# Good days/Bad days...?



## canadiangeordie (Jan 10, 2009)

Hey

Was discussing this a while ago with another player, but it happened to me last night.

Last weekend when our band got together to jam, i was 100%, nailed everything, worked the fretboard, everything felt so comfortable and i actually sounded great, perfect vibrato etc. I still consider myself barely above amateur ability compared to most, but i was even playing the intro to Paul Gilbert's 'Scarified' without missing a note, which ive been trying to play forever.

Last night, same band, same time, same weather, same warm-up routine, same amount of sleep the night before, same everything. And i couldn't hit a damn thing. My solo's were all over the place, my down picking stamina was terrible, bottom E slipped over the fretboard (downtuned in C), timing was generally horrible etc.

Its' generally accepted that you'll have good days and bad days with the instrument, but what do people do to try to cancel out the bad ones and have more awesome playing/practices?

At times i feel the guitar is an extension of me, and i can play anything. Others i feel im getting nowhere and want to throw it down the stairs.

Thanks in advance!


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Your trying to hard?


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## Salvo (Apr 20, 2009)

shoretyus said:


> Your trying to hard?


Exactly... If you can't relax and have fun with it then this is when your gonna run into troubles... Im just getting back into playing after 15 years or not touching a guitar. Not that i was good before. But when im sitting here practicing if im relaxed and not really paying attention to what im doing everything seems to flow into place... If im stressed and trying to hard i can't do a dam thing and end up just putting it down...


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## jeremiahlafollette (Apr 20, 2009)

*Break Time*

canadiangeordie,

It's OK to take a break if you have a consistant regular practice schedual (personally and when jamming). 

I find that often times the best thing I can do after getting a guitar part down, and then the next day it seems as if I never practiced is to either...

1. Press in a little more when practicing. Sometimes you just need to break through in your practice schedual to get to the next level of playing. 

2. If practicing after a half hour to an hour is not bearing any fruit and your getting frustrated, put the guitar down, and don't even look at your guitar untill the next practice time with your guitar.

Sometimes the mind and body need a break to allow the subconscious part of yourself to bridge the gap between what your body and what your mind are trying to put together.

One example of this is if you've ever played a video game and you've played for hours trying to get to that next level. In frustration you scream and yell at the TV and your sweaty controller onlyto come back next day and complete that impossible level in 5 minutes of less.

I hope that helps you out a little,


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

canadiangeordie said:


> Last weekend when our band got together to jam, i was 100%, nailed everything...
> 
> Last night, same band, same time, same weather, same warm-up routine, same amount of sleep the night before, same everything. And i couldn't hit a damn thing...
> 
> ...


Been there, done that.
Play long enough & it happens.
And the answers above are good advice.


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## Guest (May 8, 2009)

canadiangeordie said:


> Last night, same band, same time, same weather, same warm-up routine, same amount of sleep the night before, same everything. And i couldn't hit a damn thing. My solo's were all over the place, my down picking stamina was terrible, bottom E slipped over the fretboard *(downtuned in C)*, timing was generally horrible etc.


Strings are slacker now. 
You have to caress her.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

if im having a bad day, i cut my playing short.


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## Duster (Dec 28, 2007)

I wasn't going to suggest this because it sounds hokey, but then I saw the last post was by "Budda", and I figured it must be a sign.

Try some meditation.

Don't laugh. Try it. Quiet concentration, steady deep breathing, positive visualization, whatever works for you. Last week you played well because you were in the moment. This week there's something holding you back. And it's all in your head...

--- D


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

go to Jamaica for a week........I just came back - hadn't touched the guitar in over 7 days.....I picked it up when I got back and wow - the sounds I was making out of that thing.......seriously though - sometimes a break from it is a good thing.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

lbrown1 said:


> go to Jamaica for a week........I just came back - hadn't touched the guitar in over 7 days.....I picked it up when I got back and wow - the sounds I was making out of that thing.......seriously though - sometimes a break from it is a good thing.


You been visiting the Rastas again?9kkhhd


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> You been visiting the Rastas again?9kkhhd


there was this dude on the beach with a guitar...every day he came by singing the same song....."don't worry.....bout a thing"....


and there was this other dude with 1 arm and a portable keyboard on the beach and he would come by every day and sing "don't worry....bout a thing"....


.both of them would then proceed to produce their CD for sale....with ...you guessed it...the title track "Don't worry.....bout a thing......cause every little thing...gonna be alright"


I bought a Rasta hat........but they laughed at my close cropped hairdo when I said I wanted dreads.


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