Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

[Dominik Gräber]

I bet some of you know this. You are having a really good time playing guitar, everything works out, your hands seem to fly. Then you have to take a break or just want to, or you pick up the guitar even the next day and nothing seems to work anymore.
That happens to me every now and then and brings me in a really bad mood, especially when I am really into learning something new.
What are you guys doing in such situations? Do you have any tricks to get you on course again or is it just taking a break and trying again some other time?

 

[Ben Thorpe]

I just take a break, nothing wrong with taking a short break if you aren’t in the mood. I just remind myself that all guitarists struggle from time to time. But you have to find whatever motivates you personally.

 

[Jak Angelescu]

This is a GREAT post. I attribute this to a lot of things. As a woman, sometimes during that “time of the month” my body is exhausted constantly, I feel mental fog and the excess water makes everything a little more challenging.
But if you’re not a girl, it could be something simple like you slept on your arm wrong and your muscles aren’t as activated. I slept on my arm once all weirdly and I had to change my sleeping position because it was almost like playing with Parkinson’s.
If not that, I always think “I am human and I will not be perfect everyday”. I’m sure Syn and Papa Gates have their days like that, too. The object is to get the “off days” to sound better to where if you are having an off day, you’re still pretty good. As far as fixing this, I have to make sure I warm up and am consistent with the same things daily. If my practice regimen is scattered I will rock one day and suck the next. I hope this makes sense and helps

 

[Dominik Gräber]

@ben yeah thats what I do then too, still it is a little frustrating when you want to play but it just does not work that day/part of the day
@jak thanks for the kind post and ideas. What I described was about something that happend to me today. I played for some time and I felt like I was on fire and so wanted to go on learning some stuff. But I had to take a break of like two hours to drive somewhere. When I got home I was excited to learn and play but nothing worked out anymore.

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Ah I see! How long did you play beforehand? Maybe you didn’t play long enough to get everything synched. But you could have also played too long that the necessary muscles for overworked and needed a break. That is strange. I’ve never had that happen like that. Usually for me it’s something I play too much that it becomes weird and difficult

 

[Dominik Gräber]

Hmm I didnt play too much, it was more like getting right into it. Of course I might just have set the bar too high or was too overly excited. What I described was not the first time and I am not quite sure wether it has to do with my muscles or my mind, mood. Maybe both

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Ahhh I see it does suck having something so strongly and being on a euphoric high only to lose it later. Hopefully you get some good answers here.

 

[idssdi]

Usually when i figured out I have a bit of an off day I just play stuff that is demanding like 80% of my technical ability but still is FUN(always have fun) for learnig stuff i tend to just decide im gonna learn it later. My off days usually happen whn Im really hungiver or tired so justbaccept it and try to not ask to much of yourself on those days. Hope this helps

 

[Dominik Gräber]

@jak thank you!
@Ids thanks for the advice, I will try to consider it next time!