Mental Stuff

[Sakkaku]

Well, it's been a while since anyone has posted in here, and I've grown sick of waiting for something exciting or whatever to be posted, so I thought I would post something myself.

How about everyone post what it is that they find the most mentally challenging when it comes to learning something?

Stage fright? Intimidating pieces of music to learn? Fingers not doing what your brain is telling them to do ?

Come on guys, spill the beans and let's have a mental discussion. (I just made a funny)

[EricV]

The "demo syndrome". I am currently trying to put the finishing touches onto the "Talking Hands" Cds, and I am re-recording some songs. And that´s fun, and it was necessary cuz the old demos aren´t good enough for the album.
However... when it comes to "Hidden Creek", there´s like a mental block that keeps me from touching it right now. It should be re-recorded cuz I´d like to add better-soundign drums, and also, there are some sloppy guitar licks in there.
But I just am a bit nervous about getting started on it. Because even though there are these two "dings" I mentioned above, I am happy with the way it sounds, and I am afraid that I might not be able to re-create that with a new version.
I mean, if the new version is just as good or even better... great.
But what if it won´t come out right, what if it´ll sound flat, dull or whatever. That demo has a certain "magic" to it IMO, something that might be impossible to recreate. I think I described the situation I recorded the lead-guitar in.
You might say "Dude, even if it does not work, you still have the original demo-version". But it would feel like failing... you know, attempting to do a better version and not being able to get close to that demo.
Maybe I should try to take it someplace else, try a different approach and stuff... but then again, I am happy with the way it is right now.

A lot of people have mentioned this... people who have described how they recorded a "from the hip" spontaneous solo for a songwriting demo, and they weren´t able to surpass the demo-solo once they were in the studio to record the song.
Eric

[flathead]

Is it possible to just record the drum parts you want to replace without touching the guitar parts?

Oh and my biggest mental block is playing in front of somebody. It just doesnt happen.

[JeffN]

A big block that's always in my way are my eyes. I tend to trust my eyes more so than my ears. So, if I play something that sounds better when played a certain way, btu is writtin in another, I often feel obliged to play what the tab or sheet music says.

[Axe-aholic]

I have a few. Stage Fright is number one, and it not just like "i'm nervous", whenever I play in front of people my technique slips(especially my right hand posistion), my mind goes blank and i forget what I'm doing, and other things.

Another 'mental problem' I have is keeping concepts in mind while improvising. Like where the chord tones are and trying to be somewhat repetitive with melodic statments or themes. Like I'll play a cool theme that I decide to try to center on and then I forget what it was a few seconds later into the solo. So everything sound kinda randomized. It's terribly frustrating...

[Sakkaku]

My biggest weakness is coming up with a mad as lick or idea, and when I go to show another musician friend, I always get it wrong, and I look like a git. That sucks.

My second biggest weakness is the old 'get bored with that exercise' easy trick. I now have to literally force myself to learn something, and learn it well, otherwise I get all lazy. I didn't do ANY string bending until about 5 months ago... I always used to slide up or down to the note... which has caused me huge problems with my lead playing, because I have to unlearn that nasty habit, while still using slides in my playing...

:(

[Sakkaku]

And Eric - while I couldn't solo to break myself out of a wet paper bag, I fully know where you're coming from... I guess it's the same as coming up with an idea, and losing it... you play it over and over again, and just when you think you've remembered - you've lost it... that sucks as well. But back to your dilemna... I think of Evanescence... the demo for 'My Immortal' is what made the album, not the actual band version... that was because the record company liked the demo better than the actual band version (if you're unfamiliar with the band or track, the demo just has piano and vocals). When the band went multi-platinum, and carried more clout, they released the band version (with everyone kicking in towards the end section of the song - solo and everything) which is what they originally wanted... my opinion - while I enjoy guitar solos and everything heavy, I prefer the demo version... yeah, the quality is slightly less than the crisp production of the band version, but the vibe of the first one really does it for me.

