Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Ask questions and get answers about how to make music in any particular way. Hardware or songwriting or whatever.
Post Reply
User avatar
Märk
Jump
Posts: 2048
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 8:35 pm
Instruments: Guitar, bass
Recording Method: Presonus Audiobox 44VSL, Cubase
Submitting as: ROTR, svenmullet, I forget what else
Pronouns: master
Location: Canada

Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Post by Märk »

I don't mean when you write a song ten years ago, record it, then never play it again, I mean songs or pieces that you've learned and practiced extensively.

I just realized I can't play Bach's Bouree in Em any more. Like, I can play the beginning few measures, then my brain goes "WTF?" and I can't remember how to play it. I even tried staring at the transcription and re-learning it, but I just can't get it... I used to play this piece every day during practice. Am I getting dementia?!
* this is not a disclaimer
User avatar
WreckdoMelle
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 359
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 5:18 am
Instruments: Gibson SG, clarinet, tuba, bass guitar, baritone horn, mandolin, vox, sax (sorta)
Recording Method: Bitwig Studio
Submitting as: Brown Word and the Big Whine, sometimes WreckdoM
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Post by WreckdoMelle »

Yes, it has certainly happened to me. I’ve played in a band for years, learning repertoire by memory, comeback a year later and have forgotten, though usually I’ll remember the part, or at least be tipped off by the other players’ parts, the muscle memory has been lost and I’ll find myself struggling.
Brown Word and the Big Whine on Bandcamp:
http://brownwordandthebigwhine.bandcamp.com
User avatar
ujnhunter
Ice Cream Man
Posts: 1804
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:09 pm
Instruments: Bass, Keyboards, Crummy Guitar & Animal Noises (especially Donkeys)
Recording Method: Reaper 5.9x, Tascam FireOne/Behringer UMC202HD/Avid Eleven Rack/Line 6 UX2, Win 7 PC / Win 10 Laptop
Submitting as: Cock, Chth*.*, D.A.H. (Der Alter Hahn)
Pronouns: His Infernal Majesty
Location: CT, USA
Contact:

Re: Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Post by ujnhunter »

No. Because I never knew how to play it to begin with... ;) but yes, sometimes I'll pickup the guitar and play my usual "practice" riffs and totally fail... and it takes me quite a few tries before I get it right... even though I play the same riffs all the time... weird.
-Ujn Hunter
Photovoltaik - Free 6 Track EP - Song Fight! Liner Notes
Billy's Little Trip wrote:I must have this....in my mouth.....now.
User avatar
Märk
Jump
Posts: 2048
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 8:35 pm
Instruments: Guitar, bass
Recording Method: Presonus Audiobox 44VSL, Cubase
Submitting as: ROTR, svenmullet, I forget what else
Pronouns: master
Location: Canada

Re: Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Post by Märk »

This is more like my mind going blank in the middle of a familiar riff and not being able to play it no matter how many times I try. It alarmed me about the Bach piece because I literally knew that piece inside out, I could play both voices of the counterpoint individually or together. I don't think I have dementia or anything, because this is the only instance (that I know of so far!)

edit: I guess I should mention the whole weed thing though... I am a fan.
* this is not a disclaimer
User avatar
fluffy
Eruption
Posts: 11029
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
Instruments: sometimes
Recording Method: Logic Pro X
Submitting as: Sockpuppet
Pronouns: she/they
Location: Seattle-ish
Contact:

Re: Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Post by fluffy »

I've been having trouble with forgetting stuff a lot lately but I'm chalking it up to my brain meds being changed around right now. More alarmingly I seem to have forgotten how to play my chord drills on piano but I just need to, like, practice more, I think.
User avatar
WreckdoMelle
Push Comes to Shove
Posts: 359
Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 5:18 am
Instruments: Gibson SG, clarinet, tuba, bass guitar, baritone horn, mandolin, vox, sax (sorta)
Recording Method: Bitwig Studio
Submitting as: Brown Word and the Big Whine, sometimes WreckdoM
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Re: Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Post by WreckdoMelle »

When I play something regularly it forms a geography in my mind. I don’t smoke but when I used to I had now and then found myself suddenly not knowing where I was in the song or how to get back to it. It would happen when I get stoned and started thinking too consciously about what I was doing. Did you eventually get it back?
Brown Word and the Big Whine on Bandcamp:
http://brownwordandthebigwhine.bandcamp.com
User avatar
Märk
Jump
Posts: 2048
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 8:35 pm
Instruments: Guitar, bass
Recording Method: Presonus Audiobox 44VSL, Cubase
Submitting as: ROTR, svenmullet, I forget what else
Pronouns: master
Location: Canada

Re: Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Post by Märk »

WreckdoMelle wrote:
Fri Oct 23, 2020 12:28 pm
Did you eventually get it back?
Nope. When I could still play it, I didn't think about it, it was pure muscle memory. That's what the problem is I think, I lost the muscle memory and haven't thought about how to play it in a long time.

I'm self-taught, never had a lesson or bit of musical schooling in my life, so I probably use bad technique and should re-learn it properly anyway ;)
* this is not a disclaimer
User avatar
fluffy
Eruption
Posts: 11029
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:56 am
Instruments: sometimes
Recording Method: Logic Pro X
Submitting as: Sockpuppet
Pronouns: she/they
Location: Seattle-ish
Contact:

Re: Is it normal to forget how to play something?

Post by fluffy »

I find that when I forget the muscle memory for guitar or ukulele songs it's pretty easy for me to recover it after not too long, but I also only know like five chords so there's not a lot for me to remember.
Post Reply