This is a pretty taboo subject, but let’s dive in.
I recently got an email from a reader saying:
“Hi Adam. I’m going through a phase where I can’t find any I situation or have as much fun playing as I used to. Have you got any idea or any tips or me to get back into it? Thanks – Mick”
Musicians are human, and all of us have ups & downs because it is built into our system. When we have ups & downs, much of “how we feel” has do do with the presence or absence of certain naturally produced brain chemicals.
(Paraphrased from Psychology Today:)
Dopamine, Endorphins, Oxytocin and Seratonin are what are known as our “Happy Chemicals.” It would of course be nice if we got a steady flood of these in our brains, but we don’t.
Sometimes we do things that are unhealthy to keep the happy chemicals flowing inside us.
For example, scans of peoples brains on cocaine show a dopamine “rush” flooding the brain, Then when the “dopamine” wears off, there is a let down, and then craving for more.
As guitarists – we may plug into a sexy digital delay or reverb, and the new sounds give a “rush.” Or we buy a new guitar because in the shop we get that rush. When I upload a video and get some “positive approval via feedback” dopamine floods my mind, and like anyone, I want to do it again and again.
But, like many stimuli – the more we do it, the more the effect lessens. For example – the juicy new guitar or effect pedal doesn’t release the same “juice” after a year of repeated exposure.
What then?
Let’s rephrase the question.
“What should I do when my guitar playing isn’t firing off my happy chemicals?”
Now this gets us closer to the issue. The music is not the variable, our brains are!
1) Get Curious – Learn Something New
When we play too much of the same stuff, we no longer get the chemical rush we once got from a piece of music. It may be time to learn something new, or maybe put the guitar down and listen to some new music.
2) Try a new sound to stimulate curiosity & discovery
Try playing a different guitar, playing your tunes with a capo at a new fret, or messing with some effects pedals. This can set off some new reactions in your brain – and this can help you get un-stuck.
Don’t spend too much money on this though – because the answer is in your brain, it’s not the “thing”
Sometimes I will take a guitar and tune it a step lower. Simple change but it “colors my world” differently, and then I am back in the flow!
3) Make it Social
Get some Dopamine flowing inside your brain from some “love and approval” and you’ll probably feel victorious.
Best is to play music in front of actual real living breathing people and get positive feedback. Small gigs, church and playing for family are all great for this.
Second best – share it online via Youtube or Facebook. One positive comment (a reward) will do the trick and get you feeling groovy again.
When I practice too much it feels meaningless, but when I play music for someone “makes it all worth it.”
4) STICK TO IT
Here is the most important tip of all. Even when you don’t feel like it, you have to think like the “boss”, not the “employee.”
Making new habits requires a “rewiring and redistribution” of chemcials so new things will feel uncomfortable, not worth it, and maybe not give the rush right away.
It may even feel threatening to not get your usual rush, and step into a new behavior, since these chemicals are used for our sense of “survival”.
- The average employee wants to stop, take breaks and get away with getting paid and maybe not really working.
- The basketball team wants to quit practice 10 minutes early.
- The waitstaff wants to close the restaurant because there are so few customers.
It’s the coach, manager or boss that makes sure the company keeps producing, selling and kicking butt no matter what whether there are groovy feeling chemicals or not.
The Takeaway
Now that you know about the happy chemicals – you can see the bigger picture and discipline yourself better. Now, git to work!
Hey folks! there is a very simple way against this, then it occurs to me too!!! Make a BREAK !!! Simply let the guitar for a couple of days in the corner, maybe a week, and then take it again in your hands ….. and you’ll wonder how the “flow” is coming again, believe me !!!! 😉
Thanks Dominique!
Thank you so much Adam , to show and to remember some points of this important thing that happens sometimes in our life , when you have to repeat over and over some arranges to keep it up .
Capo does it for me all the time. If possible I’ll go as high as 7th fret capo which puts me in “mandolin” state of mind. Capo at 2nd is a piece of cake for anything that was usually open (try it guys, not that hard at all). And tunes I do that usually “require” a capo are sometimes played without it for the break too.
Another thing that does it for me is moving between different guitars from say a “cheap” to “Expensive” one. The lack of or intensity of harmonic richness variation that causes is also a good breakup for me.
