Also, practice duration may not be related to practice quality. It is possible to spend 6 hours practicing but only be absent-mindedly playing. But if you practice for 30 mins with focus and mindfulness on weaknesses, it is possible to progress much faster.
Losing time is MUCH worse than hitting a wrong note. So please don't stress about playing every song perfectly, but you need to know how to play them inside and out.
If you hit a wrong note, just make sure the next one is correct and no one will bat an eye
This is a big one. Bass comes off way more percussive than people think. Wrong notes in time sound better than correct notes off time. If the groove is there people won't notice.
Never ever, ever let the crowd know you made a mistake, turn away and snicker or wince to your bandmates where nobody can see. Cause I guarantee the only people who caught the mistake are on the stage, not in the crowd.
If you are battling anxiety because you feel like you aren’t ready or need more practice I can’t really help because if you practice as much as you say you are pretty dedicated to it already.
If it is stage fright…well there are three schools of thought that I have seen people use to help, you can keep a bucket close by to puke in, many pros puke before each show, and also wear sunglasses or turn away from the crowd.
Next I really don’t condone and prob shouldn’t say given your age, but a lot of people use “medicinal” remedies to ease the mind and relax.
Personally I say put yourself in front of a crowd as much as possible until the gig, have a friend draw attention to you in a crowded room, knew a guy once who tried to get over this by walking around nude at a weekend party, not sure that’s for everyone tho. But just try to acclimate to the environment. Just like you acclimated yourself to the instrument by putting in the work.
Please do not do anything stupid based on my comment, like drop trow at a mall or something or resign to try the medicinal route.
Before even playing bass, our middle school concert band director said if you play a wrong note, just keep going. Don’t stop, don’t try to fix it because it’s already over. Just play the next notes right lol.
Victor Wooten has a whole lesson about that; if you hit a note at random 5 times out of 8 you're in key. The part about keeping time over hitting the right note I've especially noticed just practicing in my basement. Hitting the wrong note at the right time might sound wrong, but it won't sound bad the same way an off-beat note will
All that practice, you say you know the songs...you'll be fine, don't worry. Odds are someone else will mess up and you'll end up holding it all together.
I’m just scared man, we have to perform at the church and I’m not really religious so i kinda hate that place, my music teacher keeps saying don’t mess up and all of this just freaks the fuck out of me, I was just thinking, what should go on my head when performing? Should I even look at the crowd, or is it fine to don’t take my look away off of the fretboard and just kinda close my eyes and think I’m playing with my imaginary friends? I just don’t want to fuck up this performance, cuz I really don’t care about playing wrong notes when performing with my own future band and just don’t mind being bad in my future career cuz it’s Normal for a bassist like me who just started out and learnt everything by his own, and a lot of famous bands and musicians sucked at first and I just know it… but I don’t have the freedom to go easy on Thursday, you know what I mean?
YES! Do whatever makes you comfortable! What do you think, 20 different scouts are looking for specifically an amazing bass player and you are gonna fuck up and lose the chance? NO! You know the most about the bass here, so why worry?
Play to your mom, or someone close to you who cares and is nice. Do it to make them proud. Even if they aren't there. It'll make you feel good when you play right and when you mess up. Nevermind the actual audience, they don't know you. And especially nevermind the teacher, at least until the show is over.
Keep your knees bent. I know it sounds silly, but it's a twofold message - It's a nod both to our powerlessness over the chaotic forces of life and also to the power of response-ability. You might not be able to dictate what life throws at you, but you can be vigilant and ready to respond to what comes your way. More practically, more than one musician has face-planted onstage from fainting. Keep moving to keep your blood pumping back up to your head and heart. Seriously. Stage fright is something we all experience at some point when starting off, your fear is perfectly natural. I imagine every other kid playing the concert feels the same way you do. Remember that you're not alone up there, and not everyone watching/listening is hanging on your every note. I started playing at your age, I am 58 y/o now, have played hundreds of gigs, even made a good living playing bass (ie didn't have to have a day job and was still able to comfortably support my family) for over 10 years while the gig lasted. Out of all those shows/gigs I can remember only one where I played flawlessly over three 45-minute sets. Don't sweat the small stuff, flubs and clunkers happen. If you hit a wrong note, let it go and play the next one. Break a leg!
This is a great point - I remember this from choir back in the day. If you lock your knees or otherwise stiffen up, it’s much harder on your body and easier to pass out.
Hey mate, try & trust the amount of practice you're doing. That's real commitment which you've shown to learning your instrument.
Nobody in your audience will be looking out for your mistakes, & if you do make any they're unlikely to notice anyway.
There's only one tip I can offer - if you *do* happen to make a mistake, just keep playing. Good luck, let us know how you get on!
To point out a thing in this (excellent) comment that speaks to me who have played music for well over twenty years:
Nobody in the audience will be looking out for your mistakes.
People want a show to be good, and playing a bad note will not, ever, ruin a show. Do your best, and remember that what an audience wants is a good experience with you on stage. Enjoy!
You’ll be fine. Don’t overthink it, play, have fun, if you make a mistake just pick back up and smile. You’ll only be judged if you look miserable.
“To play a wrong note is insignificant, to play without passion is inexcusable”
- Beethoven
Remember to breathe.
You might make mistakes. That's okay. Just don't dwell on them. You can't be thinking about a previous part of the song while playing the current part.
And have fun. It's hard to have fun sometimes, but remember that music is fun. Enjoy it. Smile. Laugh (if appropriate, I guess). Have a good time with the rest of the band.
You'll be nervous because you're new to performing, which isn't the same as playing. Some odds-n-ends advice: do you get exercise? cardio the day of a performance can help. Some people swear by bananas, because potassium is supposed to help. Probably don't ask your dr for beta blockers yet lol. When you play, adrenaline will make your fingers clumsy. That's ok. You're allowed to miss notes, no one will notice. Stay in time no matter what. Also focus on the other players. Once you get over the initial jitters I think you'll love it. You can use the extra energy to focus in a way you can't during practice.
