I totally agree. I find that at least once I year I loose the itch to play for a month or even two... but then come back full force and find that my playing has actually improved. During the down time your mind tends to forget the small mistakes you were making.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

When I get in a guitar playing rut, I pick up a bass.

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Guitars For Vets

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet. Play along quietly plugged or unplugged with your favorite television show(s). It's remarkable how many different styles of music you'll find there, commercials and everything. I find it stretches my mind a bit and I end up exploring new parts of the fretboard in new ways.

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-Kirk

GUITARS
'12 Sonoran Acoustic - black (dated 10/31/12)
'13 Standard Strat
AMP
Vox ac4c1-bl
PEDALS
Compressor
Big Muff
Vox Stomplab 1G
Carbon Copy Delay

I'll either pull out some old music books I haven't played from in a while or try off the wall things like playing a song backwards.

I just take a break for a few days and listen to music. Usually makes me itch to get back to it!

CC

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Fender Stratocaster (parts build)
Fender Telecaster 72 Custom RI
Fender Telecoustic Deluxe
Gretsch Electromatic Pro-Jet
Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus
Gibson ES-135
Zenith Type-17
Marshall 70's JMP Superbass 100w
Blackstar HT-5

Thats weird, when i get stuck in a rut bass wise i play guitar

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Rated "M" for meaty.

Go back to what you grew up listening too, must be some songs from then that got you started to begin with, don't know how far back you go, me, I go back to this, guys could send themselves up and enjoyed what they did

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgiDINcZ-q4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2sMuVPMkkk

above all have some fun, not alot of fun playin blues constantly

Thanks 555, that is a huge smile Bro!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Cheers SBLS, love The Sweet, looked on as just a glam rock band but were much more than that, tons & tons of great riff filled songs, just been looking them up on youtube, did you catch the guitarist with three legs, missed it first time myself

I know for me what works is just playing what I know and when I say play I mean not trying to practice and learn a song but play it like you wrote it. I just find that I spend too much time practicing and not enough time letting loose and using the guitar to perform. Even if it's just for yourself just play and get into the music.

Diversify your interests,start listening to other types of music and music played on other instruments or from other countries,you never know,you may find something that inspires you.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Open tunings have really taken me to another level. Open E is nice. Open G is great with only 5 strings!

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The ultimate Rolling Stones experience!
https://www.facebook.com/TheMainStreetExiles

learn a song you like. or play songs you know along with some cd's. Itll be beneficial in helping your rythm aswell