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I think it´s a good advice even if playing gigs or anything similar is not in our plans. Play AND practice like if it´s in a live situation. I think it will also be good for when recording. It happens to me that when I´m "practicing" I do it ok, but the moment I push the "record" button, I screw it up and make mistakes, because I want to do it "right and perfect", same as if I was in front of an audience.

The last time I played "for an audience" was on september, when I played "Hotel California" for my wife on her birthday - it was a request from her -. There were only family members that night: my wife, our son and his girlfriend - 5 years together, so she´s not a stranger, she´s like family - and a niece, who is like our daughter. There were no strangers in the room, but I was nervous and sweating, and yes, I made several mistakes that I didn´t make when playing and practicing the days before.

Now, of course, I played like a god according to them - how can you remember to play all those chords and notes and that long solo? -, but in my mind I was counting all the mistakes haha, and gave myself a score of about 67/100. When I was practicing, I think I was close to 90/100 according to the upper limit I imposed to myself; in other words, I didn´t intend to play it 100% original, no way I could do it, but close. I built a track that is a mixture between the studio record and the 1977 live record.

I still have it on my list of "songs I want to record", and now I practice like if it was in front of an audience, standing most of the time. I´m doing much better each time, although I still know that I don´t feel that comfortable plating in front of other people, all the more if it´s only me. If I were playing with other persons I know it would be different, like when I played at church years ago; in the end I felt much better and less nervous.

So, that´s it. Let´s not play "too comfy" in the hope of building some strengh and, finally, play with more confidence, at least in my own case.

Finally, following the "pics or it didn´t happen" rule, here you are. My wife with the green dress, our niece and our son´s girlfriend on the floor, and my son recording the video. No prizes for guessing who´s the moron playing guitar!

I'm sure like most, you're more critical of your playing than others are, so you notice mistakes others just hear as decisions. That's ok. I agree on standing practice if you want to gig. The more practice is like gigging, the less awkward gigging will be. Some players who don't gig do play sitting down, and prefer it. I've noticed this among a lot of session players and composers. It makes sense if you consider session work often goes all day.

Nice thoughts.

We have a gig coming up on the 21st that I am practicing like mad for. I'll spend a good portion of the night on bass but I want to play my guitar parts better.

"Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect." This saying has its merits, but one of the cool things about watching a concert, playing live or at home is that there are mistakes - some of them are happy mistakes. Others, unfortunately, are clunkers. I'll concentrate on playing within myself and in time with the band - but I might take a chance on a certain passage if I'm feeling confident.

I'll be nervous, for sure. It's a 6:00 show so our friends can enjoy a rockin' happy hour. This has proven to be very popular in the past. We and the bar are expecting many tourists after the dinner hour. The venue is popular with us "seasoned" folks because bands start at a reasonable time.

P.S. I practice standing up.

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 6:08 pm I'm sure like most, you're more critical of your playing than others are, so you notice mistakes others just hear as decisions. That's ok. I agree on standing practice if you want to gig. The more practice is like gigging, the less awkward gigging will be. Some players who don't gig do play sitting down, and prefer it. I've noticed this among a lot of session players and composers. It makes sense if you consider session work often goes all day.

Yes, I am. I am my worst own judge. And I know I should not. Not in a way that would take out the joy of playing, at least.

Good thoughts. I usually enjoy and agree with your reasoning of things.

I have no plans on gigging - although I´d like to experience it at least once -, so it should not matter how I practice or play. Yeah, I´ve seen session players play sitting down most of the time, it´s more comfortable and less tiring. I´m trying the standing up position because "in my mind" I´m playing in front of a crowd That way I "travel" while playing.

All my life I´ve played sitting down, I´ve been trying the standing up position this year. My goal is to feel more relaxed while playing - therefore, less mistakes -, so my recordings can be done in less sessions than what they usually take.

tlarson58 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 6:27 pm Nice thoughts.