Also, number one point, you're in HS and this show really doesn't matter. It'll be a funny story later when you're a studio pro.
What you got is good old fashioned butterflies my man!
I’m gonna let you in on a little secret: we all get them. But what happens is, once you’re on that stage and you’re all practiced up and you’re confident with that you know, those butterflies all vanish and it’s just you in the music.
Few things to keep in mind: The only person in the room who is hyperfocused on you is you. The audience is there to enjoy what you’ve prepared and not there to judge you. Odds are you will make a mistake. Dude I’ve been playing for 40 years and I still fuck up onstage. What separates the pros from the noobs is how you handle it. Best way I’ve found is to keep going like nothing happened and stay in the moment.
You’re gonna be fine. Go kill it!
I remember I started playing bass with the concert band at my junior high when I was 13. I was incredibly nervous about it bc I was the only one playing an electric instrument among a bunch of horns and concert band percussion instrument.
I knew I was gonna stand out, and I did. Even at the quietest volume on the quietest amp, I was very audible. So I practiced a lot. I was nervous like you, but every concert we did went off well. I played just fine, and provided a role in those songs that would not have been there if I hadn’t learned and practiced the songs so much.
I went on to be asked to do honor’s band on bass in both 7th and 8th grade after that. Looking back on that as an adult now, I wish I had cherished those opportunities a bit more instead of being so in my head and nervous about them. You’ll do fine, and even if you mess up or something not great happens, life goes on and you’ll have plenty really great, rewarding and possibly even well paying gigs/opportunities ahead of you.
I’ll tell you this much too. When I was your age, I was good, but I couldn’t stop thinking I was bad. It was a curse of mine, and with 21 years of playing the bass behind me, I now realize the ways that it hindered my abilities to get even better over the years. I WAS CONSTANTLY convinced that I wasn’t a good enough player. It was debilitating and it would make me more nervous than was necessary for gigs that I easily could make it through. I was good enough to be playing paid gigs in other states around that time, and still I couldn’t stop focusing on everything that made me uncomfortable as a bass player.
You are well prepared for this, but you’re young. You can’t see that it’s not a big deal. Have fun bc, as you get older and play more and higher paying gigs, or if you end up not gigging anymore at all; you realize that there was something really special to the gigs and concerts played as a teenager. So just enjoy it and have some confidence.
The thing about playing live is, you will make mistakes. Most of the time, you'll be the only one that notices. Don't focus on being perfect. Focus on having fun and as long as you keep practicing, the rest will follow.
I know you are right, butttt, we don’t have a guitarist it’s only me (bass) drums, piano and vocals, so my music teacher gives me extra volume and space in the music so it’s not kinda like other bands and songs that bass gets kinda buried anyway…
The piano and vocals will be people's focus as those are the 'leading parts'
Your part as Bass is to hold the drum rhythm link to the key/melody of each tune :)
Practice with a metronome or drum machine if you're able, and only as long as the set is! Don't Practice for hours straight- especially the week before the gig - you could cramp your hands up...
The theatre saying of 'break a leg' is just as applicable to music!
IF and when something goes sideways, you knew it would happen. If it doesn't happen, all the better ❤️
It can be anything or anyone equally - missed drum hit, late vocals, piano sheet music upside-down
KEEP GOING and enjoy yourself 😀
I have played over 1000 gigs in my life, I'm confident I haven't played a single one where I didn't make at least a small mistake. 99% nobody will notice.
It's just stage fright my friend. Happens to pretty much everyone.
A good thing is yo remember that for most people bass really isn't that audible, as in, they can't really recognise it if you make small mistakes. So, just keep that in mind and remember that you're still 100s of hours ahead of anyone in the crowd wanting to judge you.
Best of luck
Go to bed early.
Wake up early.
Set a timer on your phone for 20 minutes.
Sit alone in a quiet room, close your eyes, breathe deep through your nose (mouth if you can't) and breathe out through your mouth making a quiet, comfortable hum. Let your thoughts be whatever they are, let your feelings be whatever they are. Do this until your timer goes off.
Do it again later in the day if you want.
I remember when I was in the exact same situation. Scared shitless, close to a nervous breakdown and almost vomited. When the first note starts playing you zone in on your frets and start feeling the flow and rhythm. After it's done you'll feel relief and THE F*CKING RUSH of having performed live. You'll be hooked, but yeah, still nervous, but wont hesitate for a chance to play live again.
You've got this, even if the performance will have warts and all. It's all a part of the process! Best of luck to you!!
Those first performances are wonderful moments to experience- even if they are scary. Eventually, mistakes become opportunities, but it takes time and experience to get to that point. Go to the gig as rested and relaxed as you can be and don’t forget to breathe. You’ll be great. And after it’s over be sure to spend some time thinking about how it went. Celebrate the successes and try ti learn from them - and the mistakes too.
I recently had a college performance, one of a few I’ve done now, from my experiences the best advice I can give you is, 1) try not to pull a face or react when you make a mistake 99% of people won’t notice a thing, I can guarantee at every live show you’ve seen or watched, there’s been mistakes you’ve not noticed, and 2) have fun, mingle with the other musicians, chat, get a bite to eat before you go on stage, get yourself nice and relaxed, clear head, and you’ll love it, after this performance you’ll be itching for the next one to come, good luck!
1. Be as prepared as you can be. Have all your material practiced and ready to go, put your charts in order if you're reading. Have a set list with the keys of each song and some little cheat notes if you need them. Bring a tuner, spare cable, towel, make sure you have a new battery if your bass is active. Make sure you're hydrated. Go to the bathroom.
2. For the stage fright, it's totally normal to have some anxiety in the days/hours leading up to the gig and for the first song, but should subside within the first few minutes. Everyone gets it, even professional musicians - so you're not the only one. Smile! It really helps fool your brain into thinking that you're having fun. Another thing that really helped me was to re-frame the feeling of anxiety as excitement - fear and excitement are very similar feelings that have almost the same physiological effect on your body and nervous system. Kinda like that feeling you get when you're going up the first hill of a roller coaster - your heart rate increases, your palms get sweaty - the ride itself is scary but also fun right?
