Tonight I was the bug. I started my session innocently enough by sitting back with the LP and banging out a few softer things. Then I figured I needed to pick up the Taylor in preperation for a Christmas Party thing next weekend.
I started practicing the tunes I'd be playing and I'll be damned if I could get a single chord to come out cleanly. I lost every bit of rythym I ever had and song after song it felt like I was fumbling around like a teenager with his first bra to deal with.
I guess I had better pick up the accoustic all week.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Splat! I hate when that happens. I've been getting splatted lately, too. It comes and goes, thank the Lord...as long as it goes quickly!
"Yes and an old guitar is all that he can afford,
when he gets up under the lights to play his thing..."-Dire Straits
http://www.myspace.com/misterpete42
May I borrow your thread cause I had the same problem last night. I have a song that I am supposed to do solo for the Christmas play at church "Mary did you know". Played it beautifully all weekend long and then last night at dress rehearsal it sounded like I never played it before. Fourty children and parents, all there to witness my destruction (Teen hecklers in the back and all) and now I feel like a NFL kicker that cant even make the extra point. Just cant get it out of my head.
Yep, Roy.. I know what your feeling.
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
Yup.
Rparker - if it makes you feel any better, going from an electric to an acoustic is quite a big change. Lots of subtle and not so subtle things that are different enough to throw you off; string spacing (I have that problem between Fenders and Gibsons unless I'm playing both all the time), string height at the nut, different gauge strings, body size, where the 12th fret is in relation to how you're holding the guitar in your lap, and last but not least, going from archtop to flattop. That and the string spacing was what threw me when I first got a Strat, having played an LP for years. Subconsciously you get used to having your strumming/picking hand 'up' a little from the face of the body and then you play a Fender or a flattop acoustic, and everything feels weird.
It actually took me a couple of months to feel comfortable with a Strat. That was years ago, so changing over is a little easier now, but still, if I've been spending more time with one and switch over, it takes a while.
Almost the same as when going from a classical guitar with its wide string spacing and zero fretboard radius, to a regular style flattop acoustic.
And don't even talk about going from a 4-string bass to a 5-string. Mentally I *know* it's a 5-string but my hands are wandering and fumbling around for awhile going "Okay, what's this other string doing here?"
So it's a splat, but more like a bounce ;)
I can relate!
I'm nowhere near the level of playing that you guys are, but last night I sucked more than usual. Was playing my son's Hamer instead of my usual Strat, and it was like I'd never played the songs before.
Gave up in disgust and went to bed. Bleccchhh. :roll:
Maybe it was a full moon?
Margaret
When my mind is free, you know a melody can move me
And when I'm feelin' blue, the guitar's comin' through to soothe me ~
I've been having the same problems with my singing over the weekend, just can'tseem to manage the things I normally have no trouble with :(
It was a full moon here last night, and my playing couldn't have been worse! Maybe they are connected? lol
It does make me wonder just WHY this happens though? After years of practice, why does there always come a day when you just *cannot* play? Weird.
Anyway, today is much better, thankfully, hopefully you feel the same way too!
Pete
ETD - Formerly "10141748 - Reincarnate"
It was a full moon here last night, and my playing couldn't have been worse! Maybe they are connected? lol
It does make me wonder just WHY this happens though? After years of practice, why does there always come a day when you just *cannot* play? Weird.
Anyway, today is much better, thankfully, hopefully you feel the same way too!
Pete
I think "doubt" is like a seed. For me anyways, this is usually when it starts. A small seed in my mind saying "I dont know if I can do it", "What are they talking about back there, I bet it is me", "Here comes that change, I always mess up that part". These things go through my head and once it is there it is a mountain to overcome.
Only practicing until I am confident and reassurance from you guys and my loved ones here will help.
It does seem odd that there are several of us experiencing this now though.
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
The way I see it - my music is the windshield, my listeners are the bugs, and I'm the driver.
So the days that I am the bug and get destroyed and taken over by the music, are good days!
"That’s what takes place when a song is written: You see something that isn’t there. Then you use your instrument to find it."
- John Frusciante
I've stopped worrying about it. Sometimes you're just tired, occupied, stressed or whatever and it sounds different then you planned. Sometimes you screw up badly enough to come up with something you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Sometimes you don't and it's just plain bad. That's just the way it is.
I am a windshield!!! Ive had been away from my guitars for two solid weeks. then, I get back to town. catch the train from the airport and arrive home to learn there is a jam on friday night . I slept well and didnt go into work. I didnt even pick up a guitar.
that night at the jam after tuning I just flew right into guitar. the drummer had a cool beat going.
I played better than ever. had to step out of myself and look see.
a wonderful but too often a rare experience.
I could do no wrong. tone galore.
for one night I was a windshield.
sorry bugs.
WINDSHIELD!! WINDSHIELD!! WINDSHIELD!! WINDSHIELD!!
It sure can turn on a dime, can't it? The other day I found some folders in the garage, and they turned out to be poems and song lyrics I had written 18-20 years ago! Some of it was not half bad. I pulled one out, read it over, and had the verse and chorus chord progressions worked out in about half an hour. My wife, who is not one to coddle, was pretty impressed. I'm going to write it up and post it in the Songwriter's Forum (look for "Green Street"). Sometimes just a walk around the block is enough of a break to turn it around.
"Yes and an old guitar is all that he can afford,
when he gets up under the lights to play his thing..."-Dire Straits
http://www.myspace.com/misterpete42
Turned out I had a cold coming, and now it's here :roll:
Check my signature below. That's my real name. I been a bug my whole life. Now don't BUG ME! I'M PRACTICING!
G W Roach (Don't BUG me while I'm practicing!)
Hmm. It seems as soon as people are in front of me I'm the bug...the one that gets its leg burned off first and THEN get splatted.
A few days without practice, just in my room, and I get impressed with myself. Speed, fluid scales, everything.
The thing that annoys me the most is how the rehersal goes 100% perfect, and I muck something up when people are there...
Live and learn eh?
