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What is your mindset going to and at the Gig??

8K views 46 replies 37 participants last post by  musekatcher 
#1 ·
I'm convinced that I get 60 percent of practice room things I learn out a gig. I have one band Ive been in 15 years and for me that is almost auto pilot and another cover band where its all scream alto. But I wish, wish, wish I could get 80 percent of the things I work out out of the practice room. I guess its just maturity and time spent practicing. But I wonder if I"m missing something . So, I'm asking others , when you are warming up at home and then driving to and then melding with whatever is going on that day with the sound system and personalities of the other people in the band what do you think about How do you prepare??. I have gone in with the attitude that I'm great and look out and i can handle anything . and I've gone in with uhhhh ooooo these are good musicians . What do I do?? I am at the best technical level of my life? I just want to use that but not get too notey and lose the melodic content of a line? Anyway , I hope this is clear? Im just curious what you think about to prep for a gig/at a gig/ look after at ways to improve etc K
 
#2 ·
Ever heard the saying, "I play for free, it's the other 22.5 hours in the day I get paid for"? There is nothing like preperation for a successful gig. Be it a solo track date or a stadium show in front of 70K people broadcast live around the world. If your mentally and physically prepared, you'll nail it. There are so many variables that come into play, it's mind boggling. From reeds, to horn, to electronics, to transportation, to setting up, to eating at the right time, to being groomed properly, all come in play day of gig. Then having chops that can endure, knowing the material, being creative, communication with bandmates, preparing for "murhy's law" situations and tons more go into days off.

Personally, my "game day" prep borders on OCD. Always has. And don't even think about talking with me an hour before the hit. My mind is in the set.
 
#10 ·
Ever heard the saying, "I play for free, it's the other 22.5 hours in the day I get paid for"? There is nothing like preperation for a successful gig. Be it a solo track date or a stadium show in front of 70K people broadcast live around the world. If your mentally and physically prepared, you'll nail it. There are so many variables that come into play, it's mind boggling. From reeds, to horn, to electronics, to transportation, to setting up, to eating at the right time, to being groomed properly, all come in play day of gig. Then having chops that can endure, knowing the material, being creative, communication with bandmates, preparing for "murhy's law" situations and tons more go into days off.

Personally, my "game day" prep borders on OCD. Always has. And don't even think about talking with me an hour before the hit. My mind is in the set.
Thanks Woody. I play with two very different guitar players. One is casual in his warm up and personality and very very good, one is locked into gig mode before the gig and he's not so. But thats more about the time in prep than their game faces . I really resonate with your prep idea. And iN your case you are not just playing a gig but presenting what you want to show the world. You are creating something new and it really is on you to complete your vision. I get that. I"ve done many gigs in over 35 years of playing out and only now am writing my own tunes and creating a level of playing that I want to present. So, I do need to be more focused and prepared. I need to be not so easily distracted by sound system, weather, how I feel , etc. Its all about the music K
 
#3 ·
Playing outside is a completely different world to playing within the safe environment of the practice room.
The only way to even things out is to play more frequently outside of your comfort zone.
Almost every day I'm out there and after 3 years still can't nail everything like I can at home.
However, I am definitely better at it than I was last year.
cheers, Mark.
 
#5 ·
I'm an amateur but have an important role in the Big Band I play in (playing a lot of solo's).

I never play at home and can't prepare at home for a gig, I actually often have to hurry to be in time. At the gig I just play and blow as good as possible. On the drive to the gig I listen to some music that makes me happy and my mind set is on 'enjoying playing music' and 'be confident and relaxed'. Nobody ever died from playing a wrong note and most people in the audience won't notice if you play one with confidence and joy. I'm lucky to know our material very well because we have weekly rehearsals with the BB and I'm at first tenor for years now.

I'm sure it will be different for full pro's having more pressure to deliver, but I still think that the 'enjoy yourself during playing' and 'be prepared' attitude can help everybody to deliver a good job :).
 
