Crap auditions

digitalscream

TheOtherDennis said:

@ monquixote - No. Both. Fair point, I really must practice more, generally.

Assuming that you mean "No, I haven't auditioned for bands before", then "practice" isn't necessarily what you need. You just need to become more comfortable playing with other musicians, to the point where being in a room where other people are listening to you while playing their own instrument doesn't bother you.

No amount of practice at home is ever going to help you with that, I'm afraid.

bobblehat

digitalscream said:

TheOtherDennis said:

@ monquixote - No. Both. Fair point, I really must practice more, generally.

Assuming that you mean "No, I haven't auditioned for bands before", then "practice" isn't necessarily what you need. You just need to become more comfortable playing with other musicians, to the point where being in a room where other people are listening to you while playing their own instrument doesn't bother you.

No amount of practice at home is ever going to help you with that, I'm afraid.

+1 No amount of practice can prepare you for playing with other people.Playing with a band for the first time can be really disorientating. The first time I played with a band I felt like I had completely forgotten how to play .I think its mostly a timing issue as you have to keep time with the drummer.After that the nerves kick in and you completely lose the plot! 

Being able to play the guitar on your own and playing a guitar in a band are completely different skills.

JAYJO

Blind panic. I had an audition years ago. I swapped my guitar for a framus semi acoustic bass to play in a Rocker billy band

 I lugged my amp on and off a train and arrived at the poshest biggest house id ever been in. The guitarists family were all there, including his 2 fit sisters. Could i feck tune that Fecking bass. Only had it a couple of weeks. I didnt get to play anything, just fumbled around with my face like a cherry. The Guitarist and Drummer were really nice people but their sympathy killed me. I couldnt get back on the train quick enough. I still go cherry now thinking about it!! oh well. 

jd0272

Oooh, hadn't factored in 'fit sisters'. Twins..............?

TheOtherDennis

@digitalscream and bobblehat - yes, I do know that playin on my own and playing in a band are very different indeed, I've done a couple of playing with other people things before, just not on the proper band scale. These were more pick-up things (a Gasfest, a couple of Beaglefests, something to do with work which involved playing in front of the company on three separate occasions, and something else last year), but they were pretty close to the real thing - playing as a group live in front of an audience, however small.

So I thought I'd be able to manage, but I guess I just lost it, really, rather like poor JAYJO above.

One lives and learns, one lives and learns.

monquixote

Don't let it put you off. Most people play worse in front of people than they do in the comfort of their own homes. It's something you can work on just like you can work on your technique. Perhaps you should seek out some mates and have a regular jam or something. When I look back at my guitar playing it's easy for me to think I haven't really got any better, but one thing that's definitely changed is that I can play at a good percentage of my full ability when I'm stood on stage, can barely hear myself and have some pissed bloke shouting abuse at me.

redrighthand

Even if it went badly, surely not THIS badly....

jd0272

Kills the concept of decent gear making you play/sound better!!! FFS.

Could 'forgive' the vocalist tho.

Branshen

Just last year, I went to a JAZZ band audition. After cocking up the prepared piece by playing too fast and failing at sight reading a piece, I was told to solo over a blues, my "forte", the backing track was in Bb and I solo-ed in B for half the back track before realising. I've played a fair bit on stage and with people but the audition was the worst thing I've ever done with regards to music. 

We pick ourselves up and move on. We should never let failures define us! Great job for plucking up the courage to go, I know the first step is always the hardest. 2 months practice tops and plunge in the deep end again, that's the way!

zenzeypher

I get em all the time.. I used to be really anxious playing in front of other people.. I kinda blagged my way to starting my band.

I've had loads of fuck ups.. I get brain farts at random times seemingly when it's the most inconsiderate times.

I played a festival in Middleton and forgot how one of the songs started even tho I wrote the damn thing I'm stood there for what feels like hours trying to remember a D7...

Opened for leatherat.. Forgot the intro and the chord structure for another of our songs; forgot what key it was in.. Fuck knows what I was doing .. Absolutely sick to my stomach after.. Figured it was in D maj and just twiddled licks over it.. Awful. That was in front of 500 people.

