Do you ever mess up?

[gearhead1972]

I throw a clam or two at almost every gig, the funny part is it is usually on one of the easier songs. I practice a lot in the basement, days before a gig I woodshed like an mf, but usually the songs that are difficult for me or out of my comfort zone. So come gig day I nail them and I'll flub a chord change on say Honky Tonk Woman a song I can play in my sleep one handed lol. Like said though it's the recovery that separates the men from the boys. When I first started playing if I messed up a song practicing I had to restart the song, now I can pretty much come in on any note of a song I know.

 

[NWB]

The song that I flubbed on was "Badge" by Cream.

You weren't playing it with Ginger Baker were you?

I hear he can get a bit cranky...

 

[El Raro]

I think by the end of a 3 hour prac, we're all tired and lose concentration a lot quicker. Just last night, we had to start over on the last two songs because the drummer kept forgetting when to come in, the guitarist started playing certain parts too early and I had completely blanked out on what my line was. We simply stopped, took a 5 minute breather and kicked back into it.

It only becomes an issue if you're consistently making mistakes to the point where you're hindering the progress of everyone else in the band. Otherwise, its pretty normal. Almost expected.

 

[milkman-27]

I think that this could be part of our problem. With me, I work all day and come straight home, take a shower and then head practice. I don't even have time to eat supper first. We start at 6 and end at 9 so I think we are all getting tired, or tired and drunk in the rest of the bands case, by time we are wrapping it up.

 

[Kmonk]

Everybody makes mistakes but there is a difference between a momentary screw up and a pattern of making the same mistake over and over or making multiple mistakes. There is also a difference between a mistake and a "train wreck". The important thing is realizing that you made a mistake and then working on correcting it.

I honestly believe that there has never been a live performance in which at least one person hasn't made some sort of mistake.

I remember reading an article in which Paul McCartney said he and his band make mistakes all the time. They usually laugh about it. If its a major screw up, they discuss it after the show but do so respectfully.

 

[MJ_Sotti]

All the time

 

[eb3mike]

Sir Paul

 

[bassguppy]

Messed up? Eh....nope.

 

[electracoyote]

Sir Paul

I wish they would cheer for me like that when I draw a complete blank.

 

[deathsdj]

Do I mess up? Absolutely. I mess up when I play, when I sing, when I'm working, when I drive, when I cook, etc.

Damn I mess up a lot! :scowl:

Cheers!

MJW

 

[LiquidMidnight]

I don't know ANY musician, including college-educated players and pros, who are immune to hitting a bad note every once in a while.

I opened for a famous country artist about a month ago, and he actually dropped the lyrics on one of his songs.

 

[Ghost Signal]

I mess up at least once per song. Sometimes I just space out. More often though, I mess up by writing and then trying to play parts that are beyond my abilities. That's how I improve though. If I write a part that I can't play consistently, I take it personally. I make it a war; me vs. my lack of technical ability.

Fortunately, I play music that thrives on the tension of imminent catastrophe. Muric is organic. Living. Rarely does organic life reach perfection.

Furthermore, I make up for my technical weaknesses by highlighting my strengths instead. I may not know a bass scale from a bathroom scale, but if you need a bass player that radiates intensity, I'm your man. If you need someone that can keep a crowd paying attention while the guitar player tunes, put a mic in front of me.

Utilize your strengths and combat your weaknesses. You may never become a virtuoso, but in my opinion, technical ability is only one part of being a good musician.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

Sir Paul

I have an MTV Unplugged compilation in which Pmac screws up the beginning of We can Work it Out. He makes a joke out of it, shows a lot of class, and then goes on to kill it. Just another reason why Sir Paul is the epitome of awesome.

 

[bassbully]

I have a couple every show. I used to bother me but ..hey its music and nobody noticed but the band...big deal.

 

[troy mcclure]

I am in agreement with most posts... you are playing a 4 hr gig 40 tunes, you are going to either have a mechanical error or a brain fart every now and again. Make a band rule to never acknowledge a mistake on stage... no dirty looks or discussions on stage.
My last band the guitarist would give you the evil eye if you hot a bad note. He laughed off his own mistakes though so I confronted him on it and we were all good after that.
A bad note here and there is not killing a performance, missed words and wrong verses the audience notices.

 

[bassbully]

I am in agreement with most posts... you are playing a 4 hr gig 40 tunes, you are going to either have a mechanical error or a brain fart every now and again. Make a band rule to never acknowledge a mistake on stage... no dirty looks or discussions on stage.
My last band the guitarist would give you the evil eye if you hot a bad note. He laughed off his own mistakes though so I confronted him on it and we were all good after that.
A bad note here and there is not killing a performance, missed words and wrong verses the audience notices.

Another reason I am bailing on the band I'm in. The BL blames the sound , his amp anyrhing if he makes a mistake ..and he makes them. He cover them decent but if I or anyone else does it he cranks his head around midsong and makes you look and feel like an idiot.

The band called him out on it and he said it would stop but never has. He also will bring up a mistake or two you made but will not ever mention his own.

 

[smogg]

I am in agreement with most posts... you are playing a 4 hr gig 40 tunes, you are going to either have a mechanical error or a brain fart every now and again. Make a band rule to never acknowledge a mistake on stage... no dirty looks or discussions on stage.
My last band the guitarist would give you the evil eye if you hot a bad note. He laughed off his own mistakes though so I confronted him on it and we were all good after that.
A bad note here and there is not killing a performance, missed words and wrong verses the audience notices.

I agree with this but will add that I become unhappy when band mates miss their cues and/or get lost in a tune. To me it shows a lack of concentration or preparedness. A clam is just that and no biggie. But; when your guitar fill is suppose to be 4 bars to set up the transition into the bridge, don't close your eyes and go off on some rock star mega lead or you may find yourself looking for a new gig after the show.

IMO/IME As long as all band members have committed the structure of the tune to memory then an fleeting bad note should not even be noticed by the audience.

 

[Febs]

I agree with this but will add that I become unhappy when band mates miss their cues and/or get lost in a tune. To me it shows a lack of concentration or preparedness.

That's reasonable, especially if it happens repeatedly, so long as you address those issues after the gig, not during the gig or in front of the audience.

 

[Phalex]

during the gig or in front of the audience.

Hey! I've played with that guy!!!!!

 

[madman4string]

All the time. Of the four of us in the band, the drummer is the harshest on himself. Makes me laugh a lot at rehearsals. Most times live and at rehearsal, we just smile and keep grooving. Mainly mistakes on timing issues with new tunes. We just keep going until we get it right.

One of the best things I have seen live. Korn show, JD completely forgot the lyrics half way through a song they have played thousands of times. Band kept playing, JD was laughing and told the whole crowd " Holy s**t, you believe I forgot THAT song!!" Epic. Then jumped right back in.