• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Don't just stand there!

Axtman

Axtman

Supporting Member
Mar 3, 2008
2,573
4,709
Seattle, WA
#1
I have been told that I have a problem. I just stand still while playing and I scowl my face. Hey I am having fun but I guess just not showing it. Others in the band want me to move more. I always feel a little self-conscious when I do move around.

Any ideas on how I can improve my stage performance?

Oh, and the leader always turns around and gives me an exaggerated smile to convey that I need to smile. Well I am concentrating! :D
 
#2
Sounds like you have to decide wheter you want to be a musician or an entertainer. An entertainer entertains, through music, dance, an awesome laser show, bass face, props and other stuff. A musician makes music.

Just to clarify, in today's climes, entertainer are way more likely to make a lot more money than musicians are.
 
#5
St Drogo said:
Sounds like you have to decide wheter you want to be a musician or an entertainer. An entertainer entertains, through music, dance, an awesome laser show, bass face, props and other stuff. A musician makes music.

Just to clarify, in today's climes, entertainer are way more likely to make a lot more money than musicians are.
Click to expand...

I think you can be both. The FOCUS should be on the music, but that doesn't mean you can't provide some entertainment visually.

Examples: Rush, Iron Maiden, or even Pink Floyd if you take into account their lighting.

As for bass face, a few examples of guitar face: Santana and Hendrix.

Examples of all entertainment and no musicianship: KISS (yeah, I said it folks) and pretty much anything new thats on the radio.
 
#6
Best to be yourself. If you try to be something your not, you probably will look ridiculous. I never heard any one complain about classic bass players like John Entwistle, Bill Wyman, or John Paul Jones and others being near motionless onstage. They relied on their talent, not there stage presence.

Some people are born with a natural extrovert exuberance and some people aren't. That doesn't make you less of a person.
 
#7
Examples of all entertainment and no musicianship: KISS (yeah, I said it folks) and pretty much anything new thats on the radio.
Click to expand...

Another Kiss basher that can't resist himself who probably can't read a note of music but defends the use of tablature yet calls himself a musician and slogs Kiss for non musicanship when both himself and the founding members of Kiss are both musically illiterate.:bassist:
 
#8
Axtman said:
Any ideas on how I can improve my stage performance?
:D
Click to expand...
Practice it....here's what I do.

At night, with lights off I practice while walking around my house. I'll go up and down the stairs, walk over the kids toys,the dog,laundry...whatever. This taught me how to concentrate on the music and not let distractions get to me. It translated into better stage presence.

I also plug my Pocket Rockit in with my bands songs on my mp3 and do a whole set. It's great.
 
#9
1. Take your eyes off your hands. It takes some practice, but it can be done. Practice everything without looking, when you're by yourself, in rehearsals, etc.

Hint: The strings stay where they are, except for vibrations which you can predict. The frets don't move. Your fingers are at the ends of your hands, where they've always been. No need to watch any of those things.

2. Now that you're able to look elsewhere, do so. Look at the audience. In particular, look at specific people in the audience, especially the girls. Make eye contact.

3. Smile at the people you're looking at. Let them in on the fun. Change your expression to reflect what's going on. Acknowledge what they are doing, or what's going on onstage by smiling, nodding your head, winking, mouthing words, etc. Example: After hot guitar solo, make eye contact with somebody in the audience, smile, let your eyes get big, & mouth "Wow!"

4. Move around on stage. Somewhere between "jumping around like a monkey on speed" & nailing your shoes to the stage, there's a happy medium. Just walking around a little can make you appear interested.

5. Do you sing? If not, start.

Always remember this:

It's not about you.
It's not even about the music.
It's all about them (the audience).
 
#10
fourstringburn said:
Another Kiss basher that can't resist himself who probably can't read a note of music but defends the use of tablature yet calls himself a musician and slogs Kiss for non musicanship when both himself and the founding members of Kiss are both musically illiterate.:bassist:
Click to expand...

Actually, I saw an interview in which Gene Simmons himself said he was an entertainer, not a musician. Furthermore, although you have no idea whether I can read music or not, there is much more to being a musician than reading. You know what they say about making assumptions....
 
#11
+1000 on learning to sing. Start with one song with a simple bassline (if you've never tried singing and playing, you'd have trouble at first with more complex stuff). If you can't sing lead at all, sing backup vocals. If you're tone deaf, sing your backup vocals into a mic that turned off. You'll still look better to the audience.

Even if your lead singer is much better than you, it's a change of pace for the audience, and gives the lead singer a chance to rest his pipes.
 
