The Friendly 12bar Blues Guitar Forum

[A cover band is playing a gig at the local pub on new years eve.They've invited me to play on Hey Joe, Sweet Home Alabama, Long as I can see the light (Creedence) and Cocaine ( ).
I've never played in front of a real "crowd" before and I'm super nervous . My job is basically to play the solos to these songs, which I don't know :P I'm just supposed to improvise on the spot.

Minor pentatonic has been my friend the 4 years I've been playing , but what the bleep am I gonna do with the song in major?
Long as I can see the light is a slow ballad in B. I really have no clue what to do

A lot of people I know will be at this "4 song gig" of mine. I don't wanna leave 2011 behind looking like a fool

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Here's a clip of the band without me
http://youtu.be/ybGRjsyiHnI

Why are you nervous it's sounds very good

Where are you on the video?, tha one how singing?

I heard ones a man say, when you are nervous because the people are looking at you?, just look back

Had a quick listen, I wouldn't worry and go and have some fun.
It's not like they are top of the bill, they play nice :)

Play through the songs a couple of times to get the hang of them and well, let your hair hang down and play

2WheelsOfBlues wrote:Where are you on the video?, tha one how singing?

If I understand it right, it's the band without him...

They sound good and I think you'll do it fine.
Hey Joe isn't too hard, the intro is half the thing. Same with Alabama, know the chords and it will be alright. Don't know much about Creedence, but Cocaine again is a save one, just do the riff with the right feeling.

Having said that, I would freeze immediately if I see the crowd is listening to ME... so I can't help against stage fright.

Like 2WOB, HBL and 12bar wrote, you'll do it fine. Relax and
To 12bar , did you sleep at school on CCR music lessons

12bar wrote: Don't know much about Creedence...

though it might not be a blues song, but let's say a sort of roots anyway.
Couldn't find CCR vid of it, but it's the song that counts...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImA6PK4k2BY

Pena

Thanks guys

I hope that a few beers might calm me down , but not so much that I lose technique.
Hopefully after the first minute everything will be alright.
Problem is I'm starting with a slow ballad in major. Phew, big task for a first time appearance


Hopefully there will be some video of the appearance so I can share with you guys after

Happy New Years everyone

Playing live is fun... Just focus on the music and have fun. Don't worry about mistakes, just keep going. Almost no one will notice them besides you. As far as the major key stuff is concerned, do you know the relative minor trick? Just drop down three frets and play in the pentatonic minor scale... For example, in Bmaj, play in Aflat minor. Just end your phrases on the B note instead of the A flat. (listen to the first few bars of Hidaway...) It takes some practice (I am not particularly comfortable, or good, in major) but it can get you through a song.
Good luck, have fun, and post the vid.

Pena wrote:To 12bar , did you sleep at school on CCR music lessons

Should have been more precise - sure I know CCR, but not much about this song...

Thanks guys, It went really well

After a few beers too many I even played alone and sang Soulshine by Warren Haynes on acoustic Really fun night and a great way to start 2012

My major licks was good, I practiced a lot on playing around the chord tones earlier on the day
Cocaine was A LOT of fun

Glad it went well - many congratulations!

Sorry about the lack of any advice from me - it wasn't that I wasn't sympathetic - but it's a problem I have no answers for. Which wouldn't have been helpful for you to hear!

I'm glad it went well!! Here is some advice that I have found to be helpful to me. Better late than never??

You really only needed to worry about Sweet Home and the Creedence tune. Cocaine and Hey Joe can easily be navigated in your old friend, minor pentatonic. Good news Major = Minor!! For instance take your comfy old friend E min Pentatonic play it over a song in G major and wallah, you've entered the Allman zone! The two keys are related!! Your minor based licks won't sound right if you do a lot of bending, but otherwise you are in the right arena.

The key to taking a solo is working on an opening phrase and an ending that you know you can execute under any circumstance. So keep it simple but tasty and this will reassure you when that moment is coming since you know where you are going. Also, these are the two parts of the solo that the audience will hear and remember (if your lucky!)

Next thing, record/loop the progressions that you will be soloing over. The difference performing live vs in your bedroom (aside from an audience) is that you will not have 10 choruses of a backing track to get the "feel' for the song and "settle in." So practice your opening phrase, something in between and your ending phrase and contain yourself to one or two choruses. Practice as much as you can prior to the gig.

Now for the nerves. Try and relax. remember, your livelihood is not on the line here, this is for FUN! The other thing to remember, is that the audience is not all that focused on you (we are such ego maniacs!) so they really are not going to notice your "clams" unless you make it obvious with a "I screwed up" face. So don't do that!

Lastly, practice your parts smiling. It will make you feel better on stage and the audience does not want to see your "practice" face! If you look like your having fun, the audience will get caught up in that as well.

Oh, one more thing, no drinking until your act is done. As much as a couple of drinks might relax you, it really does not help. Play your parts with all of your faculties and then hit the booze and the ladies that will be hanging on you after your epic performance!!

nice to hear it went ok

are there any video's?
like to see and hear them

Congratulation! That's a real milestone. It's really cool when one of our forum members takes another big step.

MojoJim wrote:Congratulation! That's a real milestone. It's really cool when one of our forum members takes another big step.

Indeed, it is a milestone. Kudos for taking the step in this direction. I have some of the worst stage anxiety on the planet. I'm much more comfortable than I was a year ago at this time, but I still get a twinge of anxiety every time I step on stage. It does get better, though, the more you do it.

You see. It's allways this nerves before something and when one want to do somthing well and have fears. So congrats to you. A big step forward for you and I hope It go well in the future too.

Thanks for all your kind words and advice. This was a real milestone for me, and I hope I'll get to play more this summer.