Bad Guitar / Hair Day(s)

[SbS]

I'm not pro or even a semi. And I have almost no hair left, so potential guitar hero days are mostly gone. But I like to listen skilled / soulful guitar players playing music. I like guitar shaped instruments and then I like to try to create somtehing by myself too.

But how do you guys feel it from day to day? Might be one of those dead horse spanking.. and so on ..threads. Sometimes, one step forward, two backwards. Some days, nice! Some days, no steps forward, then a mile sideways and very long march back home.. where you started or even before.

How do you recover?

And why (no, that really wasn't the question)?

 

[StoneH]

If your question is "How do I keep motivated", I can only reply with how I'm doing it right now . . . I started recording. It motivates me to practice (the recording hears every flaw) . . . it motivates me to write songs . . . and I am enjoying learning how to record and mix. Also experimenting with MIDI instruments.

This is my first recording after decades of not playing. One acoustic, electric fills, electric lead, and MIDI "flute"

<Edit> It was also fun to learn how to upload to Soundcloud, link on TDPRI, and play with fake album covers (and it gives me a reason to post on "Twanger Central" and "Recording in Process"

 

[lammie200]

Listen to something you haven’t heard before.

 

[unixfish]

I have days when everything sounds like crap. Other days, things work fine.

More practice helps to minimize the bad days. When things are just not working out, I put the guitar down for an hour, or a day, and come back to it. That usually resolves it.

I don't worry unless things are consistently bad across the course of weeks.

 

[Greggorios]

Some days I just take a break and then come back with renewed energy the next day.

 

[SbS]

If your question is "How do I keep motivated", I can only reply with how I'm doing it right now . . . I started recording. It motivates me to practice (the recording hears every flaw) . . . it motivates me to write songs . . . and I am enjoying learning how to record and mix. Also experimenting with MIDI instruments.

This is my first recording after decades of not playing. One acoustic, electric fills, electric lead, and MIDI "flute"

Wow, that sounds awesome!

Maybe motivation wasn't my question. More like how to recover when thought reached some level. Then after few more takes, thinking it was just good luck. I'm recording myself and all I'm hearing is mistakes and flaws and shortcomings.

Maybe it's just a phase, need to get up again and practice more.

 

[StoneH]

Wow, that sounds awesome!

Maybe motivation wasn't my question. More like how to recover when thought reached some level. Then after few more takes, thinking it was just good luck. I'm recording myself and all I'm hearing is mistakes and flaws and shortcomings.

Maybe it's just a phase, need to get up again and practice more.

I understand where you are coming from. I find the more I play, the more happy mistakes I make. Right now I am trying find out why a nice wide stereo track collapsed into mono, but the settings on my DAW still show stereo. If I can't figure it out, I'll just start recording again to duplicate the 2 bars I like. If I get even a little frustrated, I can stop and pick up my bass or look for a good MIDI instrument.

 

[JL_LI]

Is every day your best day, for anything? Why would it be different with playing your guitar? I have good days and bad. Some days playing one of my guitars lifts my spirits. Some days I just want to go to bed early. It’s the human condition, that’s all.

 

[SbS]

Is every day your best day, for anything? Why would it be different with playing your guitar? I have good days and bad. Some days playing one of my guitars lifts my spirits. Some days I just want to go to bed early. It’s the human condition, that’s all.

That's a really good advice when things get rougher. Go to bed early, get some good sleep and wake up tomorrow.

 

[Killing Floor]

Listen to something you haven’t heard before.

Trophy Points Here!!!

When I feel separated from the music I am trying to learn or trying to create I like to stick on my cans and listen to music as a fan. Can be anything. Doesn't need to be something I know. May be queueing up a music blog or letting some stream service jump off the rails or playing records I own.
For me the trick is to be an attentive fan. When we listen to a song you're probably thinking about that guitar lick or the beat objectively, trying to deconstruct or analyze it as a musician. That helps you learn songs and techniques but it also turns the music from art into a commodity. We forget how great it is to just enjoy the music. Doing this is a big refresh.

