Perhaps you are trying to find it from a wrong place? I keep my Mojo in my pants usually, but sometimes it can be found from really surprising places! :)
I agree. Take a break....do something different. Go see a good movie, or rent an old one that you like and is funny. When I get in a funk, I watch "The Blues Brothers" again.
Happens to me with guitar. All you need to do is just come back to it when you're in a real good mood. If you just jam it'll come back. Pretty much what everyone else has said
The best thing about losing the mojo is you know it's gonna come back and it's gonna be stronger. Apart from taking a break, it may be that exploring a completely new direction will help. This means you'll still be playing harp, brushing up and building new skills and it may be something that you can incorporate into your normal style of playing later. ----------
Yup lost my mojo lately too. Just can't get into playing or practicing or anything. Nothing sounds right everything is off beat. Really bummed about world events right now and in particular the tragedy in Haiti. Somehow what I'm playing just doesn't seem important. Just put everything down and shut the lights off. Going to make a donation. Survivors are now dying from injuries and soon the survivor death rate (now there's an oxymoron) will exceed the quake death toll. Man what's going on???? ---------- "Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
Hey Sirsucksalot, how about this for getting the juices flowing again. I'm really tempted. Now if I can find a washboard, get a harness for the harp, I'll be a one man band.
Hey! Look, you can get a new one here, complete with thimbles for just $18.
I also utilize "down time"...whatever you want to call it, for writing. You have to concentrate and work things out gradually. Not just doing slow songs, either.
@Sir-sux.... I'm right there with you. Til late last year, I had been away from the Harp for over a year. (Took some time to get some other things together in life. Priorities, and all.) Came back to it last Sept and even after couple months boning up the chops, the Mojo just wasn't there. Recently took a 4 hour Lesson with Mark Wenner (Nighthawks)to help with the Inner issues. Mark personal advice for that problem can be summed up as, "Relax & focus". There has been some improvement.
Tooka said, "The best thing about losing the mojo is you know it's gonna come back and it's gonna be stronger". This I have found to be true... I have have temporary lapses in Mojo-flow over the past 15 years of harp but it always came back, and stronger. The important point to remember is that the Mojo is inside us and the issue is how to get it out.
Tooka also said, "Apart from taking a break, it may be that exploring a completely new direction will help."
This is working for me too. I gotten myself a couple of new toys (octave generator and different music to listen to ) and they have helped kindle the fire. As well as getting together with some new players. Rock music rather thaan the steady diet of blues.
Wishing you the best of luck with your Quest, too. There's always jonsparrow's suggestion....
Thanks all for the good advice. I looked in the sofa but to no avail. I think iv just got to much going on right now to have a clear mind. This past year was pretty crappy but things are starting to turn around. Budda that would be cool. It would be great to talk to another harper other than some drunk at a bar. I think i need to get back out to some jams too. The guys i was playing with took off to Cali to chase their dreams of becoming a burnt out 80's metal band. I also think playing with them messed up my licks cause the music they played was too loud and crappy. I ended up having to drastically change my style to accommodate them. Though they never did so for me.
Don't let the TV distract you. Just watch with a harp in your hand instead of a remote. If you are like me it will be impossible to have something shaped like a remote in your hand while watching TV and not use it. At worst you get to play along with the soundtrack of all your favorite commercials, at best while your doodling around you'll find a lick you like and get inspired.
Mr. Satan used to say, "I won't be a slave to my guitar."
He also used to tell me, "Never condemn what you do." Which is to say, Go with where you actually are, in your spirit, not where your mind tells you you're supposed to be. I.e., don't overthink or be neurotic.
Aye, I agree with that one Kudz. I have found from my guitar that the more you relax and remove ya mind from playing the more of the "you" flows out :-)
and I agree with the take a break, I would end up just playing the same old tat if I played too long, but a 2-3 day break if I hit that refeshed me and i'd come out with something that i hadn't heard b4 :-)
---------- Sign:- - Z -
All energy flows according to the whims of the great magnet.
Sometimes it can also be helpful if you think "out-of-the-box". For me the somekind of switch in the viewpoint gets me interested again. It's a kind of "creative leap". This was actually what I was saying in my previous post, although it might be easily missed.. ;)
sometimes you just get tired and practice wears on you. Go see someone else play, one of your favorites and someone better then you. It'll remind you why you work so hard.
what you should do is give up the harp for awhile. In 2003, I didn't touch a harp for almost a year but I worked on the piano. In 2006 I worked on nothing but the bass.
If I had a chronicle of my playing you'd noticed marked changes in my playing after taking time away from the harp to play other instruments. ---------- "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
i ve played guitar for 15 years i just started playing the harp for a year now,I picked up my guitar a few times this last year and guess what i still suck.lol
but on a more serious note if you are burned out with a insterument or anything a break could help,but if youve only been playing harp say a year or 2 it might be the kind of problem im having where all my licks sound about the same,with me and some of the recording i did 6months ago seem like they sound better on the harp for a beginner mind you,but back then i just played by feel i really didnt have much trouble with rythem,and timing and the 1,4,5 progression just felt natural it was simple stuff but it seemed to fit better than what im trying to record now.I started trying to learn celtic tunes,from harmonica academy,trying to learn as much as i can with proper blues stuff from Adams teaching,and also tring to just play with my own songs,Im trying to use the blues scale more and i havent got it down good yet,plus i have all these ideas ive been studying to be a better player,and now when i try to play im thinking of things to do and its throwing me for a loop,its harder to even play blindly like i was doing 6months ago,I know in the long run learning the right way to play has to be better than just going for it,but its frustrating me.ive read that exspecially on the harmonica this can happen it seems easy at first then you try to really learn how to play one and relise its a very hard thing to get good at.but for me i just practice more it motivates me cause ive taken breaks from the guitar or got strung out and lost a couple thousand dollars in music equipment and the breaks didnt help me,i have nothing in my life but my life and a harp or 2 so i will drive on not to sound like a downer cause i feel like maybe it s a good thing to be filled with some much frustration and passion and nothing fills the void like trying to get good.if you feel like taking a break go for it but then again your probelly just stuck in a rut like all players get,Now on the other hand you spend 15 years trying to play and dont get any better well you might try another instrument,I allmost gave up music all together but because of my desire to learn the harp,ive started playing my guitar some and also have a bass now,But the harp is what got my juices going again,and im having the same feelings as you,Hell i was playing in my 1st band 3 months after tring to play the harp never did that with guitar never played in a band,It lasted for about 2 months got released because well i only been playing 3 months i thought i could play but now i relise i was just noodling good,but noodling sucks im just relizing this,after my 1st year,the band is starting a 4 state tour in a month so its motivated me not that i will play with them cause now i relise there music aint really the best harp type music but it got me to where i want to learn more and more but the more i try to think while i play the worse it sounds,I feel like its just something that will work its way out hopefully,but my advise would be just work it harder woodshed and woodshed some more if after awhile you still feel the same take a break,but remember theres a whole lot of people in the same boat,and sometimes you got to row that boat up the stream.Hey did i ever tell you how nice a harp belt you made thats was cool i wish i could do that peace
I'm with Hobo on that. Another thing I think is cool is to pull out your harps while listening to some music (any style) figure out the key and play to it. I have a blast playing to Ween, James Brown, whatever. The great thing about it is it takes me to new grooves instead of the well worn dog tracks in my mind.
I think this is a typical phase preceding an expansion. I've experienced ennui in my own path that was ultimately an emotional element that drove me to a new level.
Just roll with the trip and look at what isn't cutting it for you anymore. What could you bring that would excite you to blow your heart open and rock the fuck out?
