When you're playing to an audience, what does your mind usually do?

[Mahesh]

It would be no surprise that the answer to this would be different for different people. But what does it for you?

 

What does your mind usually focus on during a performance? Bassists love vibing on the kickdrum as the primary focus that helps groove  with what is coming out of their own instrument. My guitarist used to mention that it was really important he hears the bass in particular all through the performance to do his thing. I personally am hearing to the entire performance from a third person point of view as if I'm even behind the audience. I'm not sure why but it helps me connect with the performance as well as the emotion a lot better. I'm sure it'll be much different in a band set up that isn't as simplistic as mine.  And also, it's not that my mind doesn't divert from preferred attentional anchor point as often as it does, but it almost always seems to come back to the same point while simultaneously being aware in the moment as to what's happening. 

 

Certain musicians do not have anything in particular that they are focusing on. Though it works for some people, many in such situations fall into the trap of getting distracted in their mind which ultimately compromises the performance and flow. This leads to a larger compromise of their confidence to go on stage to perform.

 

Would love to hear your thoughts on it

[john]

More than one thing, but one thing first. Connecting with the words by getting into the emotional space. If I feel the words, I perform better. I usually remember the words far better than setting out on a mission to remember the words! I want to be practised enough that I don’t need to think on the mechanics of performance… I want the feeling to flow through what I play. I can’t do that if playing is not second nature, allowing me to focus on feeling. After all, songs are best delivered when the singer is convincing, and feeling the words is a big part of that.

 

As a second level thing, it’s connecting with the audience… ie, don’t close your eyes and lose yourself. It’s all very well having a touching moment with your eyes closed (shush now)…. You are there to entertain.

[GregB]

I've never liked performing.  The main issue (amongst many) is that I always found it impossible to be 'in the moment'.  My brain constantly drifted out into the audience and looked back at me critically.  This makes everything hard ... e.g. just remembering the chords and lyrics.

 

As a result I gave up performing.  Gladly!

 

Greg

[Clay Anderson Johnson]

I concentrate on being "in the moment" focusing on my instrument. 

 

There is a saying in the world of acting, "Acting is reacting." This could be put another way as your character's response to what is said to them is your basis for how you say your lines. 

 

In music a rough comparison would be Call and Response which has multiple forms. At its simplest it is one instrument responding to a musical statement by another instrument. In solo piano it would be the Bass line responding to the Melody line or the inverse.

 

As a Lead Instrumentalist I enhance the Vocalist in a typical band setting. In one where there is no Vocalist then the term Lead becomes more pronounced. The rhythm is set by the Bass and Drums so I don't need to set the tempo. The Bass player syncs with the Drummer. However a really good Drummer after initially setting the tempo will follow either the Lead Instrumentalist or the Vocalist accenting what they do.

 

It is the interplay which makes music sexy. When there is lack of interplay this is what I refer to as flat footed. This is most clearly exemplified by a bad Country act where there is a person fronting the band who stands like a statue and strums while the Drummer plays like he believes is a metronome.

 

Being in the moment to react to what is going on around me musically is what I concentrate on if playing anywhere.

[Mahesh]

On 1/15/2022 at 3:21 AM, john said:

I want to be practised enough that I don’t need to think on the mechanics of performance…

 

Beautifully put @john, I resonate with that very much. I need to have the performance aspect of it figured during practice so that I do not have things to be concerned about in terms of the parts themselves. Once this is in the bag, emotion is so much easier to work within the song. 

 

I must say that the adrenaline on stage can really stop you on your tracks and limit you from going into thinking a lot anyways. It's strange how I'm so much more comfortable performing in front of a live audience and doing a good job compared to a one-take cell phone recording of a performance alone in my room. I become too picky with my musical expectations in the moment in order to get the right take. I spend hours sometimes chasing the perfect take this way. I do want to get out of the habit of it but for now, it's allowed me to test my skills to tame it the way I want it which is useful for musical development.

 

I remember this winter December gig for a music festival called Bacardi NH7 Weekender that happens here every year. It was up on the hills in Meghalaya (North East India) back in 2019. I was doing the final performance on that particular stage that evening. Though the headlining slot is a beautiful opportunity & honour to have, Guthrie Govan was playing at the same time at another stage/hill. LOL

 

So we weren't TOO hopeful about how it's supposed to go. We were also annoyed that we wouldn't get to see Guthrie play. (Though my keyboardist did sneak in a selfie with him near the green room earlier in the evening when the manager went away for a bit lol ) Also, the temperatures were near freezing at the time up there. I wasn't even sure how my fingers are going to move.

