falling at the 1st hurdle

[wendsworth]

Hi

I mentioned a few topics back that I was asked to play a piece of music with some work friends. Well after the anguish of working out notes to match in with everyone I got a short piece of music to play as the intro to "waterloo sunset" - I had a practice and could do it Yippee.
Well....
Then came rehearsal with the rest - Disaster!!
While I can play the music on my own when the rest played (not exactly the same thing) I lost not only my place in the music (I am sight reading) my fingering but also could not find the next place to "jump back in when ever you feel confident"

I feel like I failed big time and while everyone was very nice and wants me to practice and try again at next band practice I don't think I can do this and am considering packing it in.

Any advice

🙁

 

[Pete Thomas]

Happened to me, exactly like that. It's not as bad as you think and your friends sound like they are very supportive.

Don't pack it in.

 

[old_git]

Three things,
1) It's happened to everyone on this forum, even to Pete
2) You are the only one expecting perfection
and
3) Women are always telling men how superior they are, prove it. We'll all be rooting for you.

Bit more practice, that's all.
Bill.

 

[spike]

As above, plus

happens to me all the time, even after 40 years,

you've got to get it wrong to get it right,
making mistakes is an essential part of the learning process.

Do not give up!

gruss - spike

 

[wpecker]

While i have not be opportuned to put something for an audience am dreading it, but when folks like pete & spike go through such am encouraged, pls dont pack it wendsworth.

 

[Rogerb]

When I play a duet with my teacher, I try to ensure that we start and end at the same time, and on the right note....... what happens in between is anyone's guess :laugh:

The most important thing is to keep going, IMO. Each faltering attempt will probably be a bit better than the last!

 

[phil_edwards]

As the others have said - it happens. Sounds like you've got a good bunch around you. And don't forget, you will always hear and know of so many more mistakes that you've made than anyone around you does.

What you're doing is gaining some great experience and pushing your skills forward. Yep, it will go wrong somedays, but you're already improving simply by being aware of errors. Keep at it, it'll improve a bit every time.

regards. Phil

 

[Rogerb]

It is a point to remember that, as Phil says above, unless you have a conductor, the only person really listening to you is *you*... one is 'aware' of others' playing but you cannot really listen to them.

 

[Col9]

I wouldnt worry about it, I'm rubbish at jumping back in. For me there is too much worry about, volume, phrasing and reading the notes. We are learning classical in a wind orchestra with about 15 in our band (athough 80 in all 3 bands) I'm the only alto so no one to follow. If I muck up the conductor goes mad, in a nice way but mad none the less.

Its all part of learning it will take a while. Every time you get it wrong youre 1 time closer to getting it right. The important thing is to get out there and do it, cause it will come in the end. (so they tell me) 😉

Col.

 

[frankb]

You're not alone. It is solvable. Don't give up!

When you're playing on your own you can vary the time to suit yourself, slow down over the tricky bits and pause and pick up as you need to. When you play with others... well, you can't! 🙁

Why not try getting hold of a midi file of the music in question (you can usually find one free online) and playing along to that.

There are midi players that allow you to change the tempo without altering the pitch and something like Noteworthy Composer (free trial) should let you transpose it to the appropriate key.

All you need is a bit of practice (and if you quit now you'll regret it, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life! 😉 )

 

[sharon]

I feel like I failed big time and while everyone was very nice and wants me to practice and try again at next band practice I don't think I can do this and am considering packing it in.

Hi Wendy, don't be discouraged and definately DON'T give up. If they have asked you back you should go, can't get any worse can it? 😉 As the wiser heads have already said, it's par for the course. I think you're really brave to have done it in the first place. I always make mistakes if anyone is just in the room with me let alone playing along.

Sharon

 

[wendsworth]

HI

Thanks for this.

I have been chatting to one of the guitarist and he is going to try practicing with me with an acoustic guitar to help me get used to it before thursdays full practice.

Your right they are being supportive and I think I was the only one expecting perfection.

Playing along with the actual track also sounds like a good idea as I will have the "distractions" without anybody actually watching.

Bring on thursday.....

Wendy

 

[Pjonah]

Wendy,

I used to play in a band with an American alto player, I just assumed that he would be better than me, until I heard him solo!

He'd managed to invent a couple of new notes H# and J# and on one occasion an 8 bar fill involved just one note, that takes some pulling off, it wouldn't have been so bad but it was the wrong note!

No one has a right to assume you'll deliver the goods perfectly every time, one way of "feeding" your way back in is to just play the first note of each bar and gradually increase the number of notes until your back up to speed, with your confidence back. Anybody that has a go at you will be the person with the problems, rest assured.

The harshest critic is you, relax and enjoy the frill of playing in a band or group, its totally addictive.

Oh and don't give up, you will totally regret it if you do!

Good luck and stick at it Wendy.

Simon

 

[wendsworth]

Hi All

This is all good advice and I appreciate it.

Did practice last night and it was 100% better than last week - I actually managed to get through all my notes ,not perfect but I felt ok.

The trickiest thing now is jumping in on time( i tend to be 2 beat s premature and jump in on the 1 not the 3), its 4/4 and they play 16 beats, loop and I jump in on beat 15. Lead guitarist is going to grin manically at me on the bar I jump into so fingers crossed - they have said if I miss it they will just loop again

Still the leaving do is tonight so cross your fingers for me.....

Wendy

 

[Basil]

Good luck ! I am sure you will be fine.

Charlie Parker used to say..." I was always in a panic", and he seemed to do ok ! :S

 

[nick_cook]

Good luck for tonight Wendy - you'll be fine!!!

 

[Pete Thomas]

Wendsworth wrote:
Still the leaving do is tonight so cross your fingers for me.....

 

[old_git]

Went well, didn't it Wendsworth?
Come on admit it.
And everyone was surprised at your talent.
Am I right or am I right?

 

[Basil]

Yeah, come on. How did it go ?

 

[frankb]

On the edge of my seat here...! 😉