Down in the dumps with guitar

[Christian Schulze]

Whaddup synner?

Sooo.....after an amazing week a couple of weeks ago, I was pumped to practice my ass off everyday. Then I had the genius idea of learnig some Ghost songs to improve my rhythm guitar chops (which I have been neglecting a lot). A couple of their songs have a lot of palm mutting, so I fixed my picking hand. I learned a bunch of songs...and I hit the wall....I suck so badly at them. Here is the thing I used to play a lot of thoose songs almost 2 years ago...and now I suck at them. Feels like my ego suffered a hard hit. Makes me feel like I suck at guitar majorly.

Anybody who has been through this, any tipps how you got over this slump?

 

[carlosmqr]

Happens all the time, some days or even weeks I feel like I cant play anything, I cant play songs that I was playing even the day before, or I cant improv or whatever...if I feel like it I just keep practicing if not I take a couple of days off, no guitar at all and then everything goes back to normal, I still suck but not as bad as before!
It happens the same with sports, some days I feel like im great, some days I feel like Im the worst...happens to everyone in my team...Its just like everyone have bad days, and then your ego and mind just keep making them even worst.
But anyway you said you used to play those songs 2 years ago, so it might be just practice that you need I would say.

 

[Andrew Milner]

Practice your way through it. There is no other way sadly. I've been there (and still am to an extent). Constant practice, with a focus on the techniques you're doing wrong. Make sure to practice correctly though. You don't have to do many hours a day, but it has to be somewhat constant for you to see results.

 

[idssdi]

I just have some days it doesn't really click and I can't do anything I usually can. Sometimes I just battle through it and other times I kinda go like 'i think it may be helpful to take a break for a bit:

 

[Donovan Etue]

We all have those days where something we learned a while ago just doesn't click like it did. You try and try but you can't replicate what you did at that point because it hasn't been your main focus for some time. Here recently I went and tried to play the intro and that cool part just after the intro in Beast and the Harlot. I could nail those digadiga dun parts easily because I was practicing that specific part all over the fret board whenever I wasn't paying attention to my guitar to get it into my muscle memory. Well it's been like 4 months since I focused on those and I tried again recently and they were just sloppy as hell. Same with the arpeggiated part in the chorus. I was doing those a ton early on in my playing because I was able to pick it up roughly enough to make myself happy. I tried that again this morning and I was once again sloppier than where I was before. It happens. Dedicate some time in your practice routine to it and you'll be back to where you were in no time I have no doubt about it.

 

[Ethan Keeling]

i have days where i cant play shit...
like anything, if you stop practising it you will hinder your progression and maybe even decline it. Give it a week or so of hard work and your be flying.

I BELIEVE IN YOU BROTHER!

 

[Christian Schulze]

Thank you for thoose kind words brothers! I will ride this low season out!

 

[Lindsey]

I have the same with my playing at the moment. My fingers are stiff, my arm cramps and I'm much slower. It can be frustrating.

Sometimes you need a break, sometimes practice. For me it's the last one. Hope you find what works for you.

 

[Dominik Gräber]

Honestly Just wait and See. I'm sure in a couple of days your Fingers will itch to Pick Up the guitar again. We all have Bad days or even phases. But I figured with a little distance and then a little practice things will go Well. Just don't forget to have fun!

 

[Kat the metalhead]

This may sound kinda crazy but when I have bad playing days I just take a break for a couple days and when I come back to playing and I’m in a better mood I tend to play better or get better at stuff I sucked at before. I find that if your in a crappy mood, having a bad day, not focused or don’t feel determined your not gonna play well. You have to feel confident or be in a good or normal mood to play well. For example I had a really rough time in highschool I came in with no friends and was bullied and always sad or really angry so I gave up guitar for 3 years cuz I just couldn’t play or I was too angry to do anything but as soon as I graduated and I was determined to play again, so I started sorting things out and became more positive and got back into guitar and I learned more now than I ever did

 

[Christian Schulze]

Honestly Just wait and See. I'm sure in a couple of days your Fingers will itch to Pick Up the guitar again. We all have Bad days or even phases. But I figured with a little distance and then a little practice things will go Well. Just don't forget to have fun!

