Had one of those moments tonight where my playing was STELLAR! but nobody was there

[GAS Man]

I don't wanna talk about me.

Rather talk about you.

You know what I mean?

The pressure's off. Just you, your guitar and amp.

You're dialed in, maybe you're maybe missing a transitional note or two, but it's all coming together and you wish the crowd was there to reign in the applause but if they were there, you couldn't do it. But the bending strains are sounding right, the riffage is suitable for pressing, but if the crowd were there, I'd be bunched up tighter than a school cafeteria worker on a diet of government cheese.

Got to be the ultimate frustration of guitar playing, i.e. the inconsistency.

I usually feel like more traditional musical training would have liberated me from these constraints, but maybe not.

Discuss?

[Burgess]

It's important that you become comfortable playing in that frame of mind.

Seriously.

Many players, perhaps most never reach that space. Some will argue it's very existence. But now that you've experienced it for yourself, the next thing you need to achieve is the ability to summon up that mode when you need it, and you will need it.

BTW, Awesome!

[straycat113]

You were in the "Zone" Gas man! No matter what skill level you play at you just have those days that have that sublime feeling like the guitar is playing itself on auto pilot. This happens to the greatest players on the planet where some nights they are just head and shoulders better than normal. For a quite a few years anytime I went in the basement to play or jam I always taped everything (I still have a box which must have 100 tapes lol) but I can hear nights where I was just smoking and also the opposite where I sounded not on my game lol. I still think all players should keep a little recording device running everytime they play-it dont lie!

[GAS Man]

Thanks Burgess and ^^^^^ I've thought about recording myself more often, but have never got into the habit of doing so.

It's not that I don't have the gear to do so, I just get frustrated with digital technology.

But it wasn't that long ago I bought a little Tascam PCM recorder so maybe I should make that a project this weekend. I mean, actually get it out of the box.

[Elessar [Sly]]

Yeah I love those great moments when playing feels epic. I've been playing a lot more recently, and I'm enjoying it (I was playing for an hour or two a day, but playing more makes you feel great! When you get the time that is).

[LowYaw]

Originally Posted by GAS Man

but if the crowd were there, I'd be bunched up tighter than a school cafeteria worker on a diet of government cheese.

Got to be the ultimate frustration of guitar playing, i.e. the inconsistency.

I usually feel like more traditional musical training would have liberated me from these constraints, but maybe not.

Discuss?

i recently started a thread about this phenomenon over at TGP, here
IMO, nothing cures it but extensive practice and even more extensive gigging under various circumstnces.

[GAS Man]

Originally Posted by LowYaw

IMO, nothing cures it but extensive practice and even more extensive gigging under various circumstances.

I've had guitars around (although my first one was virtually unplayable) since around '67 or so. But it wasn't until '84 that I started really getting into it with my first decent guitar. But still, that's 28 years . But it wasn't until last Saturday that I was actually playing "in public". I've always been doing it at home and maybe with family and friends. But it was funny, they asked me to join in for a block party and they'd already decided the "set list". Louie Louie, Margaritaville, Flip Flop Fly, and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

Of course I did just fine with all the rhythm work, but when I was playing the lead solo part of Margaritaville, dang if I didn't skip over a section. Luckily there were also 2 folks on keyboard, 1 on harmonica, bass and drums so it wasn't probably noticeable to anyone but me. But dang, it was one of those things were I could have played it blind folded but with the pressure of an audience, I folded.

[BeanoBoy]

A LOT of practice and hard work gave me the opportunity to be at the very least 'good', when I was gigging. A lot of nights I had better than average nights and occasionally when the stars were aligned, the room's acoustics were great and my mates were in the pocket, things could be special. The key is hard work where there's a level you rarely drop below.

[Lonnie99]

Don't be too hard on yourself. I've been a guitar owner for 11 years now and still can't play even one song. Not one. I consider myself an absolute beginner with zero playing knowledge. It is what it is. I don't have the time or inclination to get any better so I probably never will. My family doesn't support it either so it really will never happen. You're way ahead of a lot of us. Enjoy!

[LowYaw]

Originally Posted by GAS Man

I've had guitars around (although my first one was virtually unplayable) since around '67 or so. But it wasn't until '84 that I started really getting into it with my first decent guitar. But still, that's 28 years . But it wasn't until last Saturday that I was actually playing "in public". I've always been doing it at home and maybe with family and friends. But it was funny, they asked me to join in for a block party and they'd already decided the "set list". Louie Louie, Margaritaville, Flip Flop Fly, and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

Of course I did just fine with all the rhythm work, but when I was playing the lead solo part of Margaritaville, dang if I didn't skip over a section. Luckily there were also 2 folks on keyboard, 1 on harmonica, bass and drums so it wasn't probably noticeable to anyone but me. But dang, it was one of those things were I could have played it blind folded but with the pressure of an audience, I folded.

Oh, first gig? That's cool. Congrats on your first public performance; there's a whole new perspective in front of you, now,even if you jam with friends in front of more friends have fun. You'll progress with every new gig, so no worries

Originally Posted by GAS Man

But dang, it was one of those things were I could have played it blind folded but with the pressure of an audience, I folded.

Watch this. Just try to adhere to the philosophy, so to speak.

