You Mess Up On A Gig

[Shonks]

the thing about bass is that its the foundation of all that's going on above it (usually) and that can be used to your advantage.

if and when you fckup, the thing to do physically is nothing, continue to look and play with confidence, at least rhythmically.

Either the audience think everything is wrong but the rhythm section, or the band question themselves when it sounds wrong but the bass seems rock slid.
The audience see a confident smiling bassist while the rest of the band are looking around uncomfortable and confused.

Works every time. After the gig, you can even ask the others what the fck they thought they were doing on the middle 8 of the song in question, or where ever it occurred.

Take many years of practice to pull that one off BTW!!

[witterth]

Ever tried doing that "sonic clunk" that you can do with fingernails,Pick,fingers or even your thumb?
you must know that "Vague attack" to the string without making a real note 'till you find your feet.

....just me then....... top tip, or nonsense?

[chris_b]

Musicians hear the bad notes. The audience hears the good notes.

[icastle]

[quote name='chrismuzz' post='1349540' date='Aug 23 2011, 09:32 PM']Slightly off topic, but I once attended a gig where the bassist broke a string mid song. He didn't quite throw his hands up and admit defeat... What he actually did was to shout "F*CK!!!" into the mic and storm offstage cue the entire band stopping the song and the vocalist awkwardly mumbling "Erm... has anyone got a spare bass?"

True story![/quote]

Obviously a man with a bright future behind him.
He still had 3 other strings to use and if he wasn't capable of playing something makeshift to cover the missing string problem then chances are that he didn't need all those pesky strings in the first place.

[risingson]

I laugh it off, usually drop out for a bar or two then carry on when I regain my composure!

[icastle]

[quote name='witterth' post='1349738' date='Aug 24 2011, 12:03 AM']Ever tried doing that "sonic clunk" that you can do with fingernails,Pick,fingers or even your thumb?
you must know that "Vague attack" to the string without making a real note 'till you find your feet.

....just me then....... top tip, or nonsense?[/quote]

Nope.
I presume you are talking about 'ghost' notes?

[mcnach]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1349499' date='Aug 23 2011, 09:14 PM']I just fiddle around in the key.[/quote]


This.

And sometimes, if I can't hear well, even in another key
I make absolutely sure that I hit notes right on time with the bass drum... that minimises the damage

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='JTUK' post='1349661' date='Aug 23 2011, 10:52 PM']Was recently watching a gig when a precious gtr broke 2 strings on 2 gtrs on 2 songs.

He said over the mic that this sh** shouldn't be happening and they needed a break to get things together.... whence his girlfriend came over and restrung both guitars taking the best part of an hours break.
We rolled up laughing..... should have taken 5 mins max.... but I don't think the gtr felt he should have to do that sort of thing. The rest of the band brought all his gear in as well...so he doesn't feel that need either

Still makes me chuckle now[/quote]

Clearly destined for stardom

[mcnach]

[quote name='bassman7755' post='1349628' date='Aug 23 2011, 10:28 PM']No matter what musical solution you chose to bluff your way out NEVER start making accusatory faces or look sheepish and mouthing sorry to fellow band mates. Save it till after gig. IMO nothing looks worse and more amateurish that the "oh dear" faces when people are playing.

The point being that audience will generally not notice the musical error even if its pretty bad - only your guilty face. I watched a band recently that I used to play in and so know their song pretty intimately was only able to tell they messed up a couple of things by the guilty/accusatory face syndrome.

Sorry to go on a bit but it really gets my goat.[/quote]


I don't put a guilty face, I tend to just laugh... we laugh at/with each other when it happens. It probably looks like we're having much more fun when someone makes a mistake

[Ross]

I don't mess up, but if I did I'd just go with it and say "Yeah I meant to do that" if anyone called me on it.

[gafbass02]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1349499' date='Aug 23 2011, 09:14 PM']I just fiddle around in the key.[/quote]


Yep this, only took my hands off and gave up for a few bars once.

[cheddatom]

I've never had this happen on bass. A couple of times on drums i've felt that "blank" moment, but on drums it's pretty easy, just keep a beat going at the right tempo.

I agree it looks unprofessional when band mates glare at each other, but most bands i've seen tend to just laugh at each other, which most people won't realise is a sign of a mistake.

I think it takes a little f*** up to get you into the gig. Sometimes i'll be incredibly nervous, and then hit a note slightly off or something - to me it sounds like a massive mistake, but I know no-one else cares, and that's when I start to relax into the gig.

[bremen]

[quote name='chris_b' post='1349743' date='Aug 24 2011, 12:10 AM']Musicians hear the bad notes. The audience hears the good notes.[/quote]

That's deep.

