Rehearsal vs Gig, what happens to you when the stage lights go on?

[frankencat]

I play with a lot of different musicians in my daily musical life. From young people just getting it together to play with a band right on up to 50 year vets and touring pros. One thing I notice is the difference in the way people prepare or...errr don't prepare and I would have to say that the biggest mark of a "pro" musician is the preparation and ability to adapt on the fly. That's a given and I try to aspire to this myself as well as teach it to to others who are interested. One thing I have been noticing a lot lately is that some people play better during rehearsal and then it kind of goes down a notch at show time. Others just kind of coast through rehearsal, maybe paying more attention to the arrangements and parts than what they themselves are actually playing, but they kick it into another higher gear at showtime. And then there's this other thing that very few people have where they just take the whole thing up a notch and make everybody else play and sound better while others just kind of crumble under the pressure. So have you guys noticed any of this and if you feel inclined to share, what would you say about yourself?

At the risk of sounding self serving I will just say that I aspire to be the guy that takes it to another level. I try to put in the hard work and be as prepared as possible. I would say that the majority of the time it shows and then there are times when it's just ok. That's when the work kicks in and you get through it and live to play another day.

So....What about you TGP dudes and dudettes?

[guitarman35]

I call it "the 20% factor." It seems to me that a player performs about 20% less accurately in a tense situation than they do during their most comfortable playing situation. I think It has to do with the difference in playing from my heart or my head. So, for me, rehearsals are more comfortable and I tend to play better. Then I'll get on the gig and I start thinking. 20% less ability later, I'm ready to go home and practice.

[frank62]

I hit the stage like a AAA fuel dragster. I love it and it is what I live for regardless of what money may be involved. It is the only time I feel like I am really alive. I always do my best in that situation.

[crzyfngers]

i'm more comfortable on the gig. no chance to do anything over. go with what you know and take what you get.i love it.

[DGTCrazy]

As a band leader, I don't mind a mistake here and there as long as two criteria are met: 1) The mistake is not consistently performed on the same song or in the same manner. 2) The person making the mistake plays right through, recovering in a way that the audience doesn't notice.

Music is all about having fun, expressing yourself and taking a journey. We are human beings and we make mistakes....and that OK as long as we learn from them.

What I can't stand though is a player who knows what they need to work on, has the full band practice recordings at his/her disposal, yet fails to work it out. I have a word for that. It's called "Fired".

[GCDEF]

The more people I have in front of me, the better I play. Rehearsal is for going over parts and arrangements. For me, rehearsals are just going through the motions.

I get energy from the audience. The whole band does. The more people there are and the better they're responding, the better we play. It's not even close.

[michael patrick]

I love to play live, and I like to think it shows in my playing.

[GCDEF]

Originally Posted by guitarman35

I call it "the 20% factor." It seems to me that a player performs about 20% less accurately in a tense situation than they do during their most comfortable playing situation. I think It has to do with the difference in playing from my heart or my head. So, for me, rehearsals are more comfortable and I tend to play better. Then I'll get on the gig and I start thinking. 20% less ability later, I'm ready to go home and practice.

I'm the opposite. Rehearsal is when you have to think about it. If you rehearse properly, you're on auto-pilot when you hit the stage so you can just relax and let it come pouring out. I'm about as comfortable as I can possibly be in front of people.

[tdawg]

Originally Posted by GCDEF

The more people I have in front of me, the better I play. Rehearsal is for going over parts and arrangements. For me, rehearsals are just going through the motions.

I get energy from the audience. The whole band does. The more people there are and the better they're responding, the better we play. It's not even close.

Totally agree with that. If we have a good audience it really helps you take it to the next level...
I really use practice to get down song form and once in a while try ideas out that either turn out to be great, horrible, etc. I do take risks playing live some, I think its important. But also important not to 'Trainwreck' a song either. They are calculated risks i guess. haha

[jiml]

Doubled edged sword for me. If I'm feelin' it, I go where I haven't gone before, if not, it's wank city!

[ronmail65]

I believe there are people who are "live players" that are fueled by live performance -- their playing, attitude and charisma really shine in live situations. These are the people I want in my band, but they are few and far between.

What's dangerous are the people who "think" of themselves as this kind of person, but end up being a liability to the band because, in addition to having a generally poor work ethic when it comes to rehearsals, they miss the mark in playing and performance quality -- sometimes in a very big way.

Personally, I'd like to think my playing quality is generally consistent from rehearsal to gig (that's my goal) and, in a live situation, when the energy is there and I'm feeling good, the performance is good as well.

I think that first live gig with a new band is always a moment of truth to see how the bandmates "show up" and how well you gel as a group of musicians and performers.

[frankencat]

Wow some great posts in here! So I guess it's not just me then.

[Nurk2]

What are these things, "mistakes," of which you speak?

[cadduc]

the edge is honed with each performance
i played best when i played 5-7 nites a week
some times two gigs in one day
most times each was a 4-6 hour gig
fingers were sore
but looking back on it it was great training
and even better exercise

[Jerry Lundegaard]

It usually takes me a few songs to get warmed up, so the songlist reflects that. My adrenaline pump begins to diminish after that and I can play better as I am more relaxed. I long for the days when I was gigging much more frequently and playing better and being better prepared as a result.