What inspires you?

[Sub1 Zero]

I thought it would be cool to see what inspires people in their playing, writing, makes them want to practice more, etc.

It can be literally ANYTHING under the sun, so let's hear it!

[highenuff]

Great question.
When writing I would say my kids, and everthing they will be able to expierence. This is my biggest passion in music is the writing...anyone can learn to cover a song, but to write a great tune takes skill (I don't mean tech skill sometimes a good song is a three chord special), luck, and persistence.

For Practice, ahhh this could be one long list-- Petrucci, Slash, etc...

[fogman]

I'm inspired whenever I see or hear someone play their heart out!
Of course having an EBMM really helps since they're so easy to play.

[robelinda2]

i'm inspired by nice melodies, and general melodic playing, and what i condsider to be great tone. Electric Gypsy by Andy Timmons spings to mind!

[JMB27]

I'm inspired whenever I see or hear someone play their heart out!
Of course having an EBMM really helps since they're so easy to play.

+1 on that

lately, it's been listening to lots of Lenny Breau, Chet Atkins and Grant Green.
and, using my Super Sport with some Dr Z amps helps too

[roburado]

i'm inspired by nice melodies, and general melodic playing, and what i condsider to be great tone. Electric Gypsy by Andy Timmons spings to mind!

Yeah. Me too. However, what these sources of inspiration get me to produce is another question. I don't nearly have the talent or knowledge to produce what I would love to be able to produce. I'd love to be able to turn that inspiration into something that I'd even like to listen to.

Various sources of inspiration:

-When I plug into my F-30 with my Silo Spec, man...it just gives me a great vibe that I've been for which I've been hunting for years.
-The tone of the 20th Anniversary Silhouette
-Getting great tone out of my gear or any good gear that I might get to try.
-The Funky Ass Flea Bass and pretty much any funky ass bassline
-Funky ass guitar parts
-Chuck Rainey
-The bass lines to "I Wish," "September," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," "Kid Charlemagne," "Sumthin' Sumthin'"
-James Marshall Hendrix and some of his imitators
-DT albums
-Unfortunately, pain and anger, but that makes for great metal riffs. [Insert evil smiley]
-EBMMs
-A cool pedal
-A great vocalist
-A great JP under just the right kind of distortion. Balls 'n' Chunk, baby!
-John Petrucci himself
-Any of the other members of DT
-Great jazz playing and singing
-Bossa Nova
-Fender Rhodes
-Hammond Organs
-Michael Hedges
-D'Angelo's "Brown Sugar"
-Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
-The Isley Brothers

[Jodizzle]

Inspiration for me:

-Life lessons whether good or bad
-Focusing on having a grateful heart - this seems to put things into perspective & then it flows through music
-Obviously, any musician that rocks just spurs you on

[leftymike]

Live Music!

Everytime I come home from checking out a band live I just sit in my room and play for hours. Plus, seeing the same band in a different setting affects my inspiration as well.

Last night I was eating tacos at a cool local joint , Maria's, and checking out a band. The band was Shurman from L.A. I've known these guys for many years and it's always cool to see them in such a casual atmosphere (they played on the patio). Anyway just seeing them there inspired me in a totally different way than seeing them at Antone's or a larger club.

Mountain biking seems to be a large inpiration on my playing as well. Go for a ride, come home and play- doesn't get much better!

[Sub1 Zero]

I don't nearly have the talent or knowledge to produce what I would love to be able to produce. I'd love to be able to turn that inspiration into something that I'd even like to listen to.

As Marty Friedman would no doubt ask you... what exactly is talent? Marty has become a huge inspiration for me, but most of that isn't from his playing at all.

It's his outlook on things... he makes it all not look so insurmountable. Would you believe he knows very few scales? He has a very unique method that I've adopted, and man in the past month I've come a long way, not to mention it's become about 10 times more fun.

I'd recommend anyone check out his perspectives and ideas: ::Marty Friedman Official Website::

He's done more for me on guitar than any teacher ever has, and doesn't even know it

[roburado]

Thanks for the tip!

[Sub1 Zero]

No problem bro, I'd like to share that with as many people as I can

[phatduckk]

a huge inspiration for my playing is my friends. i have a lot fo great bassit friends that are in awesome bands. hanging with those guys makes me feel like my old skating days... were all kinda nudging the rest a bit further, someone does something rad and teaches/shows the rest. so as far as playing id say my friends

as far as writing goes.... im highly influenced by what im listening to at the time.

[JohnnyD19]

hearing the music that my band is making coming together and sounding good and tight makes me want to write way more.

when practicing it thing it would be the wonderful people at EBMM for making the best guitar and probably any guitar player who knows when to and when not to play if you know what i mean

[candid_x]

I'm rarely inspired to play by other guitar players, no matter how much I enjoy and admire their playing, unless we're playing together. Otherwise, I'm inspired by:

A great sunset.
A mid-summer thunder storm.
A great audience, even of one.
Preparing for a good gig or jam.
New strings.
My Balls (of course).
Great chocolate and coffee.
A shocking spiritual or psychological epiphany, or any powerful emotion.
An interesting woman.

[Colin]

what's in my head hasn't fully come out in my writing yet. But if it where to it would be Eric Johnson meets Dudley Moore meets disco meets the band from the Muppet Show. I ain't kidding it's the only way I can describe it...