Twincam Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Bit of a newbie question this one. I have some really good days where i can play really well and on other days im so bad, like really bad. Anyone else have these and how can i become more consistent?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I think everybody gets that from time to time, I've been playing three years now and I still get days when my hands decide that they hate me and refuse to let me play anything. Just wade through it until it comes back to you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Everyone has them. A lot of times it's actually psychological, you try and do something and get a kind of mental block over it. Usually just best to stop what you're trying to do and do something else instead, musical of course ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Yes, I get these from time to time, a complete mind blank in mid song. I,m sure the mics have picked up my "Oh sod it!" on many occasions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 (edited) I had one of these once. In the mid eighties. Still having it. Edited June 18, 2013 by KingBollock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I've been playing 20 yrs and i still have them. i just did a Uk tour of RENT and one of the nights I had a complete sh*tt*r, couldn't shake it. Not Good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 [quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1371586960' post='2115963'] Bit of a newbie question this one. I have some really good days where i can play really well and on other days im so bad, like really bad. Anyone else have these and how can i become more consistent?. [/quote] I have been playing for 35 yrs and still have this from time to time. Personally, if my chops aren't obeying my brain I simply practice scales slow time all over the neck. Absolute consistency is difficult to achieve in any psycho motor skill - especially one that necessitates the marriage of feel & groove! Like anything in life practice makes perfect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 (edited) Wow, this is certainly interesting, but I have to admit I don't have them. I only have those bad ones. Seriously though: yes! Bad days nothing seems to work. Good days everything reaches the sky. My ex used to recognise this, and remark that she liked my lesser days better, as I tended to play more conventional music those days. Gig-wise, I've never found a link between my own perception of my playing and the audience's. Only once have I experienced that someone in the audience had been present three days in a row, and had the same perception as I about those three gigs, but he was a muso. best, bert Edited June 18, 2013 by BassTractor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Again..depends how you play.. Are you someone who stretches what you are trying to do so needs to right on top of it every gig...or do you not pick the bass up between gigs and just stick to what you do... If the latter, then that is the easiest approach to being consisant... if you're the former. you need to be warmed up and regularly practiced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_skezz Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 I think everyone feels like that, though a lot of the time you're the only one who'll pick up on it. Plenty of times I've been told I've played excellently on 'off' nights (both during gigs and practices) so if it helps, you're probably not doing as badly as you think you are. Best thing is to not let it get to you IME; being frustrated about not being on the ball will just lead to much more noticable mistakes and lapses - just carry on if it's a gig and try to enjoy yourself, if it's a practice then try playing something different or relaxing a bit more. All IME of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceChick Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I think state of mind has a lot to do with it. If I'm feeling low it can go one of two ways, I can pickup the bass and it lifts me and my mood (happy days) or everything I play can turn to sh*t (bad days). If I'm in a happy mood then generally whatever happens when I pick up the bass I am cool with as I am approaching it from a more positive place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuNkShUi Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1371591774' post='2116051'] Are you someone who stretches what you are trying to do so needs to right on top of it every gig...or do you not pick the bass up between gigs and just stick to what you do... If the latter, then that is the easiest approach to being consisant... if you're the former. you need to be warmed up and regularly practiced. [/quote] This is pretty much exactly what i was about to say. Ive played for 20 years, and if i put the bass down for a week or so, my playing can sound messier than id like. So, i just make sure to have a good 20/30 minute warm up. And if its still sounding bad, I'll slow the metronome down until it starts sounding tighter, and gradually speed up, till your up to "gig speed". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I don`t have "bad" days so to speak, but I do have "much better" days, when everything just sounds great (to me), and for no apparent reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I get good , bad and indifferent nights all the time , and it's part and parcel of playing any instrument . Poor players play badly all the time , so the fact that you can have good nights and bad nights is a sign of progress . Just to echo what White Cloud and JTUK have said , practising regulaly and doing a warm up before you play a set can make all the difference . I have a warm up routine I go through of playing some exercises that takes about ten minutes and it gets me as limber as two hours playing would . After that I am ready to rock and far less likely to make mistakes . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellyfish Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 I used to but a lot of it is your state of mind. I try and go into everything with an optimistic frame of mind and usually everything turns out pretty great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Everyone has good and bad days, be they either consciously 'bad' or just not quite on form. Even the pro players have them and would tell you as such, so don't worry too much about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Mine seem to be based on tone at gigs. If i can get a tone i can play off then no matter how bad the gig is, ill enjoy playing. If i dont like what im hearing from my rig then it gives me a negative feeling and i just cant get in to it. Then again, with my playing its more like bad, or just rubbish lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1371632189' post='2116313'] I don`t have "bad" days so to speak, but I do have "much better" days, when everything just sounds great (to me), and for no apparent reason. [/quote] I was going to say this too. I have fallen head over heels for my new Jazz Bass, and I'm playing a lot at the moment, partly because I'm recording guitar and bass for an album of sitar based fusion, rehearsing and gigging a fair bit, and about to start lessons with Jake. I'm fired up, enjoying bass more than ever, and playing for fun too every night. I'm normally decent even after a lay off so I don't have 'bad' days, but every day is a very good day for me at the moment. I'm playing better than ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 After 40+ years bass playing I still get times when you would wonder what is this guy doing with a bass. Luckily rest of band get them as well so we can all laugh about it. Worst bit is when we all have bad playing at same time. Plus is when we get good together is pretty good IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 Also i suppose how you define bad depends on your standards. What you consider bad or good. If i make just one mistake i consider the gig as jus ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted June 19, 2013 Share Posted June 19, 2013 It's a familiar scenario: The drive home from the gig on Friday feeling like the best bass player in the world. Then the drive home from the gig on Saturday thinking you might as well pack it in as you're so rubbish. Still happens to me after 26 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Just had 6 days off.....struggling with america you can do magic.....my playing certainly not at all magical today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL POSTERS Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Happens to us all, with me its getting worse as I get older.The ratio between gigs where I feel great afterwards and the ones where I feel like packing it in isnt shifting though funnily enough. Definitely not as brash and cant do things how I could even ten years ago. Lately, mid gig i forget bits and runs in numbers that I have been gigging regularly for years. Best to try and not worry about it and press on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Everyone has off days, but your aim should be that you've practiced to a level where you can have days like that and no one else will be able to tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 sh*t happens... as they say - I say get used to it... anything worth doing well is hard, playing an instrument to a decent level of competance is hard - takes work and some days you're not going to be in the mood - my advice is leave the bass alone and go and do something else - I regularly have days where I hate my playing and can't be bothered to play - and then (often after a good night's sleep and a nice coffee) I'm as passionate and enthusiastic about playing bass as I've ever been - I respect the flow of my energy and some days it's better to not play and do something more interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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