Consistency

[Rocky4]

Some times I pick up a guitar and wonder why I wasted so much money on guitars and amps, other times I can't believe that what I'm hearing is actually me. I get "in the zone" about once every two months. Most of the time I would say I play at about 70% of my best. What about you? Are you always at an even keel, or are you inconsistant like me?

[saturn]

I'm like that too. Sometimes when I start playing I feel clumbsy and have to think about every note I'm playing and other times it all comes easily and I don't have to concentrate. I've gotten to the point where, if I feel like I'm having trouble say, playing scales or something, I'll just put it down and come back later. I don't want those wrong notes and sloppy playing to get into my muscle memory.

[EVOL!]

It happens to the best of us. I go through long stretches of great highs or the lowest lows. After almost 3 years of growing and excelling to the highest point with my playing, songwriting, and general creativity, I have have been in the worst rut the past 3 months. It's the frustration that drives men to punch walls. The worst is the more you fight it, the worse it gets. Just have to ride it out and hope for the best.

[Cruznolfart]

One of the things it's so difficult to describe adequately to a non-musician is the magical feeling you get as a player on those occasions when everybody in the band is in the groove on the same night. As has been said already, it happens to everybody, Rock, even peeps with a half century of playing under their belt. It even happens in other endeavors, sometimes you're on your game, sometimes you aren't. Don't let it discourage you. Just be glad of the times when you're in the pocket.

[ChanMan]

Fortunately, my "on" days far out number my "off". I find that if I start out all fumbly-fingered while warming up, sometimes forcing myself to slow down and concentrate on each individual note or chord helps.

 

 

But certainly +1 on "the zone".... sometimes it is hard to believe it's me I am hearing....

[RichCI]

Sometimes you're in there, and sometimes you're not; I think every musician deals with times when they're just not feeling as inspired as others. The trick is to be able to work through it and perform like you really are in that zone when you're not which can be a real challenge.

[wicked1]

I'm not a guitarist by trade, but I think I have some understanding of what you're saying. There are days when it's all I can do to play somebody else's work with a decent proficiency. Then there are times when I find myself actually improvising on a theme. It may not sound like an achievement to most guitarists, but to a classically-trained pianist, breaking away from the written notes and 'feeling" the music is really different. Even with that limitation, I find there are days when I'm more capable of doing that than other days. I think it reflects the fact that music is truly an expression of our feelings. And since no 2 feelings are quite the same, no 2 songs come out identical.

[Thundergod]

...hard to say...

 

Most of the time I think I don't play half as good as I really do, does that make any sense? But people I know, including other guitar players, come asking me about my tricks and licks, and some of them ask me to play in their bands, as lead guitar (demoting themselves to rythm) which I don't understand (I haven't ever considered myself a good lead player, I consider me a little below average!).

 

I too have wondered why I spent so much on guitars and gear (which is subjective, I know), and that has ended with me selling most of my stuff, then suffering GAS again and buying lots of stuff again, there are some things I've bought more than 5 times!!! (marshall guv'nor plus, vox wah, strats, fender showmaster, the list goes on and on). And what made me wonder why I spent so much was, I don't think I play good enough to require that much equipment (makes any sense?).

[BIGBENDS]

If I'm tired I play terribly. When I have enough sleep I'm sounding pretty good. Generally I play & sound best on Sat. & Sun. mornings. If I know I'll be playing evening or night time, I'll take a nappy to be fresh.

[FirstMeasure]

There's certainly days it just flows, and is effortless. Makes me wonder what the heck's making it happen.

 

But for the days that I have to force it out, I've found there's usually a Song or a piece of music that I can play to iron out the kinks and find the Zone. Usually a faster of more aggressive song will get the Fumble out of my Fingers.

 

If it's a matter of disinterest, I'll switch instruments for a day. Like I'll play Acoustic or Mandolin, or break out a Slide and play with a new tuning.

[BlackHawk233]

Stress really controls how I play, I'll come home from work and completely feel like I suck. The next day I'll completely feel like I'm doing the best I ever have, and thats when I start believing that it was the best I have ever played. What Guitarest said is so much like what I think. I think that you will work up to a point, and then suddenly pass through this new level, with like a sudden flush, Sometimes right when going through that, I think I suck because whether it be a new skill or faster tempo, or w/e it is, I would think I do it poorly. What really gets me going is when someone says "Wow dude, you're good!".

[milod]

I think we all have up and down days...

 

One good reason for owning different instruments with each a different "feel," though, is to switch when you feel a little "dead."

 

Even as a 95 percent fingerpicker nowadays, each instrument brings out some change in technique, some different way to approach a given piece. Sometimes I'll even switch fingers and only use one or two plus the thumb....

 

The sg style switching with 335 style and 175 style is enough to make me see songs differently....

 

m

[dem00n]

Im like a short page....nah i suck...i play good but not as good as im post to...mabye one day ill be good like axe?

[callen3615]

Some times I pick up a guitar and wonder why I wasted so much money on guitars and amps' date=' other times I can't believe that what I'm hearing is actually me. [/quote']

 

+100000

 

About once a week I get in the zone. And most of the time im disappointed with my playing.

[charlie brown]

Pretty common concern, and situation, Rocky. I went through that, this week, even.

Things, that are normally no problem, I couldn't get arrested, doing them right. The

next time I played...I got tone, and played stuff that amazed me, maybe still not that great(?)...

but, for me...it was pretty awesome. It goes back and forth. Mood (and inspiration), for me, has a LOT

to do with it.

 

CB