a good question

[Jerry K]

I know I have occasionally been in a fine fettle and played things I didn't know I knew how to do and those are great moments. But unless I go back and consciously figure out what I was doing, those moments don't really help me much in my growth as a player.

 

Ali Akbar Khan (fabulous musician, check him out if you haven't already) once performed a wonderful rendition of a raga and it was recorded. He had one of those inspired sittings where he played like a man possessed and played better than he had ever done. He then spent several years learning to play the piece as he had that day but at will...

 

There is a lot of interaction between discipline and inspiration. Without one the other falls flat.

[geeterpicker]

For all those frustrations, I can only say it took me years to learn to accept my limitations and use them to my benefit. And also I wasn't as good as I thought I was and I wasn't as bad as I thought I was. When the zone comes around, it is never expected and can't be planned. You just ride it and when it ends, be thankful it happened.

[ParlourMan]

Without being provocative, ironic or sarcastic. Most of the best seen to have something of that unhinged side to them, which is kind of funny when you think that loads of nutters non-musical or artistic have proven to have irregular brain activities too. Is there some sort of correlation to talent with controlling a shade or two of the madness?

 

Interesting posts fellas and even though you both have no time for me I'd like to wish you both a happy new year, long may your lum reek on another fellas coal.

[jt]

A good question ... for which I've no answer.

 

I don't know from zones and claim nothing more than mediocrity on the instrument. I have had the good fortune of keeping company with many of my guitar heroes. My take is that what makes them great and able to maintain a high level of performance is a combination of 1) passion and 2) the Outlier phenomenon: they've put in the time. Some years back I had a brief chat with Wynton Marsalis about this. He concurred and emphasized the component of hard work.

 

I've not put in enough time practicing in recent years because, for happy reasons, my schedule has become too demanding. I do once in a while find myself performing in situations where I've no business performing. I always try to play the simplest things I know. I do find myself a bit more motivated when Jeff Beck in sitting in the audience. :)

[BluesKing777]

One of the (many) reasons I'll never be a professional musician is my inconsistency in playing.

 

This brings up my question, which probably directed more at those of you who play professionally. How do you manage to be "on", on a consistent basis?

 

 

 

 

I had the good fortune to be in a few blues bands that went from nowhere to nowhere really fast!

 

 

But the question above.....for example: from the time one band of previously experienced people met, got together, practiced and practiced and practiced with the aim of getting work in bars, played a few gigs, got more gigs....every Friday and Saturday night were a real lot of fun. But when it turned to those residencies PLUS 2 or 3 other gigs each week, everything changed. No-one in the band spoke to each other anymore, the partying and socialising had stopped, band rehearsals stopped and sometimes my guitar just stayed in the car......not like me at all.

 

Then it is over and no-one got paid...

 

It is a lot like working at any job then - factory or office - you just have to keep going.

 

 

But that is the grind of it all - there is another factor where things burn so bright that it can't last long.....

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[Hogeye]

To cut to the chase on this subject. The left side of your brain controls the mundane. It's the side that gets you to work on time and gets you to pay the bills. Nothing much creative there. The right side is the side that has the ability to be creative. You all know at least one right brained person. They are never on time for anything. They are dreamers and they never take any responsibility. They are wonderful artists and musicians and we take care of their faults to protect them. This is the kind of personality that is responsible for bands breaking up. They just can't deal with every day life.

 

The left brained folks can cross over to the right side.There is lttle or no danger of not coming back. It does take practice to do this. You can make it happen and your creativity will be a lot better.

 

There has been a lot of research done on this matter and you can take this to the bank. Your brain works in a criss cross fashion. If you are right handed you probably use your left brain most of the time. If you are left handed you probably use your right brain.

 

If only 10% of folks are lefty then why are over 70% of all movie stars left handed? Presidents as well. Oh,ya, look at the guitar players. More than 10% of the greats are left handed the rest have learned to transfer to the right side by will.

