ahhh fruustrated

cgalves · Post by **cgalves** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:04 pm

I had one of thos frustrating guitar episodes last night ... where any chord you strie just doenst sound right .... my rhythm and strumming pattersn were off ... and nothing was just clicking as easily as it was the night before ... i hate days like that. So basically, this post is dedicated to trying to share some techniques to break from these common "walls" which I'm sure all of us encounter as guitar players ... what do you guys do when you're having an off night? DO you pratice any warm up excercises, if so, which ones? Etc etc. I mean, in my defense, I have only been playing very seriously since the beggining of this summer ('03), so maybe i dont have a right to be bitching about not getting the verse to so much to say right after playing it perfectly the night before, or not being able to play tripping billies anymore, ... but still, I wish I was a little more consistent with my playing. Anyways ... what do you guys do when you have an off day?

Jay · Post by **Jay** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:22 pm

the best technique i've found is put the guitar down for a bit.

grock · Post by **grock** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:44 pm

Jay wrote:the best technique i've found is put the guitar down for a bit.

word up.

i stretch my fingers and wash up before i play. if your hand hurts or is tired do something else. i'd also say to make sure you are in tune. i have had really bad experiences because i was just slightly out of tune and my A chords sounded so bad. it was that darn B string. now thats one opf the first things i check. if you can, switch to a different guitar. sometimes i feel like i stagnate when playing one for too long.

Speenis · Post by **Speenis** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:26 am

yeah, that pisses the fuck outta me, happened to me last night too.

tjmac66pc · Post by **tjmac66pc** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:38 am

BigSpeen3436 wrote:yeah, that pisses the fuck outta me, happened to me last night too.

i know what you guys mean, but that's partly why i got an electric and an acoustic...if one sounds crappy on a certain night, then switching over makes things better...but if both are sounding crappy, then ask yourself 'when was the last time i changed strings' or 'am i wiping down my strings after each use like i should be?'....that's what i do anyway

cgalves · Post by **cgalves** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 2:19 am

wiping down strings? Ruh Roh ... this concept is strangely foreign to me .... no wonder I have to restring every 3 weeks or so ...

What should I wipe them with? SHould I use a solution? Please help!

NoNotThat · Post by **NoNotThat** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 2:23 am

when I have an off day i just don't play my guitar...

I go for my keyboard

Speenis · Post by **Speenis** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 2:26 am

cgalves wrote:wiping down strings? Ruh Roh ... this concept is strangely foreign to me .... no wonder I have to restring every 3 weeks or so ...

What should I wipe them with? SHould I use a solution? Please help!

just a 100% cotton cloth... I don't give two hoots about my guitar or strings, so i dont do that.

HendrixWS · Post by **HendrixWS** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 3:08 am

I get those nights too. I hate those nights. But once in a while I'll get one of those nights were everything I play is perfect. It doesnt matter what I play but it just sounds good. Those dont come to often and when they do they dont stay as long as I'd like them too...

ryopan · Post by **ryopan** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:47 am

HendrixWS wrote:I get those nights too. I hate those nights. But once in a while I'll get one of those nights were everything I play is perfect. It doesnt matter what I play but it just sounds good. Those dont come to often and when they do they dont stay as long as I'd like them too...

ive had a week full of goodnights. its been awesome. i tried out some new songs, tunings, artists. just great. staying up WAY too late. but as for the bad times i just take a break and retune even if i dont have too. i lost my tuner so ive really been working the ear and its been a great practice to do whenever i pick up the guitar. have fun folks.

Ranting Thespian · Post by **Ranting Thespian** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 12:20 pm

I never have had an off night, but I play constantly. Almost everywhere you'll find me, I am with a guitar. I get guitar withdraw when I am away from it for a day. When I really screw up on a song after the 2nd or third try, though, I just laughing about it, and just fucking around then, random stuff, and it gets me back into the playing sync.

try that, switch to some off the wall, screw around laugh, and feel more relaxed, and then slowly get back to the song.

Appfro · Post by **Appfro** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:19 pm

Ranting Thespian wrote:I never have had an off night, but I play constantly. Almost everywhere you'll find me, I am with a guitar. I get guitar withdraw when I am away from it for a day. When I really screw up on a song after the 2nd or third try, though, I just laughing about it, and just fucking around then, random stuff, and it gets me back into the playing sync.

try that, switch to some off the wall, screw around laugh, and feel more relaxed, and then slowly get back to the song.

I feel the same way, but i was afraid saying it would be like, "im the man, i never screw up"

but yea, i don't have off days really, if i can't play a song, i go on to another, then come back and im fine. its all about relaxation. music is therapy.

chuckd16 · Post by **chuckd16** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 8:28 pm

ya you shouldn't think of it as a chore...music is a release from everything else around you....don't stress about making it sound right and it will just come to you...just have fun with it!!!

Davy28 · Post by **Davy28** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 12:42 am

Whats with all the family guy avatars?

dustin · Post by **dustin** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 1:17 am

everyday is like that for me so don't worry about it man