Originally Posted by: Slipin LizardSometimes when you're stuck in a rut its not because you're not reaching your goals but because you haven't really set or defined any goals at all. You might just be learning random bits of songs, or the odd lick here or there... a scale that you learn, but then never use. All that happened to me when I first started with guitar, and continued for a long time until I started really defining why I was picking up the guitar in the first place. It doesn't have to be anything monumental... even just setting a simple goal, plan, & course of action like "I'd like to learn acoustic fingerpicking (goal). I will go through Lisa's lessons (plan). I am working on Lisa's lessons and will keep going until I learn the theme song (course of action)." As long as your goal is sincere to your own wishes, and well defined, you should be happy with the result. Goals change of course, and need redefining as we improve and our interests change, but will still need them.

This is probably the key 'rut-ism'. You are stuck somewhere because you don't know where you're going.

I read in the original post that greg > 'Tried learning a few new songs but my technique isn't good enough to play the ones I really want' ...I'd say then, keep on practicing until you can play it. It's not whether or not you are good enough but if you want to apply the discipline to overcome the challenge.

Sorry for the GT old-timers that have read this before but, the first two things I ever learned to play on guitar were Rush's 'Fly By Night' and Zeppelin's 'Black Dog'. No exactly the easiest things to start with but I wanted to learn them. So I practiced a lot....a lot.

And I did learn them...and I'll tell you that Black Dog is never easy to play even to this day unless you keep in practice with it (the timing of that main riff is sooo funky).

So, my two cents.