hi very first post here Ive been lurking for months. i guess I would like to find other who struggle with the same thing.
I am daydreaming inattentive ADD musician, Ive been playing for 20 years, almost obsessive about it, Ive got hundreds of pages of unfinished lyrics and songs, I cant seem to get my shhit together. I cant get organized enough to finish recording anything, and its just this huge cycle of 15 years of unproductivity. I dont think its an issue of lack of inteligence, cuz I know my intelligence level is normal or higher.
Something in my brain isnt working right.
Ill play the same song different everytime thruout the song, even though I try to rememebr what I just played,\ when I switch from verse to chorus, to bridge, I forget what I just played before. the only way I can play with any coherancy in a band, is to play improvised jazz bass, even then you would think basic bass pattern are easy and simple to remember...
yet I forget it every time
I cant remember rythms for the life of me..when I play, I get distracted in the middle of a song and forget what I am doing.
when I play on stage i forget my lyrics even though I should be able to memorize them,

I have social anxiety/ stage fright, diagnosed with PTSD related to being abused by a ultra fundy christian father,..but this is a secondary issue, I guess its a different topic..but it interferes even more with concentration in social environments
.
i know i have the potential, I have music labels intersted in my stuff. Any time I show music proffesionals my music, they just go crazy over it,, yet at the same time, my lack of memory and concentration prevents me from being pro active and accomplishing things even recording a completed song.. I am not a pot head , I currently take strattera for the first time in my life, it just makes me more tired and i still fidget like a retard. I havent taken any other ADD drugs. I have noticed with Strattera, I can listen to music and comprehend it better.
I was wondering are there other musicians here who seem to have a problem with conceptualizing spacial patterns in music?
DO you have problems related to music. I suppose playing music involves so many areas of the brain, it is a good tool to indicate how the brain functions.
I have searched the internet looking for info on how ADD brain function relates to music, but I cannot find any.

any advice, expereinces, coping mechanisms. behaviour modifications, drugs to take?

thank you so much. peace and happiness to you all.

Wecome!

If you are in the first weeks of your strattera trial the sleepiness is normal and ought to wear off. Strattera is not the best ADD med IMO but it works well for some so give it a month or more to see.

There are other musicians in these forums but I'm not really one of them though I am creative so maybe can relate. I've recently started learning guitar & singing along & just picked up a harpsichord that I made in my high school days which was in storage a couple thousand miles away. That'll be fun.

I'm inattentive type and very introverted, I live in my head & hardly care about other people or the world around me. But I'm coming to realize that I'm going to have to work with people in order to realize my dreams. Collaboration is difficult for me but I think it will be necessary to move forward. I know how hard it is to find another musician you can click with since so many are flaky & it is such a personal thing. Maybe someone who's into the recording end who knows how to mix & keep you on track. Having an assistant is often very very helpful for ADDers. If you have to work another job for a while to make enough money to hire someone to help you put together something solid.

Best of luck friend. I'm sure you will find some answers & support here, I can see lots of promise from what you describe.

thanks paul ( hey my name is Paul too)
Introvert..yes me too I score %100 introvert on the briggs myer personality test. people call me Spock cuz I am so unemotional..It never fails when I am in a social setting..." Whats wrong?" they all ask....nothings wrong! I am a happy guy most of the time and in a good mood with a positive attitude.

Music must be a great outlet for dealing with the PTSD emotional issues. That's what I'm hoping to do with my musical fiddling, I have a tough time showing emotions but music is something that allows me to really turn loose. It's so unlike me to sing (except secretly in the car or shower), it's a really positive change.

yes me too. you are probably familier with the struggle to show emotions or "be yourself", or the impulse to clam up when being the center of attention, an irrational feeling of self concousness, even though I have a good self esteem.....its good therapy to go on stage.. a "conqering of fear"for positive personal growth.
at the same time its personal hell,nervousness,not very fun and always needing to pee

I found this thread on a GOOGLE search. It's start was great -- I'm sad to see it did not go any further.

This sort of WM problem (particularly in auditory settings) plagues me too, so I'm interested in this.