Guitar Player's Brains Are Different

I wonder if that isn't true for musicians who play other instruments, too, provided that the player has developed sufficient mastery of an instrument to be able to play it intuitively and experience that shift from conscious to unconscious thought? I know lots of players of other instruments who experience that shift when they're playing.

It happens to me when playing piano, almost never on guitar.

I think its because my neural network incorporated keys early in life (I was 4 when I started playing keys). I know an awful lot of horn players and fiddle players who will tell you the same thing about "letting go" when playing. They've developed their neural pathways on their own instruments from childhood in most cases.

So I think that the ability to shift from conscious to unconscious is as highly developed for any good musician on any instrument as it is for guitar players.

For me, that shift from conscious to unconscious rarely happens on guitar, despite the fact that I've been playing the instrument since about 1967, and I play decently enough to get by in most situations. But I can "let go" on keys any time. Guitar players aren't really different from other musicians. They just have more tattoos. ;)
 
LSchefman said:
I wonder if that isn't true for musicians who play other instruments, too, provided that the player has developed sufficient mastery of an instrument to be able to play it intuitively and experience that shift from conscious to unconscious thought? I know lots of players of other instruments who experience that shift when they're playing.

It happens to me when playing piano, almost never on guitar.

I think its because my neural network incorporated keys early in life (I was 4 when I started playing keys). I know an awful lot of horn players and fiddle players who will tell you the same thing about "letting go" when playing. They've developed their neural pathways on their own instruments from childhood in most cases.

So I think that the ability to shift from conscious to unconscious is as highly developed for any good musician on any instrument as it is for guitar players.

For me, that shift from conscious to unconscious rarely happens on guitar, despite the fact that I've been playing the instrument since about 1967, and I play decently enough to get by in most situations. But I can "let go" on keys any time. Guitar players aren't really different from other musicians. They just have more tattoos. ;)
Click to expand...

I was thinking on the same level, because I am a completely self taught musician who even taught myself to play and write jazz (no theory at all, just by ear) I've done it almost completely "unconscious" from day one. But I've met a few non-guitarists that have it BIGTIME so I don't think it's only for guitar pickers, and even though you might be an asskicker on the 6-string I guess the keyboards are the core of your musical being.

I'm just glad they talked about Pat Martino, (although I can't play like him or Holdsworth) he was a big influence for my playing and doing what he did (re-teaching himself) after his brain issues is incredible.
 
I took a couple of lessons fromPat Martino in South Philly when I was a teenager he is truly remarkable to come back from major brain surgery.And I think he's better now than ever.
 
LSchefman said:
I wonder if that isn't true for musicians who play other instruments, too, provided that the player has developed sufficient mastery of an instrument to be able to play it intuitively and experience that shift from conscious to unconscious thought? I know lots of players of other instruments who experience that shift when they're playing.

It happens to me when playing piano, almost never on guitar.

I think its because my neural network incorporated keys early in life (I was 4 when I started playing keys). I know an awful lot of horn players and fiddle players who will tell you the same thing about "letting go" when playing. They've developed their neural pathways on their own instruments from childhood in most cases.

So I think that the ability to shift from conscious to unconscious is as highly developed for any good musician on any instrument as it is for guitar players.

For me, that shift from conscious to unconscious rarely happens on guitar, despite the fact that I've been playing the instrument since about 1967, and I play decently enough to get by in most situations. But I can "let go" on keys any time. Guitar players aren't really different from other musicians. They just have more tattoos. ;)
Click to expand...

I think I agree with Les on all counts - It happens to me only occasionally when I am doing slow to moderate paced blues solos (BTW - which is what I learned at an early age) . In these instances licks just happen and I have no idea what will happen next and no "script"
I just played with a flute player over the weekend who had been playing since he was 5 years old and we did the song "Moondance" together at a gig and I could tell he was in that unconscious state while he was soloing (quality of which was on par with Hubert Laws solos) . I would like to be in that "place" more often.
 
Well, according to that Ill never be able to play guitar. But then to, 12 people is hardly a scientific study.
 
rugerpc said:
Sure, if it's a Porsche.
Click to expand...

No, what I'm sayin' is about regarding attracting women by being associated with objects.

At 200-400k, a Ferrari may be perceived as more of an attraction to the fair sex than one's garden-variety Porsche. All of this presumes of course, that a very expensive car attracts women in the first place, something I haven't done any research on.

An old man in a Ferrari, so the thinking goes, might be more of an attraction to the fair sex than an old man with a guitar.

A young man needs neither.
 
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LSchefman said:
No, what I'm sayin' is about regarding attracting women by being associated with objects.

At 200-400k, a Ferrari may be perceived as more of an attraction to the fair sex than one's garden-variety Porsche. All of this presumes of course, that a very expensive car attracts women in the first place, something I haven't done any research on.

An old man in a Ferrari, so the thinking goes, might be more of an attraction to the fair sex than an old man with a guitar.

A young man needs neither.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got it.

But I'm old. So most times I just want the Porsche.
 
LSchefman said:
No, what I'm sayin' is about regarding attracting women by being associated with objects.

At 200-400k, a Ferrari may be perceived as more of an attraction to the fair sex than one's garden-variety Porsche. All of this presumes of course, that a very expensive car attracts women in the first place, something I haven't done any research on.

An old man in a Ferrari, so the thinking goes, might be more of an attraction to the fair sex than an old man with a guitar.

A young man needs neither.
Click to expand...

NSFW, swear words, but totally scientific.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rugerpc said:
But I'm old. So most times I just want the Porsche.
Click to expand...

Aw, Bill probably just wants to sit on the Porsche in his rocker.

The real question is...how many girls can Sergio pick up in Paul's car?
 
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