Rutbusters

Lango-Django

It's easy to get into a rut, isn't it? The best way out, I've found, is to buy a new guitar!

But if you can't afford that, try one of these!

Will

Rutbuster number one

Practice whatever you're currently working on with no accompaniment except a metronome.

Sounds pretty easy until you try to actually do it!

You're going along playing great, right on the beat and suddenly you get inspired to play something really cool...@#$%! what happened to that beat?

Rutbuster number two

1) Using Band In A Box, set up something that is super easy to play, with a nice easy tempo... I use rhythm changes at 120 bpm.

2) Go outside and smoke a cigarette...you know, that skinny kind they don't sell at the corner store..?

3) Come back inside and put on your BIAB accompaniment.

4) Get out your guitar and go nuts. Have fun; play some really crazy, wacked-out shit you've never tried before. Some of your ideas will suck, so what? Others will make up for them with their utter brilliance. Who cares? You probably won't remember anything tomorrow!

5) Every now and then, modulate BIAB to a different key and/or tempo. But remember, this is all about having fun, so forget playing in Gb at 300 bpm... this is like a batting cage where the machine lobs you a perfect pitch down the middle every time.

6) Artists love to listen to music when they draw or paint, and modern computer technology now gives musicians the power to look at artwork when we practise. So if you can set up your computer screen to provide wonderful artwork to look at while you're doing this exercise, that will add to the fun. I just happen to have a whole bunch of really cool images given to me by an artist friend which I'm going to share with the rest of the Givone Guitar Group in the next day or two.


Will