Any of you ever have an "off day"?

capnsandwich · #1 05-25-2008, 09:34 PM

I was at church this morning setting up and warming up. Everything seemed to be going fine. I did, however, have a little grogginess left over from the Nyquil I drank the night before. I'm coming down with a little cold so I took some hoping I'd wake up feeling better.

Anyway, IMO, I thought I was off big time. I locked in with the drummer but for some reason my confidence in knowing where each note was had left me and I was stuck just playing basic, uninteresting lines simply because I wasn't comfortable going away from my original hand position. It was kind of like stage fright or something but it just wasn't clicking this morning. That's so uncharacteristic for me to be like that. I used to going wherever I want to on the FB and knowing exactly where I'm at and where I'm going next. I'm more or less a shredder, but in the good sense, since I can still groove. Anyway, I got through the service and even got some complements from some visitors but they must have been deaf or just trying to be nice. IMO, I sucked this morning and I blame it on the Nyquil.

Anyone have any stories like this and does anyone know how to shake this feeling off when it come upon you?

jsingles · #2 05-25-2008, 09:39 PM

dear lord.. some times I pick up my bass and think to myself, WOW not today.. just put it down before something band happens.

I have plenty of off days, but I have an equal amount of days where I play and then think to myself "......I just did that?? WOW.. I'm improving"

seems like a pretty normal occurance to me.

Crazyeelboy · #3 05-25-2008, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnsandwich

I did, however, have a little grogginess left over from the Nyquil I drank the night before?

A Nyquil hangover? How much did you take?

rfclef · #4 05-26-2008, 12:21 AM

Question is: Have I ever had an ON day...

Lesfunk · #5 05-26-2008, 12:22 AM

it's been more off than on lately ...

Stumbo · #6 05-26-2008, 01:58 AM

Nyquil will slow your thought process down along with everything else.
It's made to help you sleep....that's why it's not called Dayquil [-).
Hope you feel better.

Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NyQuil

capnsandwich · #7 05-26-2008, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazyeelboy

A Nyquil hangover? How much did you take?

I just took one dose, nothing over that. It's just I don't drink or do any drugs and haven't for 14 years so my tolerance for medicine is a little lower than those who do. It's not really a hangover, just not all the way out of my system. I didn't have a headache or nausea and the room was still.

OtterOnBass · #8 05-26-2008, 09:41 PM

I have nightmares like that. Also, ones where I have no brakes.

When I first started playing bass, the hardest part was plucking in time. I would start my finger on the beat and finish plucking after the beat. I really sucked, and I feel sorry for my audience - yes I played bass for the first time live.

Phalex · #9 05-27-2008, 06:15 AM

Off days are completely normal. You just have to deal with them the best you can.

A couple weeks ago, the entire band had an off day. That was pretty crappy IMHO. My right hand just wouldn't cooperate, the drummer was less than fabulous, our guitar player was 5 days post-op from having his gall bladder removed, and the one thing that held us all together was the lead singer who can't count. All in all it went a lot better than it should have.

mjolnir · #10 05-27-2008, 06:24 AM

I've had plenty of off days myself, a couple of which have been on some pretty important gigs.

It happens. The only thing you can really do is keep in mind the things you can do to better the situation in the future and just move on.

lovemybasses · #11 05-27-2008, 06:26 AM

ahh...now I realised this belong to jokes and humour...
No, I've never had off day, I always play great and feel like an animal!

UncleBalsamic · #12 05-27-2008, 06:40 AM

Yes. It normally happens when I'm practising, sometimes I just put the bass the bass down and stop playing.

The Burrigible · #13 05-27-2008, 06:43 AM

I like to think that everyday is an "off" day and I'm really a top notch bassist and just don't know it yet.

JimmyM · #14 05-27-2008, 06:57 AM

I never have an off day. I am perfect on every gig, and if the band I'm playing with sounds off, it's their fault, not mine.

That was a joke BTW. Who doesn't have an off day once in a while? Even the biggest musicians in the world have off days. I once saw Rush, and this band who everyone had told me was note perfect onstage sucked out loud. Neil rushed and slowed down constantly, Alex looked like he was struggling with keeping up with Neil, and Geddy played and sang great but seemed to have a look of bemusement most of the time.

What really sucks is having an off day in the studio, which has happened before. On a gig, at least you're getting paid so that takes the edge off of it, but in the studio, you're paying someone to record your off day. Then you're just screwed all the way around.

fishtx · #15 05-27-2008, 12:38 PM

I have had off nights where people came up and told me I was great...and I've had nights where I thought the band played great, and things were just rockin on stage, and had people say "you guys just weren't into it tonight huh?"...

I have also had nights where I felt exactly like the OP, and just felt uncomfortable with almost everything I played....And, I've had that feeling during one set, and then felt great the next set...it's just weird...

basswave · #16 05-27-2008, 12:45 PM

When I do I just have one of these.

capnsandwich · #17 05-27-2008, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basswave

When I do I just have one of these.

I needed about 5 of them to kill the residual effects of that NyQuil I was on. I'm just a big wuss when it comes to medication.

4 stringed fury · #18 05-28-2008, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rfclef

Question is: Have I ever had an ON day...

Awww, you beat me to it...

mikeypbass · #19 05-28-2008, 08:17 PM

this happens to me more often on DB, alot of times i pick up the bass, warm up, and then say hell no not today

lburton2 · #20 05-28-2008, 08:25 PM

Yes.. Everyone has them. I got advice from my highschool band instructor a long while ago about raising your bottom end.. :P Basically.. We all have good days and bad days.. You have to practice to the point where your worst day is still functional.. It's more like a Zen idea.. But i definately had one today.. Yikes. Sometimes i can just look at my bass and all I can do is walk away.