Didn't Play for a Week

[John.b]

Hey guys, dont know if any of you oldies have experienced this, but Ive noticed that if I hav'nt played for a couple of days, when I do have a go I feel really inspired and feel I can play along to anything.

This week though I've been so busy I hav'nt had a chance for atleast 5 days. Not till today that is. What a pile of crap. Couldnt do anything. Double hitting the snare and base drum, missing the cymbals, loosing the timing, arms, elbows, shoulders, back and ankles acheing. Kick pedals going in different directions. Loosing grip of the sticks. Loosing the grip full stop.

I feel that dispondent I'm thinking I ought to get rat-arsed.

Ok, perhaps I should'nt have started out playing to Aerosmith, but that was in the CD player, and I was doing OK with it before. Well after a fashion anyway.

I feel I've gone back to where I started from 18 months ago. No, its actually worse than that.

Trouble is I know Im going to be really busy for the next 3 weeks.

[M_C_M]

Yes, I play every day but there has been times that I missed a few days and everything just goes out the window. But it all comes back pretty quick "thank God''...

[Hercules]

Hi John,

I know exactly where you're coming from......it's really frustrating !!

One of my favourite songs to play along with is Yes' Roundabout, and if I play every day I feel on top of the beat and able to add a lot of "self-indulgence" to the track.....after missing a few days I was flat out keeping up with Charlie Watts (no disrepect to Charlie who plays beautifully).

Another interesting "challenge" I find is that, when I rap it out I don't have too much trouble playing what I want, but when I try and play a basic and restrained song it is very difficult to get it exactly right - really makes me appreciate the good studio players who can play in that controlled manner.

You're not alone m8 - use your despondence to fire up your commitment.

[stickinthemud]

John,

It's weird. Sometimes I feel almost like I play better after a week off the kit. Today at church (after a busy week with no play time) I played well enough, I suppose, but was all too aware of my mistakes and lack of "flow" as it were.

I can't seem to find any rhyme or reason. Biorhythms maybe?

[Sabre]

I find I have good days and bad days. Some days everything clicks, and others I can't do anything right.

I also find that when I've been working really hard to learn a song, or just a difficult part, sometimes taking a few days off seems to bring everything together. Consequently, taking too much time off causes me to forget almost everything I've learned, but I chalk that up to old age....

[tablatom]

i Started Kit playing when i was 4 years old and i stopped at 22, and restarted november 06. I started playing Tabla from the age of 24.

As i started playing kit so young it really is like "riding a bike from a kids age", it comes back to me very fast,

but

the Tabla is a very different story, i have to play 3 hours a day just to maintain a decent standard, and 4 to 7 hours a day to make some improvement.
If i dont play tabla for a week it is really hell, but after 16 years of this i know to start slowly AND most importantly relax, it all comes back eventually.

OM OM tOM

[KevH]

I often find that I play better after a couple of days break, even though I had 27 years off at one point (which is a bit extreme!).
I don't often play weekends, as the Mrs still objects, even though the kit is quiet (Women eh!), so enforced breaks of 2 days are inevitable, but it stops you going stale and getting stuck in a rut day in day out.

[jammin777]

its pretty normal to have off days. sometimes i have those days that it takes too much effort to play. and it is not a getting old thing either! luckaly i have less off days than good days. but then i have those moments that i play better than normal too.