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Location: 6 String Ranch | There's a song that you want to play but it's pretty emotional or has an emotional part.
How do you get past the point of getting choked up your self when performing it?
Speed it up?
Slow it down?
Change the rhythm?
Play it a hundred times till you can do it by rote and not think about it?
Just don't do it? |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | If you don't think about it the emotion is probably not going to come across to the listener. Nothing wrong with people knowing it's hard for you, you just have to work at it till you can keep it under control.
I know the song, Beal. I'll work with you...
Together, now -
Darrrrby (doo, doodoo, doodoo, do) Darrrby, (doo, doodoo, doodoo, do).... |
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Location: Utah | There are a couple of songs I just won't do, and in fact I don't listen to either. If it is too painful to get through it in practice, why be tortured? |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Wow, great question.
Since I can't/don't sing, I would think that the reps would be the way to go.
As to emotional playing, let the emotions drive your fingers and the tempo. I've seen some very impressive amateur performances that would never make a recording studio track.
For different reasons, eulogies and singing are not my forte by any means! |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Someone else said think about cabbage instead....... |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Darby was by for dinner last night, it will be interesting to see what he comes up with a song for tonight. Topic is a "Battle in a war" |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Beal, it happens to me quite often...I just keep going over it until I can handle it...there may alsways be a bit of emotion left but thats OK... |
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Location: closely held secret | Wow, Joe's really digging...
Let us know what you come up with, too. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by Beal:
There's a song that you want to play but it's pretty emotional or has an emotional part.
How do you get past the point of getting choked up your self when performing it?
Just do it. Trying to hide the emotion, or letting yourself get cold to it, will come across just as strongly as the real emotion would. The difference is the "real" emotion is real, and only adds to the performance aspect.
I unfortunately have two performances on video from the mid 90's. One we played the tune near flawlessly, but I completely hid the emotion. The other time it wasn't initially in the setlist... added at the last moment.. no time to prepare.. I was a mess by the last line. Guess which actually came across better, missed cue's and all.
As a friend told me at the time.. "When you're singing about standing graveside as they buried the woman you loved... it's ok to look and sound upset about it."
I would love to tell ya it gets easier.. and sometimes it is easier, but then sometimes... they'll be a trigger... Keep extra tissue's in the road case.... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I never cry when I sing, the listeners do. |
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Location: NJ | play it. |
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| I have a few songs that cause me to choke up a bit and I just keep playing them to the point where it doesn't effect me as much - sort of like you just slide through that part w/out thinking because you've played it so much almost to the point of being bored - by which time you have to start learning another song and it all starts again because I only play songs that mean something to me..lol |
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Location: Cicero, NY | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I never cry when I sing, the listeners do. Yoko in Boise. |
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Location: Cicero, NY | ...and good to see you stopping by, Cliff. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | ...and good to see you stopping by, Cliff.
+1 |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Don't EVER let it get easy. Just practice playing while you cry (or laugh, as the case may be)
How many of us remember those great blues singers on the Ed Sullivan Show, so into the tune they're weaping as they sing? (okay, you under-40's can skip that part) Sticks with you, donnit? |
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Location: big island | play it. sing it. cry it. |
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Location: Simpsonville, SC | WOW!
I am emotional now...Cliff came back. |
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Location: Nashville TN. | Originally posted by Beal:
There's a song that you want to play but it's pretty emotional or has an emotional part.
How do you get past the point of getting choked up your self when performing it?
Speed it up?
Slow it down?
Change the rhythm?
Play it a hundred times till you can do it by rote and not think about it?
Just don't do it? Let the emotion flow
and just repeat it untill can get through it without stopping. Real emotion can make for a powerfull memorable performance. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Originally posted by Beggin:
WOW!
I am emotional now...Cliff came back. My keyboard is soaked with tears. :rolleyes: |
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| Originally posted by Beal:
Play it a hundred times till you can do it by rote and not think about it?
Just don't do it? Those are your best options. |
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Location: Cincinnati | Why do you want to hide the emotion? Isn't that part of why you play? If you get choked up I'm sure the audience is going to be right there with you. Let them feel it too. |
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Location: GA USA | I've been reading The Inner Game of Music . It's about eliminating interference while performing. I've been reading about using awareness as a cure for "trying". Maybe awareness of, or focusing on, something visual like your guitar, or a sound like your toe tapping could take your emotions out of play while keeping you involved in the performance.
I'm not very far into it, but it's interesting even if it's psycho-babble. Anybody else read it? It's Patterned after the other Inner Game philosophies, "Of Tennis" and "Of Skiing", but with a musical focus. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Beal,
I hear what you're saying. I have songs that given the context make me weep. Here are three of them:
Soul of man by Jimmy Driftwood
Over the Rainbow, by Izzy
Will the Circle be Unbroken.
The only way I have to get over it, is just play them alot, starting with an audience of yourself, then before people who care about you, then others.
Basically, it's just playing them alot. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | The most vivid demonstration I've ever seen of this was when SWMBO sang the Lord's Prayer at her own father's memorial service, which he had requested. She maintained her composure, but nobody else did. |
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How do you get past it?
