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performance worries

wcnewby

wcnewby

Guest
Feb 23, 2012
275
28
St. Germain Wisconsin
#1
I am a new bass player, but I started playing bass to accompany a friend who plays a guitar. I have been practicing hard, and we have rehearsed together probably 8 times. He wants to go do an open mike in a week.

I'm not afraid of making an ass of myself, I've been doing it all my life, and am a seasoned guru. Still, I'm nervous... We do sound good, in spots, and if we work on these two songs for the next week, it might not be horrendous.

Then again, I could get scared and suck, then someone might throw a pitcher of beer on me... this is where I could get confused. Would it be inappropriate to kick them in the face? What if it gets on my baby...?

I need some experienced people to tell me not to worry...
 
#3
Don't sweat it, a lack of confidence on stage shines through to everybody.

I thought for a bit I might have stage fright with my band but it turned out to be just the opposite, I just the stage and letting loose on it.

Here's what has completely stopped all inklings of stage fright:

Realizing that there is someone else up there with you who is depending on you to play your part to the best of your ability! You're on a team and you gotta sack up!

Also, remember the reason you're doing it in the first place, for fun. So have fun!
 
#4
Yeah don't worry just have fun open mic night is a good place to loosen up and lose the stage fright just do what you do if you flob a note here or there that is going to happen early on in your playing just remember no faces and never stop if you screw up no matter what let us know how you do. 40+ years banging on these 4 strings.
 
#6
Open mic is a lot of fun.

Nobody is going to throw a pitcher of beer on you. At least I don't think so. Open mic acts range from really terrible to really excellent, that's why you don't get paid......

Just go in there with a good attitude. Do your best, I'm willing to bet you'll get a bunch of "high fives" from people. It's kinda how those work. It can be a great way to get used to playing for audience without a lot of pressure, if you haven't done it before.

Just relax and enjoy yourself.....if you do that.....the playing will take care of itself......
 
#8
Making mistakes is OK. Losing continuity is not.
No one will notice a mistake, but they will notice how you deal with it.

If you really analize anyone elses live performance you will see that mistakes are really common. The only thing bad you must not do is give any significance to the mistake, and interupt your flow. Just keep pounding away, and ignore the mistake yourself.

If you do tense up, clench your toes in cycles. Nobody can see it, but it sucks up the adrenalin and allows you to relax the rest of you, and vent the tension out your feet.
 
#9
Chainsaw Willie said:
Making mistakes is OK. Losing continuity is not.
No one will notice a mistake, but they will notice how you deal with it.

If you really analize anyone elses live performance you will see that mistakes are really common. The only thing bad you must not do is give any significance to the mistake, and interupt your flow. Just keep pounding away, and ignore the mistake yourself.

If you do tense up, clench your toes in cycles. Nobody can see it, but it sucks up the adrenalin and allows you to relax the rest of you, and vent the tension out your feet.
Click to expand...

I chew gum when I'm playing often times......especially if I'm nervous. I don't sing much, when I do it's backup, and I find that having that small distraction helps.

May sound weird, but it works for me for some reason when I'm tense.
 
#10
You should only be concerned if you stop worrying about making an ass of yourself, being nervous or afraid you are going to blow it. Then you are just going through the motions and risk a dull evening.
It is those butterflies and over-the-top worries that give me the turbo charged extra edge and excitement to a performance.
 
#12
As everyone else has said, have fun with it and don't stop, EVER. My worst-ever flub was starting off with the bass riff on Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl. I was rocking out, having fun with it, but when the guitarist came in it sounded like complete ****. he was looking at me with cocked eyebrows, I was looking at him because we both know something's horribly wrong, but we're still playing it. Then I realize I'm on the wrong friggin' string! I bust out laughing, shift over to the right key, and the song keeps going.

The audience never even noticed, though our drummer did. He didn't find it nearly as amusing as I did, but he tends to be uptight about such things.
 
#13
Playing live is what I love most all when it comes to the bass. I've been at it for 41 years now and I still can't wait till show time. Practice at home, rehearse again a few more times and you'll nail it and have a blast while you're at it too. And to tell you the truth, I still enjoy the odd train wreck, just to let the air out of some of the egos we developed as the years go by. In other words, it keeps us all honest.

The only thing left to say is "go have some fun".
 

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