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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Hit A Bad Note Live? Act Like You Meant It.
Posted by: derper Jun 9 2012, 06:49 PM
Though I intend to start working out more defined, and arranged solos in the future....I come from a background of playing more "in the moment". Thanks to GMC, I'm starting to bridge the 2 styles. But it may be years before I play an entire set with fully arranged solos, so in the meanwhile, there will be "mistakes.
My solo starts around 3:15 and is going alright. Nothing too special, just my personal blend of too much blues/rock/funk influence, played at a higher tempo with more gain to achieve a "metal-like" effect. 
At about 3:40 hang out on a bend just a bit too long and hit a "bad note". Not enough to ruin everything, but noticeable.
I've been playing gigs for years now, and have learned (the hard way...not easy, and not a quick lesson) to just push on. I don't think I even flinch. My mind just learned to embrace that note and work off of it, somehow. If I allow my brain to process the note as a negative action, things tend to go worse. Also, the crowd will notice you "wince" at your own note, and may notice you stiffen afterwards. Also, your playing can start to be less confident. Such as my weaksauce bend to end this solo run.
I'm not getting down on myself, but it helps to learn from the good and bad. I don't expect "perfection" live if I'm "improving" a solo. But I still go back and analyze the good and bad. In this case, I even found some "good" in the "bad"!!
Posted by: eMGie Jun 9 2012, 07:36 PM
I wouldn't call it a bad note 
Most of the time the only person who sees the wrong notes is the person playing them I think 
Anyway, nice solo I like it.
Posted by: Ben Higgins Jun 9 2012, 08:36 PM
That wasn't that bad at all, Gabe, but I do understand what you're getting at in your post. It's always best to just accept all notes and run with it rather than let it put you off.
Although, I must admit that sometimes if I play an obvious clanger that even the crowd would notice then I think it's ok to make a silly 'Wtf ?' expression and be like 'I dunno what the hell that was !' and shrug it off... I think people like that humanness
Posted by: derper Jun 9 2012, 10:27 PM
People like to see the "humaness" when you are shredding like BEN HIGGINS!! For the rest of us, the goal is to HIDE the humaness and present a more "shred-a-riffic" version of ourselves!!
Posted by: Arpeggio Jun 9 2012, 11:39 PM
The bend reminded me of Hedrix, maybe in part because you are plucking it at various tensions making it more rythmic. I can think of snippets of Hendrix music where he does this but can't put names to the songs. Often slide guitar has that slight out of pitch feel.
Posted by: Mike RR24 Jun 10 2012, 03:45 AM
My solo starts around 3:15 and is going alright. Nothing too special, just my personal blend of too much blues/rock/funk influence, played at a higher tempo with more gain to achieve a "metal-like" effect.
At about 3:40 hang out on a bend just a bit too long and hit a "bad note". Not enough to ruin everything, but noticeable. I've been playing gigs for years now, and have learned (the hard way...not easy, and not a quick lesson) to just push on. I don't think I even flinch. My mind just learned to embrace that note and work off of it, somehow. If I allow my brain to process the note as a negative action, things tend to go worse. Also, the crowd will notice you "wince" at your own note, and may notice you stiffen afterwards. Also, your playing can start to be less confident. Such as my weaksauce bend to end this solo run.
I'm not getting down on myself, but it helps to learn from the good and bad. I don't expect "perfection" live if I'm "improving" a solo. But I still go back and analyze the good and bad. In this case, I even found some "good" in the "bad"!!
Fine job there Derper. Could not hardly tell where you did it at. The audience probably did not either. Nice Solo man.
Posted by: derper Jun 10 2012, 06:10 AM
Thanks so much Mike, I really appreciate it!! Thanks to GMC, I'm stepping it up a bit and getting faster, and smoother. But I still play in a very "Gabe" (Me, not Leopardi!) style which isn't as metal, melodic, and flowing as I'd like. Although, the bassist says he like the contrast of me vs. our other guitarist ("Shreddy McFreddy").
I really wish there was video of my Castlevania solo from that night. That's the one that I actually defined a bit. There's also another thread (http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=44749) which has a video where I take a solo on Contra. That one isn't quite "written", but the song itself has a built in turnaround that you almost need to play off of. It was a challenge at first, but now I know a few spots on the fretboard to play it in, to make it sound natural.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jun 12 2012, 10:22 AM
Hey Gabe! Good work man I agree with Ben - we all make mistakes and it's only human to smile and act like it without trying to play it cool and hide under the mask of rockstarriness 
I got a super example:
...they are human and they are having fun while being at it
Posted by: Dinaga Jun 12 2012, 11:02 AM
Sweet solo Gabe! I like it! That wasn't a big mistake at all, I wouldn't really notice it if you didn't explicitly name it here
And yeah, you are right about the attitude. I remember my last gig - I did TONS of mistakes, at one point I actually switched my amp to the "guitar tuner mode" and for 15 seconds I couldn't even be heard! I also made a lot of mistakes in rhythm, leads... During the solo my pick fell off (but I had another one near).
The crowd didn't notice a thing. In fact after the gig a few came to me and said "This is the most perfect playing from you ever, you played everything smooth!" And I'm like "Are you kidding me?"
Posted by: SirJamsalot Jun 18 2012, 10:26 PM
This topic reminds me of a story I heard a while back ago about a kid whose dad beat him when he played wrong notes, so he invented jazz to save his hide. 
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jun 18 2012, 10:43 PM
name, name, name!
Posted by: Mike RR24 Jun 18 2012, 11:18 PM
I agree with Ben - we all make mistakes and it's only human to smile and act like it without trying to play it cool and hide under the mask of rockstarriness I got a super example:
...they are human and they are having fun while being at it
WoW.... I guess even Pro's make mistakes. Unless your Metallica and played the same thing for over 30 years.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jun 19 2012, 07:54 AM
Yeah man! Exactly - it shows we are all human and making mistakes does not mean the end of the world - as long as you don't make a habit out of it
Posted by: Ben Higgins Jun 19 2012, 10:35 AM
Man, that's just plain wrong.
I remember Ritchie Blackmore said that his Dad bought him a guitar but said that if he didn't get really good at it he would break it over his head !
Nothing like a bit of motivation !
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