 

[SbS]

That's real good point too. As long we can hear, we can enjoy the music. And I will. I'm better at enjoying than producing

The other thing came to my mind. All we have some better and worse days at work too. Hopefully everyone's not seeing it through me (managing & stuff & ****). But now, when thinking about pro musicians.. god damn. To me, so many variables: tone, tune, dynamics, pace, rhythm, feel, scales, keys, band, people .. that's just like wow! Going to work and people not noticing good and bad days, difficult.

I'm an engineer, but I do not understand 'math' side of music. Far too difficult and incoherent. So I mostly go by the feel & stuff & ****.

Team Sports are different, I've done that. It's just more like.. playing Punk Rock with the band and go for it (except individual sports where true skills are needed).

 

[StoneH]

I like to stick on my cans and listen to music as a fan.

Besides listening as a fan, I find myself listening to the music on TV shows. Most of it is just background junk, but some of it is interesting and nowhere near my wheelhouse.

 

[Killing Floor]

And I don't know if you have ever played anything else. I still play a lot of bass and try to keep OK-ish with violin. If I ever get really stale I'll pick up my violin just to escape. And honestly there's nothing wrong with taking days off. Sometimes that thing that stumps you will just come easily after a day away because you're removing pressure.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

When well-meaning younger folks with fake chipper smiles ask me how I'm doin', I give 'em the straight answer:
"I can see over the dirt."

 

[SbS]

And I don't know if you have ever played anything else. I still play a lot of bass and try to keep OK-ish with violin. If I ever get really stale I'll pick up my violin just to escape. And honestly there's nothing wrong with taking days off. Sometimes that thing that stumps you will just come easily after a day away because you're removing pressure.

Well, I've played piano. And that's where my dislike of music theory is coming from. Like.. if you want meto play certain note, why can't you just tell so? Instead, having weird markings at the start and assuming I'll remember all those through the song, sheesh..

Fortunately our children do much better. Son's playing viola and piano. Daughter has played piano, sings beautifully and has done ballet stuff.

Sometimes I just feel, I should do better than I'm doing. I've done some music decently, but feels like it goes away. And I need to start it all again, some days.

 

[Killing Floor]

So what is it that makes you want to play? Not what you are trying to play, but what is your goal? Do you play for enjoyment and have attainable goals for learning a song or penning something? If it’s relaxation don’t stress about it. Heck, maybe just once in a while dime the amp and smash some chords and be loud. Make it fun.

 

[SbS]

So what is it that makes you want to play? Not what you are trying to play, but what is your goal? Do you play for enjoyment and have attainable goals for learning a song or penning something? If it’s relaxation don’t stress about it. Heck, maybe just once in a while dime the amp and smash some chords and be loud. Make it fun.

I'd like to sound good, feel good, find my way to express myself and my tone.

I can assemble a Fuzz pedal, but never play like Jimi did. And when getting more clarity gear wise, flaws become more noticeable. Also when going with the flow and feel (but not having solid technique..) it's kind of double edged sword. Might work or might end up pushing & squeezing, going out of tune and tempo.

But yeah, love the music. And need to enjoy the way how I can, or participate doing it. There may be some gems between.. but in meantime time, sleep, other stuff listening, enjoying.

I remember from sports career too, sometimes all just clicked when least expected.

 

[bullfrogblues]

@StoneH
Excellent work on that whole song. The acoustic sounds huge and the playing is great, too. Very good structure of the song!!

 

[StoneH]

@StoneH
Excellent work on that whole song. The acoustic sounds huge and the playing is great, too. Very good structure of the song!!

Thank you. The acoustic is literally the first thing I recorded the day my interface was delivered. SoundCloud compression smooths out a lot of flaws.

<Edit> I wrote the acoustic 49 years ago

 

[bullfrogblues]

Please tell us your recording process if you will. Mics, interface, DAW

thanks, I'm still trying to get good recordings.