I'm in a rut, please help

[Macbor]

Hey everyone,
Let me start by saying, I'm a beginner/intermediate guitar player.
I have a worn out spot on the neck of my guitar on the top 3 frets, cause I don't ever leave there unless there's a capo involved.
Mostly open chords or cowboy chords as I have heard them refurred to on this site, almost strickly strumming, with a little bit of finger picking.
I have a playlist of about 20 start to finish songs and about another 20 I play parts of, my problem is...I love it, but I'm not growing,let me refrase that, the songs I play,I feel I do quite well...cause I play them over and over.

I could ramble on and on..
I don't know where to go from here?
Bar chords, learn the neck, learn to read music..not sure?
Its not that I am not putting the time in, I get to play about 1 1/2 hours a day or more but I just keep falling back to the same songs I'm comfortable with...
Anything from anyone would be helpful, just looking for a push
Thanks
Rich

[lennylux]

As you enjoy the strumming along with your preferred tracks, why not expend that by adding the barre chords and it will open up a world of new material to you. The upside of this is it's still within your normal technique so although you're learning, it's a kind of familiar learning. The key is you have identified you're in a rut, its the mind telling you you're ready for more.

All the best

[ljguitar]

Hi Rich…
Jamming partner…

Playing with others who are at the same level as we are (or better) seeds new ideas, techniques, and inspiration - at least it does for me.

[ship of fools]

Look even after 40+ years we all get in rutts where we don't feel like we are moving. What you need to do is start adding other songs to your repitior. I always start off witha few songs that I know very well to loosen up the fingers and then I find new material that I have wanted to try and never got around to. Its easy to fall into a pattern of always playing the same thing ( my wife tells me the same thing all of the time ) not really completley true as she isn't there all the time. but find new things to challenge yourself, songs like Classical Gas and others so you are not using cowboy chords just, expand your horizon of songs that use the whole fretboard and songs that use more then just your pick, fingerstyle,flatpicking and others.
And even with the songs you play very well break them down so that you can do some lead work or play them in different keys and such, but you need to find ways the challenge yourself so you keep the momentum forward and not stagnated.
And with so much knowledge here I am sure the guys and gals will have more suggestions for you to follow, don't be discouraged just keep playing and it will come along.Ship

[Ehvamone]

Best tip I ever had when I was in a severe rut:

Make a list of all your favorite songs, . Any style, any form, not songs you want to perform even, just songs you've always like listening to, even if its "not your style" etc...
Then everyday either try to figure out parts of it, or get them tabbed or notated out, and for 15-30 minutes a day just go through the list. Play one for a while, then go to another, maybe make your own arrangement of it etc. Maybe only figure the intro, or the chorus and move on.
The point here is not to master the song, though you may eventually, the point is to have fun and expand your usual habits without all the pressure of identifying the song as your "thing".

This exercise surprised me. Just making the list was enlightening. And you will not beleive how much there is to learn from even simple pop songs you like. It stretches you, but its all simple fun.

Really helped me out alot.

[pgilmor]

Playing with others is a great idea, but if that isn't possible play along with whatever is on the TV. Until I really started listening, I never knew how much music is on your basic hour long drama, it's everywhere. Try picking along, individual notes or try to find the chords. I do the same with concert DVD's and it really helped me get out of that rut.

[EllenGtrGrl]

When I get in a rut, I'll oftentimes use alternate tunings on guitar to get over the staleness. Neil Young acoustic stuff commonly uses alternate tunings. It's a good way to get over using the same chords over and over again.

[Philly5834]

I was in much the same position as you three years ago. Then I bought the Learn and Master guitar set and that launched on my way to mastering both the fretboard and the reading of music. Now I am actually taking classical guitar lessons and am able to play the melody lines of most any piece of music . And from learning some few scales am able to pick out most any melody. All of this had aided a lot in my ability to accompany myself as I sing which was the aim in the first place. I only got to lesson ten in L@M before branching out, but I heartily recommend it as a means to structure your goal of improvement.

[fingerpickerguy]

I also subscribed to TrueFire over their Thanksgiving sale. It has been a couple of weeks since I have been on there, but I when I get bored at home, I jump on there for 20 minutes and just watch various things. I picked up a few cool new ideas. If you have an iPad, get the Lick a Day app from Guitar World. That will help too.

I don't learn the stuff verbatim, but I do pay attention to the concepts and if they intrigue me I apply them. I look all over, not just at the stuff that directly applies to my style. In fact, I prefer to not look at stuff that applies to my style.

[Warren Gilmour]

Are you familiar with the CAGED system? If not, you should look into it, this will show you how to play these same chords in different shapes across the fretboard.
We all get in ruts......last time I got into one, I focused on learning scales and playing them over chord progressions. There are an abundance of backing tracks on youtube to practice soloing over. You could even record your own using Audacity (free recording software).

[Acoustic Rick]

Easy solution? Start playing song with more than 3 chords in them. Find something you like on youtube, go to Ultimate Guitar.com and find the chords to it, find a free chord generator online and learn the song. The more you stretch the ability you have the faster you'll grow. Keep playing the same songs you now know and you'll stay firmly in the rut you're in forever. The choice and direction are yours now get busy.

[Tony Burns]

Learn your chords in other positions - and learn how to build chords -basically learn the notes of the fretboard and how to put chords together . I try different positions as well as experimenting with moving stuff around -sometimes theirs some wonderful surprises , a variation that has a unique sound .

[zmf]

Originally Posted by Tony Burns

Learn your chords in other positions - and learn how to build chords -basically learn the notes of the fretboard and how to put chords together . I try different positions as well as experimenting with moving stuff around -sometimes theirs some wonderful surprises , a variation that has a unique sound .

Rich -- Along these lines, have you tried instructional DVDs? When I was going through the Grossman blues lessons, he uses different chord shapes all over the neck. Can be fun and instructive figuring out why the chords have those shapes, and incorporating them into what you're already playing.

[slimey]

I think you should decide what kind of music you want to play, or what style. Start learning the new tools you need for that choice.
I'm another great fan of playing with others, changes everything and makes you learn more.

[NewMartinFan]

IMO, the only way most people improve consistently is with private, one-on-one instruction. You get to sit down once a week with someone who is going to hand feed you new information and provide guidance, accountability, and constructive criticism. Outside this type of setup, most people will just learn songs and whatever chords they need for those songs, maybe memorizing the chord names and maybe not. Their technique might be good, and it might not. Being self taught worked for Clapton and Hendricks, but most people aren't that driven or talented. IMO, one of the problems with guitar is that it's relatively easy to begin "slopping" through recognizable songs after only a few months of self taught playing...without learning the fundamentals behind the songs or proper technique.