Guitar ADHD?

[Pickngrin]

In the years since I first started screwing around on guitar (ugh... 21 years or so ago?!), I have developed some really poor habits. For example, I tend to tear into the same hackneyed riffs (though I've tempered this to some degree, or at least switched to DIFFERENT hackneyed riffs). I don't sit an engage in disciplined practice or learning of new tunes. I tend to learn a main, identifiable riff of a song. I don't sing, and find it difficult to play through entire songs. I recognize these as bad habits and they are not amenable to jamming with others, which I enjoy doing. I think a big part of this is that I have difficulty learning and retaining the patterns and changes.
Can anyone here relate to any of this and/or offer any suggestions?
I play solely for fun, but would like to develop some discipline.

Thanks....

[warren0728]

i was running into the same problems....i was busy trying to learn improvisation techniques and was playing to backing tracks but when friends would ask me to play a song....i was kinda lost.

so while i am still trying to improvise and such i have started learning songs i like from start to finish (including leads)....this has made the guitar more fun for me (at least for now)!

ww

[Tone2TheBone]

In the years since I first started screwing around on guitar (ugh... 21 years or so ago?!), I have developed some really poor habits. For example, I tend to tear into the same hackneyed riffs (though I've tempered this to some degree, or at least switched to DIFFERENT hackneyed riffs). I don't sit an engage in disciplined practice or learning of new tunes. I tend to learn a main, identifiable riff of a song. I don't sing, and find it difficult to play through entire songs. I recognize these as bad habits and they are not amenable to jamming with others, which I enjoy doing. I think a big part of this is that I have difficulty learning and retaining the patterns and changes.
Can anyone here relate to any of this and/or offer any suggestions?
I play solely for fun, but would like to develop some discipline.

Thanks....


Wow you took that out of my own psyche I feel the same way for the same reasons. Good question and good observation.

[Glacies]

sometimes I wish I was good enough to have some of the problems you guys have :P

[ShortBuSX]

In the years since I first started screwing around on guitar (ugh... 21 years or so ago?!), I have developed some really poor habits. For example, I tend to tear into the same hackneyed riffs (though I've tempered this to some degree, or at least switched to DIFFERENT hackneyed riffs). I don't sit an engage in disciplined practice or learning of new tunes. I tend to learn a main, identifiable riff of a song. I don't sing, and find it difficult to play through entire songs. I recognize these as bad habits and they are not amenable to jamming with others, which I enjoy doing. I think a big part of this is that I have difficulty learning and retaining the patterns and changes.
Can anyone here relate to any of this and/or offer any suggestions?
I play solely for fun, but would like to develop some discipline.

Thanks....

Yeah, thats like my life's story right there...even the length of playing time.
But my response to that is: We do what keeps us interested, we are self taught and we go in the direction the music takes us. I tend to hear a song, maybe a riff that inspires me to wanna learn a song(or maybe even just the riff). But I usually have to memorize a piece before Im able to play it speed or for it to sound decent...so I stop the learning process and move on to the practice process, and this may take me weeks before I get it down, and its not always in time, but I usually care or mind as Im just playing for myself, for my own enjoyment and to relax. But after a couple weeks Ive moved onto other songs or riffs...I may even try and learn some theory along the way. But I do keep the music...so Im able to refer to it at a later time and then build upon what Id previous learned, sometimes I have to relearn(or unlearn) what Ive already learned, like a bad habit or incorrect way of playing it.:thwap:
I have a hard time with the chorus usually, slow chords that dont really follow the melody...if I cant hear it in my head I cant remember it to play it...but if somebody is singing it kinda helps me.
But playing along with others frequently has forced my bad habits to the surface and it makes it difficult for me to ignore.
In my opinion, I think there is somekinda self defeating mechanism within us that makes us think things are worse than they really are...reality check, youve been playing for 21 years! You may not know all that you want or at the pace youd like...but I bet you are able to wow alot of people with your chops...just maybe not as many people as youd like.