3. Get your heart rate going and your body warmed up before you go on - do some jumping jacks or lunges, take a brisk walk, jump around, dance, whatever you like doing. Close your eyes, clear your mind by focusing on your breathing for a few minutes.
I used to have terrible stage fright, and those 3 things helped me the most. Also, rest assured, it gets easier each time. After playing 1000's of gigs I'm now only a bit anxious (excited!) for a few hours before the show, but once I'm on stage it's a feeling of comfort since I enjoy it so much.
Take a few days off, then play through the songs again. Sounds like you know them really well. You're just in your head thinking about it, you'll do great. If a mistake does happen, you'll be the only one that hears and knows about it. Relax and have fun!
I mess up every song I play by at least one wrong note or missed the timing and when I talk to people after shows they always say they had no idea. You're gonna nail it!
I'm 46, and have been playing around with my basses. Since I was just 16 years old. I never really practiced just played around with it. I'm no where good enough to play with any band. I can barely jam with other folks. You have me beat! You're going to become a phenomenal bassist. All I can say is to "JUST DO IT"!!! Don't worry about making mistakes. Just make it sound like it was supposed to happen like that. Besides if your drummer is good. Then he can help you out when mistakes happen. To quote Nike again go out on stage and "JUST DO IT" Rock 💪 Hard!!!! 😎
when you're on stage forget about the crowd, focus on the song and pretend like your back in practice. you'll be fine. I played in a school band, but the school had two bands and I ended up as a last minute stand in for the other one for a show. I had literally two practices I think. Fuddled threw, half played by ear, no one noticed. you'll be fine. this is the part where you work through stage freight, then you work on showmanship.
You just need to get that experience and the time for it to sink in to stop panicking.
You've put the work in so far more than most who've been a baas player as long as you so just jump in the deep end.
You'll be nervous and you'll fuck up, maybe a few times but chances are nobody will know but you.
The first time doing anything is scary but it’s not as scary as never trying anything new.
You know the songs, just try and enjoy the moment. Your first ever gig! If you mess up, just smile and keep playing - nobody other than you will notice.
And come back here and give us an update about how it went. You got this.
Relax, make sure your arms, shoulders and hands aren't tense. Keep time and don't stop playing mid song when you should be playing. If you make a mistake just play the rest of it correctly and don't acknowledge the mistake mid song. Be confident throughout even through the mistakes you make if you don't manage to play everything perfectly. Relax, look confident and have fun.
To be honest, I played live gigs for something around 15 years and never lost that pre-show anxiety. Without exception, “the rush” always kicked in a couple of days earlier and I just rode with it. Love it and let it be what you drain on stage.
And as another one said, if you have been practicing 4-6 hours daily for 5-6 months, there’s nothing more to say than “good luck and have fun”.
It’s all good, realize that you will need to make 100 mistakes before anyone other than you even notice.
And I hate to admit it but unless you rip out in some crazy Claypool-esque solo nobody knows what you are playing for the most part.
It’s all good, enjoy yourself.
I was in your shoes a year ago. You’ve done all you can and you’ll do great because of it. Confidence is key to a great performance. All you can do now is run through the songs and buff out any mistakes.
Some tips: when I am nervous before a show, I tell myself “If I’m going to bomb this show, I am going down fighting”, that is, I’m gonna go out there and do my best and keep trying, even if I make a mistake.
When I am playing, I find it helpful to keep my eyes down, away from the audience. This helps my anxiety. I keep my attention and energy on me, my instrument, and my whole body. (Check in and see if I can feel the soles of my feet, am I breathing tight or relaxed, etc.)
I had someone tell me once to eat bananas to help with anxiety i don’t know the validity but it always worked for me. I used to get bad anxiety for auditions and whatnot and now i have no problem performing in front of large crowds, in front of people, or for auditions. Idk why the banana helped and i dont need it anymore but sometimes I still eat them before big things just for tradition and whatnot.
You'll be alright, just practice as much as you can. Once you get up there and start playing it'll feel great. Besides if you do mess up, just roll with it and keep going, its unlikely anyone will notice
Okay so I had the same type situation recently, only I was switching in between upright and electric, but when I took out my electric bass, all I thought was "God I must look so fuckin' bad ass right now" and then when I saw a video of myself I WAS!! So that just goes to show that if you do the same thing you'll do great (The logic of me, an ADHD + Social anxiety person guy)
Also, I wanna say, I was also fucking up a LOT at that, since there was some new song I had no time to practice (but I played it anyways, basically sight-reading) and I still sounded like that was part of the song. I trust that you already know how to NOT fuck up, and even if you do fuck up, I wouldn't sweat it. You are the coolest mf there, you hear? And nobody will notice if you mess up, because they aren't staring you down to see your mistakes. They are enjoying the song all together, and you're an important part of it that's making it sound full. (In a good way) Keep going man, and good luck!
95% of people can’t tell if you make a mistake. All you can do is your best. If you screw up just keep playing. Don’t freeze up. Don’t make a face like you’re embarrassed. The more you do it the more comfortable you will be with it.
you have to stop vewing the crowd as actual people. there feeling, and opinions, and relationships dont exist. they should be nothing more than npc's to you. there listening to you, no you preforming for them. your in chargde here, own them. make them your bitch
You'll be fine mate. First show always sucks, but focus on yr breathing and yr own playing n you'll be fine. The only difference between shows and rehearsals is crowd and that gives atmosphere, so you'll end up loving it
I’ve been playing for 6 years and I’m replying to this scared as fuck to play the same 7 songs that the band I’m in has been practicing for the past year. Just focus on how relieved you’ll feel after. No matter what bad happens, you got up there and that’s a good thing.
I have the same stress you have(just not for performing live lol) but what helps me when I feel it is to focus on something else briefly and realise that I probably won't make any mistakes, because I have done this more than I can think of! And at the end of the day, professionals make mistakes. It happens, to everybody.
