ever have ghost hands ?

[staindbass]

ghost hands are when u are onstage, and u get a blank spot, you cant remember what to play, and your hands do it all by themselves? like a ghost is controlling them. it happens to me once or twice a year , its pretty freaky .... johnny a.

[Count Bassie]

It's 'cause you're loose and relaxed in that good spot in your head, I think. But when it jogs you back into place, stay there! Almost like waking up suddenly at the wheel, isn't it!

[Radek]

It means you have trained well and know what to play without thinking about it. It's nothing to be scary about. Just enjoy your gig.

[namraj]

I never think about what I'm playing my hands always do it for me, I should probably look into that.

[Phalex]

Yeah, I've had the experience with "ghost hands". I've also fallen victim the the dreaded "claw". I hate that!!

[Rickett Customs]

That's called repetition in my book. I visit it quite often

[Harmonica Blu]

My first instrument is diatonic harmonica. I do all sorts of things that I have no idea how I navigate them. It's a zen thing - in a good space. You've practiced endlessly and now are applying what you know, but it's coming from a deeper place in your mind. Go with it.
Harmonica Blu

[ric1312]

Happens every practice because I have to sing at the same time. What really sucks is when the ghost hand decides it wants to play a tottally different part or notes that don't fit.

[El-Bob]

Originally Posted by namraj

I never think about what I'm playing my hands always do it for me, I should probably look into that.

that's how i work too:P

[MarkTAW]

Sometimes I "wake up" in a slightly different position or a slightly different location of the stage about 5 seconds after the last thing I remember.

I suspect it's part of the "war" for attention between the cerebrum (conscious brain) and the cerebellum (lizard brain, responsible for motor control). Watch the movie "Into the Void" for another description of this process - the guy was about to die & his body propelled him forward w/o his conscious input. He'd pass out only to wake up minutes later in a different place.

[Stone Age]

Originally Posted by ric1312

Happens every practice because I have to sing at the same time. What really sucks is when the ghost hand decides it wants to play a tottally different part or notes that don't fit.

[Jazzdogg]

When Pop passed away last year I inherited his upright, and I've been woodshedding on it at home, despite the fact that Pop was left-handed, as is his bass.

A few months after his passing, I got a call for a jazz trio gig, during which there were a few moments when I found myself "channeling Pop" - talk about ghost hands - it was as though I were merely an observer, standing there behind my bass listening to him play with goose-pimples on my arms. At one point, the leader called a jazz standard that I hadn't played in at least 25 years, and despite the fact that I no longer "knew" the song, I took a deep breath and allowed ghost hands to play it for me.

[funkalicious101]

I fall into trances when I'm playing sometimes, usually when I'm playing solo pieces with my looper.

One time I started getting messed up tunnel vision and the melody I was playing was the only thing I could think of, and the next note I "needed" to play was too far out of reach to hit in time and my hand just dropped into thumb position (like double bassists playing in very high registers) which was so weird because not have I only never tried that before, I have never seen anyone do it on an electric bass.

[Matt Till]

All time time when I was in a cover band, it was quite like riding a bike. We wouldn't practice, and sometimes gigs would be a month apart. We'd play a song we rarely play, and I'd be freaking out, "I don't know how to play this!!" We'd start playing, I'd close my eyes tight and pray for the nightmare to end, and listen to my hands play the song perfectly. Blew my mind every time.

[Mingus]

Often happens to me while I'm writing something.

[Pacman]

I think when that happens, it's not a good thing. It means you weren't concentrating on the music. Just MHO....

[D.Don]

Originally Posted by staindbass

ghost hands are when u are onstage, and u get a blank spot, you cant remember what to play, and your hands do it all by themselves? like a ghost is controlling them. it happens to me once or twice a year , its pretty freaky .... johnny a.

Been a keyboardplayer for years and this has happened to me a lot live. It's scary but at the same time, I have never failed due to it since as you describe it, the hands just do the job no questions asked.

I guess it's some kind of muscle memory that is jacking in and taking over or something.

D.Don

[nsmar4211]

It is kinda freaky.....
Hardest part for me is not freaking out and letting my hands do their thing! Brain is going, wait wait, I'm not in control! and hands are going Nope, WE are

Usually they are right
And it is from repetition......I can do a 1/4/5 walking line faster than I can think about where I should go if I let my hands do it on their own. All I keep an eye on is the downbeat note and let fingers figure out the inbetween part Butttt I learned how to play by doing 1/4/5 blues walks over and over and over....

Ghost hands rock!

[D.Don]

I have done things both live and on recordings, that I had NO idea where it came from. I have a recording from 1993 or something, where I play a hammond solo (have no idea where it is right now, on a tape somewhere so don't ask for it) and I "blacked out" like that and the solo is AMAZING, and absolutely unpredictable for the "bag" I had at the time.

Maybe it's the mojo that's workin....

EDIT: Hmm, actually I think I have it on a cd somewhere, let's see if I can find that!!

D.Don

[Nick Kay]

I have to rely on "ghost hands" a lot, as I double on lead vocals in most bands that I've played in. Absolute godsend, especially when I pull out a ridiculous syncopated line that I had no chance of playing and singing at the same time otherwise.