What do you do on days when you're playing bad?

[Snow007]

Every once in a while I just seem to have a really bad day of playing, what do you guys usually do when you have one of those?

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad?

I stop playing. For me, there's no point in practicing sloppily. I'll come back the next day and tackle it again.

[Sukisyn]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad?

Amen to that ... I do the same thing.

[Emthrax]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad?


Have a beer and read Metal Edge magazine.
That's what I do! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

Em

[VitaminG]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

every day's like that at my house. I generally just keep playing, unless it gets to a point where I want to throw my guitar in disgust, at which time I gently put the guitar back in it's stand and walk away. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

ps. I do remember having a good day once. Around 1987, I think

[jackson1]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

On these days where i play bad, i really try to put the guitar down, but i'm always playing that little bit extra, which makes me all grumpy [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] It works like that every time - i can't help it...

I have another, more positive thing going though - when i walk by a guitar in my home, or move it because i'm cleaning up or whatever, i start to play it! I wasn't supposed to play guitar - i'm busy doing other things - but somehow that guitar ends up in my hands. Lately, walking by a pick laying around makes me pick it up AND grab the nearest guitar.... happy days [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Right now i'm packing all our stuff because we're moving house and this makes it very hard to pack the guitars away, you know. I hope i don't miss the deadline and sit around playing guitar when the new owners steps in [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]


Me? Off topic?! Get outta here...

[David Dineen]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

instead of giving up, i usually do something else...aka practice your rhythm, learn a new arpeggio shape or chord. this way you can still do something constructive. however, just like going to the gym, taking a week off from time to time is really refreshing and you come back faster/stronger.

[micha]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

I share to group of leavers here...
I usually have these days when I'm tired, or less concentrated than usual.
I somehow now figured out it works best for me, if I take a day off every once in a while.
it adds to my concentration, and often a break-day helps me out more than a practise day if I have a lick that I can't pull down correctly...
it usually works then.

so; take a day off, save your time and anger, it will be better next day. possibly... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ApeDosMil]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

boo.. if i followed your guy's way i would never be playing guitar [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] i suck.

[The Chase]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

Don't try to practive something that you can't do right, right now. You're gonna tell your brains that this is the right way, but this won't be. So you'll end up facing some sort of brain barrier. I remember me having such troubles with acrobatics in the 9th grade

[micha]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

mmmhhh.... IMO usually speed is the problem. at least for me.
but this doesn't bug me playing it slowly...
I think playing stuff above your skills is quite good for you since you get to know new things and have a better chance to find some challanging licks and techniques...
as long as you play slow enough to pick it clean of course.

if I only practise, what I can do already, this won't bring me forward really fast, or did I get you wrong?

[jazzman]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

I somehow can tell when I'm gonna play bad. So instead, I'll pick up my acoustic and sing some Beatles. To get stuff to speed, check out The Amazing Slow Downer from Ronisoft. It's a free download. It slows down anything without changing pitch. It will definately help you play anything to speed. It's freakin free dude. Get it here- http://www.ronimusic.com/

[Ninja Guitar]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

If my playing is bad, I slow the f*ck down. Practice whatever it is I'm playing slowly. Warming up with scales (major, modes, and chromatic) and chord scales is always a must, even if it's a good day.

If you're serious about guitar, and want to be professional, you have to work at it every day to properly condition your muscles. There are no two ways about it.

[fuel0707]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

Amen to that! You have to keep at it. If you are playing less than your best, stop for a minute and try to see why that is. Are you tensing up, not concentrating, simply trying to play beyond your capability? Sometimes just slowing down and working very slowly on parts, chords, whatever is the key to getting past a bump in the road.

[Ninja Guitar]

Re: What do you do on days when you\'re playing bad

Seriously, guitarists who can only play well during those occasional "magical moments" are not employable. You want to be a live, touring, or session musician? You gotta keep your chops up.

Even the best guitarists in the world have their bad days. But, they keep their muscles so well conditioned they never fall below a certain quality. They're always reliable, even when they're having really bad days.