# I used to love playing my guitar but now I hate it



## PresenTense (May 7, 2016)

I grew up listening to rock music and some metal. When I was 17, I discovered classical music and contemporary classical music. After that, I got into experimental electronic music and more avant garde stuff. But as I got into all that stuff, I stopped listening to rock music and all that stuff. I tried listening to Progressive rock but I can't stand listening to a guitar using distortion. I feel really bad and depressed about it because I used to love playing my guitar. Some people told me I should give Jazz a try and I like Jazz music a lot but the problem is that the jazz composers/musicians I like are not guitarists. Rock music is not in my taste anymore. Guitar is all I had and now when I try to grab my guitar, I get bored and frustrated. I'm a decent (good) guitarist. Guitars for me are just objects, I never praised guitars as pieces of craft or something like that. They are a tool to make music for me.

The only pop music I listen to nowadays are artists such as: Bjork, Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, Death Grips; Radiohead, Brian Eno, Eomac, Bon Iver, James Blake and stuff like that.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Sadly, life is over for you. Have you written your last will and testament? If you need help drafting it, I'm a professional editor. My rates are reasonable.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

This thread seems familiar ...


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Maybe you could try toque, and take up flamenco guitar as an accompanist. Here are Terremoto accompanied by Manuel Moreno "Morao":


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I didn't know that one can be an instrumental virtuoso simply by "wanting to".

Anyhow, the original poster wisely edited that part out of his original post.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> This thread seems familiar ...


Very, very familiar.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

PresenTense said:


> I grew up listening to rock music and some metal. When I was 17, I discovered classical music and contemporary classical music. After that, I got into experimental electronic music and more avant garde stuff. But as I got into all that stuff, I stopped listening to rock music and all that stuff. I tried listening to Progressive rock but I can't stand listening to a guitar using distortion. I feel really bad and depressed about it because I used to love playing my guitar. Some people told me I should give Jazz a try and I like Jazz music a lot but the problem is that the jazz composers/musicians I like are not guitarists. Rock music is not in my taste anymore. Guitar is all I had and now when I try to grab my guitar, I get bored and frustrated. I'm a decent (good) guitarist and I know I could be a "virtuoso" if I wanted to. Guitars for me are just objects, I never praised guitars as pieces of craft or something like that. They are a tool to make music for me.
> 
> The only pop music I listen to nowadays are artists such as: Bjork, Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, Death Grips; Radiohead, Brian Eno, Eomac, Bon Iver, James Blake and stuff like that.


Well there is classical guitar. I don't know how difficult it would be for you to transition to that, but I see a lot of classical works transposed for guitar on You Tube.


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## David OByrne (Dec 1, 2016)

Nobody is forcing you to play guitar are they?


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## Retrograde Inversion (Nov 27, 2016)

Why is this thread getting all these snarky replies?


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Sadly, life is over for you. Have you written your last will and testament? If you need help drafting it, I'm a professional editor. My rates are reasonable.


I suggest you two go workshop it in Heiligenstadt. Apparently a very inspirational sort of place for testaments.

Seriously though, I don't know if the OP has something of a history here (hence all the less than helpful replies) but all I can say is "welcome to the club." I spent some years playing classical guitar and then spontaneously lost interest. Took it up again some years later, enjoyed for a few months, and then lost interest again.

Not sure why, but these things happen.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

brianvds said:


> I suggest you two go workshop it in Heiligenstadt. Apparently a very inspirational sort of place for testaments.
> 
> Seriously though, I don't know if the OP has something of a history here (hence all the less than helpful replies) but all I can say is "welcome to the club." I spent some years playing classical guitar and then spontaneously lost interest. Took it up again some years later, enjoyed for a few months, and then lost interest again.
> 
> Not sure why, but these things happen.


I also took up classical guitar - after 1 year thought - sod this it's too fiddly and too much hard work to get anywhere.
Now I just enjoy listening and I let others slave to produce the music. Good luck to them. if you dont want to play - just dont. Listening is much more rewarding in my view and the hours you spent perfecting a few bars (that nobody will care a toss about unless you're a paid soloist) is better spent taking in new repertoire.


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## sloth (Jul 12, 2013)

Hey, you can use your guitar in many unusual ways! I'm an electric guitarist but I mostly play ambient/drone music. By using loads of reverb & delays you can literally sculpt with sound... for an example have a listen to fennesz or main:

fennesz + sakamoto





fennesz





main





please bear in mind that the guitar is an instrument, a vehicle of your creativity, it's not the source of it! hope this helps


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I gave up on my violin for 45 years, but I'm making up for lost time now.

If you really can't stand your guitar, then don't bother. But why not just play a few tunes every week to keep your hand in - who knows if you'll feel like this in a year's time? You can hit a plateau or feel depressed about your prowess easily enough, and then get a new enthusiasm. You might regret it years later if you 'just give up'.

Good luck whatever you decide.