[Clarky]

We play to tapes as we have lots of sound effects (rain, screams etc) and there is a drum backing (to which our drummer plays and embellishes). At a recent gig, someone (possibly the drummer, ahem) had us playing two beats behind the tape for an entire song. It was excruciating to play but - guess what - the audience didn't notice and gave a big round of applause at the end!

[BottomE]

I'm normally ok once i am into the song but my faux pas is this. Singer has quick chat with drummer and guitarist and decides to do a number not on the set list for whatever reason. She looks at me and mouths the title of the song. I fail to lipread correctly. Next thing i hear is the drummer counting 2, 3, 4!

I have ablsolutely no idea what the song is going to be. In these instances i just don't play until i recognise the tune.

[Graham56]

[quote name='witterth' post='1349738' date='Aug 24 2011, 12:03 AM']Ever tried doing that "sonic clunk" that you can do with fingernails,Pick,fingers or even your thumb?
you must know that "Vague attack" to the string without making a real note 'till you find your feet.

....just me then....... top tip, or nonsense?[/quote]

I do this. If I play short, percussive notes vaguely in the correct key most people don't notice the actual note values.

They will notice if I drop out completely or screw up the rythym.

Edited August 24, 2011 by Graham56

[Commando Jack]

Do you know when it happens to me? When I think about what I'm playing. Worst thing in the world to do. We tend to just laugh at each other. I tend to follow the guitarists chords until I'm back on my feet.

Funny that in most of my gigs, I know that there is a mistake waiting for me. Don't know where or when, but I will screw something up. When I do, it's 5 seconds of fumbling then the rest of the gig is bliss because I can relax!

[flyfisher]

Fortunately I've never actually gone blank in the middle of a song. I've made loads of mistakes of course but I've always known what I was supposed to be playing. When I mess up I generally just keep the rhythm on root notes until I get my bearings again.

But, I sometimes find myself completely forgetting how a song starts so I always make sure my starting note (or bar) is on my set list. As long as I know the opening note or two, muscle-memory seems to take over and get things going.

[witterth]

[quote name='icastle' post='1349761' date='Aug 24 2011, 12:27 AM']Nope.
I presume you are talking about 'ghost' notes?[/quote]
I know what "Ghost Notes" are, I'm talking about Lying, its a very different "technique"

[Thurbs]

Funny stories there.

The worst I had was a guitarist changing the key to a song on the 2 of 1,2,3,4. The only thing is I didn't catch what he said and took me about 16 bars to realise he went up one and a half semitones. Who goes up one and a half!?!?! We had rehearsed it around his house 3 hours before in the original key!

Still, I was quite annoyed at myself for taking so long to realise what the new key was and it ruined the song.

[BigRedX]

With Dick Venom if I get lost playing the E or A string open will be right about 75% of the time...

I used to play in band that did covers in such a way that only the lyrics and vocal melody bore any real resemblance to the originals. On top of this we had an "eccentric" singer who would swap around the order of the verses/choruses/instrumental breaks at a whim. At one gig we were playing a new song that was somewhat under-rehearsed, when the singer unexpectedly went into the chorus instead of repeating a verse as we'd practised. I had a complete brain freeze about what to play and looked around at the guitarist hoping I could at least see the chords and busk through some root notes until I found my way again, only to find him tuning up! He'd heard something out of tune (me because I didn't know what I was supposed to be playing) and automatically assumed that it must be his guitar...

[Doddy]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1349935' date='Aug 24 2011, 09:28 AM']I think it takes a little f*** up to get you into the gig. Sometimes i'll be incredibly nervous, and then hit a note slightly off or something - to me it sounds like a massive mistake, but I know no-one else cares, and that's when I start to relax into the gig.[/quote]
I'm the opposite....if I screw something up I become more on edge and less relaxed for at least the remainder
of the song.

[quote name='Thurbs' post='1350087' date='Aug 24 2011, 11:36 AM']The worst I had was a guitarist changing the key to a song on the 2 of 1,2,3,4. The only thing is I didn't catch what he said and took me about 16 bars to realise he went up one and a half semitones. Who goes up one and a half!?!?![/quote]

One and a half [i]semitones[/i]? I think you mean one and a half tones= 3 semitones= minor third.

[Protium]

One time the singer forgot the lyrics and just started screaming "STOP!" down the mic

[Thurbs]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1350112' date='Aug 24 2011, 12:00 PM']One and a half [i]semitones[/i]? I think you mean one and a half tones= 3 semitones= minor third.[/quote] Yes, I think I do mean one and a half tones....

[Hobbayne]

[quote name='Graham56' post='1349992' date='Aug 24 2011, 10:15 AM']I do this. If I play short, percussive notes vaguely in the correct key most people don't notice the actual note values.

They will notice if I drop out completely.[/quote]


Thats why I can never listen to Daytripper, the whole bass drops out for a bar!