What do yall do to keep it interesting?

  • Not sure why it matters, but I've been playing for 46 years.


    I made the decision as a teenager to avoid playing things the same way every time. For instance, there are always ways to 'evolve' a riff to avoid strict repetition. The expectation I have for myself is to avoid playing in a mentally lazy way. I recognize this as a potential issue for myself, and I think I hear it in other players. I want to avoid having the guitar play me. This involves truly listening and focusing on what I hear vs visual(pattern based) playing.


    Back to the OP, I change tones mainly based on genre. For example, I use different tones/effects for a blues gig compared to a rock gig.

  • Not sure why it matters, but I've been playing for 46 years.


    I made the decision as a teenager to avoid playing things the same way every time. For instance, there are always ways to 'evolve' a riff to avoid strict repetition. The expectation I have for myself is to avoid playing in a mentally lazy way. I recognize this as a potential issue for myself, and I think I hear it in other players. I want to avoid having the guitar play me. This involves truly listening and focusing on what I hear vs visual(pattern based) playing.


    Back to the OP, I change tones mainly based on genre. For example, I use different tones/effects for a blues gig compared to a rock gig.

    One easy way to change it up is to play with other people. I played a riff I've had lying around for years for the first time with a friend who is a drummer.

    I played it my way, which was usually in isolation. I'd just used it to horse around. He added a groove that not only altered the tempo, but it changed the way I felt the riff myself. Instead of saying "No.....play it *this* way...." I sank into his groove. What was a straight-as-an-arrow riff suddenly had a ton of swing in it.


    It was awesome.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • One easy way to change it up is to play with other people. I played a riff I've had lying around for years for the first time with a friend who is a drummer.

    I played it my way, which was usually in isolation. I'd just used it to horse around. He added a groove that not only altered the tempo, but it changed the way I felt the riff myself. Instead of saying "No.....play it *this* way...." I sank into his groove. What was a straight-as-an-arrow riff suddenly had a ton of swing in it.


    It was awesome.

    Sometimes when I'm auditioning new tones with a drummer i will take my riff and just make it fit to whatever drums they're playing. One time I had a quirky fast punk riff but he was playing thrash and black metal blasts. It definitely sounded better this way and when I tried to show him how it originally went so he can make it fit to that we both got off track. So yeah, I definitely feel that