Frustrated... Can't Play Latley

[mnewb1]

Take a day or two off and then throw a new song on and play along. Sometimes we get caught in ruts and forget how to Listen...sometimes something new and different gets those juices flowing again.

[Roy]

I feel that way a lot. Sometimes it even changes from day to day. Friday I played a gig and felt like I couldn't play to save my life. My phrasing was way off, I couldn't string together a lead no matter what I tried. I hit clam after clam after clam despite trying not to. My leads had no sense of melody to them and sounded like a 1st week student who just learned a pentatonic scale, etc..etc... Saturday night I played another gig and my fingers felt like they were moving on their own and couldn't hit a wrong note if I purposely tried. Phrasing was back on, leads had some melody to them, no clams, etc... I have no clue what was different.

 

 

it's the guitar. sometimes they're just feeling bitchy and don't want to play and sound like {censored}. i just pick up a different guitar until the first one is off the rag.

[nuke_diver]

Everyone is a bit different and you will likely need to find your own way to push through this. Lots of good suggestions here though honestly I don't believe MHUK every stumbles around at all ...least not on the guitar

Me I just tend to push through those moments since they happen quite a lot to me. I just remind myself how much I enjoy playing and maybe back off a bit. In this it's probably good that I'm not the creative type and am far more left brained than right so I can easily rationalize spending a bunch of time working on scales rather than wondering why my playing has gone to hell...or deeper into the normal hell it is usually in

[Slave2TheAudio]

Hey bud,

Sounds like a plan. It happens to everyone. I was talking to Carbohydrates about this one day. Some days you could just pick up a guitar and it just feels right, it feels easy. Sometimes, it's just ok. And others, its the battle of your lifetime and nothing is going right.

I found the remedy to be a days rest from the thing and just clear your mind. Don't even think about it. Tomorrow you will probably pick it up and just {censored}ing shred. Don't beat yourself bud.

-Trev

[SeanJovi]

Some days are diamonds, some days are rocks.

[sgt mukuzi]

cut the diet soda, it worked for me. strange but true

[DaveAronow]

That happens to me from time to time.. I liken it to a "Guitar Bio rhythm" of sorts and I'm just in a valley.. I don't let it bother me anymore because I know it's temporary and I'll end bouncing back just slightly improved from before and it usually leads to a period of inspiration and I write..

 

Yeah, after playing thirty years, I have seen the ruts come and go hundreds of times by now. My progression through musichas always seemed like very slow steady almost unnoticable improvement punctuatede by brief moments of elation when everything is clicking on all cylenders, and also brief punctuations of times when I feel like I am going backwards, and nothing seems to be working to which I feel like I even suck sometimes, but I almost NEVER let it bother me, because experience has shown me that these ruts are ALWAYS temporary and will certainly pass. I dont even care about them anymore and have found the best way for me to deal with them is just not to play at all, and then come back some time later , a week? maybe, and then everything is running smoothly again.

 

I dont even pay attention to the ruts anymoe. They will surely always continue to come, and they will positively continue to pass.

[Ralph onion]

Ah you are lucky to have a brief block. I had a heart attack and a stroke 4 years ago and for a long time I couldn't play one chord from memory or from the old Mel Bay chord book. Took about a year and Jesus, talk about frustrating! I am ok now, so hang in there as the light will come back to you.

[TheTones]

You may be depressed. Do things that you enjoy. Exercise. Most of all, try not to put yourself down. I go through the same thing frequently. I'm there right now. I'm not all that talented or accomplished but I do enjoy it when I manage to play well enough to please my own ears, at least. Musicians (and artists in general) are some of the most self-loathing and depressed people. There are many reasons for that and some of them have to do with creativeness, the personality of the artist, unfulfilled need for affirmation, etc. However, one big reason is that any instrument you choose to play can never be completely mastered. Frustration and disappointment are inevitable when you pour your heart and soul into something that cannot reciprocate your feelings and will always demand more from you no matter what level of mastery you reach. Find an avocation that provides you with a sense of accomplishment, progress and achievement. Start jogging, lifting weights, doing push-ups, writing, reading, take a class, teach a class -- anything that can provide you will some affirmation of having accomplished something.

 

 

Great post!

[rocknhard]

When I toured with the Stones, I would just bang hot chicks.