In my experience of playing (about 90% of it being in a bar setting) I've found
that as long as the over all groove/feel of the song stays strong and steady,
small mistakes are usually only noticed by you and possibly a band member. I
suppose for some slower tempo and "prettier" stuff this may not hold as
true...so focus on getting those spot on and just have fun with the other
stuff. As an aside, I've also found that crowds really feed off of the
entertainers having a good time. I play almost every Thurs. night with my best
friend, who alos happens to be my brother-in-law. He's been playing for years
and is a professional (that's all he does) musician and he taught me how to
play my first chords on a guitar seven years ago. When ever we play it never
fails that we get some sort of comment about how "well we play together" or how
much fun it looks like we're having, etc. Any who, I'll stop my rambling there.
Trey
________________________________
From: Topher Gayle <surfns...@gmail.com>
To: taterbugmando@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:42:47 PM
Subject: Re: Play it like you own it...
Hi Holstein,
I am sure everybody has a different point of view on this. For one
thing, different performers are trying to accomplish different things.
For another, we have different attitudes towards what we're doing. And
finally, we all own & operate different fingers and brains.
For me, my main purpose in getting in front of a listening (as opposed
to a dancing) crowd, is to entertain them. Usually by trying to make
them laugh. So for me, making a mistake is pretty unimportant, as long
as I get a laugh. Now and then I try to play a tune (usually
instrumental) which is not intended to be funny, and I do like to not
make too many bad blunders in that case. But I try to get the place
rocking and grooving, and little clams happen and I try to keep on
grinning.
[Aside: Boy, it sucks when people don't laugh though! Fortunately most
people like to laugh. Me included. One thing to avoid - make sure your
MC (if there is one) doesn't say, "And now the funniest mandolin
player around" - that's a challenge for people to not laugh, and
they're pretty good at that. It is much better for people to discover
on their own that you're making them laugh.]
My good friend (and personal bass player) and I make mistakes all the
time. They're over with so fast, most of the time, that no one but us
even knows they occurred. On the rare occasions that things really
turn into a train wreck, just grin and roll your eyes and get right
back into it. Often times people enjoy this little spark of humanity
that you have shared with them. People can identify with you when you
screw up, because they do too. A mistake can bring you closer to an
audience. Not that is a good reason to intentionally screw up. You owe
it to yourself and to the music to do the best you can. But get into
the groove, let the music be free, enjoy the screwups and the
interactions with a good audience, and go home with a smile.
It is nice to have a little patter you can rely on to lighten up the
crowd after an uncomfortable moment. The audience will relax and it
can give you a moment to regroup and relax and get ready for the next
number.
I remember seeing a 60 minutes show in the late 70's where they were
talking to the great pianist, Arturo Rubinstein. He played something
and made some mistake or another that I would certainly never have
heard. Afterwards they said Rubinstein was famous for making mistakes
that were better than the original... well I'm never gonna be able to
make a mistake like that, but I can hope to have my ears open and if a
mistake sounds pretty cool, I might just do it again. That way it
sounds like "I meant to do that!" (The motto of one of my bands).
Bottom line, smile & keep on grooving!
Topher
2009/6/7 The Holstein Kid <st...@senatorgroup.com.au>:
>
> Howdy friends,
>
> After reading Rek’s blog the other day, the EGO thing has been on my
> mind. After a forced lay-off since Christmas, I got back on the horse
> on Saturday night and entertained a paid crowd at a function.
>
> I really tried to let-go and free myself of any self-consciousness,
> but I did find myself trying to perform better and being quite aware
> of getting it right. I think that trying to play a tune perfectly
> every time can slow me down and an element of cautiousness slips in.
> It’s the same when playing for MC on webcam, that live performance
> doesn’t seem to come out the same as it does in practice.
>
> So I was wondering how much easier this gets as the experience builds,
> and what % of the practice kicks in for the real deal? I believe that
> I’m playing at 80% – 90% of my skill capacity when performing live at
> present. Is this just a case of nerves? And what do the pro’s feel
> when they prepare and actually perform? Is there still a case of
> nerves or is it as comfy as drinking a glass of water?
>
> I can’t imagine what Tater experiences when he’s stepping on stage
> with EC or doing something on national TV!
>
> Determined….Holstein
>
> >
>
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