[Spudman]

I think we've all gone through this or maybe still are going through it. I suggest playing with or for others to get you over the hurdle of not getting to the end of the song. Having others around will push you more than you might push yourself. Or, try learning a few songs to put on a short concert for a significant other.

It's much easier than becoming completely destitute where you have to play a whole song just to eat or put a roof over your head. That's not much fun but it gets you good in a hurry.:)

[Pickngrin]

Very interesting to hear that others here identify with this. Thanks for your feedback, thoughts, and words of encouragement about this. I think that I need to actually come up with a methodology to sit down and learn a song. I believe that will help my confidence with guitar. Hmm...easier said than done!

[Andy]

For years my practice sessions involved learning a new song or riff/solo.
but when I'm often required to improv over something new to me ,I found myself limited to certain riffs and runs.

By learning more unique scales and learning to improv with them it opened up a much larger panorama to play with.(theres only so much you can do with the blues scale in G ,for example)

also working on dexterity and speed really helps, you don't have to become a "shredder" but it really helps to have the ability to throw some speedy-ness in when you feel it.

I have about a 1 hr practice routine, using a metronome that involves finger stretching and memory working patterns.
I do this every day, gaging my progress with the metronome.
it doesn't sound very musical but once that is finished , I work on some newer scales and can always see improvement on a weekly basis.than I just mess around to end the session.

theres only one way to really combat the "rutt"(that every guitar player goes thru). don't keep playing the same things,in fact try to avoid them. learn some new scales ,chords, riffs , tricks. like you said Dicipline

it's not easy because you will automatically play things like it's programmed into your hands. it's like breaking a habit.

I only learn songs/solos if I need to learn the song for some reason.
I find learning scales, chords ect..is more beneficial in the long run.
almost inspiring. like you said , it takes dicipline and determination to progress

anyway thats just my way of dealing with rutts , everyone has different needs

[Dauntless]

I just call it SQUIRRELS!!

As in "Oh, Look, A Squirrel" and then I go in another direction.

[Pickngrin]

LOL squirrels. I was thinking this evening about how I might direct/structure some practice. I came across www.guitarnoise.com and that gave me some ideas... going back to some basic counting, rhythm, and strum patterns to tighten that up... not sure what songs I'll move to after that.

[Ch0jin]

Well at the risk of sounding redundant. You've just described me too.

I treat my Guitar ADHD with GAS. I know thats like treating alcoholism with heroin, but meh, thats how I roll :)

Seriously though, regarding Andy's comments, thats kinda what I try to do also. I'll play a basic chord progression using regular open chords then open my chord book and play the same progression using different variations of the chord to see how they sound. I do the same thing with scales. I'll find or record a very basic chord progression and them try and play different types of scales over it. For some reason I just dig practicing this way.

HOWEVER.

That has led me to the situation whereby I now consider myself the worst campfire guitarist I've seen. Sure I can grab that old acoustic and play you my favourite minor chord progressions or rip out some showy lick over the fretboard, but can I play "American Pie" and have everyone sing along....err no.

[ShortBuSX]

I treat my Guitar ADHD with GAS. I know thats like treating alcoholism with heroin, but meh, thats how I roll :)

IT WORKS TOO!:bravo:
I love those nights where you stay up til 2 or 3 in the morning on a work night, and it doesnt even feel late...youre playing more...youre learning more...youve found THE tone(for the moment)...well worth the price of admission!:AOK:

[Robert]

I guess take the time to learn something challenging. Practice it over and over until it sounds good. That's how I got started and I still do this - although I have less time and ambition nowadays.

[Ch0jin]

IT WORKS TOO!:bravo:
I love those nights where you stay up til 2 or 3 in the morning on a work night, and it doesnt even feel late...youre playing more...youre learning more...youve found THE tone(for the moment)...well worth the price of admission!:AOK:

Yup, just the other day I was messing with my home brew delay and found a setting that didn't really add an audible delay effect, but just a general hugeness and liquidity to the sound and just jammed away with that to a new (for me) backing track I found to "Too Rolling Stoned" which I think is in C, a key I hadn't practiced soloing in. I was having a blast and before i knew it, I'd learn't how to solo in C :)