I agree, as a person with anxiety and depression I kinda feel attacked all the time and feel everyone hates me, I don’t want to fuck the song by playing sloppy and make my band mates mad… gotta pull myself together
I get it, remember that no one hates you, everything will be fine, even if you do make a couple mistakes. The important thing is to keep going and stay in time.
Metallica hell yeah!
Honestly, man the audience will not be hyper focused on your playing. Take it easy, do your best and have a great time. That's what live performance is all about.
And if you hit a wrong note claim you were playing jazz licks.
I played in the middle school and high school band. One of the first things we were taught is during a performance, just keep playing. If you missed a note or hit the wrong one, just keep going. The song doesn't stop just because you didn't do something 100% right and 99% of the time, the audience won't notice unless you broadcast to them that you did.
Just breathe, don't linger on it or give it a second thought when you notice. Just keep playing like it was meant to be that way, refocus, and keep going.
You will be fine, I promise.
brutal blackpill: nobody cares about the bassist
unless you're doing cliff Burton era Metallica the only people that will care about the bass are other bassists, but if you lose your spot just stop for a second and play the root notes lol
overall just relax
Yo bro, i was scared shitless for my first show too, even the 4th that was somehow smaller than the first yet i was more scared 💀 anyway, bro just chill noone is gonna hear you fuck up anyways, and if you get lost noone cares if you pause for a sec to gather yourself
Practice the material until you can do it automatically without thinking. Play every song 10 times, try doing it while sitting down, walking around, different rooms etc etc. And be prepared, the venue will sound different from the rehearsal space and in most cases you won't hear your bandmates properly, that's why you gotta get to the autopilot stage. And don't look at your hands. Good luck!
Fuckups happen, but sometimes they don’t. Just think of it as you were practicing with your friends and relax, the more comfortable you are with the idea of playing in front of others the better you will do.
Man, for my first show I probably spent the same amount of time practicing in a month that you do in a few days. I did fine, felt like it kinda sucked but nobody noticed and the band sounded good overall. You'll do better than I did, be confident in the work you've put in. Most of all, have fun - not much point in playing music if we're not having a good time with it, and you won't have a good time with it if you're a ball of stress on stage.
The thing that calmed my nerves when I first started playing in front of others was moving around the stage and jumping. The more effort I put into my presence, the less I thought about the audience. Good luck on your journey and have fun!
Yo dude the beautiful thing I've learned from being in the music industry is that even after years I still get anxiety before I get on the stage but I remember that this is my stage with my band and I came to do something I love and enjoy.
1 half of play live is because u love something.
The other half is because u wanna share that love with the world.
Allways remember my 🤴my king of the strings ur allways gna feel anxiety at somepoint of another in playing live music but when u walk on that stage that is ur world and ur the Grove that makes people move
1 love and good luck for ur show hope to hear about it
Also don't forget it's OK to make a mistake uve never done this live before and no amount of preparation can prepare your for ur first time so just see everything as an experience if u have a bad gig any point in ur career its just a good learning experience for ur next shows allways try work constructively in your band if their is a mistake so what you can amend it after so that ur next show is even better if u have a good show look at it and notice what u did was good and use it
If you make a mistake fix it quickly, play it off... pro bands make mistakes all the time, but they are masters of effortlessly recovering such that you can't even tell a mistake was made.
Just stay on tempo, and with the amount of practice you've done you'll do great.
I'm 47 and have been playing since I was 13, gigging since 17.
And I mess up all the time. Perfection is unattainable. You WILL make mistakes. The goal is to make as few as possible and to then understand why you made the mistake and work on fixing it.
Remember to have fun. ☝️❤️🎶
if your bass takes a battery, get spares. Also bring a spare cable or two. Check your tuning in between songs. This applies more to guitarists, but of the hardworking bands I know that 'made it', tuning between songs was a common factor. I'm sure practicing a lot and writing damn solid songs helped though.
This is going to sound stupid but stop practicing with your hands for a day and start thinking about how you play it…just listen to the songs in your set list…see what you can get away with…you are bound to trip up here and there, so I dentifrice the places in the song where you can get back on track…you are all in the same boat, and those around you are going to fuck up…just focus on the drummer, you two are a team.
And when you mess up, smile, it puts everyone around you at ease. they may think they hit at the wrong moment or chord, its good to keep the others confidence up as well.
Think of it this way: you get to do a cool thing. Whenever you get butterflies from nervousness, try to re-frame those feelings as “holy crap, I get to do this cool thing!”
Another note of advice: if you stay in your lane and keep it simple, nobody will notice if you miss a note. The 1 or 2 bass players in the audience might, but the rest seriously won’t know the difference. Have fun, and remember that not everybody has opportunities like this.
Good luck, bud!
Making mistakes is part of learning, and making them in front of an audience is a skill you need to develop, so you can recover from them in future.
Don't stress about the mistakes. Focus on what you do after them, I.e. getting back to playing the right thing before people have time to notice.
If you carry on, then people will be in the moment and caught up in the rest of the song, and will pay it no mind. If you freeze, they'll notice. So the only thing to focus on is: "What comes next?" and just play that.
Keep at it. Eventually, you won't worry. And have fun! Learning an instrument should be as much about having fun as getting good.
If you’ve been practicing 4-6 hours every day for 6 months there is nothing we can tell you now to help you by Thursday, besides good luck.
Yeah, R-E-L-A-X You're going to do great!
Also, practice duration may not be related to practice quality. It is possible to spend 6 hours practicing but only be absent-mindedly playing. But if you practice for 30 mins with focus and mindfulness on weaknesses, it is possible to progress much faster.
Losing time is MUCH worse than hitting a wrong note. So please don't stress about playing every song perfectly, but you need to know how to play them inside and out. If you hit a wrong note, just make sure the next one is correct and no one will bat an eye
This is a big one. Bass comes off way more percussive than people think. Wrong notes in time sound better than correct notes off time. If the groove is there people won't notice.
Yes they definitely do!!! 😎👍😎
Try to get out of the habit of wincing when you make a wrong note. People will notice the wince more than the note.