We have a gig coming up on the 21st that I am practicing like mad for. I'll spend a good portion of the night on bass but I want to play my guitar parts better.

"Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect." This saying has its merits, but one of the cool things about watching a concert, playing live or at home is that there are mistakes - some of them are happy mistakes. Others, unfortunately, are clunkers. I'll concentrate on playing within myself and in time with the band - but I might take a chance on a certain passage if I'm feeling confident.

I'll be nervous, for sure. It's a 6:00 show so our friends can enjoy a rockin' happy hour. This has proven to be very popular in the past. We and the bar are expecting many tourists after the dinner hour. The venue is popular with us "seasoned" folks because bands start at a reasonable time.

P.S. I practice standing up.

Keep on practicing! It´s so nice you have that gig.

I like that saying.

Now that you mentioned it, I do like to watch live concerts because I can get to really see how players play the music in a real situation, mistakes and/or improvisation or changes included.

It´s often said that, if you feel nervous before going live, it´s good because it says that it´s important to you. So, half joking, half serious, if you´re nervous, that´s ok, play nervous, but play good and give yourself 100%.

Hope it all goes well that night!

I rehearse standing up with the electric guitar. I practice mostly sitting down with the acoustic guitar. I also use a mic and speaker for vocals when practicing the acoustic act. I need to "hear" it like it is live.

I have gotten to a point where I don't beat myself up too much about mistakes on stage. The fact of the matter is that the audience responds much more to the general feel of a performance than they do to technical specifics, and the worst thing that can happen is that you make a mistake and then you start stressing about it and that drags the whole quality of your performance down.

@sabasgr68 what you said about "I built a track that is a mixture between the studio record and the 1977 live record" is part of why I like listening to alternate recordings of songs, or early rehearsal versions. We often think that the album version is how a song goes, but if you listen to multiple versions, you often realize that what you heard on the album was just one of many possible versions! And that means that your version is not "wrong", just not the one that was on the album.

Really good examples of this include Guns 'n' Roses' "Rocket Queen" (compare the album version to the Sound City session) and Aerosmith's "Mama Kin" (compare the album version to later live versions).

tonebender wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2023 7:34 am I rehearse standing up with the electric guitar. I practice mostly sitting down with the acoustic guitar. I also use a mic and speaker for vocals when practicing the acoustic act. I need to "hear" it like it is live.

Well, that´s pretty close to actually be playing the gig. And that´s good. You´ll feel like if you´re practicing at home, or close...

glasshand wrote: ↑Wed Dec 06, 2023 11:11 am I have gotten to a point where I don't beat myself up too much about mistakes on stage. The fact of the matter is that the audience responds much more to the general feel of a performance than they do to technical specifics, and the worst thing that can happen is that you make a mistake and then you start stressing about it and that drags the whole quality of your performance down.

@sabasgr68 what you said about "I built a track that is a mixture between the studio record and the 1977 live record" is part of why I like listening to alternate recordings of songs, or early rehearsal versions. We often think that the album version is how a song goes, but if you listen to multiple versions, you often realize that what you heard on the album was just one of many possible versions! And that means that your version is not "wrong", just not the one that was on the album.

Really good examples of this include Guns 'n' Roses' "Rocket Queen" (compare the album version to the Sound City session) and Aerosmith's "Mama Kin" (compare the album version to later live versions).

Yes, I know I shouldn´t be so hard on myself, and besides, I´m playing just for me, literally a bedroom player. Thanks for pointing it out.

Exactly. I also like to listen to other versions of the songs I like, and I prefer live versions, because you can see the actual performance without any "help" like in a studio record, and can borrow some ideas for your own covers of those songs. In the Hotel California track I made, I can play some measures corresponding to the 12-string guitar and others with the corresponding arrangement for the electric guitar, either felder or Walsh parts. That way I can get to play a "comprehensive" version of it.

Will search those songs to appreciate the changes.

I've done my share of playing in bedrooms but don't remember a guitar ever being involved! Kinky!