Dealing with getting out of the groove

[StewySmoot]

Every 6 months or so, I get into a playing funk where I cant hit the proper note to save my life.
This is not a case of hitting the wall. This is a case of "inability to play the tunes I play every day of the week".

The only way I ever get my groove back is to just keep at it until it comes back. I tried laying off the whistle for a few days, etc.

Anyone have this malady and how do you deal with it?

~anonymous~

[TelegramSam]

just ignore your whistles for a while and try again later. that's about all I know.

[Paul]

I think Sam hits the nail on the head. It's like you reach a plateau of sorts. The same thing tends to happen when you learn a new language. THe brain simply gets overloaded or tired of it for a while. The thing is to give it a break for a while (days, weeks?? just do it) and then when you're ready, you'll know it. You will start up again and be better at it, and have a deeper understanding than you did when you left off. Strange but true.

-Paul

[Rando7]

I think this is where playing multiple instruments helps - if I'm not having a good whistle day then I reach for the bodhran and vice versa (of course there are those who would say there is no such thing as a good bodhran day). If nothing is working that day I might be forced to the dreaded honey-do list.

[Tyghress]

I go back to doing just exercises, and leaving the tunes alone for a week or so.

And bemoaning my loss of skill.

And complaining.

[hackwellwire]

Its all in the mind - your ability to play the whistle is totally consistent. What is not consistent is the state of mind - relax!!

What helps, is a couple of pints of good old irish guinness, but no more than 2, otherwise everyonelse other than you will know you are playing awfully.

Also - try playing the tune backwards - this will soon get you back on track

[SteveK]

George Leonard discusses the whole plateau thing in his book Mastery. It's definitely worth a read. Here's a link to a brief excerpt.

http://www.transformedia.org/forum/intervie/Mastery.htm

Steve

[Redwolf]

What seems to help me is to learn a different set of tunes. For example, if I mostly play Irish slow airs, focus on Morris tunes or Scottish dance tunes for a while. When I come back to the well-known tunes, they seem to fall together beautifully. I don't know if it's the process of learning new tunes or the fact that I've been focusing on something completely different, or a combination of both, but it works for me.

Redwolf

[The Weekenders]

What lifts me out of this is to put on a cd that you have learned the tune to and play along with it. That's when you remember what the goal is. I find that I have gotten better since the last time I tried to play along and am heartened by the energy of the performer, which transfers to me. Even if you can't play all the rolls, you can at least groove along.

An easy one is Donal Lunny's version of Man of the House on his Journey compliation. Its not that hard to play and though he chooses a blistering tempo, you can keep up and you are playing along with DONAL LUNNY in a very kewl arrangement.!!! Bobby Gardiner's Fermoy Lasses and Concertina Reel are others on "His Master's Voice" cd.

Unfortunately, some of my favorite older records are so out of tune with my whistles that I cant play along with em, like Michael Coleman and Julia Clifford. Ideally, I would order a "quarter-tone flat or sharp" whistle just for that!

[LimuHead]

Have you ever tried just playing your whistle without playing a 'tune'?

I've found that it's helpful to forget tunes at times and just play the whistle and try and emulate what
I'm feeling at the moment.

As an additional challenge I create a melody in my mind, and then
try to realize it on the whistle.

Either way, I'm still spending time on the whistle AND refining skills that
enhance all-around musicianship....

Also, there is a tremendous sense of satisfaction, and relief that comes with
letting the whistle speak for me.........

More than several 'keepable' tunes have come to me this way.

Give it a try!

[Whistlin'Dixie]

Have you ever tried just playing your whistle without playing a 'tune'?

I've found that it's helpful to forget tunes at times and just play the whistle and try and emulate what
I'm feeling at the moment.

Give it a try!

Hey, I do that with my flute! Very expressive ~ but why does it often sound so sad?!?!?

Mary

[LeeMarsh]

So you lost a jig, or reel or two.
Miss'em do ya?

Play'em like they're lost, and missed.

Play that jig or reel as a slow air, a tune remembered, from time past. The tune as the favorite of some one, played at the wake.

My problem with a tune I play every day is that it can get stale and run on muscle memory. The heart of it slips a way, but I keep playing it from habit. Then I wake up and can't play it.

Playing it as a lost and missed tune re-ignites the connection that make music more than just a bunch of sounds. Occasionally, for me, the jig played once through as the nostalgic air, is re-ignited at the second time through as the lively jig of finding again that which was lost.

If it helps, you can imagine yourself in the situation that you last really enjoyed playing the tune. For example, the time you played it at a session and a stepped dancer jumped up and gave the tune a good footing. The point is to give the tune back it depth and the notes will fall into place.

Doesn't work all the time, but still it may help you to ...

[Ridseard]

Just buy a new whistle, StewySmoot, preferably a high-ender. It'll inspire you to play better....maybe.