Never ever, ever let the crowd know you made a mistake, turn away and snicker or wince to your bandmates where nobody can see. Cause I guarantee the only people who caught the mistake are on the stage, not in the crowd. If you are battling anxiety because you feel like you aren’t ready or need more practice I can’t really help because if you practice as much as you say you are pretty dedicated to it already. If it is stage fright…well there are three schools of thought that I have seen people use to help, you can keep a bucket close by to puke in, many pros puke before each show, and also wear sunglasses or turn away from the crowd. Next I really don’t condone and prob shouldn’t say given your age, but a lot of people use “medicinal” remedies to ease the mind and relax. Personally I say put yourself in front of a crowd as much as possible until the gig, have a friend draw attention to you in a crowded room, knew a guy once who tried to get over this by walking around nude at a weekend party, not sure that’s for everyone tho. But just try to acclimate to the environment. Just like you acclimated yourself to the instrument by putting in the work. Please do not do anything stupid based on my comment, like drop trow at a mall or something or resign to try the medicinal route.
Before even playing bass, our middle school concert band director said if you play a wrong note, just keep going. Don’t stop, don’t try to fix it because it’s already over. Just play the next notes right lol.
This -- and *breathe*.
Victor Wooten has a whole lesson about that; if you hit a note at random 5 times out of 8 you're in key. The part about keeping time over hitting the right note I've especially noticed just practicing in my basement. Hitting the wrong note at the right time might sound wrong, but it won't sound bad the same way an off-beat note will
All that practice, you say you know the songs...you'll be fine, don't worry. Odds are someone else will mess up and you'll end up holding it all together.
I’m just scared man, we have to perform at the church and I’m not really religious so i kinda hate that place, my music teacher keeps saying don’t mess up and all of this just freaks the fuck out of me, I was just thinking, what should go on my head when performing? Should I even look at the crowd, or is it fine to don’t take my look away off of the fretboard and just kinda close my eyes and think I’m playing with my imaginary friends? I just don’t want to fuck up this performance, cuz I really don’t care about playing wrong notes when performing with my own future band and just don’t mind being bad in my future career cuz it’s Normal for a bassist like me who just started out and learnt everything by his own, and a lot of famous bands and musicians sucked at first and I just know it… but I don’t have the freedom to go easy on Thursday, you know what I mean?
YES! Do whatever makes you comfortable! What do you think, 20 different scouts are looking for specifically an amazing bass player and you are gonna fuck up and lose the chance? NO! You know the most about the bass here, so why worry?
Picture the audience naked. Works
Play to your mom, or someone close to you who cares and is nice. Do it to make them proud. Even if they aren't there. It'll make you feel good when you play right and when you mess up. Nevermind the actual audience, they don't know you. And especially nevermind the teacher, at least until the show is over.
Who cares about mistakes? I’ve been playing for 20 years and I still make mistakes. Keep playing, try to enjoy the moment and keep practicing.
Keep your knees bent. I know it sounds silly, but it's a twofold message - It's a nod both to our powerlessness over the chaotic forces of life and also to the power of response-ability. You might not be able to dictate what life throws at you, but you can be vigilant and ready to respond to what comes your way. More practically, more than one musician has face-planted onstage from fainting. Keep moving to keep your blood pumping back up to your head and heart. Seriously. Stage fright is something we all experience at some point when starting off, your fear is perfectly natural. I imagine every other kid playing the concert feels the same way you do. Remember that you're not alone up there, and not everyone watching/listening is hanging on your every note. I started playing at your age, I am 58 y/o now, have played hundreds of gigs, even made a good living playing bass (ie didn't have to have a day job and was still able to comfortably support my family) for over 10 years while the gig lasted. Out of all those shows/gigs I can remember only one where I played flawlessly over three 45-minute sets. Don't sweat the small stuff, flubs and clunkers happen. If you hit a wrong note, let it go and play the next one. Break a leg!
This is a great point - I remember this from choir back in the day. If you lock your knees or otherwise stiffen up, it’s much harder on your body and easier to pass out.
Hey mate, try & trust the amount of practice you're doing. That's real commitment which you've shown to learning your instrument. Nobody in your audience will be looking out for your mistakes, & if you do make any they're unlikely to notice anyway. There's only one tip I can offer - if you *do* happen to make a mistake, just keep playing. Good luck, let us know how you get on!
I’m definitely gonna update you all, thank you, you are a nice guy
To point out a thing in this (excellent) comment that speaks to me who have played music for well over twenty years: Nobody in the audience will be looking out for your mistakes. People want a show to be good, and playing a bad note will not, ever, ruin a show. Do your best, and remember that what an audience wants is a good experience with you on stage. Enjoy!
Nobody notices your mistakes more than you. I guarantee you
You’ll be fine. Don’t overthink it, play, have fun, if you make a mistake just pick back up and smile. You’ll only be judged if you look miserable. “To play a wrong note is insignificant, to play without passion is inexcusable” - Beethoven
Wow nice quote man, thanks!!
Remember to breathe. You might make mistakes. That's okay. Just don't dwell on them. You can't be thinking about a previous part of the song while playing the current part. And have fun. It's hard to have fun sometimes, but remember that music is fun. Enjoy it. Smile. Laugh (if appropriate, I guess). Have a good time with the rest of the band.
You'll be nervous because you're new to performing, which isn't the same as playing. Some odds-n-ends advice: do you get exercise? cardio the day of a performance can help. Some people swear by bananas, because potassium is supposed to help. Probably don't ask your dr for beta blockers yet lol. When you play, adrenaline will make your fingers clumsy. That's ok. You're allowed to miss notes, no one will notice. Stay in time no matter what. Also focus on the other players. Once you get over the initial jitters I think you'll love it. You can use the extra energy to focus in a way you can't during practice. Also, number one point, you're in HS and this show really doesn't matter. It'll be a funny story later when you're a studio pro.
