🎸 Middle-Aged Guitarist Series 14: How Physical Condition Affects Your Sound

The problem where middle-aged guitarists have way too many things to worry about besides the guitar.

When I was young, no matter what condition I was in, picking up the guitar would flip a switch, and I had this mysterious confidence that "I could just power through it."

Even after an all-nighter, even with a fever, or even when the air was heavy with the humidity of a live house, I believed that "if I just play, it'll work out," and it actually did (or so it felt).

—But things are different in your 50s.

By now, your physical condition itself is an effect pedal. And it's the difficult kind, where the switch turns on and off on its own.

■ Your "picking angle" changes based on your morning condition

First off, on days when I wake up and think, "Oh, I feel heavy today...", the follow-through of my right hand becomes about 5 degrees duller.

I never cared about picking angles when I was young, but now,
a 0.5mm deviation changes the tone.

And the person doing it is unconscious of it. This unconsciousness is troublesome, and tweaking the amp's EQ won't solve it.

"Huh, why does my sound... feel a bit round today?"
"Hmm? Why is the attack so weak?"

The answer is simple.

The middle-aged guy's shoulder is just a little stiff.

I never could have imagined when I was young that the sound would change for a reason like that.

■ Atmospheric pressure changes your tension. Not the strings, but the "middle-aged guy himself."

Days with typhoons, humid days, days when the atmospheric pressure is dropping...

Before, it was just a matter of "the guitar got fat from the humidity," but now, for some reason,
the person's own tension drops first.

As a result, it shows up perfectly in the sound as well.

• My body sinks when I play standing up

• The "moment to cut through" during a solo never comes

• I can't get into the rhythm and end up slightly dragging behind

Changing your strings won't bring back your tension.
That's because what you really need to change is the middle-aged atmospheric pressure.

■ A single cup of coffee changes your sound

In your 50s, even the amount of coffee you drink starts to change your sound.

• Too much caffeine → Your picking suddenly gets wild

• Not enough coffee → Your left hand gets sluggish from drowsiness

• Afternoon coffee → For some reason, the highs are brighter

Things you would have dismissed as "just your imagination" when you were young
can no longer be ignored as "reasons for your sound" now.

The data of your own body
has become more complex than a digital effector.

■ The battle is decided before you even get to the studio

Once you're in your 50s, it's too late to adjust your sound after you get to the studio.

• The previous night's sleep

• What you ate that day

• A little bit of stretching

• The weather

• Whether or not you have a headache

• The condition of your lower back

• Hydration levels

The direction of your sound is mostly determined by these factors.

In other words,
physical condition is the middle-aged guitarist's pre-production.

■ To young people, it looks like a "mysterious obsession"

When I'm with young studio musicians,
even though I'm just doing my best as usual,
from their perspective, it looks like this.

“This old guy just asked about the humidity today.”
“He’s checking the oiliness of his fingertips...”
“Stretching before playing is actually kind of cool and professional.”

No, it’s not about being professional.
It’s just that if you aren't a pro, you'll break..

■ Conclusion: Changes in physical condition also become a 'flavor'

Guitarists in their 50s,
while dealing with the nuisance that their sound changes based on their physical condition,
still play the guitar.

And the sound of that day
can only be produced by the self of that day.

• There are days with a sharp, crisp sound,

• there are days with a round, gentle sound,

• and there are days that are a little damp and dark.

All of it together is 'the sound of now'.

The fact that physical condition affects the sound
is not deterioration, but a change in flavor.

When you become able to enjoy that flavor,
the sound of a middle-aged guitarist deepens another level.