#13
dude, do what i do...
practice STANDING up, and while practicing, headbang or jump around. it may seem weird at first, but this way when you get on stage, you'll be doing exactly what you did in practice...it'll feel natural. Plus, you'll get practice not concentrating so much on what your playing. :bassist:
 
#14
fourstringburn said:
Best to be yourself. If you try to be something your not, you probably will look ridiculous. I never heard any one complain about classic bass players like John Entwistle, Bill Wyman, or John Paul Jones and others being near motionless onstage. They relied on their talent, not there stage presence.

Some people are born with a natural extrovert exuberance and some people aren't. That doesn't make you less of a person.
Click to expand...

He does make a good point. I think its good to push your boundaries, but don't try to force something. I find if I focus less on my playing and more on the music then I tend to exude a little more confidence, move around a little bit more, and play with a smile.
 
#15
Hey brendanbassist


What key is this piece in and what scale is it based off?



bach_bwv903.gif
 
#16
that is true what they are saying, like above.
you could also try something simple. I know Steve Harris does run around the stage alot, but one thing he does is put on foot on a PA while he plays.
Just put a foot up on a pa so your not just staying upright, you got a bit of a different pose while you're playing.
 
#17
fourstringburn said:
Hey brendanbassist


What key is this piece in and what scale is it based off?



View attachment 174690
Click to expand...
My sight reading is not good. I'm working on it though.

Since there is only one flat, I think that would be in the key of F. Although if that is the case, I'm not sure why the C appears to be marked with a natural sign. Its tough to see in the picture, but as far as I can tell it is the major scale since it contains the major third (A).

Since you brought up standard notation vs. tabs, I would like to see you play "Portrait of Tracy" using only sheet music. If you know the locations of all those harmonics on the fretboard, then I would be very impressed.

I hope we can both agree that each has there benefits, and both are important to learn, as well as learning scales, intervals, and chords.
 
#18
your close, the scale is based off a D minor(F MAJOR RELATIVE), with the B flat being natural and an added C# accidental but the decending scale in the measure is a D minor scale then restarting the run on C# to a B flat and jumping up and ending on E played in 32 second notes.

As for playing portrait of tracy by notation, sure I can read it, but to play it in harmonics as Jaco did it would be tough because the technique involved and I don't sit around and play harmonics. But a written musical note is a generic alphabet and I am fluent in both clefs so yes I can read it. If you have a link to it, can you share it because I would like to try it.

The only reason I picked on you is because the abundance of Gene simmons bashing is getting old. I been told that if I listen to Kiss that I COULDN'T be much of a musician! That;'s a laugh coming from a guy who can't read a note of music just as Gene Simmons can't either. So each of these bashers share the same common ground as Gene Simmons. They both play bass and can't read music!

I like a lot of music whether technicaly challenging or not. It's a long way from Bach to AC/DC but I like them both.

I would like to see people be more considerate of music styles and bands because what you may like, I may hate. It doesn't matter. But I think some need to be called out when they start throwing the word "musicianship" around.
 
#20
fourstringburn said:
your close, the scale is based off a D minor(F MAJOR RELATIVE), with the B flat being natural and an added C# accidental but the decending scale in the measure is a D minor scale then restarting the run on C# to a B flat and jumping up and ending on E played in 32 second notes.

As for playing portrait of tracy by notation, sure I can read it, but to play it in harmonics as Jaco did it would be tough because the technique involved and I don't sit around and play harmonics. But a written musical note is a generic alphabet and I am fluent in both clefs so yes I can read it. If you have a link to it, can you share it because I would like to try it.

The only reason I picked on you is because the abundance of Gene simmons bashing is getting old. I been told that if I listen to Kiss that I COULDN'T be much of a musician! That;'s a laugh coming from a guy who can't read a note of music just as Gene Simmons can't either. So each of these bashers share the same common ground as Gene Simmons. They both play bass and can't read music!

I like a lot of music whether technicaly challenging or not. It's a long way from Bach to AC/DC but I like them both.

I would like to see people be more considerate of music styles and bands because what you may like, I may hate. It doesn't matter. But I think some need to be called out when they start throwing the word "musicianship" around.
Click to expand...

Ah, so those were C#'s. Looked like a Natural sign, which was confusing me a lot!

I didn't mean to say that Kiss's music is worthless, or that liking their music makes anyone less of a player. I was just using them as an example of a band who puts the focus on the entertainment rather than the music. And they definitely do what the do VERY well.

Glad we could come to some sort of resolution. Here's Portrait of Tracy. Peace. :)

http://www.lucaspickford.com/transtracy.htm

EDIT:
fourstringburn said:
By the way, if you play the measure you should recognize it as Jaco did a version of this piece on bass.
Click to expand...

Chromatic Fantasy, correct?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back