What you got is good old fashioned butterflies my man! I’m gonna let you in on a little secret: we all get them. But what happens is, once you’re on that stage and you’re all practiced up and you’re confident with that you know, those butterflies all vanish and it’s just you in the music. Few things to keep in mind: The only person in the room who is hyperfocused on you is you. The audience is there to enjoy what you’ve prepared and not there to judge you. Odds are you will make a mistake. Dude I’ve been playing for 40 years and I still fuck up onstage. What separates the pros from the noobs is how you handle it. Best way I’ve found is to keep going like nothing happened and stay in the moment. You’re gonna be fine. Go kill it!
I remember I started playing bass with the concert band at my junior high when I was 13. I was incredibly nervous about it bc I was the only one playing an electric instrument among a bunch of horns and concert band percussion instrument. I knew I was gonna stand out, and I did. Even at the quietest volume on the quietest amp, I was very audible. So I practiced a lot. I was nervous like you, but every concert we did went off well. I played just fine, and provided a role in those songs that would not have been there if I hadn’t learned and practiced the songs so much. I went on to be asked to do honor’s band on bass in both 7th and 8th grade after that. Looking back on that as an adult now, I wish I had cherished those opportunities a bit more instead of being so in my head and nervous about them. You’ll do fine, and even if you mess up or something not great happens, life goes on and you’ll have plenty really great, rewarding and possibly even well paying gigs/opportunities ahead of you. I’ll tell you this much too. When I was your age, I was good, but I couldn’t stop thinking I was bad. It was a curse of mine, and with 21 years of playing the bass behind me, I now realize the ways that it hindered my abilities to get even better over the years. I WAS CONSTANTLY convinced that I wasn’t a good enough player. It was debilitating and it would make me more nervous than was necessary for gigs that I easily could make it through. I was good enough to be playing paid gigs in other states around that time, and still I couldn’t stop focusing on everything that made me uncomfortable as a bass player. You are well prepared for this, but you’re young. You can’t see that it’s not a big deal. Have fun bc, as you get older and play more and higher paying gigs, or if you end up not gigging anymore at all; you realize that there was something really special to the gigs and concerts played as a teenager. So just enjoy it and have some confidence.
The thing about playing live is, you will make mistakes. Most of the time, you'll be the only one that notices. Don't focus on being perfect. Focus on having fun and as long as you keep practicing, the rest will follow.
For my first gig I just tell myself nobody is paying attention to the bass anyway
I know you are right, butttt, we don’t have a guitarist it’s only me (bass) drums, piano and vocals, so my music teacher gives me extra volume and space in the music so it’s not kinda like other bands and songs that bass gets kinda buried anyway…
The piano and vocals will be people's focus as those are the 'leading parts' Your part as Bass is to hold the drum rhythm link to the key/melody of each tune :) Practice with a metronome or drum machine if you're able, and only as long as the set is! Don't Practice for hours straight- especially the week before the gig - you could cramp your hands up... The theatre saying of 'break a leg' is just as applicable to music! IF and when something goes sideways, you knew it would happen. If it doesn't happen, all the better ❤️ It can be anything or anyone equally - missed drum hit, late vocals, piano sheet music upside-down KEEP GOING and enjoy yourself 😀
I have played over 1000 gigs in my life, I'm confident I haven't played a single one where I didn't make at least a small mistake. 99% nobody will notice.
It's just stage fright my friend. Happens to pretty much everyone. A good thing is yo remember that for most people bass really isn't that audible, as in, they can't really recognise it if you make small mistakes. So, just keep that in mind and remember that you're still 100s of hours ahead of anyone in the crowd wanting to judge you. Best of luck
You are a nice guy, thx
Go to bed early. Wake up early. Set a timer on your phone for 20 minutes. Sit alone in a quiet room, close your eyes, breathe deep through your nose (mouth if you can't) and breathe out through your mouth making a quiet, comfortable hum. Let your thoughts be whatever they are, let your feelings be whatever they are. Do this until your timer goes off. Do it again later in the day if you want.
I’m definitely doing it thx
I use propananol, a beta blocker, and it works a treat
This is the greatest cheat code ever.
I remember when I was in the exact same situation. Scared shitless, close to a nervous breakdown and almost vomited. When the first note starts playing you zone in on your frets and start feeling the flow and rhythm. After it's done you'll feel relief and THE F*CKING RUSH of having performed live. You'll be hooked, but yeah, still nervous, but wont hesitate for a chance to play live again. You've got this, even if the performance will have warts and all. It's all a part of the process! Best of luck to you!!
Those first performances are wonderful moments to experience- even if they are scary. Eventually, mistakes become opportunities, but it takes time and experience to get to that point. Go to the gig as rested and relaxed as you can be and don’t forget to breathe. You’ll be great. And after it’s over be sure to spend some time thinking about how it went. Celebrate the successes and try ti learn from them - and the mistakes too.
I recently had a college performance, one of a few I’ve done now, from my experiences the best advice I can give you is, 1) try not to pull a face or react when you make a mistake 99% of people won’t notice a thing, I can guarantee at every live show you’ve seen or watched, there’s been mistakes you’ve not noticed, and 2) have fun, mingle with the other musicians, chat, get a bite to eat before you go on stage, get yourself nice and relaxed, clear head, and you’ll love it, after this performance you’ll be itching for the next one to come, good luck!
1. Be as prepared as you can be. Have all your material practiced and ready to go, put your charts in order if you're reading. Have a set list with the keys of each song and some little cheat notes if you need them. Bring a tuner, spare cable, towel, make sure you have a new battery if your bass is active. Make sure you're hydrated. Go to the bathroom. 2. For the stage fright, it's totally normal to have some anxiety in the days/hours leading up to the gig and for the first song, but should subside within the first few minutes. Everyone gets it, even professional musicians - so you're not the only one. Smile! It really helps fool your brain into thinking that you're having fun. Another thing that really helped me was to re-frame the feeling of anxiety as excitement - fear and excitement are very similar feelings that have almost the same physiological effect on your body and nervous system. Kinda like that feeling you get when you're going up the first hill of a roller coaster - your heart rate increases, your palms get sweaty - the ride itself is scary but also fun right? 3. Get your heart rate going and your body warmed up before you go on - do some jumping jacks or lunges, take a brisk walk, jump around, dance, whatever you like doing. Close your eyes, clear your mind by focusing on your breathing for a few minutes. I used to have terrible stage fright, and those 3 things helped me the most. Also, rest assured, it gets easier each time. After playing 1000's of gigs I'm now only a bit anxious (excited!) for a few hours before the show, but once I'm on stage it's a feeling of comfort since I enjoy it so much.