We did a charity gig I fell off this truck as it was an outside gig.. Landed funny and jammed my testicle an had to play through this horrid gut pain.. You know the one..

I've got loads if stupid ones.. I went through a stage of being hammered and forgetting little lead lines etc.. But we're a ska punk band and the crowd never seem to give a shit.

axisus

I'm amazed at anyone who has the balls to even attempt an audition. I will never be able to do that. I couldn't even play at a jam night.

jd0272

axisus;169756" said:

I'm amazed at anyone who has the balls to even attempt an audition. I will never be able to do that. I couldn't even play at a jam night.

Oh bollocks. You know where the notes are, you know your gear, you know how to play. As long as they've been upfront with ya about what you need to learn for the 'audition' it's a doddle.


Most important thing is how quick you can identify any 'egos' or complete knob ends in the set up. That's what makes you think 'Nah'.

Skipped

I had an audition for a Blood Sweat and Tears type band (not an exact tribute but near enough) and they gave me the parts to read. I was 19 and hadn't sight read anything since about 12......Tried to wing it. Not great.
But confidence can get you a long way. A few years later had an audition for a Cruise Ship and had to play some standards that I barely knew. Got through by Comping the chords I didn't know with muted strings and was offered the job. >:D<  Turned it down and stayed with my Day Job. 

If you ever have to audition Guitarists and are worried about which are the guys who are complete arseholes (Huh? What you talking about Skipped?) ) here is a great tip for you. Tell them you need them to play a bit of Classic Rock and then do All Right Now. But not in A because "the singer chooses the key". And then carefully clock their reaction to this request.
)

BTW, If one of them plays the whole song, without batting an eyelid, including the solo........with a Capo........and no toys coming out of the pram,  I strongly suggest that you give Her the job.

jd0272

Aye some tracks you just do not fck with. They're classics for a reason,

viz

@axisus - jam nights are great, everyone is nice, everyone knows it's just a jam, people of all levels get up there, it's really absolutely ok even for nervous types. Come to our cambridge ones!

DrJazzTap

I used to get terrible stage fright, never been overly confident. I used to play with my back to the audience, I was that bad. It took my old guitar teacher to get up and turn me around. He said "your a fine guitar player, other people need to see you!". As he was somebody I respected, that meant a lot to me.
I was never one for rock star posing or jumping around, but we all have our demons. I play for myself and the other musicians onstage.
But to the OP we've all been in that position, just dust yourself off and move on The depressing ones for me, are when you've been talking to somebody for a while. They share the same interest in music as you, and they seem sound etc etc. You then meet up and yeah they either can't play or they've lied about the genre of music they really want to play. But I believe a shock to the system is good, can give you a much needed kick! I used to think I was a reasonably competent soloist, until I started playing with Saxophonists!

axisus

viz said:

@axisus - jam nights are great, everyone is nice, everyone knows it's just a jam, people of all levels get up there, it's really absolutely ok even for nervous types. Come to our cambridge ones!

Thanks for the invite! Nice thought, but I've always had confidence issues with playing instruments to people, and to be honest, people 'looking' at me in general. The time to dive in and get over it was when I was 20. It's now 30 years too late!

TheOtherDennis

axisus said:

Thanks for the invite! Nice thought, but I've always had confidence issues with playing instruments to people, and to be honest, people 'looking' at me in general. The time to dive in and get over it was when I was 20. It's now 30 years too late!

i echo the thoughts of jd0272 - oh bollocks. I'm the wrong side of 50 too but I'm trying to get into a covers band for the very first time. My biggest problem is getting people to answer my emails, never mind let me audition. But even after the original fuck up I still want to have another go, I'd love to do it regularly.

Where do you live? I'm in the south Leicestershire area, maybe we could get together and strum a bit. Bet you're better than I am.

Lixarto

I'll play with Dennis any day of the week.

But we're not doing "All Right Now", it's rubbish.

mudslide73

I had a bad audition about 8-9 years ago. I hadn't played with other people for about 18 months due to becoming a dad and family health reasons. They weren't very nice to me and my fingers seemed leaden.. I just couldn't get going and do my thing. It made me determined to get in a proper band.