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How many mistakes do you make on average per set, song ?
- Thread starter Huw Phillips
- Start date
It's not a question of claiming perfection but of aiming for it and being motivated to work towards it.
I felt that some of my earlier posts in the thread could be (mis)interpreted as claiming perfection, and that your reference to 'full of crap people' could have been aimed in my direction, so I just wanted to clarify that I was, in fact, not claiming perfection. Obviously got that wrong - no offence.
Number 1 is not always a mistake and anyone who thinks that way lacks a fundamental understanding of harmony.
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My attitude is that you aim for perfection in practice (and in the studio, obviously) and then go easy on yourself live. In a live setting you lose 15% of whatever level you reach in practice because of distractions and all the stuff you can't quite control, but you want that 15% to be from a place of knowing what you're doing really well. But what matters live is the energy and delivering to the audience.
Also, there's mistakes and MISTAKES. There's utter train-wreck mistakes, and then there's just a minor dropped note or a wrong passing note. I'm probably not making 2-3 mistakes every song during a live set, but there's definitely a missed note here and there over a night. Most of it doesn't matter.
Also, there's mistakes and MISTAKES. There's utter train-wreck mistakes, and then there's just a minor dropped note or a wrong passing note. I'm probably not making 2-3 mistakes every song during a live set, but there's definitely a missed note here and there over a night. Most of it doesn't matter.
+1
Blues notes we call them. I meant to do that.
If it's something not entirely unmusical and terrible, I'll sometimes circle around and intentionally do it again, quickly scaffolding to something more accurate, as sort of a smoke screen. That is basically how blues and jazz works.
Dave has a few bona fides under his belt.
I agree that it isn't always a mistake, but I think Dave is someone whose general advice might be worth listening to and I wouldn't suggest he lacks a fundamental understanding of anything relevant to this forum.
Not sure who Dave is, (wouldn't mind knowing) but saying " always play the root on one " does imply a lack of understanding how harmony works. Sorry...I'm not trying to be insulting but it is what it is.
I play a lot of lines where I am playing some note other than the root on " 1 " and they sound just fine. The trick is knowing what note other than the root will work.
Mistakes aren't the problem, worrying about them is. ... Then you've made two mistakes. ... Think of a song as a complete journey. ... That way you can stand back and get an over view instead of shrinking it down to small details. ... The audience wants a good show so most mistakes you hear pass them by. ... Though there are those clunkers/train wrecks that just seem to hang suspended in mid air. .. Forgive yourself and others.
Groove Master
Commercial User
- Apr 22, 2011
- 1,808
- 1,291
- Disclosures
- Author of Groove 101, Slap 101 and Technique 101
None !
Everybody rely on the bass. It is our responsibility. Get used to it and put all the efforts to make it right....every time.
Everybody rely on the bass. It is our responsibility. Get used to it and put all the efforts to make it right....every time.
Groove Master
Commercial User
- Apr 22, 2011
- 1,808
- 1,291
- Disclosures
- Author of Groove 101, Slap 101 and Technique 101
I don't make mistakes. And when I do I repeat them so they sound like I planned it.
I make *NO* mistakes while playing songs...
...I do however, take liberal artistic license with the content.
...I do however, take liberal artistic license with the content.
Bob Glaub gave me some sage advice many years ago. He said to me, "Play every note like you mean it...even if it is the wrong note". A few mistakes here and there during a song live will not kill you, but if you back off on the intensity or your commitment to that note, the bottom end of the music will fall off, and that is when you get the dirty looks from the rest of the band.
I believe it was Carlos Santana who said something like "your style is determined by the mistakes you make that you decide to keep". If that's the case then I have A LOT of style.
I lack the discipline to execute much stuff note perfect. I also sing, so there's the walking and chewing gum/pat your head while you rum your tummy stuff to deal with. I can watch 10 years olds on youtube play devastating stuff I'll never master but I love playing bass, dammit!
I lack the discipline to execute much stuff note perfect. I also sing, so there's the walking and chewing gum/pat your head while you rum your tummy stuff to deal with. I can watch 10 years olds on youtube play devastating stuff I'll never master but I love playing bass, dammit!
I used to date a waitress at a club I performed in frequently. She mentioned once that I seemed to have a lot fun playing because I was smiling a lot. I told her I smile whenever I screw up! She thought that was hilarious!
Nah. Over time, muscle memory has pretty much taken over for most of the familiar stuff.
I learned long ago that if I practice something slowly, but bang on, I'll build up to a point where I can go full speed perfectly.
