^ I have always loved every part of the recording process, and I've been blessed to working some good studios with good people. During mixing I often lie on the control room couch, or an big easy chair, and I hear every single part 2,000 times. When everyone agrees that everything is perfect, and it goes to mastering or manufacturing, THAT is when I hear that glaring bad edit, or the note I don't like, and I will hear it for the REST OF MY LIFE.
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Playing live and making mistakes
- Thread starter Mata Leao
- Start date
Isn't that the truth!! An odd note in a live performance vanishes like a fart in the wind. On a record it's there for eternity.
Had a serious blank out one night playing Living on a Prayer. The keys came in like they do, and then I started playing the bass lick. The band mates were eye balling me pretty hard. I gave them the shrugged "what?" and kept doing what I was doing. The drums came in, and they were still eyeballing me. The verse never started. I'm wondering what the heck they're doing. They're still eyeballing me. Then it hit me, I wasn't playing the correct riff. What I was playing made it hard to flip over without giving it some thought and repeating what I was playing to get the timing right. Got ready, gave the band mates the nod and we nailed right into the correct version.
After the set, had a few muso's come up and tell me they loved our version of Living on a Prayer and we should spice it up like that from now on. The band, however, not so much.
After the set, had a few muso's come up and tell me they loved our version of Living on a Prayer and we should spice it up like that from now on. The band, however, not so much.
"The Beat Of No Return", where pant-wetting terror gives way to elation or despair. I find laughing like a lunatic is usually the best response to either outcome.
Same here, especially with song keys. I recently got a look at the Rolling Stones set list for their most recent European tour, and darned if they don't put the keys on there!
Funny thing happened with us in regard to song keys. Fletcher and Gil share rhythm guitar/lead vocal and drum duties. For a while each song title on the set list was followed by a "F" or "G" to signify who will be paying drums on the song. More than once Fletcher saw "G" (for Gil on drums) for a song he's playing guitar on and started the song in G, which was of course the wrong key.
They have since abandoned that practice. 
I'll do whatever the people around me are doing. Some are there to blow off some steam, make a few bucks and generally have fun without getting all verklempt about imperfection. I can play loose and not worry about it. Some take it a lot more seriously..one or two are mortified if they so much as invision any lack of polish in a public performance. I do the work that needs to be done to see to it that I am never a weak link or a buzzkill for them as long as they are there with me working just as hard. I won't bust butt for slackers
I tell people that I will miss a note. I watch the guitar for chords. The guy I play the most with capo's a lot of his songs. I usually do pretty well with key changes. Occasionally when he capo'd 3 frets with playing in the G position, my concentration will wander then I will start playing in the key of "G"
%$#@ Soul Shine. I'm doing that in 4 diferent keys and 4 slightly different arrangements with 4 different bands none of whom rehearse...ever.
You call that thing and I can pretty much gurantee you a clam
You call that thing and I can pretty much gurantee you a clam
Speaking of the Mule, check out what happens about 5:15 when, whoops, half the band gets like two beats behind the other half.
So, you know, happens to the best of them, too.
I jammed with players that were great live but not that great of musicians and vice versa. Sometimes the tempo is to fast/slow or you don't hold a note long enough. Many are the reasons to be considered a mistake. But its about the feel not the absolution. So have fun and make music I say 
we all make them, anyone who says they don't, lies.
Just roll with it, keep going and work on what you need to for next time. Chances are you wont make the same mistake, but you'll screw up on something else for sure. It happens, don't dwell on it too much
Just roll with it, keep going and work on what you need to for next time. Chances are you wont make the same mistake, but you'll screw up on something else for sure. It happens, don't dwell on it too much
On my set list, every song has a + (for bass starts at the head), or a - (for bass comes in after an intro), and the first note I play in the song. Some have reminders for specific effects.
The patterns are all pretty well emblazoned in my brain, I just need a little push start sometimes. My mistakes come when my mind wanders. Sometimes as I near the end of a song I’ll start to think about how great it is that I haven’t flubbed yet, and then screw the pooch.
The patterns are all pretty well emblazoned in my brain, I just need a little push start sometimes. My mistakes come when my mind wanders. Sometimes as I near the end of a song I’ll start to think about how great it is that I haven’t flubbed yet, and then screw the pooch.
I make mistakes live all the time.
The difference after years of experience is the recovery from said mistake is much faster.
I don't try and make up for a missed or sour note, just continue on with the song.
In my youth I used to be horrified by glaring mistakes on my part.
Now I just let it go and enjoy playing.
If a drummer makes a mistake, well, that's grounds for dismissal, nuff said.
The difference after years of experience is the recovery from said mistake is much faster.
I don't try and make up for a missed or sour note, just continue on with the song.
In my youth I used to be horrified by glaring mistakes on my part.
Now I just let it go and enjoy playing.
If a drummer makes a mistake, well, that's grounds for dismissal, nuff said.
If you're not making mistakes, you're not growing. I go out of my element occasionally, and sometimes I don't land right, but I learn.
