Confessions Of An Indifferent Guitar Player

[Wadcutter]

In "The Zone" and out of it. Interesting piece: https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2016/01/29/in-the-zone/

[joeld]

I know what he's talking about, but personally I'm not that variable. He describes really proficient players who loose it, and weak players that suddenly shine. My range goes from mediocre+ to mediocre-.

But I do know that state of mind where I am somehow taken over by the activity. It's very satisfying when it occurs. I can't make it happen, but the more I play the more likely it is!

[JonPR]

I know that feeling. Not often enough, of course, but that's the nature of it.
IMO, it takes two conditions for it to arise.
1. You have to playing with reasonably good musicians, or - if solo - for people you feel fairly relaxed with.
2. You have to forget to think about what you're doing. (This is the essential condition, but it's hard without condition #1.)

The principle is that, if you've been playing for a while, you actually know a lot more than you think you do. A lot of your musical knowledge (and skill) is subconscious. It will come out without you needing to oversee it.
But most of the time we're thinking about it, trying to control it, because we think we have to. As long as we're doing that, we will never experience the "zone".
We can still play well like that of course, but we don't get that transcendent sensation, where it feels like we're immersed in the music, it's carrying us along like a wave. A natural connection is formed between our subconscious and our instrument via our fingers. For that moment, we can do no wrong!

Applying too much conscious thought to your playing - or being too nervous about making mistakes - will kill it, that's for sure.

[fazool]

I loved that article (and I liked his writing style).

That article resonated with me. There are days, I can't do anything right. Instead of getting bothered bu it, I hang my guitar up and go do something else. Most days its a middle ground but some days, its a wonderful feeling when it seems like everything is aligned and magic happens.

Those days are a big part of the intoxication of playing, for me. Just like other endeavors - running, skiing, etc.

[Borderdon]

I think many of us recognize the "taste" being "in the zone", but (mostly) being a very infrequent visitor.
Thanks for posting.

[Pitar]

Inspiration is a key element prompting the dedicated focus needed for the moment (or duration), with a commensurate skill set at the ready. Otherwise, the article has zero community with guitar players in general.

If you have chops and can't put them to use then you are lacking drive. That's all it comes down to. I can execute a classical piece mindlessly and it sounds exactly like that. Or, I can involve myself with inspired passion and be rewarded intrinsically. It isn't always a choice. Veteran players experience times of stoicism that visit and seem to take up residence. Shaking off the apathy becomes part of the psyche warm up before playing. Many times I've watched dead men playing guitar with underwhelming deliveries.

People who do not have the chops firmly in place to give repeated stellar performances, but think they should be repetitively stable, are too hard on themselves.

[jdmulli]

The phenomenon dissected in the article is the main reason I tolerate all the down-sides of playing with a band. When we (the folks I play with) are in the pocket, it seems like I find this state of being more readily. It feels like flying to me. It doesn't happen every night, but when it does, it makes all the not-so-great nights worth struggling through.

I've actually simplified by live rig (as much a possible in a cover band) in an attempt to facilitate finding the elusive "zone". It helps me. If I'm not fussing about the little details, I suppose it leaves my mind free to focus on playing.