Have you ever just blanked out on stage?

[JtSD619]

It happens. Just got to remember to remain calm, slowly turn to the drummer, and proceed to give him a funny look like he messed something up.

 

[St_G]

I only play in 4/4.

...forgot where the 5 was.

 

[Old Blastard]

Worse. I forgot where the 5 was on my fretboard. I just kept playing the root. I got funky with it though.

OK, that's a lie

 

[Wisebass]

Just got to remember to remain calm, slowly turn to the drummer, and proceed to give him a funny look like he messed something up

Naaaa just fire the guy!

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

I envy metal guitarists who can just dive-bomb out of trouble and go into Vernon Reid territory until they figure out where they are. Then again, there is always this!

 

[micguy]

A couple of weekends ago, I probably looked like I blanked for a bit. Went up on stage. Plugged in my bass and ears. Waiting for cues from the technical director (a church gig, so we get cued from the booth when to start). All of sudden, without any cues, the rest of the band starts playing. What? I hadn't plugged my ears in ALL THE WAY - the plug was 1/8 of an inch from being "there" . Took a few seconds to figure out what wasn't happening, then I had to find a place to jump in.

The Worship Leader always sends around a recording of one of the services the next day. He chose the other service, so I didn' t have to/get to hear that again. One more bit of "experience".

 

[JGbassman]

Sometimes I'll blank a first note. Then it's brutal for a few seconds. It doesn't help the guitar/vocalist will jump on the wrong note on occasion, and really throw me off. It's usually done in a second but there is some panic involved in a short amount of time.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

An embarrassing number of times. But almost always in a situation where I feel like I have the song down cold, but my mind wanders. Then for the next dozen times or so, I use my own fear to force me to be alert all the way through something I think I already have down. After that, I'm usually good. But now that I think about it, there are songs I've played and sung more than a hundred times, and every once in a while I still blank on them. I sometimes think the hardest discipline of all is to pay attention to what you can easily do by rote. Maybe that's why the line under my picture reads the way it does...

 

[LBS-bass]

I’ve gotten really good at making a “thump” sound with no discernible pitch, just for such occasions. I can keep playing rhythmically so most people don’t realize I’m faking it and just playing ghost notes while my mind is fighting its way through the matrix back to reality.

I just slide around rhythmically until I manage to slide into a note that sounds correct I do a fair amount of glissando anyway, so most people don't notice

 

[BurnOut]

Yes, and it usually means flubbed lines and a mad dash to find my place again. Luckily hasn't happened while I am singing, probably cause my head is in the game more then.

 

[eekamike]

poopie

Today I learned that TalkBass has a language filter lol.

I'm glad to hear all these stories lol, it does make me feel better. Also got some good tips about jumping back in on the song or dropping out. Next time I'll just blame the drummer

 

[lfmn16]

I play keys and bass, and on some songs play keys with hands and bass on a Studiologic pedal board with my feet. One night, right before Motley Crue's Home Sweet Home I spaced and it took about 10 seconds for me to remember how the song started. Fortunately it starts with Keyboards, so they couldn't start without me. I can't ever really remember it happening other than that one time.

 

[SOUTH PAW]

I've found it happens to me on occasion, and usually when a combination of things come together. After not playing something I'm very familiar with beacause a lot of new stuff being concentrated on and worked out, and then returning to it on autopilot while preoccupied with the new stuff ( or anything else for that matter ). It's like going from total focused concentration, to who am I ? Where am I ? And how did I get here ?

 

[BurnOut]

Today I learned that TalkBass has a language filter lol.

I'm glad to hear all these stories lol, it does make me feel better. Also got some good tips about jumping back in on the song or dropping out. Next time I'll just blame the drummer

Noticed this a couple weeks ago during a PM. Specifically - Poopie and Shag

 

[SOUTH PAW]

View attachment 2939437

It looks like this guy not only got off bass, he ended up playing at a sub level.

 

[MCS4]

This is one of the reasons why I prefer in live settings to play music that is technically difficult or that is complicated for other reasons (such as requiring a lot of singing) and therefore requires more in-the-moment concentration. It doesn't mean you can't space out but it does help to minimize it.

 

[mikeyjm2]

Like pretty much everyone else, it has happened to me. Thing is the times it's happened to me it's been on songs I know inside and out. Guess that's what I get for letting my mind wander.

 

[Kmonk]

It's only happened to me once. Luckily, the keyboard player was able to cover for me.

 

[two fingers]

You kidn? I've "blanked out" on my kids' names!

My wallet LIVES in a blanked out zone about half the time.

Yeah, we've all done it. It happens.

The fun ones are when the bridge of a song is coming and you can't remember where to go. Your heart races. You get a panicked look. Your palms sweat.....

.....and then as if programmed to do so your fingers just keep playing the dang song anyway. You hit the bridge flawlessly and keep right on playing. It's weird but makes for a good laugh when it happens.

Your band mates see you looking like you just crapped your pants one second, and then suddenly laughing for no reason the next. Good times.


.....now somebody help me find my keys so I can go pick up what's-her-name from school.

 

[Robscott]

The guys in my band all have Alzheimers I reckon (no offence anyone). When we play What'd I Say and we get to the part where it goes "Hey"...."Ho"....etc, no one can remember the lyrics. Dunno how the Stones manage it....