At the end of the day - there is a saying 'If it ain't broken, don't fix it!'. Maybe that applies in your situation. Sometimes 'sloppy' playing adds a bit of flavour, BUT if you're all for having it absolutely perfect, you have to go with what's right for you.

Just thought I'd have a rant for what it's worth.

[Arahilion]

What frustrates me now, is that i dumbass have 3 years guitar lessons, and only practised 2-3 times per week, 6 hours per week on whole... and i realize just now, that i have to practise much more, like i did the last 2 weeks, 4-7 hours a day. cauz' that means to me that 3 years were just wasted :( , well i think i learned a lot, but i could be much much better now if I had practised like i did last week. here are some resultats i recorded http://ara.dmusic.com/ on "riders in the dawn" i tired to put in some theoretic skills and some technique skill about 2.40 :\ i'm luck that i found this website, where so many good articles for practising are.

[oRg]

I have whats called a perfectionist syndrome. Since I'm not in a studio and I constantly play guitar whenever I can I am never fully happy with what I make. I'll alwas change stuff around becuz I don't think this or that fits. I guess that's why when i record I work alone...lol...anyone else would strangel me to death. I'll record a song or something andd then listen to it the next day ans think what the hell was I thinking putting that there or here.

[Sakkaku]

Yeah - a lot of people are like that, fortunately for myself - I'm not. I used to be a complete clean freak (nothing to do with music) but my room had to have NO dust, and NO marks on the carpet, and bed had to always be made, etc etc... then I hit teenage years, and all of that went out the window. Same thing goes for my guitar playing - so long as it sounds good - that's all that matters. Perfection is all in the eye of the beholder. I used to think my last girlfriend was perfect, until she crapped all over me... but yeah, that's a whole different thread right there...

[D-Day]

I'm kind of a perfectionist too. When I'm recording on like a tape in my room, it has to be perfect. I hate it, because I sit and play the same thing over and over and if I make a mistake, I have to do it again. It gets frustrating sometimes.
But by biggest weakness is I know nothing of music theory. I know very few chords, no scales, nothing. I've managed to cruise without it this long, but I think it's about time I get to work...

[Sakkaku]

Learning scales and chords will open your eyes dude. I knew nothing of theory till January last year. Then I started to learn the names of the notes, then the scales, and then the chords. I found that learning scales properly first helped, because then you understand what makes chords. BUT, it's different for everyone.

I recommend the following articles by Guni:

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/article/105

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/article/106

http://www.ibreathemusic.com/article/108

My advice is stick with the first one (Article 105) for a while until you really understand what Guni is talking about. Practice practice practice, and you'll find the doors will open to more and more musical understanding.

Good luck!

[PiSan314159]

My brain not talking to my fingers. When I listen to a rhythm or backing track I can hear a crazy solo taking place in my head. I can sort-of-kinda-maybe hum it sometimes, but even if I go to the piano to transcribe, nothing happens. The sounds that come out are not only incorrect, but their interrupting the thoughts in my brain. After a good 3 notes it's gone forever, never to be heard. :(

[Bizarro]

I hate learning my own solos from demos. If it happened within a month or two it's not bad, but any longer than that and I totally forget what I played. It seems like such a waste... :)

I also hate the gradual decline of my chops. I am naturally very fast, but it still takes effort and practice to maintain a certain level of technique. I don't get to play much anymore (kids, work, etc) and I hear stuff I used to play ... I'd better switch to air guitar! :eek:

Listen up kids, practice while you're young!!!

[rmuscat]

ok my own mental hurdles ...

getting to learn a piece of music accurately, it takes so much time to memorize and actually get the correct timings (reading the notes etc) that it gets pretty frustrating sometimes, making me letting go off the piece for a while ... i.e. forgetting all you've learned. I've been letting go Flight of the Bumble Bee and restarting it for months ... and each time i'm bored i add a new piece to the set ... thus more problemss! But then it's pretty satisfying when you start seeing some results.

