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The 80/20 rule
- Thread starter oldcatfish
- Start date
I disagree, especially considering the OP mentioned a comparison to what you play at home. Picture Bruce Lee's 'empty mind' theory. According to what you wrote and his theory, you should be able to play a given piece reflexively and effortlessly, without even thinking about it. But in your home rehearsal space you should be doing more than that or risk stagnation: you should be working on knowledge and techniques that might not be ready to share with an audience yet.
The only time I can imagine playing close to 100% onstage is if I were in a group with a Miles Davis philosophy. He WANTED his musicians to be practicing and experimenting in front of the audience because he knew that would liberate them to come up with fresh ideas and to play closer to the edge of their ability.
Which is a totally different beast from what you were describing in your initial post. I completely get having little notice at all and winging it with the best version you can. Hell, I did a nine night gig this past December with 30 minutes notice to drive 7 hours and do the gig. granted, classic rock, modern and classic Country which I already had a grasp of, followed the rest of the week every day with "learn these next five for tomorrow night so we can vary it up." So I get what you're saying re: short notice.
I still stand by my thought on your initial thought of not being able to fully do live what you can nail at home. It's not something I comprehend.
I don't think you're situation is that much different than other folks. Most of us have five or six bands going at the same time. Still get the call to sub for a local band or put together a make up band for special occasions. The genres range from accompanying old time fiddlers, to Chicago blues. Maple Sugar to Killing Floor.
I had stage fright for a moment when I started this journey. The answer was to work hard at prep. It's the same as learning how to prepare and deliver a briefing/speech. Know the material inside out. In this, knowledge truly is empowering.
If you're not comfortable, I suggest that you cut back on the genre diversity. Either that or practice and play out much more.
I played with a drummer who once told me that when his drum teacher was learning a new song for their band, they would take a box of matches empty it out and place one match back in the box every time they played the song correct from start to finish, with no mistakes. He would continue to do this until all the matches were back in the box. Apparently that was his gauge to determine if they were ready to gig the song live.
Absolutely mental, but there is method to the madness I suppose.
Absolutely mental, but there is method to the madness I suppose.
LOL I had a friend who did similar thing.
When he learned a new song he put a match in a box every time he played it right, keep a note of the amount each song took, and would refill the box according to his notes for that song when he practiced.
He did this for each song over a year, then after that he took a match out each time he played it right.......after ten years the box is still more than half full for all the songs he worked on.
This is where I am with my current band. Our songs tend to be somewhat complex takes of standards and R&B tunes and at any given moment the rhythm, groove and even harmony can shift into new territory and I have to be able to go with it, or create it.
On one gig we were playing Stevie Wonders, Isn't She Lovely and somehow during the song, it felt perfectly natural for it to morph into 6/8 time. Now we only do it in 6/8. Also, I can remember songs where I have had a literal feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff and I have to maintain perfect balance or I fall off... For me, those situations take 100% focus.
There's no way I could hang with those guys trying to cruise at 20%. I'd have been fired long ago.
Yes, you are right, it is a little different than what I originally described. But, my point is that with my work situation, family situation, and short notice of the songs...there is no realistic way to "practice until I can play the songs in my sleep," like someone who is in a band with a fairly stable set list. The songs are different every week and I am often playing different instruments from week to week--sometimes drums, sometimes bass, sometimes acoustic guitar, and sometimes lead electric guitar.
And the response that called it "headroom" is exactly what I was trying to describe in my original post, but I have only ever heard it called the 80/20 rule. I feel that on bass, my comfortable headroom is much higher when playing live as opposed to the other instruments. Bass really is an easier instrument--for me. It fits my hand better (I always feel a little cramped on the guitar), it suits my introverted personality better, and I regain my chops much more easily--if I neglect to practice. It just surprises me that my headroom threshold is so much higher for bass as opposed to the other instruments.
Maybe not "in your sleep", but I think you should give yourself more credit in your abilities. I can't speak to instruments other than bass, I'm sure I'd be lost as anything trying short notice gigs on them. Going back to my 30 minute notice December gig that added 5 new songs every night that I had to learn every day for 8 nights, I found charting to be my best friend. No, I didn't do everything note-for-note (certainly any signature bass parts). But charts (and I do them in my mutilated numbers method) allow me to get the gist of the song and walk away until show time. That translated to, at most, a couple hours a day to whittle out the new stuff.
I'm betting you've got the skills to do something like that and pull it off at show time.
--Well, I usually get chord charts provided from the churches...with one of the churches the worship leader actually has me double check them for accuracy/corrections if we are doing a specific version of a song. And I really think that the name of the thread 80/20 is not exactly accurate either--I'm not making mistakes an actual 80% of the time. But it feels like it to me when I'm not playing bass. I'm pretty hard on myself when I make noticeable mistakes--and usually I probably am the only one who notices. As a matter of fact, the drum example that I mentioned in my original post must not have been as bad as I thought--I got requested to play drums at the church again, and I am not the only one available that week. The bass player definitely noticed it though. I got the dreaded "fish eye."
haven't read all 151 posts, but this is i think closer to correct if you're gonna try and shoehorn that idea into performing.
the 80/20 rule is actually about something else entirely, namely planning a task or project; you're supposed to do the 20% of the work that gets the job 80% done first, then concentrate on the 80% of your effort remaining that gets the last 20% of the job done.
Every professional I have ever talked to about this has stated virtually the same thing to me: you practice to a goal of 10/10ths and you perform to a goal of 9/10ths (90% ability). The idea is that there are always things in a live performance that will keep you from perfection. Perfect practice makes mistakes much easier to avoid and since you can dictate your own time it's up to you to set the goal of what 100% looks like. I've also heard (and live by) the idea that you should practice above your level of competence as frequently as possible. A slight bit of over-training today makes the 9/10ths much easier tomorrow.
right, you're supposed to work on the things you can't play, so that eventually you can play them. (i totally need to get to work doing this)
what you should not do is "practice" by playing the things you can't play at speed and getting it wrong; at that point you're just training your fingers to play it wrong.
I play 80% of the songs on the set list with 20% effort because that is all the require. I Will typically try something new every gig that I'm thinking about on the spot though. If it doesn't work I scrap it and move on. Jimi Hendrix had interesting thoughts on this. The 80 20 rule is very Steve vai, I think he said only play to 90% of your capability live. That said, it all works out if you continue to progress. I'm sure my 20% is technically better than some ppls 20% and worse than others.
