How did you rebound after going blank mid-song?

[John Davis]

I always just kinda improve in the same key of the song. That last part is really important.

[mchildree]

...or you could always stop playing, start the big overhead clapping thing, and yell "PUT YO HANDS TOGETHA!!!"

[Bass Guitar]

Originally posted by mchildree
...or you could always stop playing, start the big overhead clapping thing, and yell "PUT YO HANDS TOGETHA!!!"

And start rapping
"Put your hands in the air!
Wave them 'round like you just don't care!"

[MarkMcCombs]

Great thread! I really needed this today as I goofed up yesterday at my weekly church gig. Was just going along and probably started daydreaming and somehow got 2 frets off. Our bandleader (a conservatory music major) and the singer and drummer (professional musicians both) all noticed and got a good laugh at my "flatted 7th" fill. I should have called it my Mixolydian fill!!! It didn't last long till I got back on track but I HATE screwing up and have been a little bummed since yesterday because of it. They laugh it off, I can't seem to so easily. It steams me!!

It seems to happen about once a quarter where somewhere in the middle of the song I just go brain dead. I hate that panicked feeling I get, though.

I think the best remedy when it happens is to just do the fiddle with the equipment thing till you get back on track. I see people do this all the time, but we musicians know what's really going on!!

I feel better now knowing I'm not the only one this happens to. Thanks.

[BehindTheMoon]

I never realised how many ways there are to 'fake it'.

Just do a glissando until you hit something that works. If it takes you more than three bars... you need some more practice.

[CS]

I will improvise until I remember. One guitar player I sometimes play with will turn and show me the fretboard.

Going off at a tangent at church we do a song that has a stop start thingie ie the band stop for a bar and the vocals carry on. Unfortunatley the drummer stopped at the wrong point. He stopped so I stopped. THe guitarist went with us and the keyboard player had 400 people staring at her and ironically she was the only one doing it right.

[SpankBass]

Originally posted by Wil Davis
Just keep the groove going - don't worry too much about the notes - after all, jazz is meant to be played like that... :>

- Wil

Homer: Pshh jazz, they just make it up as they go along, I can do that: De de de de de de de...

Marge: Thats mary had a little lamb.

Homer: How about this: Do do do do do do do.

Marge: Thats the same thing, you just replaced the des with dos.

Homer: D'oh

[Bob Clayton]

i acted like sumthin was wrong wiht my bass(cable, amp, etc.) until i remembered what to play

[playerdelabass]

Yeah, I usually go for playing, if I'm sure o' the key of the song I'll head up a pentatonic, usually, sit on the top few notes for a while, by which time I usually know what's going on, and I slide back into the riff.

It's usually (more by chance, or instinct, than skill) the note which I'm hanging on up top, that I should be playing.

You can always slide, just up and off the note, a couple of times. It makes a phat sound at least.

[ImANerdyPunk]

At one show, my band's guitarist completely forgot how to play 2 of our songs like right in the middle. That was really really bad. We almost hurt him.

[Copycat]

Quit music. Become a professional mime.

I just had an embarrassing thing happen last week. Not forgetting, but dropping out. I had played the first tune, more of a jam/warm-up kinda thing, on my fretted. Then I switched to my fretless start the "real set" of all original stuff. I had put new batteries into the fretless right before I left the house. Usually I use an A-B box to switch between basses, but that night I didn't bring it, so I pulled out the jacks and switched the basses. Nothing from the fretless. The guitarist had already started the tune, because I come in after a guitar intro. Well, here I go and mime central. My first thought was, "well, the batteries said they were good 'til 2004, but I guess not." Being the first time I'd had to put new batteries in, my mind went there and not to more obvious things, like connections. So I fiddle farted around with the amp, until it hit me--I had the jack that shoulda gone to the bass going to the amp, and had the amp jack in the bass (from a pedalboard). Took me the whole tune to figure this out. But hey, it was a cramped stage and I was standing under a very lovely but annoying paper-shade down light that kept hitting me in the head all night anyway. So maintaining my self-respect was out of the question anyway with my head playing stick to this pinata of a light. Bottom line: things happen. And you're generally far more aware of it than the audience is anyway. So don't sweat it. Although 4 or 5 seconds can seem like an eternity.