I Played like Crap.

[ce24]

Wellll. I was the starting pitcher in the American Legion regional baseball Tournament.... We were Hawaii State Champs playing in Klamath falls Ore.
Televised game...I'm on the mound warming up....I launched a knuckle ball over the backstop! Nothing you can do but laugh..... That's what I do on an off night IS LAUGH. It's only RNR!

 

[Milspec]

The great Sparky Anderson once described what a great pitcher was compared to a good one. He said that a good pitcher could beat you if they had good control of their pitches that night. A great pitcher is the one that can find a way to beat you when they lack control that night.

The world is full of good players, but it takes more to be a great one. I am the opposite of you, I feel like I sucked most outings and only dwell on those where I was really on my game. As long as the crowd had a good time and money was earned, all is good.

 

[stephent2]

I hope the OP’s wife is on the mend and feeling better.

Thanks, as we age this stuff certainly stays longer but she is much better.

 

[dmrogers]

I had a night like that last Monday.
About two months ago, I was invited to join a private Monday Night Jam. I haven't played guitar in ages, I'm primarily a bassist. But I grabbed my six string gear and jumped at the chance.
Last Monday, we had a Christmas get together, the wives were invited and we had plenty of good food and drink.
But the night before, I had gotten about four hours sleep. The day of the party, I babysat two wide open grandchildren. Then three trains delayed our arrival by about 40 minutes.
It was a rough night. not terrible, but I was tired, sleepy and no where near being on my game.
Sometimes it happens and you can't do anything but just keep trying and make the best of it.

 

[Papanate]

Speaking for myself when I rely on muscle memory, I'm not doing my job. If I'm not in the moment and reacting, searching for the muse,.. then it's cliched playing.

If it's a cover song where one is playing pre-arranged material I suspect relying on muscle memory is the best way to get through the night.

If you don't got it - yo don't got it - as a professional I have to get through the gig without anyone knowing.

 

[Hodgo88]

The alternative is pretending to play over pre-recorded tracks...

 

[getbent]

That's better than the nights when you pull up in your car and think to yourself "I'd really rather go home right now".

the last two years I was gigging except for a couple of times, I thought, what am I doing this for?

on a really bad night, I just try to do musical typing and get through it.

 

[TheCheapGuitarist]

I've played a pretty rough gig here and there, mainly due to my state of mind or not "feeling it", though it sounds like a cop-out. I always figured if I would always be able to perform at my skill level but external things can change that.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I don't mind playing like crap nearly as much as I mind playing crap.

 

[stxrus]

Everyone has it happen at least once.

Sometimes you are the windshield and sometimes you are the bug.

 

[middy]

It's weird, sometimes you just can't use the force. A single beer usually helps me relax enough.

Sometimes I think I'm going to be terrible, jittery, sweaty palms but I play fine. I think nervousness might actually be better than overconfidence, but you have to be able to let go and ride the muse, so you can't let it sense your fear.

 

[Wrighty]

Sun was in my eyes, shoe lace was untied...

I have an every Sunday night gig at a intown dive blues bar. Well, let me back up. Over Thanksgiving my wife had the flu, bad. Still has a cough. Everything stopped, our sons and their GFs couldn't come for the holidays like we planned, it was a sick house. I'm sleeping in the spare room,.. holiday depression sets in and that Sunday I didn't make myself happy on the gig, timing was off, I was playing trash. Just not with it. And the next Sunday was worse. Cruddy strings, after the gig noticed I didn't trim my nails on my fretting hand,.. slacking and just playing crap. This time the band noticed, thankfully the guys are seasoned players, we're buds and we all get cut slack from time to time.

Before all that I was feeling pretty good about my playing,.. pride cometh before the fall.

Did some daily practicing this last week and tonight was Sunday night again, first set, kinda stiff. Happened to be the annual Toy Drive, music from 2pm and we closed the night, lot's of musicians in the house. Second set I started to get back in the groove and we all have a good night, great crowd, great tips, they're paying attention and clapping, singing along, girls are shaking' it on the dance floor. Whew,..