Ed Gerhard recorded a studio of version of a song that was usually play without a capo. If I recall correctly the reason for capo on studio version was simply “I was feeling a little high that day” or something along those lines. After that I was like – capo no capo, F it… I’ll just put this shit were I want it when I feel like it. And it feels good.
What Adam is saying about that capo to break that rutty low feeling should not be taken lightly. It’s a massively simple and cheap thing to do and a lot of us already own one and if not, put it on your Christmas list.
Let me “juice up” Adam now… LOL
I love your playing, but what you are doing here places you above the crop of fantastic players and needs to be appreciated. You gave what you can to guitar music and that took you to a professional level of the likes many can’t enter, but than you go a little further then your peers and feel the need to share this kind of stuff actively and also very interactively.
Where do you find the time Bro!
Hello Adam,
First time writing in, just wanted to add my “5 cents” (“Peanuts”, the doctor is IN) worth. How about the film “Whiplash”, this should do the trick…NOT! I personally haven’t gone to see it yet, too wary it may awaken in me memories of !@#$% teachers
i had the “pleasure” to be hostage to in my formative years. Well, “School’s Out” now, & there’s music, sweet music for eternity. Thanks Adam, for all your helpful advice.
Thanks Adam! Maybe I can use the “rush” as justification to my wife for buying more equipment.
Sounds good Dave!
I recently received a message from you asking what I would like help with and this is it. I couldn’t put it into words but you nailed it. I couldn’t understand why there were times I couldn’t put my guitar down and times I couldn’t pick it up. One problem I have is end of day I feel I need to relax from a stressful day and although playing is relaxing for me it makes my time go buy to fast, so I don’t choose to pick up the guitar. How can I break that habit.
Just “DO IT” – like the Nike ad!
Find a particular song that emotionally closes your day. A song that lets you accept your worries and set them aside until tomorrow. Make it part of your routine. Pretty soon it will be something you look forward to, and it will trigger your sleep cycle while you’re feeling good.
quote ‘ A PROFESSIONAL IS ONE WHO DOES HIS BEST WORK EVEN WHEN HE DOESN’T WANT TO
Great advise! I recently just started playing the piano again because I felt I was getting bored with the guitar. Playing a different instrument actually got me excited about playing again and feeling good about it.
Love these posts, please keep ’em comming!
Thanks Fred!
Sometimes, the ups and downs strengthens ‘anything and everything’ there is. Listen to the experts and (have lots of greens, oranges and yellows too for equilibrium).
Agree with Dominique. I find that I can get too absorbed playing guitar, to the point that it’s less about music and more about hitting the right notes – not that there is anything wrong with that. But more importantly, is not much fun and I’m not making progress. That’s when it’s time for me to do take on a home improvement project, read a book, watch a movie and remind myself that there is life to be lived outside guitar playing. A couple of days, a couple of weeks … I come back playing better and actually making music.
That’s and excellent point, Rusty. I get tied up in the mechanics and technique far too often. We should always play songs as MUSIC, with feelings, emotion, groove, expression, playing TO someone. Don’t just play the notes, -perform it. Then pick out the passage that needs the most work. work that section until you fingers are gliding across the strings and the tone is as good as you can make it. Then DON’T go to the next section. Play the full song again and hear how much better it is with that section perfect. THEN, if you feel the need, pick out the new worst section and work it until it’s the section you rely on, and play the whole song again. Most of the time, that’s as much as you need to accomplish in one sitting anyway. Always finish your practice session with a performance.
I cannot say I have yet found the CURE, but it is so right I can feel great after 2 hours of good practice or feel awful the next day, and it has such an effect on how well I play someday’s I think I am getting somewhere other days I feel like giving up, I think the best way is to play in front of someone and hope! they have nice comments, which is what we all need. Great subject Adam.
John – the social element of playing music for people brings a different dimension of joy.
thank you very much Adam ! you saved my life!
I was fun at the start but then i post my song on social media with captions which means i play guitar to earn money.
I was depressed and ashamed to see who I was at the time.
I will reactivate my account in the near future and enjoy playing guitar again.
*sorry if my English is bad.