I must say that Im finding this thread very interesting. I never realized there was so many conventionally accomplished musicians here! Its fascinating to me that you have all tried to UN-learn, or stretch yourselves in new ways despite the enormity of your obvious skills. Im really quite humbled!
Speaking as an absolutely TERRIBLE musician technically, I must say that having learned one scale (blah blah pentatonic blues usual thing) Im buggered if I will ever learn anything new as far as new scales or chords go. I struggle daily with my abilities and have come to realize that after ohh what is it...? 32 years of playing guitar, I dont think Im ever gonna be much better.
HOWEVER, I DO sympathize with the notion. I find that just putting one new thing (usually an effect) or removing something (which I just did this weekend, arrival of new mixer, not so versatile as the old, but smaller and more rackable (and not broken) - therefore resulting in having to remove 2 effects that used to have their own AUX's) really can push you to new things. The steady but never-ending rotation of gear in my set-up means that I am always just on the verge of feeling I have mastered it, but no...
So i dont really try strange things (new scales, no scales, play left handed, switch instrument) to find new things, they just happen, slowly over the years... Very slowly.
I watched a bit of my past last night on YouTube that I had never seen before now,
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=q-RxSn7NGgY&e16 years ago... and... well Im still playing like that !! DAMN!!
I would like to afford, buy, and learn to play a chapman stick however (the one with midi) it seems like a WHOLE NEW KETTLE OF FISK. And quite a learning curve, but I believe that maybe its the perfect instrument for me... specially as I have never ... repeat (duck, don fireproof clothing.. ) seen anyone playing one in a style that I like!!! An instrument only used by rich, clever dick musos!!! WOW, what I could do with one of them... (slowely and in a a pentatonic blues scale and too many distortion effects)
:-)
m
PS: Kris, I have just gone to your chord page... very interesting.. tried a few out... no Idea what it all means, but a couple I have learned, and will chuck them in randomly in future!!!
