Tips for note-perfect performances

[Chipotle]

I've been playing and performing for decades, but I've always had trouble being "note-perfect" with my guitar playing. When I played in a band setting, it wasn't as troublesome since you could hide a bit in the mix, or let the band carry you if you had to drop out for a sec and find your place. Now that I'm working on a solo act, there's no hiding.

I'm not talking about tips for dealing with stage nerves, or difficult passages. It's often easy-to-play parts in songs I've done hundreds of times. I just get a brain cramp and lose my place or my hand just grabs the wrong chord or I flub a simple bit I played fine the last 20 times. Even while rehearsing. It's frustrating.

Yes, I know that most of the audience will ever know, especially the small slip-ups. But anyone have tips for getting "note-perfect" performances?

[1neeto]

Don’t think about it. I think you’re fumbling because you’re worrying too much about playing note-perfect.

[Pitar]

Focus and comfort. Familiarity is already in the bag but confidence, perhaps taken for granted, allows one's mind to wander away from focus and invite goofs. I also find that the slightest glitch in my posture (comfort) will raise its hand for my attention typically mid performance. I know that to be very true because I'll sit funny at home and have to correct it to continue.

[rick-slo]

Practice, repetition, warm up.

[TBman]

Practice the piece in slow motion.

[Mr. Jelly]

Learn to play through your mistakes. Don't stop. Don't bring attention to it. Act like everything is right on and correct.
There are different ways to cover, sort of. Know how to BS in the keys you are playing. While practicing take it as a learning experience when you screw up to learn how to keep going and hopefully cover it. I'd practice whole sets strait through. When I screwed up, not if, I kept going. It's adlibbing and sometimes it works out well. The more you plan for it and incorporate it into your performance the better you will get at it. Sometimes you can just deaden the strings with your fretting hand and keep the beat for a second with the pick until you find your place. I always face the inevitable strait on and to do that with performing means planning for things like mistakes. Chance and luck always favor the prepared. Learn and plan for mistakes. It takes it out of the equation.

[Chipotle]

Learn to play through your mistakes. Don't stop.

Absolutely. I've been doing this (semi-professionally) long enough that I have that part down. I have a friend who says she only knows I made a mistake because of the look I get on my face. I have to try to get rid of that tell.

I'm hoping for tips to prevent that in the first place. Other than repetition (of which some songs, I've had plenty) are there "tricks" to prevent momentary lapses? I know everyone has them, but I feel like I ought to be able to reduce how many I have. I like TBMan's suggestion of slow-mo playing. I also had someone suggest playing while distracted, e.g. while watching a TV show or something.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

Absolutely. I've been doing this (semi-professionally) long enough that I have that part down. I have a friend who says she only knows I made a mistake because of the look I get on my face. I have to try to get rid of that tell.

I'm hoping for tips to prevent that in the first place. Other than repetition (of which some songs, I've had plenty) are there "tricks" to prevent momentary lapses? I know everyone has them, but I feel like I ought to be able to reduce how many I have. I like TBMan's suggestion of slow-mo playing. I also had someone suggest playing while distracted, e.g. while watching a TV show or something.

If you search on something like "musician's memory lapses", I think you'll find tons of articles - if nothing else, you confirm you're not alone! I don't know of any magic cure, I've seen it happen to all kinds of performers.

FWIW, I'm not sure playing while watching TV is the answer -in fact, I think that may sometimes cause the problem. You can play fine when relaxed and barely paying attention (right?). But you get on a gig, and suddenly you're hyper aware - people are listening to you. You're watching your hands, trying not to make a mistake, and suddenly you draw a blank. I've had cases where I look at my hands and think "wow, I've never noticed that I was playing that shape before". At that point, I'm in trouble.

A way to avoid this (theory - not saying I have conquered this) is to be very aware during practice, sort of the opposite of playing while watching TV. Alternately, be so relaxed during a performance that you're not thinking about it, just as if you are watching TV on the job. What you'd want to avoid, I'd think, is practicing in the mindset of watching TV, and then performing while being ultra-alert, because you're in a different mindset than when you practiced. Playing slowly, like half speed, with a metronome can help you practice while focusing.

Another suggestion is something I heard from Michael Chapdelaine - who advocates practicing away from the guitar. He goes to a outrageous extreme, practicing in his head, naming every note, every finger, etc. "The first note is a quarter note, it's an A on the 3rd string, 2nd fret, I play it with my index finger. The 2nd note is...." thru the whole tune. His claim is that this helps you know the tune so well, and burns it into memory other than muscle memory, so when you have those blank moments, you have other types of memory to fall back on, until you regain your flow. It makes sense to me, tho I don't have the discipline to do that with all my tunes.