Yeah I have been focused too much on improving fast instead of actually having fun. My ego and desperation got in the way of actually enjoying my instrument. Thanks mate

 

[Christian Schulze]

This may sound kinda crazy but when I have bad playing days I just take a break for a couple days and when I come back to playing and I’m in a better mood I tend to play better or get better at stuff I sucked at before. I find that if your in a crappy mood, having a bad day, not focused or don’t feel determined your not gonna play well. You have to feel confident or be in a good or normal mood to play well. For example I had a really rough time in highschool I came in with no friends and was bullied and always sad or really angry so I gave up guitar for 3 years cuz I just couldn’t play or I was too angry to do anything but as soon as I graduated and I was determined to play again, so I started sorting things out and became more positive and got back into guitar and I learned more now than I ever did

Getting into the right mindset, yeah I truly have to focus on having fun and improving. Thanks

 

[Calvin Phillips]

It's all in your head. Your muscles just.need some restarting. Keep at it and don't allow your self to feel discouraged.

 

[Kai C]

Don't forget to breathe,stretch, watch your posture, and drink water. Loosen up, don't be so tense. You got this, we believe in you!

I honestly have nothing else to add that wasn't said earlier but it's still important to not be so rigid.

 

[Jesse Salmons]

Hey dude, keep your head up. When i get in a slump like that, i pick the absolute easiest song i know how to play, and just rock it. Go nuts, let your imagination run wild. Dont even think about “that technique you’ve been struggling with” or “that one bend i cant get right” just have fun with it. Like others have said, maybe take some time off from playing, to reinvigorate yourself. And maybe once in a while, forget all the technique exercises, and just jam, man. The guitar isnt supposed to be something you dread bc of monotonous practice. Its fun, so keep it fun!

 

[Brian Haner Sr.]

Kat the Metalhead nailed it. I go weeks without playing. Hell, I think I've gone months. While I don't suggest THAT - a couple of days off is sometimes a good thing. Listen to some music. Clear your head. Come back to it with a fresh attitude. It's amazing how well you play when you're fresh.
As a matter of fact - I have not touched a guitar in two weeks. I have a gig this Friday and I can't wait. Will I be rusty? Yes. Will my fingers be sore? Yes. Will I play some stuff I have never played before? I hope so!

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Whaddup synner?

Sooo.....after an amazing week a couple of weeks ago, I was pumped to practice my ass off everyday. Then I had the genius idea of learnig some Ghost songs to improve my rhythm guitar chops (which I have been neglecting a lot). A couple of their songs have a lot of palm mutting, so I fixed my picking hand. I learned a bunch of songs...and I hit the wall....I suck so badly at them. Here is the thing I used to play a lot of thoose songs almost 2 years ago...and now I suck at them. Feels like my ego suffered a hard hit. Makes me feel like I suck at guitar majorly.

Anybody who has been through this, any tipps how you got over this slump?

I use to be able to play Hail to the King standing up. Can't do it now. That's the beauty of being human. I'm sure Syn can't always play his own songs perfectly all the time. He probably has to work them back up a bit during rehearsals. You don't suck at guitar. You just need to relearn them and get them back up to par

 

[Christian Schulze]

Thank you all for the encouragement. You are right. I will focus on enjoying myself. It is a lot of hard work.

I have forgotten how far I've come in my playing....like playing a barre chord for the first time took me months too. I just think that I've let myself become less curious and experimental than I used to be. I will give myself some days of distance and go at it again with fresh eyes.

I'm far too focused on other players...like for instance...Synyster Gates. I love his hands....it looks so beautiful how his hands move while playing. I'm so jealous that I see my hands as unfit tools for the job. I got big sausage fingers that almost don't stretch. But other players with bigger or smaller hands than me and they also play amazing. Like John 5...he (as he also says) has small girly hands and he shredds like a beast too. I gotta work with what I have and figure it out for me.

I love this instrument. I won't let my immediate want of becoming a schredder destroy that joy. Thanks again to all of you.