It is every musician's desire to grow. It is also every musician's desire to keep their pride. It is hereby we are split between the impulse to try something new or go with what we know.
Let me just explain with an example. That one Tony Rice lick you've been practicing all month would sound really good in your solo for "Worried Man Blues", but the banjo picker kicked it off faster than usual (ain't that just like them?). Should you keep playing the same, stale, old solo? Or should you try to cram all those notes into that tiny little space in the rhythm?
Sound familiar? Good. Welcome to the club.
My complex and comprehensive philosophy of the experimentation of your abilities, talents, and mad skillz in music is this:
Do it.
Yes, just go ahead and try that thing you were going to do. You'll never learn any other way. And besides, if you wait until the banjo picker kicks it off at the right speed, you'll never be good enough when the banjo picker kicks it off fast again.
Of course it will be uncomfortable. Of course you might flop. Of course the bass player will laugh at you (and seriously, he's always laughing. What's his problem?). But don't let any of it bother you. Try it unabashedly next time. And the next. And next.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Never try crossing the ocean if you don't have the courage to lose sight of the shore. The early bird catches the worm and the second mouse gets the cheese. And and and I'm trying to think of another inspirational quote...but you get the picture I hope.