The other thing is to maybe not worry too much about it, especially if you can keep going. I think it was an old Phil Keaggy instruction video where he talked a bit about "the myth of the perfect performance". I like to keep that phrase in mind, as well as the idea that even someone like Phil Keaggy makes mistakes :-). It's hard to play perfectly, even to get a perfect take in a studio, let alone a live performance, so maybe you just accept that to some extent.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

Don’t think about it. I think you’re fumbling because you’re worrying too much about playing note-perfect.

This.

Sometimes worrying about being note-perfect leads to a note-perfect performance. Sometimes it just makes you more conscious of your mistakes. But always it makes for a less enjoyable experience, and probably a less engaging one for the audience.

I never worry about being note-perfect. For me there is no such thing. I mean I understand about playing "all the right notes in the right order". But "perfection" in music is whatever works in the moment. I'll happily sacrifice "note-perfection" for expressive freedom, for the "happy accident" whereby a missed note (or even a wrong note) is inspiring, brings a performance alive.

Having said all that, naturally one wants to avoid too many obvious mistakes - the kind audiences can't help but notice (even if you don't grimace when making them). It's worth remembering that one's chops are always reduced when performing live. You are never as relaxed on stage as you are at home. So it's never a good idea to perform a piece live that you've only just perfected at home - or any piece which is at the limits of your skill.
In the old saying, you practice a piece until you get it right - and then practice it until you can't get it wrong. That takes a whole lot longer. You need some skill headroom - partly to be able to apply expression and musicality (beyond just getting the notes right), but also because much of the headroom will disappear when playing live.

[dkstott]

check out Ken Bonfield's youtube series of "So, you want to be a better guitar player".. Ken gives great insight on a lot of issues associated with playing guitar

here's one entitled "Making mistakes your friend"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTvdozOyrxg

[Mr. Jelly]

The point of a performance to entertain is more about the flow and feel of it. Most semi-professional entertainers miss this by a mile. I'd concentrate more on that then the other. Only academics or guitar jerks will be judgmental about guitar playing perfection by a performer. In a room full of people feeling joy by osmosis from a performer judgement is suspended.

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

A way to avoid this (theory - not saying I have conquered this) is to be very aware during practice, sort of the opposite of playing while watching TV.

I've heard this mentioned on more than one occasion by David Russell, the great classical guitarist, in various interviews he's had on the subject.
The idea is to really "train your brain to concentrate" on the pieces you are working on. Really focus.
According to him, it's a skill that you need to hone. Otherwise, the brain tends to wander if you let it. Especially in practice, with no pressure on.
One way to help that is to visualize yourself in an actual performance when practicing, even down to the audience banter, or the introduction of pieces you might be sharing before the performance. Then, of course, not stopping for mistakes, just playing on through.
But his main idea was to raise your level of concentration when practicing. It's easier said than done, but it can reap rewards if you're a performer.

[rick-slo]

Yes, in part it's the details. Thinking measure or two ahead of the notes you are currently playing about those details helps to focus and prepare.
However if you are going to miss something it is better to miss some harmony note than a melody note, so devote extra concentration on getting
those melody notes right.

[C-ville Brent]

Most all of us have had a miss, both practicing and performing in front of an audience. Agree with the play through it and move on approach. I try to think of what is coming up both from a playing and singing perspective. Practice toward automaticity so when performing you can bring passion and emotion.

[stanron]

By the time you have practiced a piece of music enough to play it all the way through to a standard where you should be able to expect to perform it, you will know it very well. You will know every chord change, every hammer on, every slide and every second of every bar. You will recognise any deviation, however small, from your planned performance. There is a danger that you will see this as a disaster.

The point made by a lot of respondents on this thread is that your audience does not know what you expect to happen and will not see any deviation from that as a disaster. As long as you keep playing, your audience will almost certainly accept what you do.

You might know that you are not doing what you intended but your audience won't.

The technical term for what you do to remedy this situation is called kiddology. You pretend that you didn't make a mistake and carry on. 99.9% of your audience will not notice. The only person who might notice is someone who has seen you perform that piece several times before. If it is the first time you have performed this person can not exist.

Surviving mistakes is an essential skill for a performer. The more you do it the better you get at doing it. Embrace the opportunity.

Oh yes, one other thing. If you do perform and think you were a disaster, and then someone comes up to you and says they thought you were good, don't tell them they are wrong! Just say "Thank you".