#6 ·
Going to the gig. "Is it cash or an invoice?":evil:

At the gig. "Where is the bar":Rant:

All jokes aside, just enjoy the moment going there, and obviously when you are on the gig playing. The more happy and relaxed you are :whistle: the better the experience and definitely the playing will be better by far!

Stay relaxed! :whistle:
 
#42 ·
Yeah I agree, it's just music, you aren't an EMT or ambulance driver. I play a lot better when I don't take it to seriously and just relax. Most listeners don't know **** from shinola they just pick up on the feel and if you are all uptight you may as well forget it. I try not to have a mindset or think to much. I do that at home.
 
#7 ·
I play in a couple of bands (R&B, jam band) that each gig about once a month, plus a jazz group that plays out maybe 5 - 6 times a year so only doing this part time, but I always just try to be in the moment - which means no specific prep. Each band practices one night a week, so there is that prep already, but as to improvisational soloing, I just let it come (or not, as often the case may be). I do find that some of what I practice comes out at the gigs if it applies to the music we're playing. For example, I've been working on pentatonics at home for a while, and that has really helped on gigs, as there is a lot of opportunity for that on R&B/soul/funk stuff, and the jam band is major pentatonics all night long. With the jazz group I would say I do focus my practice at home more to the tunes we are playing than with the other bands, and I'll spend time playing over ireal backing tracks and trying to incorporate at our band rehearsals some of the jazz stuff I have been shedding, but again with gigs it is just show up and clear the mind. I do find that I am really at ease on the bandstand and I just try to play my heart out and not care about the wrong notes, as mrpeebee said. I do record every gig and try to see where (or more often where not) some of the stuff I'm working on has showed up, again more with the jazz band. I am particularly working on tone and articulation these days and actually trying to be more mindful about that as I play. If I could hit 60% of what I've been working with tone/articulation on at a jazz gig I'd be a happy man.
 
#8 ·
I prefer quiet but that NEVER happens. I do NOT like to chitchat before I play but I play in churches and I have to talk to folks. Afterwards I'm a chatterbox, though. I just feel immensely blessed to be able to share music with others on the instruments that I love so I just nod my head and let 'em talk! My mind is usually in a different place, anyway...just ask my wife ;-)
 
#11 ·
I only noticed this recently driving to a gig with my wife as a guest. She kept nattering and I didn't. She asked the inveitable "What's wrong?" That's a conversation that heads downhill rapidly. I wasn't in a good place mentally when I got to the gig.
 
#9 ·
I rate my bar gigs on how good the food is...I eat before the gig...a few drinks...Corporate, concert, and festival gigs have similar criteria. I don't really think about the music at all. Live work is about the joyous sharing of music. Once the crap work is done - I'm there to have fun.

Occasionally I still do pick-up gigs...In those cases I try to listen to (and learn) the music while in transit.
 
#12 ·
On the good ones, I've gotten all the work out of the way already in the practice room and there's nothing to worry about going on stage. I just try to focus my excitement and energy in the hours leading up. The gigs where you know the band isn't as prepared as it should be are the nerve-wracking ones...
 
#13 ·
The gigs where you know the band isn't as prepared as it should be are the nerve-wracking ones...
Aw, that's part of the fun ... :twisted:
 
#14 ·
Being stressed or nervous usually has terrible consequences on my playing. For me, I need to have practiced enough prior to the day of the gig to feel confident going to the gig. On the day of the gig I try to squeeze in some simple, stress-free noodling to train my ear, so that I feel as though I have that natural, play-by-ear feeling. After that I just try to relax and stay positive. I think having one or two drinks (depending on the drinks and your own body) can help you focus more on the music rather than the distracting stresses of being on stage. Everyone is different, but I think the bottom line is to feel prepared and to be in a good/positive mood.
 
