4th gig tonight! Good n Bad

kindnblue · #1 07-01-2010, 10:33 PM

So, played tonight, so many mixed feelings! I am the most inexperienced member of 7, and had the most flubbs tonight!
I'm working on concentrating on all the great sounds and good work, but disappointing other peoples hard work on a song is a very powerful motivator!
The reason I posted in Technique, was, how do you work through the fear and loss of confidence in a set? How do you stop the collapse and get your confidence back midset? Hell, get your confidence back for the time you play????
Thanks for your insights. Have a great 4th!!!!

TOOL460002 · #2 07-01-2010, 11:46 PM

ive joined a couple existing bands where i had to learn a lot in no time (or, like- literally on the spot- weird), and everyone else was 110% positive, and going on about how perfect of a set it was, etc. i know i messed up. that definitely happened, but if everyone else in the band is cool and positive, and youre only going to be better next time, then, well, what more can you ask for?

M0ses · #3 07-01-2010, 11:54 PM

Forget about whatever you just played, especially if it was a mistake. Focus on what's happening right now. You can't fix a mistake, not ever. But if you let it effect you, you'll only make more. There's no reason it should, though. It happens to everyone. So just forget about it, and get on with the music. It's really no big deal.

tobie · #4 07-01-2010, 11:57 PM

Firstly, 'blunders' on stage hardly ever get picked up by the audience - on the condition that the 'blunderer' hides his/her emotions and that recovery is close to immediate (even if they do pick it up they will think that it was planned like that). Secondly, the chances of any band member not making one or more mistakes during a performance is extremely slim. 'Success' is not about playing faultless, but rather the ability/skill to successfully hide mistakes and to recover seamlessly from them.

As far as fear and confidence go: it comes with time and experience (and the ability to do the above well).

kindnblue · #5 07-02-2010, 04:12 PM

Great advice! Concentrating on improving and getting on w/ the music! TY

shadow_FIX · #6 07-02-2010, 04:24 PM

There's *almost* no such thing as a perfect performance.

Even if it sounds perfect to the audience and your ensemble, and EVEN if you hit all the right notes, there's almost always going to be something you wish you could've done better, or cleaner, etc.

The key is to learn from every mistake you make, just as you do in the real world. At the end of the day it's still what you make of it and what you're gonna do about it. If you biffed a solo, whaddaya think you should be practicing the next day in the shed?

steveksux · #7 07-02-2010, 06:27 PM

Worrying about mistakes just distracts you and makes for more mistakes. Worrying about mistakes and playing cautious sucks the groove out of your prerformance.

The best thing to do about a mistake is to forget it and move on, if you recover quickly from it, nobody will notice it. If you groove hard 95% of the time, and hit a clunker here and there, nobody cares. Play every note right, with no feel, nobody wants to work with you.

Randy

Spin Doctor · #8 07-03-2010, 04:34 AM

Another thing you can try is to record your rehearsals and gigs. I use a Sony PCM-10. small, easy to use and records really well in any setting. You'll hear stuff you didn't know you were doing and be able to target trouble spots.

Besides that, practice the songs on your own, hundreds of times if necessary. Then you won't need to think about it so much.

ric3xrt · #9 07-03-2010, 06:53 PM

I watched Billy Sheenhan totaly screw up Shy Boy once ......The band played on.
I've allways told my students, sit back ,relax and let your fingers do the talking.

thesandman · #10 07-03-2010, 07:34 PM

I just joined a really good R&B band, played my second gig with them tonight in front of about 10,000 people tonight, I screwed up a couple of times as well.

I think there are two very important things to do,
1. Learn the changes down COLD.
2. Don't worry or think about HOW you're doing. Concentrate on WHAT you're doing.

**DougD** · #11 07-03-2010, 08:00 PM

Mistakes happen to EVERYONE. How you recover from the mistakes is the most important thing. If you flub a note, act like you meant it and do it again

Do not under any circumstances broadcast that you messed up, just keep going

Rocky · #12 07-03-2010, 08:10 PM

Most people don't go to a show to see a perfect performance, but rather they go to be entertained and see an inspiring performance. If you can play and communicate to the audience the good time you are having, and you can draw them into that good time they won't care if you make mistakes.

Jason P Bass · #13 07-03-2010, 10:12 PM

Live music is a performance, just like sports. Every NBA player has been practicing his entire life to shoot free throws. All it takes is a regulation hoop, a free throw line, and a basket ball. Championships can be won or lost at the free throw line. And, yet, NBA stars get on TV, step up to the free throw line, and miss free throws.

It's a performance, and you're not going to hit everything every time.

If people wanted perfect music, they'd just listen to a CD. They watch live music because they enjoy seeing the performance. Sometimes you miss a free throw, sometimes you're on fire. That's all part of the show, and that's what makes it entertaining.

And what happens when an NBA player misses a free throw? He shakes it off, forgets about it, and steps up to try again. Do the same.