March 2020
    I get that 5 days out of 10. On those days I stop trying to sound good and just work on muscle memory picking exercises.
    My Trade Feedback Thread is here

    Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
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  • Phil_CPhil_C Frets: 252
    Like said above, you may be trying to achieve a sound that is incapable by your gear.

    Metal or heavy distorted tones I used to struggle getting out of Fender amps.
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  • WoodenheadWoodenhead Frets: 123
    Seems quite a common thing, I've slacked off in recent months and hate how my playing sounds generally. Last few days I've come to appreciate how nice it is to just pick up a guitar unplugged and noodle to local radio or a movie.
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  • mbembe Frets: 1840
    tone1 said:
    Jetsam1 said:
    Could not for the life of me get a sound I liked, Ended up just turning off the amp and am now considering if there is any point continuing with the charade............. When all the virus is over considering just getting rid of everything. I really struggle to find any enthusiasm any more.

    20 plus years and it may be over,
    I feel like it constantly....I think YouTube doesn’t help, where everyone sounds bloody brilliant...Not sure what the answer is, but take a break maybe  :)
    Yeah that Take A Break magazine will take your mind off it.
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  • TINMAN82TINMAN82 Frets: 1845
    edited March 2020
    Difficult to focus on anything right now, with all that’s going on. John Mayer said the same in a recent vlog (in fact he said jazz is about all he can listen to right now).
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  • VJIvesVJIves Frets: 466
    I had a similar time of it today. I made a lot of progress with a song last week - and since thought I'd had a load of good ideas for it - but nothing stuck. One of those 'would you like to save your changes?' 'definitely not' kind of days.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    If you suck at guitar, then there's always place for a new bass player.




    :)
    If he's struggling with something simple like the guitar he'd have no chance with an instrument that requires much more skill like the bass!
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  • thebreezethebreeze Frets: 2797
    Clearly, working at it and goals are at the heart of improvement.  However, I find helpful to remember that Gilmour said he only got any good when he stopped trying to sound like other people and just played the way that was right to him.
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