after a heavy night of drinking. it's been four days now and i can't seem to get back to the level i was before. my fingers feel slow. could i have had a stroke (i'm 18 so it's unlikely) and should i see a doctor or do you think it will return back to normal in time?

My stroke did this too me... see a doc. i use to shred arpeggios and legato like crazy

It will return back to normal in time, and with practice.

However, if you're not feeling normal you should go see a doctor.

........

No. If you go days or weeks without playing you will become slower.

If you don't practice everyday you will get worse. Just play more everyday, simple solution.

This is correct. I have not sat down and played guitar properly in about 3 months, not had any 2 hour jam sessions or anything. Sat down to play a Maiden song the other day (I know it intimately well) and I couldn't get timing, I was sweating halfway through because of the changes, stretches, the palm muting etc

Really - spend 2 hours a day and i guarantee in 2 days you will be back to normal.

Also - drink water

thanks for the advice everyone!

i think it's going to be ok and with a little practice i'll be back to my old self.

that happens to me after a few days Oo, you never forget the easy chords though, just the difficult picking patterns, speed and fingerstyle stuff Oo. On the plus side though, when i intentionally or unintentionally take a break from guitar it usually sounds alot better when i start playing again if that makes any sense.

/e and you didnt have a stroke.... theres been 2 strokes in my family and you would recognize there was a serious problem immediatly

This post was edited by blunderwonder2 on Sep 16 2012 11:09am

usually after i have a stroke my hand is sore for a little while but not enough so that i can't play guitar

hmm that is really strange..

haha.

you may have slept on it wrong? i have carpel tunnel and i have to play very deliberate 4 finger scales for 30min-hour before practice or a gig. sucks but makes me think about what i am doing.

-i practice/play for about 13 hours per week on 1 of 4 instruments.