Gettin' Over the "Blahs"
 

Anybody else experience this situation?

Little preface here, the band hadn't played together since last August (medical issues for 2 of us, both finally cleared to play again). REALLY been looking forward to getting things going again and last weekend's "bootcamp" was tiring, but a freaking blast. After 3 days almost non-stop rehearsals, things were really tight and getting better.

This past week, I've been kinda crapped out (lotta things on my mind...work, my mom had a stroke last Tuesday, still concerned about my health issues, etc). So I'm figuring I need to relax and putting in some time playing is just what the doctor ordered.

Rehearsals start again this past Friday night after work & run through 3:00 this afternoon. Only I'm just not feeling it...

Nothing wrong per se, no band drama, nobody getting sloppy & pissing somebody else off. I don't know how to explain it other than to say "it" (whatever that unquantifiable it is) just wasn't there this weekend. Gave it my best and there were no complaints, but I just felt like I was somewhere else all weekend. Glad it wasn't a gig...

I'm sure it will pass, but if this happens to anybody else, how do you deal with it, and what do you do to get outta the funk?

You're not going to believe this, but you need to dedicate more of your time and energy to:

BREATHING.

Breathe IN.
Breathe OUT.

Slow and deliberate. (Wax on; Wax off)

Take five minutes and just BREATHE. It alleviates stress, and helps you focus.

If you can, put on some Mozart or Beethoven. LOUD.

Then, when you get to the rehearsal, maybe consider playing something that's just for fun, and will never be on the set list. Sometimes that helps.

Don't try to hard. After such a long hiatus, and with other serious stuff going on in your life, going from 0 to 60 in 0.5 seconds might prove counter productive.

I have THE answer!

Learn this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A

The right song often pulls me out of funks. If you can play this without smiling then, well, u need heavier duty help then the forum can provide.

The ebb and flow of life, man. Happens to us all in all aspects. I've been there and done that w/ a few bands. Usually you can tell when someone's head's not in it & if the whole band is like that for a couple practices in a row we'll just say screw it and go grab beers instead of rehearse. Usually loosens things up and if anyone has anything on their mind it tends to come out after they've had a couple.

There are two answers to your question which you yourself provided:

I would think that most of us playing music on the weekend for "relaxation" would be burned out with back-to-back weekends of the above.

Try backing off on the intense rehearsal. It's obvious that you guys want to get up to speed fast, but you also want to have fun and you seem to be defeating yourself with this schedule.

Yep, you're temporarily burned out.

It should be fun because it sure isn't about the money. I enjoy rehearsals less than gigs but if you're not enjoying rehearsals you need a rest.

I'm sorry to hear about your mom and I hope you are feeling better but like everyone else said I think it was just too much too soon.

Both of the two mentioned situations; overwork, and life stresses would hit even the best of us!!!

Sometimes it just does not click. Nobody's fault, it just happens.

Couple of tricks our band has learnt over the years might help:

1) Work on bits. Break it down and work on small parts, then try and put the song back together (not expressed very clearly, but I hope you know what I mean)

2) Try some new stuff to get the juices flowing again.

If this doesn't work then go down the pub for a while and relax. Next time it should be better.

It happens to all of us at one time or another.

It will pass.

Blue

Dude. I'm not surprised you can't keep your mind on the job. If I were in your position I'd probably be quietly rocking backward and forward on a couch somewhere. I'd say that you've qualified for a win by just getting on with it at all.

This isn't generally an issue. We're spread across 4 states and we do this mid-winter every year to get up to speed for the coming spring & summer dates. There might be a "tune up" week end late spring if we need to juggle set lists or something, but the "cramming" really doesn't bother me in itself.

Well, I certainly enjoy what I'm doing for the most part, but in our case, money is a fairly pressing concern. Last year, the band represented an extra $30K in my income above & beyond my day job.

QUOTE=mjac28;14011926]I'm sorry to hear about your mom and I hope you are feeling better but like everyone else said I think it was just too much too soon.[/quote]

There might be something to the "too much too soon" idea. Got quite a plateful to deal with right now & I'm sure the distraction is at the root of my "blahs." Just have to find a way to shake 'em so I can get on with the task at hand...and hopefully enjoy myself doing it again.

Ha! Thanks...just looking forward to getting back into the groove, so to speak. The band is essentially a second job and not only do I need to play with the expected proficiency, I at least need to look like I'm digging it. :D Unfortunately, right now, I'm having a little trouble faking it...