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Location: Michigan | So I am at an open mic last night. House was packed for some reason and a lot of good players there. I have been doing some playouts and the last few times I have not been nervous at all. I made it though but I almost lost it and had to stop. I started to fast and kept picking up steam. Of course that lead right into the next song and I felt like I was fighting that to. Any suggestions, especially how to get things under control in the middle of a song? |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Breath...
Take the time to stop and realize that this is what you enjoy.
And breath deep... |
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Location: Michigan | Maybe that is why they called 911? :) |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I assume you are performing solo, so you can improvise a bit and make it look like you meant to do it. Find a place to insert an impromptu tacet and hold whatever note you're singing just a little longer than necessary. When you come back in, cut the tempo a fraction. |
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Location: Spain | Exactly what Patch said. |
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Location: Michigan | Yep alone. The bad thing is I could have easily done that in retrospect as the song changes tempo (or at least it should) a couple of times. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | not a big fan of trying tempo changes in the middle of a song. The discerning musicians out in the crowd will know and the others it won't matter anyway. I would just finish the song and then make sure I slowed things down for the next one.
If you are hyped up just try to start the song slower than you think it should be played and go from there.
I practice my sets with one eye on the clock and try to make it about 5 minutes longer than it should be. That usually helps me keep things are the proper time and if I do play a bit fast, still keeps me within my time period. |
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Location: south east Michigan | It's like trying to un-ring a bell.
Just chalk it up to experience.
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Tho there is some good advise listed here.
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Sometimes when we record our open mic we are agast when then the playback sounds like the chipmunks.
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Coming out of a lead solo or going into a key change is also an accepted excuse to speed up.
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It is fun tho when I know we're going way to fast and Brian's lead solo is just ahead. I just look over an wish him luck.
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Maybe we need a drummer? |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by Slipkid:
Maybe we need a drummer? yeah...like that would help anybody!
why not just get a banjo player.... |
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Location: Flahdaw | It's hard for me to play with others because of timing issues. If I play with a lead player, they jump ahead of my rhythm. If I play lead, their rhythm is chaotic. I think I have fairly decent timing, so it must be them...right??? |
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Location: Spain | There is another option, get tanked up before you go on, that way you don't give a f*+@.(well ok, a couple of drinks to take the edge off)..It's open mic after all, it's not the time for perfecting your songs(IMO), it's the time to just enjoy playing them. |
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Location: Tennessee | I played at an open mic last night and a new lead player sat in along with a percussionist. At times during a couple of songs things felt like they were going off, so I just exaggerate bopping up and down in time with the rhythm I was setting and it came back together. Sometimes the visual is what sticks with other players and they can feel the tempo with their peripheral vision. I usually bop up and down anyway when I play so I can "feel" the right tempo and keep it going ... it also helps me keep from setting too slow a tempo (usually worse than going too fast!) and I find the crowd usually bops along and helps the overall groove. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Originally posted by martinez:
it's not the time for perfecting your songs(IMO), it's the time to just enjoy playing them. nice! |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Originally posted by stephent28:
Originally posted by martinez:
it's not the time for perfecting your songs(IMO), it's the time to just enjoy playing them. nice! |
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Location: Northwest Arkansas | You love music. Just do it. A friend gave me some great advice. If you mess up, do it again. They'll think you meant to do it. I'm getting ready to go solo again for the 1st time in 5 years. A few butterflies, but I love it and I will never quit. Too many songs left unplayed. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Then there was the time I had the opportunity in front of a lot of people whom I consider my extended family to play to a really cool 1-off Adamas Bass (yeah really) and sing a Harry Chapin song with one of the best singers I know. Well I didn't gut much sleep, drove at least 8 hours to the gig, and just as we start it starts raining. I had a lyric sheet, and I just watched the tune melt down the page.. Luckily the guy who I was singing with, knew the tune inside out and it didn't suck too bad. I was embarrassed as it was the only time most of these people ever saw me perform... it's even on video that many have a copy of... oh well.. Not sure what was worse... not remembering the words to my favorite tune, worrying about keeping this gorgeous bass from getting wet, or letting down the guy next to me who could have easily done the tune on his own without my "help." Sometimes stuff happens. It was still worth doing and if the opportunity comes up to do it again I will... and knock it out of the park !!! But until then, I have a video to know what NOT to do :)
Oh yeah... and they call is "playing" music cause it's supposed to be fun. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I have no sense of rhythm... tempo... meter... Whatever.
If I start a song out too fast, I'm just screwed.
I usually play alone anyway.
I was waiting for someone to offer a solution.
Otherwise, I'll just roll with the flow. |
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Location: Michigan | OMA !! :) .
Martinez, good idea but I don't drink. I do usually take an extra beta blocker though..
Alvin, Alvin, ALVIN!!! love it when Brian has to play lead to fast.
In retrospect I should have played the intro twice and that maybe would have helped. But it was like OMA said...
My bro in law has great tempo...(old drummer) and he is always telling me to slow down.
PS here is the song at normal speed (great tune):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp064T7rQSk |
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Location: SE Michigan | Make setting the tempo a part of your practice routine. Practice the song slower than you think it should be. Being nervous never makes you go slower, so better to start out a bit slow. Practicing songs at a slightly exaggerated slow tempo also trains you to be more aware of the tempo.
That being said, if during a performance I sense a song is running away speed-wise I will try to make subtle corrections and slow it down. You just shouldn't be real obvious with the correction. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Bobbo is right. If you are sitting, move your upper body in time with the beat. You CAN'T go too fast or you'll look like your going into an epileptic seizure. Even if it's just subtle movement only YOU can see or feel, it will keep you on tempo. Same thing if you're standing, except get the whole body involved in the movement. It's too easy to start tapping your foot faster and faster. Big muscles are harder to spaz out with. |
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Location: Utah | Try using a small on-ear metronome. My son has a Korg MM2 which he never uses, but I like it a lot for practice. It looks a bit like a bluetooth phone gizmo.
Or record a percussion backing track to play along to. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Metronomes are evil, souless and unforgiving things.
We hates them. |
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Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Originally posted by Slipkid:
Metronomes are evil, souless and unforgiving things.
We hates them. Kinda like drummers, except sober.
:D |
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Location: Cicero, NY | DING!
WE HAVE A WINNAH! |
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Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | That is a good song and one I'm adding to my list. Thanks. (hard to imagine playing it too fast, though)
twistedlim wrote: OMA !! : ) .
Martinez, good idea but I don't drink. I do usually take an extra beta blocker though..
Alvin, Alvin, ALVIN!!! love it when Brian has to play lead to fast.
In retrospect I should have played the intro twice and that maybe would have helped. But it was like OMA said...
My bro in law has great tempo... (old drummer ) and he is always telling me to slow down.
PS here is the song at normal speed (great tune ):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp064T7rQSk |
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Riding towards a wreck, how to stop it?