Tommy Emmanuel screws up

[Guitarsan]

So I took my bride to see Tommy in Charlotte last weekend. I seemed to be in the vast majority (guy guitarist drags his significant other to go see Tommy). What a show he puts on. Wife really enjoyed it too, she declared. He brought out a local teenager to play harmonica on a couple of songs, one the young man suggested just before the concert. (He Ain't Heavy) Tommy made it up as he went along, and at the end told us why they were playing it, shrugged his shoulders and said, "simple and pure I guess". As in, "I just winged that one, not one of my regulars....." What a guy to share the stage and give that young man the thrill of a lifetime.

At another point in the concert, Tommy plays Angelina. One of the sweetest fingerstyle pieces you'll ever hear. Very near the end, of course, he lets loose with a string of harmonics, but maybe the third to last one out of several dozen, the string plucked rings out. He's missed the harmonic. I immediately think "ooh, missed that one". Not a big thing for the regular listener, but something a guitarist even vaguely familiar with the song would notice. As he finishes the last few notes I think "aw, but look at him, powering through it without missing a beat, acting like he meant to play it that way." The applause starts, he bows his head, waits for the applause to die down, looks up and says "I screwed up a harmonic there, can I play that last part again?". Of course the crowd erupts, and he plays the last few measures again, perfectly. As I laugh at myself, my last thought is "did he confess and play that again because he knows there's a bunch of guitarists in the audience and every one of them caught that?". I guess I'll never know, but just makes you love the guy that much more.

Tommy pre-screw-up:



Tommy playing it perfectly:

[tbeltrans]

I have seen Leo Kottke do that in concert too - mess up, stop, and start again after a few humorous comments. To me, this is a real solid performer because he acknowledges it, and is so comfortable with his abilities and his audience, and makes it a part of the show. You can't help but go with it. He could have just kept going and most likely, as you pointed out, only a few guitar playing folks might have noticed it.

Tony

[ewalling]

A "maestro" screwing up (but barely so that you'd notice) and confessing appeals on a number of levels. First, it shows he's a regular sort of guy with no frills. Second, it gets a laugh, and TE does like to get laughs.

[Bowie]

Sounds like I play exactly like Tommy then, in those parts at least.

[gitarro]

The thing is that he's so good he doesn't make even a string flub throughout the show every time I hv watched him play. With most of us, its the other way around!

[6L6]

Best guitar player ever.

Cannot believe the schedule he keeps...

[Rallymonkey]

Originally Posted by 6L6

Best guitar player ever.

Cannot believe the schedule he keeps...

His schedule is indeed mind boggling. Also the fact that he's been consistently good for so many years. Since his twenties or something :O

[Zigeuner]

Originally Posted by 6L6

Best guitar player ever.

Cannot believe the schedule he keeps...

I completely agree. He was blessed with a superior nervous system. He is the best guitar player I've ever seen.

[S-10Ken]

HA! I just saw Leo Kottke Friday night here in NJ and he forgot the words to Louise so he stopped made a comment about Justin Bieber and started from the beginning. I loved it. He still puts on a great show too.

[drplayer]

Makes sense...he knows his crowd. I'm sure solo guitarists are very aware that the audience is full of guitarists, so they likely respond with that in mind. Probably 80% or more of the general population have never even heard of Tommy Emmanuel, but close to 100% of guitarists know who he is. To the contrary, 100% of people likely know who Keith Richards is, but if he hit a bad note at a Stones concert...most wouldn't notice, and no one would care.

[bobwl]

Originally Posted by drplayer

Makes sense...he knows his crowd. I'm sure solo guitarists are very aware that the audience is full of guitarists, so they likely respond with that in mind.

And they know that they will go on forums like this and talk about how they messed up a small part of a song. Better that they acknowledge it and the story ends with "Yeah and he laughed about it." Instead of "he tried to pass it off like nobody notice, but everyone noticed and now the internet knows he messed up!"

[Guitarsan]

Originally Posted by bobwl

And they know that they will go on forums like this and talk about how they messed up a small part of a song. Better that they acknowledge it and the story ends with "Yeah and he laughed about it." Instead of "he tried to pass it off like nobody notice, but everyone noticed and now the internet knows he messed up!"

This is a guess, but I doubt Tommy spends any time on guitar forums. He's described a truss rod wrench as a "gee-tar wrench that adjusts my neck". I just don't really think he's wrapped up in anything other than playing and practicing and that shows. Good for him.

[rmp]

if this guy aint at LEAST in the top 3 or 4 players on the planet, than something's just wrong with the world...

[mymartind35]

Originally Posted by Guitarsan

This is a guess, but I doubt Tommy spends any time on guitar forums. He's described a truss rod wrench as a "gee-tar wrench that adjusts my neck". I just don't really think he's wrapped up in anything other than playing and practicing and that shows. Good for him.

+1 Just play!

[Nailpicker]

I can't consider it a big deal that TE missed a harmonic. I've heard Chet, Doyle, Paul Yandell, Jerry Reed and many other world class players miss or at least imperfectly play harmonics. It happens. I fairly often hear world class players make other mistakes while they are playing. I've even heard Chet play an imperfect harmonic on a record, a place where he could have had it edited out and replaced. It just made the recording more real. And I heard him make other playing mistakes when playing live on a talk show. He played right through the mistake and afterward simply said something like, "I didn't play that as well as I'd have liked to." Everyone makes mistakes. But of course the toughest audience is one filled with guitar players.
I play the worst and make the most mistakes when I'm playing in front of other guitarists. I find it amazing that those aforementioned pros can play in front of other guitarists who might pick up any little mistake, with such aplomb and poise. Playing in a room full of guitarists reminds one of the old joke, "How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?"