I have somewhat of a strange confession...

[mickthemiller]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I love playing guitar, but I'm not a huge fan of music in general. Let that sink in haha. Yes, I listen to music, but I get bored listening to music very easily. I'd rather be playing.

I can play guitar for hours. Generally, I play my own noodles and such. But, I just lack a genuine love for music. I probably liked music much more growing up, but now it's just something that is on in the background. I never really went to concerts growing up, and I am not a bar guy.

Anyone else like this?

Listen to Sibelius or Vaughn Williams or then again CSNY or Dylan or then again some good Irish folk like Christie Moore or Planxty or seek out The Trans Atlantic sessions on YouTube, then tell me you don't like music. You're just not listening to the right stuff.

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

Me too! It's kind of lie watching porn. I'd rather be doing it

Music doesn't have the mystery to it like when I was working at learning it. Now I have a good sense of what they are doing and where it's going. It's a little like watching a movie and you figure the plot out and it's got two or three possabilities so you wait to see which way they go with it.

When I listen to music, I'm completely passive mentally and emotionally and let the music write its story on me... the only thing that matters is the 'now'. I prefer to mostly erase my past knowledge of a piece of music and listen to it like I've never heard it before. Each time I get something different from it.

[jfitz81]

I pray I never get to the point where the only art I appreciate is the art made by me trying to learn that art.

[jazzguy]

Perhaps try playing / jamming with a few friends? That might take you into a new and enjoyable realm.

[Skarsaune]

Love music, listening and playing.

I can get burned out on genres, though - I can't listen to classic rock anymore since I've heard the same songs my entire life.

Alt-country / Americana, now, lots of good new stuff coming out there to enjoy and steal (check the current thread for pointers). Can lead you down a classic country wormhole, which isn't bad. I live in bluegrass land, can't help listening to some of that. Etc, Etc, Etc.

[Christian Reno]

I’m not sure you can “lack a genuine love for music” but play the guitar for hours at a time. Maybe the music you could be listening to needs to become more diverse? That was a weird sentence, but you probably get what I meant. BTW, I don’t go to see other musicians at concerts or bars either, but that doesn’t limit my exposure to music in any way.

Many years ago, we had maybe one or two local AM radio stations (in small markets) that played the same “hits” over and over. Going to the record store and taking obscure records into listening booths was about the only way to hear new and less commercial music. Now we live in a world of instant access to just about any music we want to hear. I cannot imagine NOT taking full advantage of this access to music.

I personally do not believe it is possible to grow as a musician without taking pieces of what we hear from other musicians, and mold them into our own unique style.

[Jambi]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I love playing guitar, but I'm not a huge fan of music in general. Let that sink in haha. Yes, I listen to music, but I get bored listening to music very easily. I'd rather be playing.

I can play guitar for hours. Generally, I play my own noodles and such. But, I just lack a genuine love for music. I probably liked music much more growing up, but now it's just something that is on in the background. I never really went to concerts growing up, and I am not a bar guy.

Anyone else like this?

YES! I used to listen to Rock and Metal exclusively, but nowadays there isn't much in the same vein as what I enjoy, and the old favorites have been worn out. So I'm approaching acoustic from a slightly more aggressive standpoint, trying to apply some of what I love in those genres to what I play now.

However, I'll watch a lot of YouTube videos of players better than me.. in a 50-50 combination of admiration and technique learning.

Originally Posted by Swamp Yankee

This is precisely how I feel. I don't listen to music often at all but I love to play guitar. I skip the threads asking who your favorite player is.... it's me, not because I'm all that good at it, but I'd much rather listen to myself playing live than any guitarist I can think of

I agree. I write and play a style of guitar that I don't hear much of, so I guess I'm filling a niche that only I have been searching for.

hah, it's so narcissistic sounding, but I don't intend it to be.

[SprintBob]

I can appreciate the OP’s viewpoint in that when I started to learn flatpick rhythm technique, just about all of it is bluegrass based or rooted. I’ve never been a fan of bluegrass but I’m really enjoying learning flatpick technique and songs that go with it and it is opening my ears more to the genre. I even got a mandolin.

What I get bored with kind of quickly is slap and tap acoustic playing. A little goes a long way and when it dominates the music, you typically lose the melody which I am a big fan of.

[DrJamie]

I think I have a feel for the blues, and can play it with emotion, but I don't really enjoy listening to it very much. I love jazz, my favorite music, and can't play it, don't have the patience to study it, other than uptown blues/jazz licks to spice up my solos. I also tend to write run-on sentences, with lots of comma's. Love the comma. I even like the word "comma". This is why I can't study jazz. Musical ADD.

[mr. beaumont]

I do sometimes need to take a break from listening, so I kind of empathize with the OP.

I almost cannot listen to music passively...it's a workout for me...sometimes i need silence. And sometimes, yes, what I hear inspires me to play so much I need to turn it off and grab a guitar immediately.

[Earl49]

I've loved music all my life. These days, I prefer making music over listening passively, but there is a place for both. "Active" things are always more engaging than passive activities. As an example, I love playing, studying, and listening to Hawaiian slack-key, but it is such a relaxing style that I just cannot have it playing in the car while I drive -- I would fall asleep at the wheel. There are many genres that I will listen to but have little desire to play, such as Cajun, Celtic, classical guitar, or heavy metal (in very limited doses). This is not a shot at any of those styles -- but a little bit goes a long way.

Like you, I don't enjoy concerts much anymore, except select performers in certain venues. It's always too loud, the seats are uncomfortable, and the whole "crowd" experience is just too much. (Yup, I'm getting old).

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Anyone else like this?

Not quite, but I rarely listen to music these days. I play in a five piece country band, a three piece country trio, bass for two singer/songwriters, and maintain a solo act. I do about 100 paid gigs a year, and show up at several different open mics from time to time. I listen to what the others might send (set list ideas and such), and love to hear talented players/singers at the open mics (and often get ideas about additions to my set list), but rarely listen just to listen when I'm alone. There's more to life than guitars and music.

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by RustyAxe

There's more to life than guitars and music.

Blasphemy!

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I love playing guitar, but I'm not a huge fan of music in general. Let that sink in haha. Yes, I listen to music, but I get bored listening to music very easily. I'd rather be playing.

I can play guitar for hours. Generally, I play my own noodles and such. But, I just lack a genuine love for music. I probably liked music much more growing up, but now it's just something that is on in the background. I never really went to concerts growing up, and I am not a bar guy.

Anyone else like this?

I love music.

I enjoy listening to recorded music.
I enjoy seeing live performances.
And I enjoy playing music.

But generally speaking, I keep those things separate. I have eclectic tastes in music, and some of the things I listen to wouldn't be easily reproduced in a live setting. Much of what I listen to or see live isn't acoustic, or in some cases, even guitar-based. And if I did some recording, it would probably be something different, yet again.

For me, playing acoustic guitar can be a musical palette cleansing. Or a form of escape from a hectic day. Or just a chance to enjoy the instrument and express myself through the art.

[zmf]

So how's it going, Shades?

Abandon your thread?