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What do you think about while you are gigging.

#62
86general said:
Sometimes I'm loving it....into the music, enjoying everything I'm playing and hearing. But sometimes, I'm just bored, or if not really bored, just feeling, well, nothing, just playing and looking down at the set list and thinking about what's next. Or watching the audience.

I'm relatively new to playing live. I'm pushing 50 and have been a guitarist since I was about 12, but I've only put a band together and started playing live for the last 2 years or so.

Somehow, I used to think gigging would always be something where you were into and focused on music. And maybe there's something wrong with me, but the irony is that it seems like it's a minority of the time that I'm really lost in the music. I still enjoy it, but at times I'm not sure why I enjoy it.

What do you guys and gals do or think about while playing live?
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The assumption I come to from your post is maybe you need a different situation as the one you are in might not be inspirational enough. In the past once I started to think more about other things than the music it was usually because something about the band was bothering me. Aside from that, there is always the little moments that I think about the drunk fool that keeps approaching the mic stands and I wonder how eminent his toppling into me is, or I'll watch the group of ladies dancing but it's all mindless stuff that doesn't take my focus off the music.
 
#63
jaywa said:
Putting on my flame suit now... but my personal opinion is that if you're having to think about what you're doing on your instrument, you need more practice time.
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you know, I see too many musicians not thinking about what they're doing. I'm pretty sure my phone rings because I do my best to concentrate on what I'm doing. Maybe other guys can do it, but to control tone, time, taste, groove, sound in the room, accompaning a soloist or singer, form, etc takes some focus.
 
#64
Pacman said:
you know, I see too many musicians not thinking about what they're doing. I'm pretty sure my phone rings because I do my best to concentrate on what I'm doing. Maybe other guys can do it, but to control tone, time, taste, groove, sound in the room, accompaning a soloist or singer, form, etc takes some focus.
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I agree with you good sir. I've played a good amount of shows, though not nearly as many as some on TB. And I've always focused on all that stuff or have done my best to do so. Back in my earlier years I drank quite a bit and even then I tried to focus on all those things. Some may have the know how to not think of a damn thing up there while playing, but me, I have to focus. So many more variables playing live venue to venue.
 
#65
gregmon79 said:
I agree with you good sir. I've played a good amount of shows, though not nearly as many as some on TB. And I've always focused on all that stuff or have done my best to do so. Back in my earlier years I drank quite a bit and even then I tried to focus on all those things. Some may have the know how to not think of a damn thing up there while playing, but me, I have to focus. So many more variables playing live venue to venue.
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I can't say I've always focused at gigs, but that's precisely why I made the statement I made. I've become more in demand, and am able to command a much higher rate since I've "tightened my game up."
 
#66
"What do you think about while you are gigging?"

which chic in the audience is gonna "get it" tonite. ;)


But as far as playing, I'm always being aware of what the next song is..what I'm playng (to an extent ;) ) and most importantly , my sweet moves.
 
#68
Pacman said:
you know, I see too many musicians not thinking about what they're doing. I'm pretty sure my phone rings because I do my best to concentrate on what I'm doing. Maybe other guys can do it, but to control tone, time, taste, groove, sound in the room, accompaning a soloist or singer, form, etc takes some focus.
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Yeah... I probably didn't do a very good job of conveying exactly what I meant originally. By no means did I want to imply that completely "tuning out" of the gig at hand was the sign of professionalism.

What I meant to convey is more along the lines of what Mystic Michael stated (much more eloquently) earlier in this thread. When you get to the point that you know your instrument and the songs well enough that you're not just obsessing on that and can completely give yourself over to the moment, what's being collectively created on stage, generate some audience interaction/engagement, etc. ... that's the goal.
 
#69
Thanks again for all the replies. To those who took the serious road and admonished me about focus, etc., I am going to pay more attention to that next time and see what I notice. I don't think I lack focus. I think we all know that there are certain passages, sometimes a whole song, where you have to really concentrate and focus because of some element of the challenge (rhythmic, the line, whatever), but that there are also many things which become automatic, where we don't have to be hypervigilant toward technique, say, or timing, or whatever it might be. I have found that in these instances, say playing root 8th notes or quarter notes or even a repeating arp groove, sometimes if I think about what I'm doing technically, it will make me MORE likely to make a mistake. It's very hard to discuss something like this without getting into problems of subjectivity, etc. Anyway, it is during those times, when my hands and my "core" are on autopilot, that I've noticed my mind wandering sometimes. Other times, it doesn't, and I will sometimes have the experience of really feeling the music, or connecting with someone else in the band, whatever. I just wish it happened more.
 
#70
lbanks said:
"why does this sound like that? Where's the solo? Am I outta tune? When did this start in F? Oh Lord, I think I have to poop! Do I have to sing? Man, I sure could use some pancakes! Maybe it's time to retire. What the .... was that? Gunshots? Yep, I should retire."
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Yep, except for the gunshot part. And, I always start wondering when I'm going to have an "ooooo, shiny!" moment and lose focus. It usually comes back fast enough that nobody but me and sometimes the drummer notices. It is usually brought on by a nice display of woman somewhere. As long as that keeps happening, I guess it's ok to keep on playing. When I don't get distracted by things I should get distracted by, then it's time to shuffle on along.
 
#72
Pacman said:
you know, I see too many musicians not thinking about what they're doing. I'm pretty sure my phone rings because I do my best to concentrate on what I'm doing. Maybe other guys can do it, but to control tone, time, taste, groove, sound in the room, accompaning a soloist or singer, form, etc takes some focus.
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Agree. In all honesty, I get so focused that I stop thinking at all.

Can't really describe it, but my prior post about meditation is as close as I can describe. Meditation is rather focused, yet your mind is empty.
 
#74
I feel total HAPPINESS. Playing bass in a live show is the most I like to do in my life. If Death come across tonight and told me to demand one last desire, that will be without doubt play again that gig in that magic drunk night with my bandmates (friends).
 
#77
Not too long ago we were playing and a group of about 20 high school aged girls showed up. They were dancing and having a good time. And dressed to kill. About halfway through the gig several of them came up to the stage and announced that they were French. And they were.

I tried to think of anything other than how cute they were being that I was old enough to be their father.

In subsequent gigs, I have thought about how cute those French girls were.
 
#78
Mostly I do think about not screwing up, about locking in with the flow of the drummer's cymbal subdivisions, or following a soloist, or building some steam and tension below a solo or vocal verse, transitioning nicely into the chorus. Playing solid but not overly repetitive parts. Deciding when to react to the drummer's or guitarist's fill and when to just hold down the fort.

But the magic really is when you hit that meditative spot, and there are no thoughts, but you somehow know exactly what's coming next and I look down and it's like someone else is playing the bass. Love that.

And that usually comes crashing to an end right when I finally do have a thought, usually something along the lines of, "We sound great!" or "Damn I'm loving what I'm playing!". Lol.
 
#80
I often will scan the audience and find people to lock in with. I think about what the music means to them and I play/sing for them, then I wonder if they caught me singing/playing just to them and move on to someone else so it's not too obvious. I'll also occasionally think a few lines ahead in the song so I've got the lyrics and basslines/guitar lines ready, but I try not to do that because it can lead to me losing focus on what I'm playing at the moment.

At rehearsal last night, though, I was thinking about something while playing and singing and sang a whole extra verse to one of our songs that I've never sang or heard before. I didn't notice because I was thinking about the routing of the aux busses from the mixer to the headphone amp and why they weren't set properly. I listened back to the recording in the car on the way home and asked "Where'd this verse come from?"

It was actually a pretty good verse and tied in well with the rest of the song.
 

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