Sometimes I get a little lost. I can’t quite figure out what to do next. Where to go with my learning and playing. When that happens I start feeling like I’ve lost something or that something is missing. My motivation seems to lag and I start trying to figure out why. I ask myself crazy questions or just ignore it and do things that I know aren’t really helpful, like play hours of solitaire. Sometimes, like this week, I get up and do something.
I was going through the music room, trying to tidy it up, and came across a CD set of blues
songs. I got to looking at it and realized there are some songs on there that I’d like to learn. Some are songs that a few months ago I wouldn’t have considered because I didn’t think I’d be able to do them. Others are songs I’d forgotten about wanting to learn.
Then I had a closer look at Frank’s list and found there are a bunch of songs on there that I’d like to learn. And again, some of the songs I would have skipped over a few months ago thinking I was nowhere near ready to tackle them yet.
As I looked at those two lists of songs it occurred to me that that was what was missing. Though I practice regularly and continue to work to improve, recently, I have been feeling a bit in a rut. I have only added a couple of songs to my play list lately and don’t really have many, if any, lined up to work on. I can, and have been, working on some of those neglected songs that I’ve learned and don’t play much. I’ve got plenty of style, technique, and skills stuff to work on, and no new, cool songs. And the cool songs are part of what drives my motivation.
More than once in my life, it has been wanting to play a cool song that has driven me back to pick up the guitar after a long break. The songs for me, make a difference. Whether it’s the words, or the beat, or the melody, or a riff, it doesn’t matter, they are a good deal of what drives me to improve. I want to be able to play those things. I want to know what it feels like to really play that song that I find so compelling, for whatever reason it compels.
Wow. Well that’s interesting. I guess it’s time to get busy. I think I will choose four or five
songs to start really working on. And see what sparks. Usually, when I choose a group of songs to work on there will be two of those, that will come together really quick and then the others take a little more time. Ok. Now I’m getting excited and motivated again. This will be fun. It’s always fun to see what I get bold enough to tackle and how it comes out.
We’ve got another jam coming up this weekend. I’m looking forward to it, as always, it should be a good time. It’s right before the Thanksgiving holiday in the US so it could be a big group or a small one. Either way it will be fun and we’ll have good music.
Also. I have the videos of the last jam edited. I will be getting them posted in the next day or two.