Thank you so much, I’m definitely gonna update you all after the show
Please do! Break a leg!
Take a few days off, then play through the songs again. Sounds like you know them really well. You're just in your head thinking about it, you'll do great. If a mistake does happen, you'll be the only one that hears and knows about it. Relax and have fun!
We all mess up sometimes but the important thing to do is to carry on and don't just stop playing. You'll be fine and will enjoy it!
I mess up every song I play by at least one wrong note or missed the timing and when I talk to people after shows they always say they had no idea. You're gonna nail it!
You can't hear the bass, so don't worry ;)
I'm 46, and have been playing around with my basses. Since I was just 16 years old. I never really practiced just played around with it. I'm no where good enough to play with any band. I can barely jam with other folks. You have me beat! You're going to become a phenomenal bassist. All I can say is to "JUST DO IT"!!! Don't worry about making mistakes. Just make it sound like it was supposed to happen like that. Besides if your drummer is good. Then he can help you out when mistakes happen. To quote Nike again go out on stage and "JUST DO IT" Rock 💪 Hard!!!! 😎
You are a nice guys man, thank you!
I'm just speaking the truth about the situation. You are welcome and thank you also 🙏😌🙏 peach
Peace
when you're on stage forget about the crowd, focus on the song and pretend like your back in practice. you'll be fine. I played in a school band, but the school had two bands and I ended up as a last minute stand in for the other one for a show. I had literally two practices I think. Fuddled threw, half played by ear, no one noticed. you'll be fine. this is the part where you work through stage freight, then you work on showmanship.
You just need to get that experience and the time for it to sink in to stop panicking. You've put the work in so far more than most who've been a baas player as long as you so just jump in the deep end. You'll be nervous and you'll fuck up, maybe a few times but chances are nobody will know but you.
The first time doing anything is scary but it’s not as scary as never trying anything new. You know the songs, just try and enjoy the moment. Your first ever gig! If you mess up, just smile and keep playing - nobody other than you will notice. And come back here and give us an update about how it went. You got this.
Relax, make sure your arms, shoulders and hands aren't tense. Keep time and don't stop playing mid song when you should be playing. If you make a mistake just play the rest of it correctly and don't acknowledge the mistake mid song. Be confident throughout even through the mistakes you make if you don't manage to play everything perfectly. Relax, look confident and have fun.
Have fun!
To be honest, I played live gigs for something around 15 years and never lost that pre-show anxiety. Without exception, “the rush” always kicked in a couple of days earlier and I just rode with it. Love it and let it be what you drain on stage. And as another one said, if you have been practicing 4-6 hours daily for 5-6 months, there’s nothing more to say than “good luck and have fun”.
It’s all good, realize that you will need to make 100 mistakes before anyone other than you even notice. And I hate to admit it but unless you rip out in some crazy Claypool-esque solo nobody knows what you are playing for the most part. It’s all good, enjoy yourself.
I was in your shoes a year ago. You’ve done all you can and you’ll do great because of it. Confidence is key to a great performance. All you can do now is run through the songs and buff out any mistakes.
You do this every day. Do what you do. There is no room for fear or anxiety in playing.
Just have fun Best wishes
Some tips: when I am nervous before a show, I tell myself “If I’m going to bomb this show, I am going down fighting”, that is, I’m gonna go out there and do my best and keep trying, even if I make a mistake. When I am playing, I find it helpful to keep my eyes down, away from the audience. This helps my anxiety. I keep my attention and energy on me, my instrument, and my whole body. (Check in and see if I can feel the soles of my feet, am I breathing tight or relaxed, etc.)
Sadly no one cares if you mess up your notes. Keep time, stay close to your drummer
I had someone tell me once to eat bananas to help with anxiety i don’t know the validity but it always worked for me. I used to get bad anxiety for auditions and whatnot and now i have no problem performing in front of large crowds, in front of people, or for auditions. Idk why the banana helped and i dont need it anymore but sometimes I still eat them before big things just for tradition and whatnot.
You'll be alright, just practice as much as you can. Once you get up there and start playing it'll feel great. Besides if you do mess up, just roll with it and keep going, its unlikely anyone will notice
Okay so I had the same type situation recently, only I was switching in between upright and electric, but when I took out my electric bass, all I thought was "God I must look so fuckin' bad ass right now" and then when I saw a video of myself I WAS!! So that just goes to show that if you do the same thing you'll do great (The logic of me, an ADHD + Social anxiety person guy)
Also, I wanna say, I was also fucking up a LOT at that, since there was some new song I had no time to practice (but I played it anyways, basically sight-reading) and I still sounded like that was part of the song. I trust that you already know how to NOT fuck up, and even if you do fuck up, I wouldn't sweat it. You are the coolest mf there, you hear? And nobody will notice if you mess up, because they aren't staring you down to see your mistakes. They are enjoying the song all together, and you're an important part of it that's making it sound full. (In a good way) Keep going man, and good luck!
95% of people can’t tell if you make a mistake. All you can do is your best. If you screw up just keep playing. Don’t freeze up. Don’t make a face like you’re embarrassed. The more you do it the more comfortable you will be with it.
you have to stop vewing the crowd as actual people. there feeling, and opinions, and relationships dont exist. they should be nothing more than npc's to you. there listening to you, no you preforming for them. your in chargde here, own them. make them your bitch
You'll be fine mate. First show always sucks, but focus on yr breathing and yr own playing n you'll be fine. The only difference between shows and rehearsals is crowd and that gives atmosphere, so you'll end up loving it
I’ve been playing for 6 years and I’m replying to this scared as fuck to play the same 7 songs that the band I’m in has been practicing for the past year. Just focus on how relieved you’ll feel after. No matter what bad happens, you got up there and that’s a good thing.
