Moving on stage and playing

[maturanesa]

How you get(or not) moving on stage and keep the groove perfectly?

Especially when the gig requieres a rock visual appeal (more energic) and you play with fingers...

[jordak]

Move in time with the groove? If you can't do that, how do you manage to keep time at all?

[Nev375]

Simply don't do anything so extreme that it interferes with your playing. Plus, practice.

[knumbskull]

Originally Posted by maturanesa

Especially when the gig requieres a rock visual appeal (more energic) and you play with fingers...

well, that describes my metal band... i'm not a big dancing type guy but i just dig in and have fun. it may be ridiculous but it's honest, and hopefully that comes across

[peanutsfan1995]

Well, I think it depends on what style you play. For instance, with death metal, you don't necessarily have to move around. Just look at Alex Webster or Steve DiGorgio! They mostly stand there, and look huge.

With more energetic styles, say thrash and NWOBHM, you do have move around. Basically, start off with just walking over to a different area on stage during an easy part of the song. Then, work your way up to being able to almost light-jog to your destination. Head up, good pace, small hop every third step.

Also, what I find works best is to practice how you want to play live.

Just my 2¢.

[Rockmusician]

I don't move very much. I'm just not comfortable doing it.

John Entwistle didn't move and usually looked bored as hell when he played.

If it doesn't come to you naturally, it will look forced and you will become more uncomfortable.

[paganjack]

Leave your inhibitions offstage. When you get up on stage, remember you are there to perform! Cut loose- you might miss a few notes at the outset, but gradually it will feel fine and you will be rocking out and hitting all your cues with ease!

[BrandonBass]

As silly as it may sound...PRACTISE. Infront of the mirror and whatnot. You dont hit the stage then start learning the songs, so I dont see why you should do that for rocking out. Feel the drums, aswell.

[seanm]

Even something as easy as walking around while you are playing can help. Learn not to look at the fretboard.

Make sure you really know the songs. You need to be able to play the songs without really thinking about them.

[Akami]

I actually find it harder not to move, although it varies song to song. Just try moving with the music.

[Spaldo]

Originally Posted by paganjack

Leave your inhibitions offstage. When you get up on stage, remember you are there to perform! !

soooooo true!

I play with so many bands who i swear are only there to collect some loot!

I'm always calling out "MACH SCHAU! MACH SCHAU!"

[James Judson]

The audience has no clue who has the hard parts and who has the easy parts. Its natural to think "I need to rock out on this ripping part". Try rocking out when your playing something simple and let someone else "rock out" when you need to concentrate.

The best thing you can do on stage is "SMILE" cuz thats the contagious part.

[Marty Forrer]

Up until a year or so ago, I was playing in a now defunct rockabilly band. I played my double bass with a wireless, and the act included lying on it, walking out into the dancers with it, even climbing up on tables and bars with it.... all mid-song and hopefully not missing any notes or messing up the time.
I found the trick to this was to not worry about messing up. The first time or two I tried something new I might fluff it, but it's not a train wreck, the other guys keep playing and ya slot back into it. I once sprained my ankle jumping off a stage with my bass, I collapsed on the floor with spots in my eyes and yelling in pain, but I finished the song. The audience thought it was an act till they saw me carried away!
Just do it.

[Faderoktopus]

Practice.

I play hard rock in an original band, so I need to make both the songs AND the show stick with the audience or they'll forget who we are as soon as they hit the bar.

One challenge with some kinds of music is that you aren't really dancing and can't rely on moving with the rhythm. Sometimes you have to move about casually as if you weren't playing at all, and to this end I've found you can get ahead by walking on a treadmill while playing songs in different times. If that is not an option just stroll around your practice area while trying to keep the groove, you'll get there eventually.

Martin

[Schizo Sapiens]

+1 to practice

+1 to "keeping the groove is easier when you're moving to the beat"

Actually, it's easier for me to rock out while playing with fingers rather than with pick. That way your thumb rests on a pickup and it's easy to keep right hand in right position when you're all over the place. Or maybe it's just because I feel more comfortable with finger playing...

[Savage_Dreams]

i'm definitely more on the entwistle side of it. the intensity is in my playing! granted, like the who, its good to have 3 crazy people to offset that because a whole band that stands still might be a bad thing. i had a guitarist/vocalist who ran around and was the show, but it also showed in his playing live. sometimes you just have to decide whats more important.

[Manndreas]

What worked for me was practicing (both on rehearsals and at home) at separating my hands from the rest of my body. So to speak.

For example when I play rock'n'roll type music with mostly straight 8ths I need my right hand to keep pumping out the notes without concentrating on it. I feel this is most important because stopping is way worse than playing the wrong note for two beats.

Start out by playing bass while doing other stuff. Try to nail a song while having a conversation with someone, watch TV while playing, browse talkbass....etc.

I also sing in some of my bands and I practiced this way to be able to sing "out of time" with my playing. At first I flubbed basslines all the time when I jumped around and tried to yell lyrics while playing. But now, once I get the bassline under my skin, I barely think about it.

[hrodbert696]

One route is to PLANT YOUR FEET, shoulder-width apart or more, and move from the hips up.

Other route is to really MOVE, get from one side of the stage to another, jump around, etc. If you do this, at least one other band member needs to be doing it too; otherwise you're the band Flea-wannabe-psycho-nerd.

The thing NOT to do is to drift and meander around like the guy who wants to be really moving but doesn't know how. Saw a guy doing this in a cover band at a county fair recently and he just wound up looking sad and lost.

Take over the whole stage, or plant yourself and own your patch of turf. Nothing in between.

[Russell L]

I don't worry about it. Any movement I do is the result of playing with feeling. It's not always in time, but sometimes it is. It depends on the song. I'm less likely to move when I can't hear myself, because when that happens I can't get into what I'm playing. Anyway, anything I do, you can be sure it's all natural and not contrived in any way.

[Akami]

Originally Posted by hrodbert696

The thing NOT to do is to drift and meander around like the guy who wants to be really moving but doesn't know how. Saw a guy doing this in a cover band at a county fair recently and he just wound up looking sad and lost.

Take over the whole stage, or plant yourself and own your patch of turf. Nothing in between.

+1 to the first part. I had to laugh when I read this because I just saw a guy a while back doing just that, and come to think of it, that's what one of my buddies is having trouble with right now.

Can't agree on the second part though, as I like players who can move, but still do it in the general area they own, or who can go back and forth as the dynamics of the songs and rest of the make up of the band allow. Interaction with the other band members is a big plus, if it works with everything else that's going on at the moment.