Consistency issues

[stubby]

So...for the past two years, I've made a personal commitment to play guitar on a daily basis, after many years of sporadic playing with no real improvement. Objectively, I know I've made a lot of gains - Im a much better player now than I ever was, and I'm playing stuff I never before thought was within my grasp. I'm actually quite happy with the progress so far (practice = improvement, who'd a thunk it?). Anyway, here's my issue: my consistency leaves a lot to be desired. While I usually play well at a certain level, on occasion I really suck. I'm not sure whether it's depleted energy levels, life stressors or what, but there are definitely days when I don't feel musical, and it shows in my playing. In the interest of sucking less, I'm looking for advice, particularly from the pro's. How do you maintain a level of consistency in performance, controlling for for all the other factors which may impede your playing? How do you manage it when situations demand that you play well but you're psychologically not in the zone? I'm really curious about this, and could use a tip or two.

[bearsville0]

stubby, I'm a professional in areas other than music that require a degree of consistancy. I'm predicting that pro musicians will say the same about their area of expertise. That is, good technique and familiarity with the material will get you through a bad day, even though your heart's not in it. Or another way of saying it, muscle memory and conditioning to perform to a minimal standard of professionalism will save the day. But nothing beats being in the zone.

[dgrose]

... good technique and familiarity with the material will get you through a bad day, even though your heart's not in it.

...and if you're playing for an audience, getting through it and seeing their enjoyment can actually lift you out of a blue funk and into the zone.
Here's another tip - never play anything you don't like. I've worked with a lot musicians who play certain tunes "for the audience" and they don't personally enjoy them and it shows in their level of enthusiasm. If you play music that you enjoy, your best playing will come out of it... and even when you're not feeling up to par, you can still derive some pleasure from the music you have chosen.

dg