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Thread: It Happens To All Of Us

  1. #1

    Default It Happens To All Of Us

    I had a really crappy practice session today. My timing was off, my frets were buzzing, and I was forgetting everything. About a half hour in, I put the bass away and said, "It's not my day."

    Point is...this doesn't bother me as much as it did when I first started out. I just shrug it off and say the vibes aren't with me today.

    I'm just curious. When you have an off-day where nothing seems to click into the zone, do you put down the bass for the day, try to find your way back by pushing on with your playing, take a breather for a half-hour, or what? Does it frazzle you or do you shrug it off as part of the process?

    <---the curious one


    - low life -

  2. #2

    Default

    Elmeaux, you must have telepathy because I was going to start a thread very similar to this a couple weeks back and nixed it. Heck, maybe all of us have thought about starting this thread when the Grim Reaper of Practices appears!

    I've found that when I'm having a really bad practice, I go back to songs that I can play almost in my sleep. Even if the practice continues to be somewhat lackluster, I'm playing some songs that I really like, letting the brain and fingers re-sync and I'm having fun. I suppose on some level I'm just taking a victory lap, reminding myself of what I've been able to accomplish in my admittedly limited time learning how to play bass. For some reason, taking this detour usually helps me get back on track.

    In short, I guess you could say I shrug it off and move on (or back!).

  3. #3

    Default

    I walk away from it. An hour? The rest of the day? A week? No set formula for me. Sometimes the brain simply needs a break.

  4. #4

    Default

    I'll generally slow the tempo way down and play the warm ups and then spend time trying different ways of playing and trying to find new, for me, sounds.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Dunnellon, Florida
    Posts
    1,447

    Default

    ELMEAUX That happens to me. I just walk away and take a brake . I just went through that last month .because of my chemo.So i know why it happen . But like i said i will take a brake for a wile , Then i will think of what you and all my friends here on the ROW say. This is not a race .try to enjoy the moment .GOOD or BAD. Because I think what we all are doing here is Beautiful.and that is making Music, and friends. LOVE;N LIFE & BASS. IT;S ALL GOOD Hope this helps
    Let's Play Bass!

  6. #6

    Default

    Sure does, Donnie. I've taken a breather. May go back to it this evening or wait until tomorrow. We'll see.

    Thanx!


    - low life -

  7. #7

    Default

    Yup, been there. Funny how some days the same bass, same setup you use every time, just sounds awful. I figure it's got to be user error right? Sometimes I do as Bassix does and play through some songs I have down pact to try to get my groove back, but typically I end up calling it a day early and move on to something else. If I'm not feeling it, it's not worth forcing it.
    Stantonl

    www.bassramblings.com

    Blogging about Bass!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Buderim, Queensland, Australia
    Posts
    176

    Default

    I have to say I'm with the majority here, it happened most recently a couple of days ago. I sat there thinking, why could I play this just fine yesterday and today it's just not happening. Flick the switch and walk away, it's not something I decided to do to get stressed over, so I move on to something else.
    !!!!!!

  9. #9

    Default

    The only thing I'm left to wonder about is - what happens if you're on stage when the sludge hits your fingers? Or in front of a classroom of students? You've got to figure that it's gonna occasionally hit the stage performer or teacher, too. Maybe in the rehearsal just before the show? Or as you step into the classroom?

    Yikes!

    You among us who have performed on stage - has it ever happened when it's not really possible to put down the bass and go for a sodee pop instead?

    <-----stage fright


    - low life -

  10. #10

    Default

    Wow, now that's a great question, Elmeaux! What to do when disaster strikes on stage, when the problems of the original post hit outside of practice.

    In spite of all the preparation, it's going to happen from time to time. Me? I mentally drop back a few steps and simplify immediately. Stick to the absolute basics of the song required to just get through and regain my bearings. That may be immediately, it may be the next verse, it may be the next song. And the screw-up may even be my warning that I was getting too complex in the first place and need to simplify for the rest of the set.

    Obviously, more complex music may not allow for that luxury. If you're whipping out some kind of jazz or prog rock, you kind of cannot slip into a 1-5-1-5 country thing. But I would think most other popular music (country, classic rock, etc.) allows for some kind of simplification until you can regain your bearings.

    Or you can baffle them with volume.

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