I'm "peaking": where you at?

[d03nut]

Athletes often talk about "being in the zone" and "peaking at the right moment". I'm sure the same applies to musicians. In the short term, it would affect a particular performance (recording, gigging). Then we can talk about where you're headed in terms of your overall musical development. Whether you think that you're at the "top" of your particular mountain or that you still haven't attained "your possible best".

 

I'm hoping that some of you have taken a "peek" at this thread and will indulge me with your intelligent repartee. To you, I wish joy and happiness. The rest, poor intonation upon you

[knockwood]

I don't think any able-bodied guitarist really ever hits what s/he believes to be a final peak. Although my personal improvements come in baby steps by comparison to most of the players I know, when I'm in a rut - which is more often than not - I have complete faith that if I keep hacking away a breakthrough will happen and get me to the next level... to a more sophisticated rut... Paul Simon still takes guitar lessons. This tells me that the potential for improvement is as infinite as the potential of the instrument itself.

[guitarist21]

I'm with knock. I don't think you can peak. The best guitarists around say they're still learning.

Ellen

[guitarist21]

BUT I think certain aspects of guitar playing can peak too soon or too late. For instance a great solo peaks at just the right moment. Or a great song, chord change, whatever. Too often I've peaked too early in a soaring solo or, worse, not peaked at all because I spent the whole darn time soaring.

Ellen

[brahmz118]

In my field (music therapy) we often accept the concept of 'peaking' to be a matter of perception. If a child believes he just performed a musical miracle, then he's having a peak experience -- even if all he did was figure out the notes to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

For myself, if the musical moment at hand feels better than yesterday and feels likely to be better than tomorrow -- then I'll count that as hitting a peak. I might listen to a recording later and realize it wasn't that great, but since the feeling was there at the time, I'm counting it.

Without getting too analytical, one might argue that a person's ability to hit a peak once in a while is a measure of his or her self-esteem, and not a measure of his or her actual technical progress or skill development. I don't think we can rely on others, or even objective criteria, to tell us when we're having a metaphysical above-and-beyond moment. We just have to feel it.

The trick is getting there without using mind-altering substances, and without becoming entirely disconnected from reality...

[Cripes]

You'd be killed if you drove over a road designed to a graphical representation of my"peaking". OTOH, you'd get bored silly on the other road designed to a graph of my long term progress.

It's more a thing of emotional highs over lows with me rather than a qualitative thing. I am my own worst enemy and often find myself avoiding me on the guitar instead of looking for me, if that makes sense.

[JasmineTea]

Originally posted by d03nut "being in the zone" and "peaking at the right moment"

And Knockwood's "more sophistcated rut".

 

For me it's determined by how much I've been practicing, and what I've been practicing. OTOH, I played an electric gig last week and played just fine with no practice. Everything was fresh and new, including the strings, which always makes it interesting.

 

edit: So I think the peak has more to do with frame of mind because sometimes after not having played for a few days I can peak with nothing but 3 chords.

[riffmeister]

I don't think I've peaked yet. But having been at it for forty years now, I'd say it is really just a slow gradual incline at the moment.

[rjoxyz]

I think I peaked at 19. Wait...that had nothing to do with guitars. Nevermind.

On the guitar continuum, after over 25 years off and on, I would say I am at the metaphorical basecamp, organizing my metaphorical climbing gear while I watch the metaphorical mountaineers above. Metaphorically speaking...I still suck.

[carguy]

I'm "peaking": where you at?


In Peking?


Sorry. It's my wisecrack for the day.

Being "in the zone" and "peaking at the right moment" are relative terms that really do not apply in my case, because it presumes someone playing with a bit of skill.

[d03nut]

Originally posted by carguy I'm "peaking": where you at? In Peking? Sorry. It's my wisecrack for the day. D

And the "winner" is.....


Next time, could you observe the "pecking" order here please? From now on you have to be the "19th" post. Always.

See. I "one-up'd" you Carguy. My "wisecrack" not only is lame, it actually doesn't make any sense. Take that......

[cwalsh]

Humm

See this pic, well i'm about the 3rd level from the bottom, but intend on getting to the top of that mountain in the background. Ask me again in 5 years if I am climbing out of the hole.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bingham_mine_5-10-03.jpg

[Queequeg]

I'm @ a very frustrating point with my playing. I seem to be incapable of polishing a tune to some performance level or even to my own satisfaction.
One obvious solution is to play easier tunes. But I'm choosing the tunes which are capturing my imagination. I practice quite a bit, every day, for an hour or more; sometimes several hours.
I'm piqued!

[Stackabones]

Originally posted by brahmz118 In my field (music therapy) we often accept the concept of 'peaking' to be a matter of perception. If a child believes he just performed a musical miracle, then he's having a peak experience -- even if all he did was figure out the notes to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. For myself, if the musical moment at hand feels better than yesterday and feels likely to be better than tomorrow -- then I'll count that as hitting a peak. I might listen to a recording later and realize it wasn't that great, but since the feeling was there at the time, I'm counting it. Without getting too analytical, one might argue that a person's ability to hit a peak once in a while is a measure of his or her self-esteem, and not a measure of his or her actual technical progress or skill development. I don't think we can rely on others, or even objective criteria, to tell us when we're having a metaphysical above-and-beyond moment. We just have to feel it. The trick is getting there without using mind-altering substances, and without becoming entirely disconnected from reality...

Solid.

[kwakatak]

IMO "peaking" is a very subjective thing that I don't put much stock in unless someone else points out if my playing begins to slide. I see music as a means to an end such as contentment, relaxation or during the best of times happiness and bliss. These feelings themselves are fleeting but come back in time so I don't worry if my playing doesn't always get me there. I figure that I just need to put the guitar down for awhile and rest and come back to it when I feel the need once again.

[Cripes]

Originally posted by Queequeg I'm @ a very frustrating point with my playing. I seem to be incapable of polishing a tune to some performance level or even to my own satisfaction. One obvious solution is to play easier tunes. But I'm choosing the tunes which are capturing my imagination. I practice quite a bit, every day, for an hour or more; sometimes several hours. I'm piqued!

 

 

This is a very slow go. Choosing sophisticated pieces is taking the baby from diapers to Dockers. I started out fingerstyle and went headlong into Classical Gas and other pieces that were unattainable in the short term. Yea, I knew the music but that was about all I knew. I ended up leaving the unattainable and restarted with easier stuff. Technique wasn't even comprehensible, much less present in my stumblings.

 

Establishing and controlling manual dexterity - speed, accuracy, timing, tempo and inter-mixing styles seemlessly - is something beyond the music itself. I used three chord melodies, various chord fingerings, various fingerstyle patterns and tempos as a practice for many years. They were not published music pieces. They were just models I developed to do this or that with.

 

It wasn't until much, much later when the more sophisticated published pieces became the natural next step for me. Now I'm not as interested in them, having developed and become focused on my own style(s) and complexities, so they remain curiosities that I might try one day. I still maintain my original admiration - first impressions - but no longer as music to learn.