#15 ·
i put on my best skinny jeans, drive my car, park, walk into the venue, then get a drink by myself. i try not to think too much and get too pissed at the guitar player. if i start to get nervous i focus back on the key i'm in while quietly curse the guitar player for making my life difficult. then some drunk guy screams "more sax!" and i know it's a good night.
playing out is so different than practicing... i practice all 12 keys and jam by ear. sometimes i'm too buzzed to transpose to my key, the ear always kicks in no matter what. that's why i shed like a maniac so i can play in any mental capacity. no matter what, for me, practice is the key to a confident mindset.
 
#17 ·
Going to the gig about all I'm thinking about is how bad is the traffic going to be and what's the best route to deal with it, and depending on where we're playing, getting stressed trying to find a parking spot. Once set up and on stage it's mostly a relief to finally be playing. I have to admit I almost never worry about the music too much because I've already done all the preparation I can by practicing on a regular basis (one thing for sure, on the bandstand it's too late to do anything about it except play). So at the gig I just play the best I can and try to have a good time. Usually it works, assuming other problems at the venue don't crop up.
 
#19 ·
Going to the gig about all I'm thinking about is how bad is the traffic going to be and what's the best route to deal with it, and depending on where we're playing, getting stressed trying to find a parking spot. Once set up and on stage it's mostly a relief to finally be playing.
I'm the same. Maybe it's part of gigging in the SF Bay Area. Do I have to cross a bridge? Check the traffic app before leaving. How long will it take to get there? If it's an hour or more, it's too much. If it's in the city, where will I park? How close can I get to the venue? How far will I have to schlep gear? Will my car be broken into while I'm gigging? I love the gigs close to home that aren't downtown - the only thing I have to think about is whether I forgot a piece of gear but even if I did, I can go home and get it. Those are the best gigs -- fun, relaxed, no worries.

Saturday I had a gig an hour or so away and I started worrying if I'd put my horn in the trunk. Stupid crap like that.
Yeah, I do this too. I've gotten kinda OCD about it. Everything goes into the car in a certain order and I do a mental checklist as I load in. Still, I obsess about what I forgot as I drive to the gig. And still I sometimes forget something like batteries for the wireless mic or speaker stands or my mixer. I guess my mindset going to the gig is mostly about gear ... and traffic. At the gig, I'm happy to be playing. That's what it's all about. I'm trying to have as much fun as possible. And help other people have fun. I'm there to enjoy myself, and enjoy other people being entertained.
 
#18 ·
Sometimes I think if I'm going to remember any tunes which is kind of strange since I know tons of songs. I have a bit of performance anxiety before every gig, but I think that's good. I do a lot of gigs in different settings, cover bands, duo gigs, restaurant gigs, Salsa bands and all are completely different kinds of playing with completely different musicians who know completely different tunes.
I just try to make sure my equipment is working well and Im prepared.
Saturday I had a gig an hour or so away and I started worrying if I'd put my horn in the trunk. Stupid crap like that.
 
#23 ·
....I started worrying if I'd put my horn in the trunk. Stupid crap like that.
I've actually pulled over to the side of the road, walked back and opened the trunk to make sure my horn was there, knowing full well it was. And even with the horn on the front seat, I've pulled over, opened the case, and made sure the mpc, reeds, & neck strap were in there (they always are).
 
#20 ·
I worry sometimes about being on time, but I always check if I have all my stuff before I leave, so that's not an issue (lesson learned). I generally try to be a half hour early for being an hour early, so that mitigates my tendency to be a half hour late everywhere. The gig itself, I don't really have any kind of mindset... I'm there to have fun and I never worry about my performance. On rare occasions sitting in with people who are way better than me, there's a little pressure to be focused and as good as I can be, but that's more exciting than anything, and a good crowd on a regular gig or the opportunity to play well any time I'm playing for an audience is exciting anyway, so it's not much different.
 
#21 ·
Mindset on gigs with songs I know? I'm on auto pilot, or it's like riding a bike. Mindset on gigs with songs that I just learned? I'm going to take the training wheels off. One way or another, I'm going to keep my balance. It won't be the prettiest, but I'm going to learn myself something.

I prefer scenario two, as it brings a new outlook to scenario one.
 
