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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Decline In Technique When Playing Live
Posted by: timrobwall Jul 30 2011, 06:14 PM
I am so frustrated by the difference (in terms of poor quality) between my playing alone or with my band during practice and at live performances. It seems that everything I've practiced and played with confidence for months just disappears at gigs. I've considered a lot of factors at play -- not taking risks, bad mental preparation, alcohol, unexpectedly small audiences with no energy coming back at me/us, changing guitars between sets/songs (Les Paul to Strat). It is really starting to create negativity for me. Any comments or reactions to this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Posted by: Frederik Jul 30 2011, 06:28 PM
Start visualizing yourself playing before a gig, practise more. Chances are that you are less aware on your mistakes when practising than when playing live
Posted by: jstcrsn Jul 30 2011, 08:29 PM
how many live shows have you done- lets start there
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jul 30 2011, 09:08 PM
Well, you seem to be aware of lots of factors that stand in your way. Try to solve them one by one, for example stop drinking before the gig. You'll find yourself playing 10% better already. Also, always practice in standing position, since this is the position you will be doing the gig. Try to imagine yourself playing on stage, do some headbanging while playing etc.. This will let you rehearse the stage appearance too. Also, be sure to dress up slightly unique for the gig, cause creating an image is also important. In time it will be OK, nobody got best after dozen of gigs.
Posted by: Sinisa Cekic Jul 30 2011, 09:20 PM
Don't overdo with alcohol before the gig, one beer is enough to break the porch, everything beyond that is a disaster! 
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jul 30 2011, 11:00 PM
the stage is the place where the magic things happen - good or bad ones
Good ones - energy exchange with the audience
Bad ones - being able to perform at 40%
I confronted myself with all these things you stated even after a lot of gigs and sometimes I still am I don't drink before gigs ever though! The other things will come in time - ROUTINE is the word here. There really is no other way Patience and hard work will get you where you want to be there will come a day when you'll set foot on the stage and feel like it's yours - YOU own it that's the day when you'll be able to play like yourself on stage
Cosmin
Posted by: timrobwall Jul 31 2011, 08:22 PM
the stage is the place where the magic things happen - good or bad ones Good ones - energy exchange with the audience
Bad ones - being able to perform at 40%
I confronted myself with all these things you stated even after a lot of gigs and sometimes I still am
I don't drink before gigs ever though! The other things will come in time - ROUTINE is the word here. There really is no other way Patience and hard work will get you where you want to be there will come a day when you'll set foot on the stage and feel like it's yours - YOU own it that's the day when you'll be able to play like yourself on stage Cosmin
thanks much, Cosmin
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Jul 31 2011, 08:46 PM
the pleasure is all mine and I hope I could provide help!
Posted by: Ben Higgins Aug 1 2011, 11:41 AM
Great advice from the guys already.. I think we all tend to have issues with accuracy when playing live. Adrenaline and nerves make our hands lose their accuracy and it can take a song or 2 to get them relaxed again.
Also, the key with playing live is to be able to forget the actual process of playing and let the mood and performance take over. Sometimes, because we're fired up we swing our arms and hands around with more energy and the accuracy itself may not be quite as 100% but the overall vibe and emotion going into the performance make up for all of that
Of course, nobody puts us much pressure on us as we do to ourselves ! We all do it, so you're not alone with this
Posted by: timrobwall Aug 1 2011, 07:13 PM
Very helpful and supportive.
Also, the key with playing live is to be able to forget the actual process of playing and let the mood and performance take over. Sometimes, because we're fired up we swing our arms and hands around with more energy and the accuracy itself may not be quite as 100% but the overall vibe and emotion going into the performance make up for all of that
Of course, nobody puts us much pressure on us as we do to ourselves ! We all do it, so you're not alone with this
Wise words. Thanks. Sometimes you say to a bandmate, well i f@*ked that up and they look at you like they don't know what you're talking about. A professional player I have great respect for once said, "be humble and respect the music.". Things get better when you get the ego out of the channel between the music and the guitar.
Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Aug 1 2011, 07:27 PM
Well, I've been playing gigs for more than 10 years and I can say that I've faced with those situations many times... Playing live is also something that needs practice and experience so if you are having your first gigs, you just have to keep on doing it and try to improve your performance in every gig. You can't play a Steve Vai tune if you started playing the guitar 6 months ago... you can't do the concert of your life in your first gigs... Playing live is a magic experience (as Cosmin said) and lots of unexpected things can happen, everybody's mind is different so that why every person reacts different when they get on stage, so there is not a method or a secret. My suggestion is to learn from yourself and from your experiences and give you time to improve things and feel happy with your live performances.
Posted by: timrobwall Aug 1 2011, 08:18 PM
You're making a good point. It's still fairly new - say 15-18 legit gigs but building in frequency.
Posted by: timrobwall Aug 1 2011, 10:02 PM
Thanks Gabriel. Very helpful.
Posted by: Adrian Figallo Aug 2 2011, 12:11 AM
Great feedback guys, this helps me too.
I always have like a million problems in my head when a gig comes, flying v to strat to acoustic, compression on my microphone, batteries on my pedals, what amp im taking, etc etc etc and a million more etc.
So my advice is, simplify, take two similar guitars for example, or use just one as the main one and just use the other in emergency, start solving your problems one by one simplifying them, i always tried to recreate the sound i recorded in the studio but that makes no sense live, on stage you gotta feel the music, nobody cares about your expensive flanger mixed to a 10% it;s just the attitude and of course a cool tone.
Posted by: Cosmin Lupu Aug 2 2011, 06:47 AM
Adrian is right but I like to sound just like in the studio as much as possible so I kept everything simple in the studio as well 
I always have two guitars along with all of my projects, as I have songs in drop C and drop A everywhere, otherwise, for effects I only have reverb, delay, booster and flanger - that's just enough to make things sound tight
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