But, I don't recall having nothing in the tank to draw on before, kinda emotionally off and it showed in my playing, I'm used to being able to deliver on an off night. OK, I'm 71 but still,.. I was surprised at how bad I could suck. Guess I'm going to have to get serious about this guitar thing.

Ever have that kinda night?

Have that king of day on occasions, nothing, but nothing gels. Drop stuff, forget stuff, screw up stuff. Seemingly getting more frequent with getting older. Life I guess. If the worst thing you have to worry about is being the night’s crappiest guitarist you, my friend, are doing OK. (Still a bummer though! )

 

[MTPoteet]

I've had people come up to me on nights I thought were my worst and tell me how great I was , and I've had people tell me on what I thought were some of my best nights that I suck.

I'm not sure they know the difference.

 

[Marc Morfei]

We had a gig in the fall where I don't think I got through a single song without screwing up somehow. The next gig I don't think I missed a note the whole night.

 

[ndcaster]

Ever have that kinda night?

sure

it's like getting a rejection slip in the mail

to deal? have another submission ready to go

 

[TheCheapGuitarist]

One thing I'm trying to master is turning a mistake into art. For example, hitting a bad note and bending it to the right note, doing it twice in a row to make it look like I meant to do that. We're always only a half-step away from a good note.

But when I screw up on stage I'm usually too flustered to do that aforementioned trick. So I just sound like a douche.

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

Sun was in my eyes, shoe lace was untied...

I have an every Sunday night gig at a intown dive blues bar. Well, let me back up. Over Thanksgiving my wife had the flu, bad. Still has a cough. Everything stopped, our sons and their GFs couldn't come for the holidays like we planned, it was a sick house. I'm sleeping in the spare room,.. holiday depression sets in and that Sunday I didn't make myself happy on the gig, timing was off, I was playing trash. Just not with it. And the next Sunday was worse. Cruddy strings, after the gig noticed I didn't trim my nails on my fretting hand,.. slacking and just playing crap. This time the band noticed, thankfully the guys are seasoned players, we're buds and we all get cut slack from time to time.

Before all that I was feeling pretty good about my playing,.. pride cometh before the fall.

Did some daily practicing this last week and tonight was Sunday night again, first set, kinda stiff. Happened to be the annual Toy Drive, music from 2pm and we closed the night, lot's of musicians in the house. Second set I started to get back in the groove and we all have a good night, great crowd, great tips, they're paying attention and clapping, singing along, girls are shaking' it on the dance floor. Whew,..

But, I don't recall having nothing in the tank to draw on before, kinda emotionally off and it showed in my playing, I'm used to being able to deliver on an off night. OK, I'm 71 but still,.. I was surprised at how bad I could suck. Guess I'm going to have to get serious about this guitar thing.

Ever have that kinda night?

To hear saying these things is great , not that they happened but that you man up to the truth. That the kinna folks I like , everybody makes mistakes and has bad nights I played with a real pro and used to say as people were clapping after the set , well we fooled them again ,

I saw pine top perkins playing with the muddy waters band , muddy rolled his eyes and looked like WTF was that but he was cool pine top was getting pretty oldat that point and most of the time he was killing it , muddy just laughed and the band just keep playing like nothing at all had happened. people loved the song and wanted more. true story

 

[TheCheapGuitarist]

"I played like crap."

That how I usually say "I played a gig."

 

[Tom Grattan]

If you'd played innumerable Honky Tonk, Road House, Juke Joints, Dive Bars as I have, I'm sure I've played poorly twice in a row. Who knows, maybe thrice in a row! Usually if I'm not up to snuff it stimulates me to do better. Initially I might be bummed but in the long run, and that's what it's been, it's probably just another life lesson. And on occasion you know what happens... the stinky stuff.

Rock On

 

[stephent2]

Oh,.. I've had plenty of opportunities to suck over the years w/ occasional flashes of brilliance. I'm a lifer. I look back at a few of the bands I've played with and wondered how I was able to hang and contribute, but I did.

I can do a thing, I bring a sound. It's certainly my best asset as a guitar player, I'm not a technical wiz. My mantra has forever been "I should always play w/ people better than I am". Been successful at that for sure.