Read this, too, from mighty wise Hal Galper as well

[Engl Kramer]

Bill Gould of Faith no More refered to being in the zone as 'achieving full erection'.

[thecornman]

My best and most inspiring playing moments always seem to be early in the morning! If I could find a place that books gigs at 5 or 6 in the morning I would be laughing.

[thecornman]

 

Originally Posted by Engl Kramer

Bill Gould of Faith no More refered to being in the zone as 'achieving full erection'.

 

Funny the mornings are the best time for that for me as well!

[LowYaw]

Originally Posted by thecornman

My best and most inspiring playing moments always seem to be early in the morning! If I could find a place that books gigs at 5 or 6 in the morning I would be laughing.

oh, so true )

[Ancient Mariner]

I've been playing a long time, but that almost magic moment when the notes just seem to spring from your fingers in a glorious tonality can be elusive. Most frustrating is when you've got everything set up, your playing is flowing and then you hit 'record' and it all comes apart like you don't know what to do.

I can't seem to feel inspired once I actually hit that button - there's something about *knowing* recording is happening that's a complete distraction.

[Burgess]

And as for talking about me...

In my youth I used to practice a lot, 8 hours plus a day, everyday for more than a year. There were certainly extended sessions beyond that before I joined the workforce but nothing like that since. During those sessions yes, there were the endless chromatics, majors, minors, and assorted modal exercises. There were chord progressions as well but I always rewarded myself with a jam session and back then it was either play along with a record (vinyl) or just crank up my folks stereo and play along with whatever the DJ on the radio was playing.

So yeah, the first time you find yourself in the zone it's a bit of a shock really, it's like "What just happened?" You can't play a bad note, you think it, you play it. Your fingers go where they need to without any thought from you at all and you barely recognize that you have a guitar in your hands, it's kind of incidental. It's almost like a trance, hell, I think maybe it is a kind of trance because I found I don't just snap out of this state.

So yeah you kind of have to get used to this, and you get better at it because it doesn't always happen. In fact it rarely happens at first but you get better at it and learn to fall into it when you can. Also your chops are probably improving so that helps. So when you get to a place where you can do that in front of people this is where it gets really fun.

Once you get where you can do that often enough and you can do that during your set, and you have songs that allow you to play free enough to let go (kind of hard to play in that state during a 4 bar solo) special things can happen. You will find that there are certain people in your audience that can totally pickup on you being in that state and they lock in on it. Don't ask me how this happens or why because I have no clue but I've seen it way too many times for it to be any kind of coincidence. Many people will be oblivious but there are just certain individuals who will totally recognize that you are in this zone and they seem to go with you as well. It's kind of creepy at first but when you see women cry and things like that then you know something special happened.

So yeah, it's a trip and some will read this and say this is all BS and I'm OK with that. All I can say is if you can get into this state embrace it. Try to get with bands that will let you play in a way that will let you take advantage of this. Try to get so you can do this when the red light is on. It won't always happen but sometimes it can be special when it happens and someone beside yourself is there to witness.

[Engl Kramer]

The other side of this is when you perform 'the' perfect take during recording, only to find you hadn't hit record...

[Burgess]

^ That's the great thing about digital, record everything! And still sometimes I don't.

[HALSAM00]

I found myself in "the zone" last February, I can still remember it like it was yesterday. a little practicing then I played along with some blues backing tracks....holy cow I was making music and it sounded pretty good. I haven't been close to that since, but I still remember it. It was like the notes just flowed and nothing sounded out of place. I hope to visit that place again, it seems weird to me like an out of body type thing.

[HALSAM00]

I found myself in "the zone" last February, I can still remember it like it was yesterday. a little practicing then I played along with some blues backing tracks....holy cow I was making music and it sounded pretty good. I haven't been close to that since, but I still remember it. It was like the notes just flowed and nothing sounded out of place. I hope to visit that place again, it seems weird to me like an out of body type thing.

[Burgess]

Now here's another thing I did with the zone and that whole #1 guitar thing...

I would play 'til I felt I was there, which could be frustrating in itself because sometimes it just doesn't happen. Once I was there I would immediately grab another guitar. Of course both guitars would be setup and in tune first and I would start on what I considered my best playing axe, get deep into in and grab the other guitar as quickly as I could.

It's interesting just how difficult that is and how much work it took to be able to transition seamlessly from one guitar to another but it was worth the effort. I would say it took the better part of a year to be able to pull it off effortlessly and remember, I had to do this in my spare time after work and not piss my wife off as well. The upside is I have at least a dozen well setup guitars I can consider my number one guitars. I can also go into any GC and after throwing on strings of my choice and quickie setup I'm fairly confident I can make just about any rig sing.

I also no longer have to sift through a bunch of guitars before I find "the one". I can just find best price on the 'net, set it up and it's the one, just like the rest of 'em.

[RickBeall]

Ancient Mariner wrote:
>>I can't seem to feel inspired once I actually hit that button - there's something about *knowing* recording is happening that's a complete distraction.

Ha ha, that happens to me too. You have to somehow forget you are recording. Sometimes when I'm recording and something goes right I'll think, "I better play it safe so I don't wreck the take". Once you have that thought, you will probably just delete the whole take anyway. Ha ha. So you have to forget you are recording and say, "Let's record some mistakes!"