[superwinkie]

I've found that lately I havn't been growing as a musician, just getting better at what I already know. GTU used to have a lesson up about growing vertically and horizontally (sp?), vertically meaning that you are learning new stuff, horizontally meaning you're just practicing the same stuff over and over again.

I'm stuck in the horizontal position, baby.

Help me get vertical with some new practice methods

[dorio]

Yeah i'm stuck too. With the same old things. It's the season. I'm very horizontal
these days. I'm not worrying. The world's turning.

[nojustno]

I am nearly constantly writing new songs or riffs or chord progressions or playing with tunings...pretty much as soon as I sit down with my guitar I just let my hands do whatever they feel like doing and don't even think about it...I'll hear something I like and build a new song around it...I guess I'm stuck in the vertical stage cause I keep having to force myself to practice my older songs so I don't forget how to play them!

[dadfad]

I assume we're all fingerstyle players here, at least to some degree. If someone isn't, that's the best new thing to tackle. If you are, a new tuning (there are so many nice ones, each with its own special flavor). A new genre, because the things learned can all be re-applied to your favorite. A new pattern....if you play alternating bass, try to get used to double-alternation, or try to use your fingers totally independently of your thumb (as if the fret-board is split down the middle, your thumb playing one side, your fingers the other like two different guitarists would do it, not necessarily rhythmically related). Look at chord voicings... try to move from one chord to another transposition (same chord, different location) or another voicing (same basic chord, changed to an aug or dim or 7th, etc) all within the same time-space as you normally held that same single original chord. Of course, it can be just adding a new tune or two. That goes without saying (but I guess I already did say it.... )

[angusyoungfan]

Well for a while i was stuck in a rut . All i was doing was playing some songs i knew and jamming for the rest of my daily practice so i was getting bored . But recently i really started to get into fingerstyle by learning a fun fingerstyle piece . I learnt a fingerstyle version of the Abba classic Money Money Money it really put the passion back into guitar for me . Not only am i learning a new way of playing guitar but my speed and accuracy have improved and im getting even better at the guitar . So something as simple as trying a new style could help .

Zak

[tzara]

Buy a Hayden album, Sammy.

I've been stuck in that rut myself, more than I'd like. But then I can qualify it by making the excuse that I'm trying to make it "perfect". There's only a finite amount of times that you can play "Middle of July" without it getting old.

No, there isn't.

Alternate tunings are good, though - try playing everything you know from standard in DADGAD. Good fun.

[grzegorz_panek]

I practice and try out different shapes, different intervals played at the same time. Learning shapes is as much important as learning scales. In open D for example, as I'm learning the board anew, I come up with different strange chords and voicings, not possible in standard.

And I'm quite open minded as to the materials. One day I play Robert Johnson, only to switch to electric and try ou some crazy stuff. And the other way round.

[folkgirl]

i often get like this

il'll be like, for instance, "oh i'm not too good with barre chords," so i'll avoid songs with barre chords, but really what i should be doign is pickign a song with barre chords and actually getting better at the damn things.

you just have to find yourself areas that need your imporvement and practise those.
it's so easyy to practise what you've mastered allready and can be frustrating to go back to playign somethign where you're not fluent but it's for the best.

[_brad_]

the problem with me is everything i like with guitar i can play

i dont like the kick ass solos or heavy rock riffs, so im not learning anything new

im trying to make new chords or play different chords than the usual majors minors and 7ths

[KaZu]

guitarwar

[teaforthetiller]

Another way to help with that is changing your style of play when i first started playing i learned folk music and a lot of chords after a while i got burnt out and said i think its time for me to try someing different so i got into playing blues music and learning more scales or if thats not your cup of tea go metel and learn power chords or practice your finger pickin and barre chords no guitarist has reached there full potential if they really want to learn because the potential is endless theres always room for improvment