Can you play guitar when you´re sad (or mad)?

[sabasgr68]

Like, are you able to play guitar when you´re sad -or mad-? Do you feel like playing?

I can´t. I get totally blocked. Sometimes I even think of not playing anymore.

This is kind of personal, but wanted to share and know if you feel the same, or how/what do you feel about.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Interesting. I guess I am the opposite. To me, music is pretty much about releasing emotions. It can get overwhelming though, and I get that. But I wrote some of my best pieces because I was angry or sad or happy. It tends to make me feel better in the process too, but not always.

[tonebender]

Sad is an emotion that can evoke creativity and playing can sometimes work to take me from mad to over it.

[tonebender]

Sad is an emotion that can evoke creativity and playing can sometimes work to take me from mad to over it.

[sabasgr68]

Interesting. I guess I am the opposite. To me, music is pretty much about releasing emotions. It can get overwhelming though, and I get that. But I wrote some of my best pieces because I was angry or sad or happy. It tends to make me feel better in the process too, but not always.

Thanks for sharing... Interesting too. The overwhelming feeling is what makes me feel blocked, I guess; that´s a good aproximation of the feeling I get. I know about musicians who wrote/write some of their best when going through some intense or deep feelings, including happiness. I guess it´s also like exercising; most of times you feel better after.

But it happens to me that I start creating/composing short lines, almost like writing a song or a poem, but I´m unable to give them some structure; they are just like little explosions of sadness or unconformity shaped in the form of words - like, for example, "I don´t want your name in my tears anymore", or "Love is standing on a thin leave, just waiting for the next blow of the wind to fall down"; phrases like that -. Sometimes I´d like to finish them to see if they can be an actual song later. Now that I think about it, this could be something close to the releasing emotions thing you mentioned about music, only that it´s not on guitar.

And maybe I should add that I may not be able to play guitar, but I can listen to some music, according to what I´m feeling, and it helps me most of the times - or not -.

[sabasgr68]

Sad is an emotion that can evoke creativity and playing can sometimes work to take me from mad to over it.

Yes, sadness, or almost any other intense feeling, can evoke creativity, as you say, or make something artistic to arise, sometimes helping getting over it.

It´s good that you can do it.

[Rollin Hand]

Back in my university days, I was having what I now recognize as a mild depression. School wasn't going well, was unlucky in love, etc. Suffice it to say, I was down.

One night, before heading off to one of my classes, I picked up my Ibanez and decided to play. I went for about 30 minutes, and when I was done, I was sweating to the point I had to change my shirt, I was slightly winded, and my guitar -- an RG410 that never went out of tune -- was badly out of tune.

And I was cured. It was like that 30 mins got all of the bad stuff out of my system. I realised that it was not my fault that my History of Sociological Thought prof was crap, that it was not (totally) my fault I was getting dumped again, and that I needed to refocus on my school work. It worked. The weight on my shoulders was gone, marks went up, and I finished the year strong.

So, if anyone is sad or down, my advice to you is to sit down, plug in, and let it rip.

[tonebender]

When our first cat died I was very sad. I sat down and starting playing my acoustic. I came up with this finger picking ditty with no lyrics. That was 30 years ago and to this day when I pick up a new acoustic to try out that is the song I play and I think of Hairy Cole, the best cat ever.

[sabasgr68]

Back in my university days, I was having what I now recognize as a mild depression. School wasn't going well, was unlucky in love, etc. Suffice it to say, I was down.

One night, before heading off to one of my classes, I picked up my Ibanez and decided to play. I went for about 30 minutes, and when I was done, I was sweating to the point I had to change my shirt, I was slightly winded, and my guitar -- an RG410 that never went out of tune -- was badly out of tune.

And I was cured. It was like that 30 mins got all of the bad stuff out of my system. I realised that it was not my fault that my History of Sociological Thought prof was crap, that it was not (totally) my fault I was getting dumped again, and that I needed to refocus on my school work. It worked. The weight on my shoulders was gone, marks went up, and I finished the year strong.

So, if anyone is sad or down, my advice to you is to sit down, plug in, and let it rip.

What a nice personal story.

The message is clear and loud.

[tlarson58]

When I'm mad or frustrated I get all caught up in my own head. I've tried playing guitar to alleviate the weight but I can't get into it.

'Wish that I could.

[sabasgr68]

When I'm mad or frustrated I get all caught up in my own head. I've tried playing guitar to alleviate the weight but I can't get into it.

'Wish that I could.

That´s what I feel. At least I´m not alone on this.

I mean, the relief comes in other ways, but not by playing guitar.

But I also wish I could.

[CyFan]

I play through being "out of the mood." It usually only takes 10-15 minutes of playing while watching TV or something and then I'm in the mood. I do take breaks for a week or two every now and again.

[sabasgr68]

I play through being "out of the mood." It usually only takes 10-15 minutes of playing while watching TV or something and then I'm in the mood. I do take breaks for a week or two every now and again.

Great! That´s good.

[jtcnj]

Normally, playing takes my mind off whatever the issue.
Sometimes if I am really down about something - usually only due to conflict at home - I just don't feel like doing ANYTHING, guitar or otherwise. It just saps all motivation. I guess that is a sign of depression, but it has never lasted more than a day or two.

[sabasgr68]

Normally, playing takes my mind off whatever the issue.
Sometimes if I am really down about something - usually only due to conflict at home - I just don't feel like doing ANYTHING, guitar or otherwise. It just saps all motivation. I guess that is a sign of depression, but it has never lasted more than a day or two.

Well, John, you read me through very well - just didn´t want to put it directly -; I´m usually that sad due to conflicts at home; it happens in all families, although not really frequent, thank God. Still, generally speaking, I can´t play when I´m feeling sad for any reasons, and/or playing doesn´t help that much to overcome it. I don´t think it´s a sign of depression, I mean, you have an actual reason for feeling that way; of course, the next step is to do what´s needed to solve the situation. If we stay in the hole, that would be different. And that´s a subject for another thread, I guess

Thanks for sharing.

[andrewsrea]

I am blessed with a very even temperament. Even-keel happy is my normal state. Rarely very ecstatic (happy wise), sad or mad. I get frustrated occasionally. So no playing problems due to mood.

Being exhausted, or too much practicing, or the dreaded second practice following a long time of not playing. Tuesday a week ago, I felt entirely backwards and upside down on the guitar and had a jam session coming up on that weekend which frustrated me.

However, the band jam came last Saturday I played well for 6 hours straight and played stuff I never played before (the 'just tell me the key of the song' type gig), with musicians I had never jammed with before.

[Tonray's Ghost]

Like, are you able to play guitar when you´re sad -or mad-? Do you feel like playing?

I can´t. I get totally blocked. Sometimes I even think of not playing anymore.

This is kind of personal, but wanted to share and know if you feel the same, or how/what do you feel about.

Never when mad..but sometimes when tired and sad I play late at night, very soulful, melancholy stuff.