Break through, then lost it

About a week ago I had an amazing breakthrough.I was just doing trial and error noodling, trying to find that click and I got in this zone when I get like I could play anything. I went to bed feeling amazing but since then I haven’t been able to get back into this “click” - at least not to the same degree and with the same effortlessness. It’s pretty discouraging. Is this a normal thing? Will it ever become my default?

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For you this is only good news. These sorts of breakthrough moments are a sign that you’re on the right track and to keep practicing what you’re practicing. It will assuredly become your default provided you just keep practicing. Those sorts of sensations are what we all live for lol. In my experience this is really the only way motor learning works. Metronome, no metronome, drum track, no drum track… It’s the same frustration of “here one moment then gone the next.”

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dont feel bad, its much worse if you ever try to get good at golf…

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Haha, I find that 3 times at the driving range = improvement. 3 months practice at alternate picking = 30 seconds of improvement and Repetitive Strain Injury…

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one can do a lot of tail chasing In golf AND guitar

If you found it once, you can find it again. Keep doing it and eventually you’ll always be able to do it.

I think we talk a lot about avoiding discouragement, but it can be equally important to avoid that sort of euphoric “YES! I can do it now” reaction when you’ve done something once. You can’t do it until you can do it every time.

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yeah this is the hard reality. You have to massively OVERLEARN stuff until its automatic.

for me right now the test is hooking up the camera and filming my playing. All of a sudden the smooth technique and flowing licks turn into a mishmosh of tense playing and mind blur. Sad but after 30 years of playing it seems ill never quite get there. cest la vie

im way down myself right now because ive sort of been way up the last few weeks since ive rededicated myself and am focusing in a major way. I can see and feel differences but evidently its not enough to impress others yet. Seems id learn after a while but…

But yeah, one way to avoid the down in the dumps thing is to avoid going way up into the clouds when u think you are doing well. This is a longggggg journey

of course the flip side to the “level headed” approach is that it takes PASSION to get anything done! its really a balancing act I guess (what would I know, nothing obviously lol). makes the Yngwies and Eddies, who reached greatness very young, even that much more amazing

I have said it somewhere on the forum before (much to Troy’s dismay!), but I still stand by it - the journey is about being able to accept failure, without losing your vision and milestone goals. CtC has helped my picking so much, but am I anywhere near my goals? I would say about half way. Despite the progress, I fail so many times more to break through to new ground than I succeed. But all that failure makes it all the more worthwhile when you finally do acheive it. So I say to OP, enjoy that fleeting feeling of success and remember it. Take stock of you progress and get excited about getting that feeling again. Don’t forget, there are folks out there that havent had that experience yet, but you are on your way…

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Thank you guys for the encouragement and the reality check. It’s just good to vent with people who know where I’m coming from.

I think this will be my approach going forward. I’m prone to super highs and lows. I’ve had some really solid sessions since and I’m going to focus on not letting it go to my head.

I dont think most people can avoid feeling the highs and lows.That’s life
Just keep going.

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