Losing Interest in Guitar

[ivan]

Well, I've been playing the guitar for almost 4 years. I can play classical and electrical and I'm a grade 8 in classical guitar technique. Now, I think that for the last half a year I've been gradually losing interest in it. I don't practice nearly as much as I used to, and though my technique is fairly good now, I'm beginning to worsen in my playing(I think). I used to practice 2-3 hours a day, but now I'm glad when I manage to do 2-3 hours a week. It's not that I have a lack of time, I didn't practice a lot during the vacation either. The getting-into-unicycling process might have contributed to it, but I think it would have happened anyway.

Now, I really don't want to give up on music, so I think it might be good to start learning a new instrument. I don't know which. I can play a bit of a harmonica, but I don't really want to do that right now. I also used to play some keyboards and might get back into that. What would your ideas be? Don't suggest anything like drums or the piano, as I have got neither space nor money for instruments like that, even though I love both. I'd also like to learn to sing properly, but I can't at the moment, due to constant throat illnesses.

So, what instrument should I pick up?

[tomtrevor]

I used to play the guitar a fair bit. I started a few years ago and then I lost interest after about a year. I still play though, just no where near as much.

I think you should start playing the piano, but if you dont have the room or the money I suggest trying a wind instrument, like the oboe!!

[Jerrick]

Do you mainly play classical music?

I have been in orchestra playing viola ever since 5th grade, so that is 7-8 years of classical peices, classical technique and styles, classical composers and history, classical everything. It can get boring.

You gotta spice it up, play different styles, re-write songs and make up your own. If you love classical, mix it with metal and start listening to some neo-classcal players like Yngwie Malmsteen, Chris Impelletteri, Micheal Angelo Batio, Paul gilbert.

Maybe try some fusion type stuff, from player like John Petrucci from Dream Theater, or stuff from the band Trivium.

Maybe starting some more rock stuff, 80s rock like Queensryche to todays rock.

Or, finger style playing, learn peices from Don Ross and Andy McKee.

Theres tons of styles, sounds, effects, innovations, feeling, speed, techniques and so much more for guitar. If you get bored with one aspect of it, move to another one. Start playing with other people and just jam for hours with them, maybe even start a band.

Just dont quit, you dont want 5-10 years to go by then end saying "Well, I used to play guitar..."

Thats just to depressing.

From your history of classical, you probably know ton and tons of guitar theory, and theory is only good for one thing. Twisting it into something no one has heard before, and end up exploring every angle of a guitar. =p

[ivan]

Thanks, Jerick and Tom.

Like I said, I've been playing the classical and electrical guitar for almost 4 years. I can play a variety of different styles. I started out from simple fingerpicking/strumming, then moved on to blues, then rock, then jazz and finally classical. I can play using the classical technique, I can play rhythm, play with a pick(alternate picking and sweeping), I even played slide guitar. I also had a band for almost a year, but we fell apart(largely my fault).

I'm just getting bored of the whole guitar scene, I think. I need something fresh and different. Oboe is not a bad idea, I'll have to look into it. I was also thinking along the lines of accordion. Now, that's wicked.

Just because I want to take up a new instrument doesn't mean I'm completely giving up on guitar. I'm sure I'll come back to it with time, I love it. I kinda need to look at music from a different perspective.

[Chexjc]

You can't just STOP playing the guitar. There will always be a guitar laying around for you to play. Like Jerrick said, maybe you need to try and get into other stuff. Do you ever write your own stuff? Thats what I love to do. If you're looking for a quick and cheap resort instrument, I'd reccomend the Ukulele, for a number of reasons.

1. Your guitar skills will transfer
2. It almost looks like the word Unicycle
3. Its easy to play WHILE you Unicycle
4. Its inexpensive, usually. (Mine was $30, but it gets the job done)
5. It has a very pretty sound
6. There are only a couple hundred chords, where the guitar has over 10,000.
7. It's very small...and portable
8. You will be a pimp at the campfire.

There are plenty of other perks to playing the Ukulele..but I think you get the point. Its a fun, cheap way to utilize your already established guitar skills. Hope you consider it.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot to mention...You can learn to play online. Just print out a chord sheet and a couple of tabs...before you know it your knowledge of music theory will kick in and you'll be a master of it. I've played guitar for 7 years and the ukulele for about 2.

[ivan]

Originally Posted by BillyTheMountain

I hope you know that when you give up the guitar, you give up getting certain girls. Playing in a band (not the school orchestra) increases the likelihood of getting girls/groupies, but certain have much more sex appeal than the oboe/clarinet/flute.

Girls are great, only in all my years of playing guitar helped me with a grand number of zero girls. Well, actually it can be a good conversation subject, but I'm not the kind of person who's gonna go around showing off his mad guitar skilzz.
Also, I kind of like playing music for the sake of playing music, and not getting girls/work. It's just a hobby. There was a time when I wanted to become a rock-star, but now I just wanna play music.
And girls, I can get them without the guitar, I'm sure. One way - super-uni. Plus, it's not like I'm Napoleon Dynamite, girls don't only dig guys with skills.

Originally Posted by Chexjc

You can't just STOP playing the guitar. There will always be a guitar laying around for you to play. Like Jerrick said, maybe you need to try and get into other stuff. Do you ever write your own stuff? Thats what I love to do. If you're looking for a quick and cheap resort instrument, I'd reccomend the Ukulele, for a number of reasons.

Yeah, I write my own stuff too.
And I really don't want to start playing another string instrument, especially a ukelele. It's a different version of guitar in a way. I want something new.

I've looked at some accordions and they seem to be quite expensive. Maybe I should start playing harmonica again.

[BillyTheMountain]

Originally Posted by tomtrevor

I used to play the guitar a fair bit. I started a few years ago and then I lost interest after about a year. I still play though, just no where near as much.

I think you should start playing the piano, but if you dont have the room or the money I suggest trying a wind instrument, like the oboe!!

I hope you know that when you give up the guitar, you give up getting certain girls. Playing in a band (not the school orchestra) increases the likelihood of getting girls/groupies, but certain have much more sex appeal than the oboe/clarinet/flute.

You may also know there is a massive shortage of oboe players, and so all of them have jobs with orchestras, even if they're not great.

There's upsides and downsides to each instrument. You have to choose between steady work [oboe] and steady girls [guitar].

[BillyTheMountain]

Accordian works well with zydeco music.

It also works well with certain "nerd rock," like They Might Be Giants--a Brooklyn Band who i really love.