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## Marinera (May 13, 2016)

Why try to conform, create your own niche if you don't like rock or metal anymore. Maybe you'll come up with something unique or something that is completely yours. That is if you're not interested in classical transcriptions and scores for guitar. I like to listen to Rodrigo y Gabriela when I want something with guitar upbeat and energetic. By the way, if you heard them what's your opinion about their playing? I know it's off topic, but am just curious what guitarists think about them.


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## PresenTense (May 7, 2016)

sloth said:


> Hey, you can use your guitar in many unusual ways! I'm an electric guitarist but I mostly play ambient/drone music. By using loads of reverb & delays you can literally sculpt with sound... for an example have a listen to fennesz or main:
> 
> fennesz + sakamoto
> 
> ...


I loved your comment. I'm into ambient music too and I'm thinking about using my guitar to create something like that.


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## PresenTense (May 7, 2016)

Marinera said:


> By the way, if you heard them what's your opinion about their playing? I know it's off topic, but am just curious what guitarists think about them.


They are really good  I mean, they are not my type of music but I can tell they are really good. I remember seeing a video of them playing a song by this band called Metallica.


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## PresenTense (May 7, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Very, very familiar.


What the **** is familiar to you?


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## PresenTense (May 7, 2016)

Ingélou said:


> I gave up on my violin for 45 years, but I'm making up for lost time now.
> 
> If you really can't stand your guitar, then don't bother. But why not just play a few tunes every week to keep your hand in - who knows if you'll feel like this in a year's time? You can hit a plateau or feel depressed about your prowess easily enough, and then get a new enthusiasm. You might regret it years later if you 'just give up'.
> 
> Good luck whatever you decide.


I'm doing that actually. Even though I don't feel like playing guitar anymore, I still practice.


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## PresenTense (May 7, 2016)

hpowders said:


> I didn't know that one can be an instrumental virtuoso simply by "wanting to".
> 
> Anyhow, the original poster wisely edited that part out of his original post.


I edited that part because people misunderstood what I was trying to say. If you want to be a virtuoso, you have to practice a lot. AND YOU HAVE TO WANT IT TOO. People say I'm a good guitarist and I have practiced a lot but virtuosism in the electric guitar is something boring to me. I hate shredders and all that stuff. The only virtuosism I like in the electric guitar, comes from Jazz.


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## sloth (Jul 12, 2013)

PresenTense said:


> I loved your comment. I'm into ambient music too and I'm thinking about using my guitar to create something like that.


Please let me know about your creative results then!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

PresenTense said:


> I grew up listening to rock music and some metal.


Another thought is maybe try some blues guitar. It can be very satisfying. This guy teaches blues guitar:


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

PresenTense said:


> Even though I don't feel like playing guitar anymore, I still practice.


You'll be glad you did years from now. I made the mistake of packing away my guitars 19 years ago after 20 years of playing. Now I've long since lost all technique and knowledge I had built up. It's a cliche, but if you don't use it, you lose it.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

PresenTense said:


> The only virtuosism I like in the electric guitar, comes from Jazz.


Learn some jazz then. I'm still chipping away at expanding my abilities in terms of jazz improvisation on guitar (I'm still not very good at it) and I don't even care much for jazz. If I enjoyed it like you I would be all over it.


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## David OByrne (Dec 1, 2016)

Just join a band and play, seriously stop worrying if you like or hate guitar and just *get out and play*


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

PresenTense said:


> I edited that part because people misunderstood what I was trying to say. If you want to be a virtuoso, you have to practice a lot. AND YOU HAVE TO WANT IT TOO. People say I'm a good guitarist and I have practiced a lot but virtuosism in the electric guitar is something boring to me. I hate shredders and all that stuff. The only virtuosism I like in the electric guitar, comes from Jazz.


I think a lot of people with the right tuition and quality/quantity of practice could become virtuosos - if I could tolerate the boredom of 8 hours practice a day I could do it myself in 10 years. Yet I dont think I could write a good novel. But anyway so what? The world is awash with virtuoso musicians and most of them are begging for paid performance opportunities. Go and look at footage from the recent Menuhin competition in London - or any of dozens of piano/instrumental competitions that take place each year - they are all out of this world -and even the winners remain relatvely unknown.


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## Poodle (Aug 7, 2016)

I don't know why poster is writhing about, it will always be ok


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Unless playing the guitar is difficult work for the OP, I would suggest he simply play around with it on a daily basis, making whatever sounds come out that pleases him without regard for style of music, though a particular style could certainly be what he plays.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

PresenTense said:


> Some people told me I should give Jazz a try and I like Jazz music a lot but the problem is that the jazz composers/musicians I like are not guitarists.


I have a soft spot for Pat Metheny both as a guitarist and composer. It's smooth and lovely jazz.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

PresenTense said:


> Some people told me I should give Jazz a try and I like Jazz music a lot but the problem is that the jazz composers/musicians I like are not guitarists.


Why is this a problem? Listen to jazz for the music, the improvisation, and the unique voices. It shouldn't matter what instrumentation is being utilized. I listen to Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Miles, Mingus, Clark Terry, Duke Ellington, John Scofield, McCoy Tyner, Sun Ra, Monk, etc because they have their own voice. When that is present in the music, the instrument is irrelevant.


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