Bad Days

Yeah I have them all the time... the other day i was really in the wrong space to be playing, but i did, and i was absolutely rubbish. Made me question why ive spent almost £1000 getting back into the whole thing, and i was angry at myself, thinking id wasted my time and money.

Haha, change £1000 to $1200 and you have my story last Thursday :)

Thing is, sure, we all have bad days but it would be nice to have a way of minimising the "damage" when you're not quite there - to improve focus. It would be handy in other areas of life too. At present my best strategy on off days is "muddle through" :)
 
Last Thurs was the second time I've played on kit since Nov last year (health reasons) and I stunk.

The week before I could ride the wave of freshness and I've found that the second time I do something (not just drums) it's usually lame because the lack of practice is there but the freshness of the first time isn't. One thing I know is that if I try to replicate a previous good performance when I was in good form there is no way it will happen. Each performance, even when you are playing exactly the same notes, must be unique. I also find that I tend to play better on a Sat than a Thurs night after a day at work.

What I'd like to know is, when you're having an off day, how do you turn things around?

I remember the feeling last Thurs of trying to get settled on the instrument but I simply couldn't focus properly, no matter how I tried. Things would come together in spots but was generally sloppy. I tried to simplify to get things on track but then it sounded ponderous. The whole band played worse than they have for maybe six months. I'm not sure the others realised it but if I play badly the whole band makes blunders they would otherwise not do. They seem to need that solid, clear base from the kit to settle into their parts.

Does anyone have a trick for turning things around when the muse isn't with you?


I think when it isn't with you, it probably isn't going to be there and you'll know it and accept it. Putting yourself there to play is the most important thing, and then you'll get the green lights going your way with the playing or get bogged down slowing down for the reds.

It can be the same way with the keyboard or guitar for me - I will play and if it feels like it won't go anywhere I just can't force it, usually it can relate to energy level - it doesn't work and I'll stop, but at least I know I gave it a go, which is the first step in feeling or not feeling the muse.

I can say since playing on the acoustic kit, that I had a few extra special days playing that I didn't expect that just seemed to flow it all felt so good and right on. Unfortunately I had to sell that kit to deal with my financial problems, and it was a big blow, bigger than I thought it would be, but I couldn't let go of my Strat or my keyboard.

One valuable thing that came out of it was the desire to go on with the drums, in whatever role, even though I'm focusing on keyboard again, which is where my composing strength lies.

I come back here and rekindle my curiosity and learn new things and keep going despite the bad days. I still have my electronic kit, and though it's not ideal, it's still a practice tool and will keep me going until I buy another acoustic kit, which I have vowed to myself to do.

PA, I wasn't aware that you hadn't played in so long - give you lots of credit for getting back to it, the good days will come again I know.

Fishnmusicn
 
I think when it isn't with you, it probably isn't going to be there and you'll know it and accept it. Putting yourself there to play is the most important thing, and then you'll get the green lights going your way with the playing or get bogged down slowing down for the reds.

lol - everyone's saying "just give up". There MUST be a way! There must there must! lol


I can say since playing on the acoustic kit, that I had a few extra special days playing that I didn't expect that just seemed to flow it all felt so good and right on. Unfortunately I had to sell that kit to deal with my financial problems, and it was a big blow, bigger than I thought it would be, but I couldn't let go of my Strat or my keyboard.

... PA, I wasn't aware that you hadn't played in so long - give you lots of credit for getting back to it, the good days will come again I know.

Damn, not good. But i guess we can only have so much stuff (apart from Terry, of course)


Cheers Fish, tomorrow's going to be a lot better, I'm sure. After last week the only way to go is up :)
 
I have them all the time. I wish I had them less. Sometimes time off will help me while sometimes it will only make it worse. I've been in a rut for the last 2-3 months. I have videos of myself playing on youtube and i can't even come close to playing some of the stuff that i have up on there. It's really depressing. I hope it ends soon.
 
Like Polly mentioned, if I'm having an "bad" day, I'll just try to simplify my playing. Skip the over the top killer licks and fills, and just keep it as simple and tasteful as possible and focus on laying down a groove that will put me "in the zone".

Also, if it's a rehearsal, call out a tune that you know you will nail every time. That can help settle you in. Sometimes even an impromptu jam can have the same effect.

And remember...(look below at my signature)

my thoughts exctly, when im having a bad day i usually forget about playing and just work on my rudiments and speed, stuff that i can do with out thinking about it.
 
Had a middle-of-the-night realisation that the answers given are what I'm looking for, but I was being too heady to realise it. It comes down to why we have bad days in the first place ... usually because there's too much head and not enough soul ... "life is what happens while you're busy planning other things" (JL).

So yeah, that does mean "giving up", surrendering to the moment and giving yourself to those precious musical moments because there's a small chance they could be your last. No sense wasting them with head trips.

It reminds me of a time a gig turned around for me after I was initially affected by nerves. It suddenly struck me how good the stage sound was and what a shame it would be to waste it with head trips, so I decided at that moment I was going to enjoy the experience. And did.
 
Bad days are the speed bumps on the road of life. Just slow down until you're over them and then move on.
 
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