 

But as soon as we went on stage, it was an adrenaline high. I couldn't think for shit lol It almost felt like we just abandoned thoughts and just dove into the performance. It did turn out to be a beautiful gig! 

[Clay Anderson Johnson]

Not to put too fine a point on this but it appears some here are using the term PRACTICE when what they actually mean is REHEARSE. I hope I am correct as these are two entirely different concepts.

• You practice something you cannot successfully do. I practice melodies or bass lines I am unfamiliar with and have difficulty playing smoothly all the time.
• You rehearse something you know well in order to be able to perform it flawlessly in a live setting in order to flow effortlessly.

 

Practicing a song to get it right, even if it includes the whole band, is a good procedure to get it down.

 

If you have a live show booked it is a good idea to be into the rehearsal phase before adding that song to your playlist.

 

What you don’t want is to be challenged by your instrument or material combined with the pressure some people feel in front of an audience.

 

Practice gives you command of your instrument or voice.

 

Rehearsal gives you the confidence to go out and shout “Hello Los Angeles!”

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Clay Anderson Johnson

[Clay Anderson Johnson]

2 hours ago, Popthree said:

playing solo has made me much more aware of the internal narrative in my mind during a live performance than i ever was when i played in a band.  something about being the only focal point on stage brings on a feeling of being naked, exposed, vulnerable, and that makes me acutely aware of every vocal inflection, every strum of the guitar, dynamics, and well, just every aspect of my playing.  i don't worry with trying to evoke emotion during a live performance.  i focus on execution of the material and controlling dynamics above all else.

 

It takes a lot of courage to play solo. I think I have done it once in my entire life. I don't like to sing and am a lousy rhythm player on any instrument.

[starise]

The biggest single thing I'm concentrating on are timing and cues. I watch everyone on and off throughout a performance. We use IEMs on stage. I play on worship teams playing different instruments every time. This week I play keys, last week I played bass, sometimes I'm a vocalist. It varies.

 

All of that helps me to see things from their perspective when I'm not playing those instruments. Working the live stream helps to translate what's happening on stage to a format others can see online. Those two worlds are different between FOH and streaming.

 

In playing live everyone needs to hear the other players and I think this is important to a good outcome. I try to stay as much in tune to everything as I can. If something unanticipated comes up we need to learn to deal with it fast and keep the music going in a way the audience seldom notices.

 

Different venues have different expectations. My venue ( worship) has special conditions attached to those players. A bar venue or any other place where large crowds gather for entertainment will have different conditions. The players usually know what they are. 

 

I say this not directed to anyone specifically here, those people seldom show up for YOU whoever you are. They are there for a good time or in the case of church, they are there for worship. Now maybe they heard you before or heard about you and they liked the experience they got from the performance if they attended one of your events. They are there for an experience not a person.

In a 'performance' I try to keep this in mind. The bigger picture. We are really servants dishing out musical medicine. Who you serve is up to you.

[Clay Anderson Johnson]

On 1/24/2022 at 9:05 AM, starise said:

The biggest single thing I'm concentrating on are timing and cues.

 

This is what I was expressing earlier about being "in the moment". It applies regardless of the venue.  I've never played in a church although I do enjoy watching The Righteous Gemstones on HBO. 

[Glammerocity]

On 1/14/2022 at 9:51 PM, john said:

 

 

As a second level thing, it’s connecting with the audience… ie, don’t close your eyes and lose yourself. It’s all very well having a touching moment with your eyes closed (shush now)…. You are there to entertain.

 

^This^. My band dressed up and would often go onstage in some outlandish sunglasses which I told them must be removed after the first song. Looking cool is all very well but there's nothing like eye contact to make an audience warm to you. They came out to be entertained, not posed at. Most of them start from a position of wanting to like you, unless they're other musicians with an unhealthy dose of cynicism. Don't make it harder for them.

 

We played so many gigs that it became telepathic but I'd say drums were what I related to most, it being rock and drums drving it. Our drummer once told the rest of the band, "I watch him, you watch me," taking a lead from Max Weinberg, who came from a theatrical background and would accent much of Bruce Springsteen's movements. So when we burned an ending, I knew when I jumped, they'd all finish on my landing.

[Paul Hayworth]

I concentrate on performance, like notes.