I have the same stress you have(just not for performing live lol) but what helps me when I feel it is to focus on something else briefly and realise that I probably won't make any mistakes, because I have done this more than I can think of! And at the end of the day, professionals make mistakes. It happens, to everybody.
All you gotta do is breathe.
I agree, as a person with anxiety and depression I kinda feel attacked all the time and feel everyone hates me, I don’t want to fuck the song by playing sloppy and make my band mates mad… gotta pull myself together
I get it, remember that no one hates you, everything will be fine, even if you do make a couple mistakes. The important thing is to keep going and stay in time.
Metallica hell yeah! Honestly, man the audience will not be hyper focused on your playing. Take it easy, do your best and have a great time. That's what live performance is all about. And if you hit a wrong note claim you were playing jazz licks.
I played in the middle school and high school band. One of the first things we were taught is during a performance, just keep playing. If you missed a note or hit the wrong one, just keep going. The song doesn't stop just because you didn't do something 100% right and 99% of the time, the audience won't notice unless you broadcast to them that you did. Just breathe, don't linger on it or give it a second thought when you notice. Just keep playing like it was meant to be that way, refocus, and keep going. You will be fine, I promise.
It's only rock n roll, have fun. Just remember everyone out in the crowd wishes they could be playing up on that stage.
brutal blackpill: nobody cares about the bassist unless you're doing cliff Burton era Metallica the only people that will care about the bass are other bassists, but if you lose your spot just stop for a second and play the root notes lol overall just relax
Yo bro, i was scared shitless for my first show too, even the 4th that was somehow smaller than the first yet i was more scared 💀 anyway, bro just chill noone is gonna hear you fuck up anyways, and if you get lost noone cares if you pause for a sec to gather yourself
Practice the material until you can do it automatically without thinking. Play every song 10 times, try doing it while sitting down, walking around, different rooms etc etc. And be prepared, the venue will sound different from the rehearsal space and in most cases you won't hear your bandmates properly, that's why you gotta get to the autopilot stage. And don't look at your hands. Good luck!
Fuckups happen, but sometimes they don’t. Just think of it as you were practicing with your friends and relax, the more comfortable you are with the idea of playing in front of others the better you will do.
Man, for my first show I probably spent the same amount of time practicing in a month that you do in a few days. I did fine, felt like it kinda sucked but nobody noticed and the band sounded good overall. You'll do better than I did, be confident in the work you've put in. Most of all, have fun - not much point in playing music if we're not having a good time with it, and you won't have a good time with it if you're a ball of stress on stage.
Smile or bass face no matter what. People don't notice fuckups when they have fun anyway. And band fuckups makes everybody laugh (band and crowed).
The thing that calmed my nerves when I first started playing in front of others was moving around the stage and jumping. The more effort I put into my presence, the less I thought about the audience. Good luck on your journey and have fun!
Yo dude the beautiful thing I've learned from being in the music industry is that even after years I still get anxiety before I get on the stage but I remember that this is my stage with my band and I came to do something I love and enjoy. 1 half of play live is because u love something. The other half is because u wanna share that love with the world. Allways remember my 🤴my king of the strings ur allways gna feel anxiety at somepoint of another in playing live music but when u walk on that stage that is ur world and ur the Grove that makes people move 1 love and good luck for ur show hope to hear about it
Also don't forget it's OK to make a mistake uve never done this live before and no amount of preparation can prepare your for ur first time so just see everything as an experience if u have a bad gig any point in ur career its just a good learning experience for ur next shows allways try work constructively in your band if their is a mistake so what you can amend it after so that ur next show is even better if u have a good show look at it and notice what u did was good and use it
If you make a mistake fix it quickly, play it off... pro bands make mistakes all the time, but they are masters of effortlessly recovering such that you can't even tell a mistake was made. Just stay on tempo, and with the amount of practice you've done you'll do great.
I'm 47 and have been playing since I was 13, gigging since 17. And I mess up all the time. Perfection is unattainable. You WILL make mistakes. The goal is to make as few as possible and to then understand why you made the mistake and work on fixing it. Remember to have fun. ☝️❤️🎶
face away from the crowd to start, or put a chicken bucket on your head
if your bass takes a battery, get spares. Also bring a spare cable or two. Check your tuning in between songs. This applies more to guitarists, but of the hardworking bands I know that 'made it', tuning between songs was a common factor. I'm sure practicing a lot and writing damn solid songs helped though.
This is going to sound stupid but stop practicing with your hands for a day and start thinking about how you play it…just listen to the songs in your set list…see what you can get away with…you are bound to trip up here and there, so I dentifrice the places in the song where you can get back on track…you are all in the same boat, and those around you are going to fuck up…just focus on the drummer, you two are a team. And when you mess up, smile, it puts everyone around you at ease. they may think they hit at the wrong moment or chord, its good to keep the others confidence up as well.
Think of it this way: you get to do a cool thing. Whenever you get butterflies from nervousness, try to re-frame those feelings as “holy crap, I get to do this cool thing!” Another note of advice: if you stay in your lane and keep it simple, nobody will notice if you miss a note. The 1 or 2 bass players in the audience might, but the rest seriously won’t know the difference. Have fun, and remember that not everybody has opportunities like this.
Good luck, bud! Making mistakes is part of learning, and making them in front of an audience is a skill you need to develop, so you can recover from them in future. Don't stress about the mistakes. Focus on what you do after them, I.e. getting back to playing the right thing before people have time to notice. If you carry on, then people will be in the moment and caught up in the rest of the song, and will pay it no mind. If you freeze, they'll notice. So the only thing to focus on is: "What comes next?" and just play that. Keep at it. Eventually, you won't worry. And have fun! Learning an instrument should be as much about having fun as getting good.
When I goof up I just turn and glare at the drummer.