Another frustrating thing is being to asked by my band mates to fit a solo on some chord progression which in my opinion won't lend itself much for a solo, so I have to actually sit down listen to it VERY patiently and work on it.

Finally, actually getting into the music and improvise properly sometimes takes sooo long I actually consider burning my guitar or turn it into toothpicks!!!

[GuitarDreamer20]

Man, I hear all of you guys on a lot of these things! :(

But my biggest weakness as a player is rhythm. I have GREAT feel and I play in time VERY well. I practice with a metronome ALL the time...but my problem is understanding the rhythms that I hear. I took a sightsinging class and when we had to transcribe rhythms or melodies, I couldn't do it, or in the case with the melodies, I could get all of the notes b/c my ear is very good for that, but the rhythms...AHHHHHHHHHHHH. And I always want to transcribe stuff with powertab or some other software, but I always get discouraged b/c the I'll get the notes fairly quick, but then I'll sit there FOREVER just trying to figure out the rhythm of the first bar! I guess I just have to sit down and really work at it...but I just keep procrastinating and putting it off, b/c I'm so much better at everything else...I got good chops, know lots of theory and can apply it well, can improvise very well, etc...it seems sightreading and understanding rhythm are my 2 biggest things...Anyone else ever have this problem and conquer it? :(

[sugarbee]

My biggest mental problem is irrational doubt. What I mean is, once I get on stage in front of an audience I begin to question if the keys on the piano are what I think they are, like I've lost confidence that if I play a major chord, that it will sound the way I think it will, same goes for guitar, I'm afraid I will start playing all the wrong chords, or I will forget what chord comes next and where it is on the fret board. Even when I know the songs so well I could play them in my sleep, at least for the first bit of the performance it's like this, very scary sometimes. But usually as I loosen up it gets better and I gain confidence pretty quickly. But it can play tricks on me in the beginning. Kinda crazy!

[GuitarLausing]

Man, I hear all of you guys on a lot of these things! :(

But my biggest weakness as a player is rhythm. I have GREAT feel and I play in time VERY well. I practice with a metronome ALL the time...but my problem is understanding the rhythms that I hear. I took a sightsinging class and when we had to transcribe rhythms or melodies, I couldn't do it, or in the case with the melodies, I could get all of the notes b/c my ear is very good for that, but the rhythms...AHHHHHHHHHHHH. And I always want to transcribe stuff with powertab or some other software, but I always get discouraged b/c the I'll get the notes fairly quick, but then I'll sit there FOREVER just trying to figure out the rhythm of the first bar! I guess I just have to sit down and really work at it...but I just keep procrastinating and putting it off, b/c I'm so much better at everything else...I got good chops, know lots of theory and can apply it well, can improvise very well, etc...it seems sightreading and understanding rhythm are my 2 biggest things...Anyone else ever have this problem and conquer it? :(
Check out funk music.. It will challenge you... Hopefully for the better.



My biggest mental problem is... Hmm not sleeping enough and creativity problems... I remember as a little kid I did a million of drawings, and I got real good, but I couldn't figure out what to draw.. Kinda the same on guitar now.

And when I pictured something, It was really big, wonderful and grand and everything, but when i got started, I couldn't concentrate for long enough time to get my feelings out on paper..

I hear Metallica talking about studio work for Load, and they came up with over 20 songs in a period of weeks... geez.. I think I may have cronical writers block..

[Lightning_Lead]

Hey, cool thread.

My biggest fear before playing public is that I will suddenly forget what I'm about to play, like forgetting parts in a solo. That happened once but I saved myself by improvising, so it was barely noticed. Usually when playing in front of an audience I feel pretty confident about not making mistakes when we've played for a while and gotten into the song, it's the beginning of the song I worry the most about.