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Less Mistakes training...advice??

#21
Scot said:
Finally, music is supposed to be fun. If you find that your starting to take things too seriously it might be time to get out and do something else. Get some exercise, ride your bike, take your dog for a walk. :)
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Amen to that!! Reminds me of a quote:

"The value of an exercise depends on your state of mind. If you don't find it interesting, then it is not useful." Madeline Bruser - The Art of Practicing.

I'd replace interesting with enjoyable - still applies.:)
 
#23
depending on how much time you have, if you absolutely hit a clam....

walk it up or down in minor 3rs, you will eventually lock back into key

----------
if its fast stuff and you miss the boat, well what you need is to acquire unconscious competence

practice and focus will get you there
 
#24
easy songs are the bane of my existence when it comes to concentration.

i have to force myself to think about it, i usually do this by saying every note in my head, analyzing intervals and chord structures of my part, or adding a gross amount of percussive and mute notes to lock in with the drummer (don't do this one live much but it adds another dimension and keeps my attention)

but when it comes down to it i would much rather have a groovin piece of funk than play Blitzkrieg bop
 
#25
One of the best things to do before a show is get grounded, especially with your band. If you guys do a group meditation or prayer or something along those lines then you'll really be able to connect onstage.

And +1 to the guy above who mentioned the energy. Feel it, use it, let it move you and the audience.
 
#26
lowendlover said:
the sign of a true musician is someone who regardless of what happens, can hop right back in the pocket like it never happened.
Click to expand...

+1 This is it. Most people in the audience don't hear mistakes the same way players do. But if it gets in your head, it could be trouble.

I find that I get the most distracted when I start thinking about what I'm doing too much. This is especially true when I start thinking about how well everything is going, and how great it all sounds. Once that happens, CLAMS follow.

Keep the mind clear. If you are distracted in your mind, you'll be distracted in your fingers too.
 
#27
I forgot to mention one piece of advice I got that has actually served pretty well. A friend of mine who is just an incredible musician, and a working pro for decades told me that if I blow a bassline, do it again.

Kind of like the old saying: do it once, it's a mistake, do it twice and it's jazz.

Granted this isn't always the right choice, but it can clean things up and fool your audience into thinking a clam was intentional.
 
#28
As suggested in the past, I've found in recent band practices that singing my part (and properly breathing) makes my playing more focused and timing more tight. I just need to make sure that I don't move my lips too much while doing it.
 
#29
kynoch- Lots of good advice. No one wants to make a mistake, but they're going to happen. How you deal with them is about the only thing you can control. One thing you might consider is 'who really noticed...and who really cares'. Don't give a mistake more attention that it deserves.
 
#30
Lots of great advice here - thanks for the thoughts.

I'm an older player (53) with 20+ years playing bass. I'm in a younger original project (guys are 30). We've been playing since June. I did take a 18month break in 07-09 from playing for some unrelated medical issues.

Anyway, now we're starting to play out a bit. And I find my concentration is really suffering and I make lots of mistakes. That never was a problem before.

I have a day job and I set up the pa as well as playing so that takes away from my warm up and general focus on the music. But I've done that for years with other bands, playing more complex stuff.

The thoughts here on getting mentally 'centered' before you start might be the most valuable. I use most of the other things mentioned like singing the parts while playing and not telegraphing that a mistake was made - just get locked back in.

A couple of weeks ago we played two nights in the same place. The first night was awful for me and not helped by the other guys drinking too much and playing poorly themselves (forgetting whole parts of songs and singing with that 'drunk' voice). I don't drink when I play but made my own share of concentration mistakes (bum notes here and there and missed a few chord changes). I am able to move on after a mistake but I tend to get more upset and less-focused if I am making mistakes.

We had a 'discussion' after the gig and I really couldn't point out that their playing was affected by over-imbibing since mine was just plain bad. Doing the next night wasn't looking promising.

I really did some soul searching the next day about my playing in general and this band in particular. I played through most of the material in the afternoon (sat), got to the show early (we had to set up again) and made sure I took time to warm up. I drank more water than usual. The other guys decided to try the gig sober (to my surprise). There still were only a few people there but we played much better together. My own mistakes were minimal, but I could tell when I was getting mentally tired because that's when I'd hit a clam.

I do this for fun and really to be my personal best. I don't really care if there's a crowd of people or not. But I'd really like to overcome having such a hard time getting focused and staying that way. Warm up helped and making sure I wasn't dehydrated seemed to help. I think the other guys noticed it was better without a couple of pitchers and some shots, which was helpful.

Just my .02

--Kevin
 
#31
Lots of good advice

as mentioned above, developing your ability to execute a speedy , and preferably groove-preserving recovery is more realistic and practical than aiming for a flawless performance, IMHO.

I think that ability comes from lost of practice, and especially developing your ear so you can more smoothly return to the correct way of playing the song.
 
#32
I find that it is important to focus on the moment and not think too far ahead, or to brood on mistakes. If there is a difficult passage ahead, play it only as it happens - don't anticipate it too far ahead, as this messes up the easy part. Also, if you flub it, get back on the "one" right after and continue playing as if nothing happened. Otherwise you mess up the whole performance, not only yours, but the whole band.
 
#33
Factor mistakes into you thoughts, accept that you will make them and move on. Everybody makes mistakes, you can play a mistake free gig that is terrible, and you can have a mistake riddled one that is great. Only you know what is supposed to happen so let them go, don't give them power to repeat by dwelling on them.
The brain is a very accomodating thing, you will do what it is thinking, then say " i knew that was going to happen" just after it happens, whether it is right or wrong, but dwell on it more when it is wrong LOL:D
 
#34
I was at a major festival last summer when an internationally known performer was playing one of her signature pieces on a grand piano.
One particularly moving passage ends on a strong bass note, which she hit a semitone flat. I saw her stiffen ever so slightly, then she played a three octave arpeggio climbing up from the clam. By the time she got to the end it sounded perfect.

I was totally impressed by such a professional recovery. Later I discussed it with friends, nobody else had heard it.
 
#35
Common logic is, "Don't practice till you get it right -- practice till you can't get it wrong." Comfort with what you're playing and playing as often as you can really helps. I have recordings of my band from 30 years ago when we played every night. I cannot believe that I played what I played while singing. When you don't have to think, it comes. That's what practice allows.
 

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