 

NO voodoo here folks. This is the real deal and some of us can benefit from it. It's fun to try. Just get the book.

[Jerry K]

To cut to the chase on this subject. The left side of your brain controls the mundane. It's the side that gets you to work on time and gets you to pay the bills. Nothing much creative there. The right side is the side that has the ability to be creative. You all know at least one right brained person. They are never on time for anything. They are dreamers and they never take any responsibility. They are wonderful artists and musicians and we take care of their faults to protect them. This is the kind of personality that is responsible for bands breaking up. They just can't deal with every day life.

 

Hmnnn, this might explain my general inability to follow rules, obey authority, take care of breakfast... Then again I might just be a lazy, self-indulgent bastard.

 

 

The left brained folks can cross over to the right side.There is lttle or no danger of not coming back. It does take practice to do this. You can make it happen and your creativity will be a lot better.

 

There has been a lot of research done on this matter and you can take this to the bank. Your brain works in a criss cross fashion. If you are right handed you probably use your left brain most of the time. If you are left handed you probably use your right brain.

 

If only 10% of folks are lefty then why are over 70% of all movie stars left handed? Presidents as well. Oh,ya, look at the guitar players. More than 10% of the greats are left handed the rest have learned to transfer to the right side by will.

 

NO voodoo here folks. This is the real deal and some of us can benefit from it. It's fun to try. Just get the book.

 

OK I will check it out.

[jt]

If only 10% of folks are lefty then why are over 70% of all movie stars left handed? Presidents as well. Oh,ya, look at the guitar players. More than 10% of the greats are left handed the rest have learned to transfer to the right side by will.

 

NO voodoo here folks. This is the real deal and some of us can benefit from it. It's fun to try. Just get the book.

Uh, I agree about the 10% of the general public being left handed. But, 70% of movie stars? 15% of the screen actors guild and a bit higher percentage for those who become stars are left handed.

 

Similarly,recent research has consistently concluded that the left/right hemisphere presumptions are but myth.

[E-minor7]

Very good topic – my short take :

 

Some of the A-grade musicians I did play with during this roller-coaster ride were raving mad – others were weird and kind of alternatively minded while other others had themselves under absolute control. Most of them though, were more extreme or to 'a side' than the average person, no doubt.

 

Me – I rolled the wild dice with every number on it. Won some – lost some, but never had a dull period (for long).

 

Apart from that, it is my experience that there is big difference in 'being' in the right vs left brain-half, so to speak.

Yet at times the glide is more gear-less and blissfully beyond analyzes – and thank heaven for that.

 

I've been fortunate enough to develop deep and valuable friendships with both highly skilled musicians/artists and more conventional minds, intellectuals, academics whatever through the years. Have to say the fairly advanced level of the ladder group always appeared more controlled, deeper thinking, less intuitive than the first.

Majority of those rockers were more like a bunch of talented apes in comparison.

 

It goes on -

 

In blessed company with the school-people, I sometimes look over to the other field and find the musical side of my life savage, irresponsible even whimsey – at the other hand when being with the much loved'n'adored musicians, it strikes me that the togetherness, debates etc. back among academics seems a bit wingless and trapped in brain tissue -

to some degree we get goofy or square/triangular in that mental camp.

 

This of course was all more pronounced in the younger days, but is a continuous and utterly intriguing dualism in my world - and in all modesty I'll confess that being in contact with such social double-chord, is one of the wisest moves, biggest achievements of my life, , , , , , , so far ,-)

 

Apart from being able to contain both G's and M's of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. - Let me add that the 2 groups don't really function together hehe he – a cliché, but never the less. . .

 

 

[E-minor7]

Regarding my former post.

 

Some may think - musicians, artists, actors, intellectuals, academics and docs, , , , where the heck are the artisans, craftsmen, carpenters, plummers and masons etc.

 

Well, , , they're all with the musicians. . .