Difficulty speaking when playing

lukedlb

This post is inviting a thrashing. Sometimes I have trouble stringing a sentence together while rehearsing, double-so when speaking in a foreign language. As a language teacher, I'm well aware of the switch in my mind, where focus almost transfers to another part of my brain. In fact, I often explain english grammar with such compartmentalization. I wonder if there is indeed a physical separation of the language centre of our brain and the musical side, a distance that I am a little slow to transfer between.
My job is talking and drawing out conversation from students, which means I 'perform' english before my students every day. However, I bet I would be a disaster if I had to conceive a language thought/sentence in a Live situation. I cannot provide any evidence as I haven't played live for more than 20 years and back then I didn't have the chance to speak.
I would add that teaching a musical piece to someone has no impact on my language. It's when I'm 100% focused on playing that I find difficult to transfer back to speaking.
Anyone know why? Please be kind.
This is not a thread about banter and audience participation during the set, although it could explain why some people find it difficult to talk while playing live.

welshboyo

I can see where you are coming from!!

I can sing, listen to others and acknowledge/understand (OK, yes, no etc etc) what they are saying while playing, however, I can't really hold a conversation and play at the same time, especially at a live performance - in a different language forget it!!!

lukedlb

welshboyo said:

I can see where you are coming from!!

I can sing, listen to others and acknowledge/understand (OK, yes, no etc etc) what they are saying while playing, however, I can't really hold a conversation and play at the same time, especially at a live performance - in a different language forget it!!!

Thank you. It almost feels like I am mentally tripping over myself as I try to string a sentence together after having played.

smigeon

The thing about music and language/speech/logic being in "different parts of the brain" rings very true to me experientially.

Music is a flow thing that can easily be disrupted. Having to speak a coherent sentence in the middle of a musical flow, or to have to do some logic thing (esp. something involving a computer or phone - but even to have to read a chord chart) is quite enough to mess it up, and can be very irritating for me.

djspecialist

I totally get this.  I sing on some tracks (either lead or backing vocals) while playing guitar - but once we've stopped, any attempt at conversation is a real struggle.  I'd never really thought about it much, but I think you're right - the brain probably takes a while to switch context from "music mode" to "conversation mode".

lukedlb

Sooner or later a brain surgeon or logopologist will chime in. Fingers crossed. 

Roland

Reciting lyrics from memory requires a lot less brain power than understand what someone else is saying, coming up with a reply, and constructing sentences which express it.

Lestratcaster

I hate when people play when I'm talking! Haha. 

It does put me off though as my brain gets confused and causes me to talk faster for some reason.

ICBM

I can't talk and play at the same time at all.

I can't sing either, but that's a different problem...

thecolourbox

One of my open mic type party tricks when I'm not trying to come across cool is A Boy Named Sue. Easily enough spoken without playing guitar, and the guitar but is obviously pretty easy, but together... Bloody hard to keep going!

smigeon

Slightly off the topic, but I used to know a guy with a terrible stammer. It was obviously quite often distressing for him to talk. Not a trace of it, though, when he was singing.

smigeon

Another thing I've noticed about myself: quite often, when the band is practicing, I think of a song from our repertoire that I'd like to suggest doing - but I just can't think of the title, or even whose song it is. I have some aspect of it very clearly in my mind - e.g. a melody hook or some chords or even a snippet of the lyrics - but I just can't access the song's name. And it's not just onset senility :-) - I've noticed this happening for a long time, and it only happens when I'm in that music flow state.

Bridgehouse

I have difficulty constructing whole sentences when

lukedlb

smigeon said:

Slightly off the topic, but I used to know a guy with a terrible stammer. It was obviously quite often distressing for him to talk. Not a trace of it, though, when he was singing.

Bill Withers has always had a stammer. No trace of it on stage. 

lukedlb

smigeon said:

Another thing I've noticed about myself: quite often, when the band is practicing, I think of a song from our repertoire that I'd like to suggest doing - but I just can't think of the title, or even whose song it is. I have some aspect of it very clearly in my mind - e.g. a melody hook or some chords or even a snippet of the lyrics - but I just can't access the song's name. And it's not just onset senility :-) - I've noticed this happening for a long time, and it only happens when I'm in that music flow state.

You’re right. When I used to sing and play on stage, I would almost have zero access to titles or lyrics in my head. But if I just sang without thinking, the words would come. 

lukedlb

Lestratcaster said:

I hate when people play when I'm talking! Haha. 

It does put me off though as my brain gets confused and causes me to talk faster for some reason.

Yes, I would also speak faster and have to quickly think in an effort to logically construct the thought that I would already be blathering out. 

Lestratcaster

lukedlb said:

Lestratcaster said:

I hate when people play when I'm talking! Haha. 

It does put me off though as my brain gets confused and causes me to talk faster for some reason.

Yes, I would also speak faster and have to quickly think in an effort to logically construct the thought that I would already be blathering out. 

Its so irritating when I'm teaching, I don't have a very loud talking voice so it makes me quite tired to shout over the guitar for an hour.