How Do You Challenge Yourself?

[Denandannie]

Been playing about 12 years. I practice/play about 2 hours a day. Primarily finger style with some bluegrass flat picking. At the end of my practice I do some fun playing.
I enjoy classical so I challenge myself with intermediate to difficult classical.
Lately I’ve been trying to learn to finger pick the notes up the neck. It’s been a challenge. At the end of my practice I play fun things.
I believe that if I’m not challenging my guitar playing then I’ll fall into a rut and get stagnant.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated to keep playing?

[Mandobart]

I've never lost motivation in the 50+ years I've been playing stringed instruments. I don't completely know why, just like I believe others don't really know why they lose motivation.

Here are some possibilities why I've never experienced the dreaded ruts, plateaus, etc.:

1. I play a wide variety of genres - bluegrass, folk, old time, C&W, Americana, gypsy jazz, swing, Hawaiian slack key.

2. I play a variety of instruments - violin, viola, ukulele, mandolin, resonator mandolin, banjolin, mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello, plus a diverse selection of guitars (archtop, Sel-Mac, resonator, dreadnaught, 000, OM, 12 string).

3. I play with other people 3 to 5 times a week.

4. I truly enjoy, have always enjoyed, the sound and feel of wooden stringed instruments.

Of course things can always change...

[Monty Christo]

I agree with Mandobart: play other instruments, and play in other genres.

I do a lot of writing and recording, and working out various parts and arrangements keeps me musically engaged for hours on end.

[JKA]

Learn Chord Melody Solo...

[Robin, Wales]

Public performances are my challenge and motivation.

Everything I do at practice or think about regarding guitar playing is focused on public performances. That could be the next open mic’, a solo spot at a choir concert, a gig solo, as a duo, trio or with a band, playing at someone’s party, a pub session, campfire night or whatever. The driver for me is the next chance to play out in public. And each occasion takes a lot of thought and work. Right from the very first day of picking up the guitar again 5 years or so ago, my target was to play in public - and that was also my greatest challenge.

For example: my next public performance is next Wednesday evening at a local hotel during a MVC choir concert. It’s Valentine’s Day, so I have decided to play/sing “Dream” by the Everly Bros, with a choir friend singing the tune and me singing the harmony and playing guitar. I’ve not sung the song before, so my recent practice has included learning the harmony, learning the words, producing a guitar accompaniment, and practicing with my friend. It is a definitive outcome, with a definitive timeline. And I’m thinking about everything – what guitar to use (no pa and 70+ seated audience), what key works best for us, what pre-amble will I say, what guitar stand to take, where in the concert we will do the song, which side I’ll stand, how will I give him and me the starting notes, etc etc. For every type of performance there is a lot to think about, and a lot to practice.

Last night, as well as practicing “Dream” I picked up my banjo for half an hour of “noodling”. I’m working up a duet evening (possibly a trio) with a friend. Our aim is to play one of the pub venues in Aberystwyth in May or June. I don’t know what the exact set will be, but I’ll definitely be playing clawhammer banjo on some songs – so I just wanted to keep myself up to speed on the instrument. Even though it was “noodling” it had a purpose.

It's that next public performance, whatever it will be, that keeps me challenged and motivated – and very musically busy!!!!

[EZYPIKINS]

Daily. Have been working on some piano stuff lately. I used to play keys on a couple tunes on stage 40 years ago. Takin' It To The Streets comes to mind.

My friend asked me to try and learn Cool Change the other night. I had tried to learn that song multiple times, to no avail. But that night something just clicked.

Since then, we've learned a couple Carpenters numbers.

And just this week, John Lennon's Watching The Wheels.

So yes between Her and I, I challenge myself almost every day. I love it.

[lowrider]

I've been challenging myself in running races and triathlons for over forty years. I play guitar to relax, play with friends, and enjoy myself.

[Dave Hicks]

Play out (generally just an open mic, nothing too complicated).

Record something new and different with multiple instruments.

Less often, write something.

D.H.

[TBman]

I learn and practice instrumentals with the goal of recording them and getting a final result that is pleasant to listen to. That's my challenge. I usually fail and subject everyone here with my attempts at music,

I'm 68 years old and I'm not going to bang out Asturias or other similar pieces. I started with classical a couple of years ago and I like the tone better than my steel strings that I have played on and off since the '60s.

I'm happy in the level 1 through level 4 range until my right hand tone settles in to where I want it to be.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Denandannie

…What do you do to keep yourself motivated to keep playing?

Hi Denandannie

I create opportunities that challenge me.

This one is fun…
My wife and I host a monthly pot-luck at our church (a fairly modern and young congregation) where we pass out hymnals after lunch, and the people choose hymns and we sing them for about 30-45 minutes.

This is all with solo acoustic (my Olson Dreadnought), and without amps or mics.

It is conducted spontaneously on the fly, with a group of 60-80 year olds, who don't have the singing range to sing the hymns in original keys, and no charts are available. We do 10-15 hymns at each event. They do KNOW and love hymns. The group is 25-35 people.

So I'm transposing and leading them on the fly with my wife at my side and we are singing as we lead.

Having grown up in musical churches and having been a musician since age 8, we both know the music, melodies, tempos, and harmony parts.

Having a degree in music I know how to translate it on the fly and include all the tricky chord anomalies associated with playing hymns properly. It's really fun for me…

It's a challenge (which I embrace).

When they pick a song we haven't sung in 20-30 years, or that comes from a different musical path than the one we grew up in, we occasionally insert an a-capella version.

It's one of the highlights of my month…

[phavriluk]

Decided to learn to play (flatpicking) when I was 63. My biggest problem was, and is, integrating practice in my life's schedule. It sure takes work to learn new habits, never mind learning to play!

[mr. beaumont]

I guess I'm lucky...my chosen path in music is a type that can never be truly mastered...so there's never any excuse to get stagnant...there's ALWAYS something else to learn...

I keep track of things I want to do by writing them down, I keep like an "idea scrapbook" journal. If I ever have the "what now?" question in my mind I go right there.

[Bluenose]

I challenge myself to play some fairly difficult guitar arrangements of early piano jazz smoothly and correctly. It's especially hard not to slow down during a difficult passage. I have some Clint Davis arrangements of Jelly Roll Morton and Scott Joplin instrumentals that I like to play but to play them well calls for lots of practice and repetition.

[tbirdman]

I feel slightly challenged

I started playing the guitar about 4 years ago. Since then I am practicing acoustic steel sting and classical. About a year ago I started learning the piano. I'm playing mostly classical. I'm just finished learning a Bach piece which is typically meant for 5th year students. Weekly I have lessons for guitar, piano and singing. Most days I practice 4 hours, 2 sessions twice a day.

Just started golf lessons. I also take a few cooking classes each semester.

I just bought a ukulele.

I think that's enough. LOL

[CharlieBman]

While the joy and love of playing has kept me going for 60+ years, I still occasionally come up with things that push me out of my comfort zone. From the early moments of learning to play my first C and F chords together, I've always enjoyed the challenge of something new. But honestly, if I never learned another new note, I would still play out of the pure joy of playing.