I recently slipped into the box. I started getting repetitive and playing the same things over and over without realizing it. This happens when I solo with the pentatonic, blues, and minor scales. I looked at the lesson on this site about it, but two licks is hardly enough to change my way of playing. How do I get out of this rut?

~13noon

Dive into a different style! like...country or something. blues. whatever it is, jump somewhere else, you dont wanna be playing all repetition

Look at taking what you already know and expand upon it. Start w/the box licks and expand outwards horizontally, box patterns are great for reference pts.

When you get caught in a rut like this, the best thing to do is to learn some new songs.

If you really want to expand your pallete, I'd recommend some classical or some old jazz standards. Skee1 has some good jazz stuff up on his website, and you can find the classical/neo-classical stuff just about anywhere.

Take a lick that you keep repeating. Try playing it, but higher on the neck, but the sames notes... (that means you will play on lower strings) then, try to use the notes in that other part of the neck.
When you do that, you are in another box. What you need to do is then to "connect the dots"...
I hope I wasn't too confusing...

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Heres an idea straight from the young!



IMPROVISE!!!


I have yet to have trouble repeating things, because i improvise so much that i play.