The story of being a performer differs from that of a solo guitar player who never stepped out of their room.
While taking up an instrument, what we don't realize is that it comes bundled with also being an entrepreneur, a performer, a marketer, a therapist, a producer, etc.
Some of those roles could be slashed in cases, yet I feel like mentioning them.
The one non-negotiable role that comes upon guitar players is to be a performer (bare minimum to the house guests) and it is something very much to be approached as a distinct avatar.
It has its own set of challenges and is often taken for granted by newbies.
It recently came up that one of my students wasn't feeling very sharp as a performer due to some mishap during one of her initial performances.
She was missing out on the fact that every performer has to go through those embarrassing performances and there is no way around it.
Performance anxiety is a common issue that many musicians face, particularly in the early stages of their careers. It's important to recognize that these feelings are natural and can be mitigated through techniques such as controlled breathing, visualization, and gradual exposure to performance situations.
Probably many of you would have heard about how bands always have to play in empty cafes, diners, and other venues. Even renowned bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones began their careers playing in small, often sparsely attended venues before achieving stardom.
Or maybe not because now the band culture is somewhat not the same as before.
But this was a very well-known piece of fact — If you're starting out, you'll be playing those empty venues with one or two people there and they in fact might have their laptops open.
Going out there and putting up a show has its own demands.
Everything from technical audio issues to the acoustics of the place, audience management, etc goes into putting up a great show.
Sound quality is a critical factor in live performances, and the acoustics of a venue can significantly impact the audience’s experience. Musicians must often adapt their playing style or equipment settings on the fly to accommodate less-than-ideal sound conditions.
Understanding the basics of acoustics, such as the impact of room size, shape, and materials, can help performers better prepare for live shows.
It's rather a nugget of experience and so reading about it in a book or on this blog is actually useless, to be honest. It's something to go out there and learn.
I'll write anyways.
What I could rather make apparent is stepping out of your room initiates another phase of learning guitar.
Let's make this into a hypothetical situation.
You're stepping out for the first time, it's a great day. Actually, it's kinda cloudy. Oh Damn! it's raining now.
Sorry, I probably shouldn't have based our protagonist in Mumbai. Let's try again. Probably Delhi this time.
Dealing and adjusting to various personalities is the initial stepping-out outcome.
And on the music side, it's a challenge again because practicing with the metronome is challenging yet the metronome goes straight. It doesn't fluctuate, it doesn't have feelings, it doesn't have mood swings.
On the other hand, these real people have "emotions" and are less likely to have strict mathematical rhythm.
They are going to fluctuate, their rhythms are not going to be the same so coping with them and syncing is altogether a different job.
Therefore, playing with different people is absolutely worthy and not the same as playing in a room.
Some other things that come up are, for example, there could be guitar parts that are difficult on the fretboard.
And you are forced to loop it up, the vocalist is trying to sort their parts out or the drummer is hung over.
All leaving you with no choice but to do that finger-intensive labor continuously. It's very out of the comfort zone physically at times and yet you have to keep going.
I don't feel this intensive physical workout situation for your fingers can be imitated in your room.
Another thing that comes to mind,
Certain guitar parts may sound good solo and then clash during the jam session. In such a scenario, you gotta work out the arrangement and somewhat be the producer.
During live performances, the band often has to take on a producer-like role, making real-time decisions to ensure the music sounds cohesive.
This might involve adjusting dynamics, balancing instrumental roles, and ensuring that the overall sound aligns with the band's intended artistic direction.
Musicians in this century need to know their instruments but also some studio stuff.
To understand compressors and equalizers with no studio experience... I don't think so.
Compressor and eq are two primary elements of your guitar tone.
If the sound system is super shitty in the first place, which happens often than not, sound check basics won't matter.
This conversation is in the context of putting up a great show so let's hope that it indeed does matter in your case.
So being that conductor or producer brings out an aspect of musicality untouched before.
By the way,
This was all within the hypothetical jam room.
Assuming the band isn't already breaking up, time for that first gig (tbh it doesn't really happen so easily, you gotta call a million people and handle rejection, I'll fast forward).
Traveling intercity crammed up in a van with people for long hours can be...
It is fun mostly, yet, if you have ever tried living with a friend, you'll know what I mean.
Band chemistry is complex stuff. Very much perceivable by the audience, and all of it gets reflected in the performance.
Certainly don't want the already 'exhausted' drummer to get upset about something and play those 32nd note patterns during your solo!
The dynamics within a band are crucial to its success. Research has shown that strong interpersonal relationships within a band can lead to better communication, improved collaboration, and ultimately, higher-quality performances.
Regular, open communication and conflict resolution strategies are essential for maintaining a positive band environment.
A lot can go wrong at the venue but I'm in general a positive person and will let you experience that firsthand. Here's a rule of thumb though:
The depth of your performance should be proportional to the available audience attention.
That doesn't mean, don't try your best. For instance,
In a wedding function, you are not the spotlight of the event. Expecting a response on an incredibly modal solo is probably not the best idea.
Understanding the audience and tailoring the performance to engage them effectively can have a long-term impact on a musician's career.
Scene 2, it's the launch of your EP.
Now putting in that extra effort might reciprocate
Setting up expectations right is the key to...
Not feel like shit as if you have put in a lot of work and the returns aren't the same.
The Influence of On-Stage Behavior:
This study examines how on-stage behavior, including show elements like multi-finger tapping and the visible engagement of the performer, affects audience perceptions of rock guitar performances. The research found that technical difficulty is not always apparent to untrained audiences, who rely more on visible cues of engagement (Lehmann & Kopiez, 2013).
In recent times the band culture has declined. Still what you see behind any performer is a team, an extended family.
A good performance is a function of all the family members doing their job whether it be the sound person, vocalist, or musicians.
While getting started, gigs don't come to you, you go after them.
Run after them almost — which means to insert yourself in situations where you may get to perform.
That's how gigs are harvested, FYI.
"Gigs are the glue of the band", turned out to be real than ever when two of the prominent indie rock bands from India broke up during the lockdown.
I'll say go a step further and make sure to jam and catch up regularly. Finding jam buddies isn't easy always, I know!
Yet if a musician is regular with their practice I believe they'll want to jam — a collective practice session.
That's the filter I'm using now anyway! Say Bye!
Anubhav Kulshreshtha
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