#22 ·
Most of my gigs are there to pay the bills or to improve my sight reading (that gets rusty in no time, I was scalded a few years ago).
At home I practice for my own projects, that sometimes happen.
Of course I try to smuggle my music during the gigs, but it isn't always opportune.
 
#25 ·
as the leader of a group, my mind is focused on getting everyone getting to the gig on time, make sure everyone is comfortable (and has drink tickets or whatever), for us to be ready to play and making sure everyone knows the music (and if not, that I have a quick way to explain it to anyone who couldn't make rehearsal.) Sadly, I'm not focused on the music itself (to the detriment of my performance.) However, I always have another sax player in the band that is a much better musician than myself as I want to audience to be blown away by the group...and I want the musicians to be happy and comfortable so that they will continue to want to play with the band.
 
#26 ·
This!! If it's my gig, I get so distracted with trying to make sure everything goes well that my playing probably suffers (usually I'm too tense to be able to tell).. usually I only relax by the middle of the second set. I'm sure that would change if I gigged with my own band more than once every couple of months.

Otherwise my mindset is either "Alright! time to go play some good music and have a good time" or total dread, like "don't eff this up don't eff this up" depending on how familiar I am with the band and whether or not it's a new opportunity. I find that what I'm working out in the practice room sometimes takes months or YEARS to show up on the bandstand, and that is frustrating, but I try to accept that.
 
#27 ·
On gig day I find that a few minutes with each horn, getting a good reed, maybe treating a sticking G#, etc. really pays off. A tip of the hat to JL about freaking out over leaving something - we've all done it. I have developed rituals to make sure the essentials for playing are in each case and I have all the other gear loaded. On the road, I pay attention to my mood and try to keep everything positive. I know there are going to be distractions during set-up and during the gig, but I work hard to not let it affect me. The biggest problem I have is the other musicians doing stupid/inappropriate things that affect me, the set-up or the show. This makes it hard to concentrate on performing - or like the engineer put it, 'It's hard to remember your job is to drain the swamp when you're up to your *** in alligators'. :) The other side of that coin is to allow the good vibrations in while you deflect the bad. I think we've all had nights where you couldn't wait to get out of there and away from those idiots, but if you let that happen, you will eventually quit playing. It has to be rewarding other than the money. Even if you get no positive vibes from anybody you can still please yourself. And you can be pleased with what you did even with the knowledge that you want it to be better - it doesn't ever have to be perfect.
 
#28 ·
As a rank amateur, I've a long way to go in terms of technical or musical ability. However, I've discovered that, regardless of the setup (quartet or big band), I always play better and have more fun when I just enjoy the playing with fellow musicians, rather than trying to observe our judge how it's coming across to the audience.
 
#29 ·
Before the gig, how much it pays. If it's practice (freebie/political) I usually come in with the idea of show up on time but ultimately as I don't give a s***. If it's paying, and a good one at that I more or less imagine everything going wrong and just try to have fun. You know, being centered and remembering who you are as a musician, instead of getting lost in what other people's expectations of you are.
 
#30 ·
For me it's all about playing my horns before I leave to make sure they have no issues. This comes after arriving at a gig a few years ago and my Barone tenor that had yet another broken spring. Talk about panic as I drove back home to pick up my other tenor. Made it back about 5mins before the first set downbeat. Not something I ever want to repeat so it is all about checking horns, reeds, music book, and anything else I need so I can just enjoy playing once at the gig.
 
#32 ·
Does anyone remember Roy Scheider in the movie All That Jazz, as choreographer Bob Fosse?
Several times at different times in the movie, he'd look in the mirror and say playfully to himself, "It's showtime".

That's kinda of where I like to be at, plus to be open for the magic, when playing. Those moments when everything in the universe aligns,lol

It helps if I've played the horn some, a few hours earlier, and of course the homework has long since been done.

I try to stay positive and be in a light mood at the gig, turn my brain off as it were.
Doing so, helps me "forget myself", so I can be open for new opportunity, be-in-the-moment.
 
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