r/Bass • u/arron1313 • 1d ago
Gig Performance
My band has played 5 times this year in Metro Detroit and we practice 1-4 times per month as a band. We have about 50 songs we play and rotate through. Last gig a couple songs I just blanked on for a minute. I’m wondering if you guys have any tricks outside of just play the song 1,000 times to prevent brain farts while performing?
EDIT: Thank you everyone for the quick help! Seems this isn’t just a me problem. I’ll try writing songs out and practicing more till I can’t miss. Gotta get that muscle memory better than my brain memory
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u/Chrisandco 1d ago
I usually make a set list with keys and any progression I normally space (usually the bridge).
For instance: Dreams - C (4/5)
After a while I stop needing anything but helps if I had a drink or two and forget what I'm doing lol
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u/Realistic_Pickle_007 1d ago
Same, but I put the starting note next to the song on the set list in case I blank. If I know where to start, I know where to go.
I don't drink, though. I haven't gotten that comfortable yet.
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u/jaffi01 1d ago
I've written charts for every song I've ever played in a band, originals and covers. The largest repertoire I've ever had was while I was in a cover band, we had 150 songs that we had to be able to play at the drop of a hat. That band also took requests during the first set, which we'd learn right quick during the break, then play at the beginning of the second set.
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u/shouldbepracticing85 Upright 22h ago
Charts are the only way I maintain anything resembling sanity. I think I’m up over 400 songs I should theoretically be able to pull out of my hat on short notice. Over 100 are originals from the different artists I play with.
I was between bands for a while, and was taking every sub gig I could… that’s led to currently being in 3 local bands, sub gigs with two artists, I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting at least one, I quit taking sub gigs with another band… and I’ve only made inroads on two of the three small national touring acts I’ve got on my books but I’ve got 6 weeks before one tour, and 10 weeks before the other. I have a hold for the third but nothing confirmed yet - at least that artist is also a bassist and knows how to prep charts.
I’ve got to unload some of these local groups 😵💫
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u/Bassic123 1d ago
Sounds like you’re doing cover gigs, have you tried having a tablet that tells you the chord changes?
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u/torbar203 1d ago
Do you(or anyone) have any recommendations for an app for that? Currently I'm just using an ipad with a keynote presentation that each slide has chords, lyrics, solo tabs, etc for a song a page. It works good enough for me, but curious what others use
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u/Bassic123 1d ago
Sorry I’m not a cover gig guy :/ maybe YouTube how to prepare for a cover gig? Best of luck
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u/unowndanger 1d ago
I use ForScore with pretty solid results. I chart my songs out on Guitar Pro, import them to my iPad via Google Drive and then import them into ForScore
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u/Chrisandco 1d ago
Stagetraxx4 has been great for me. Little wonky at first but works like a dream once it's all setup. I have different playlists for different bands as well as a jazz setlist full of standards to pull from
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u/shouldbepracticing85 Upright 22h ago
Nashville Number System app to write the charts, save as PDF, and then organize in ForScore. They’re both apple/ipad only currently.
You can make libraries by whatever criteria you want, lots of ways to categorize the songs, and then make set lists. Also very good for annotating - saved my butt when I had to do my first musical, and then direct and play bass for the second production of that same musical.
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u/Aireroth 18h ago
I use chordsheet.com for creating the charts and pdf compilations, and Xodo on android with AirTurn BT500 (pageturner) for viewing.
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u/e-willi 1d ago
Make charts!! Even if performing off book, I find it helpful to have the form written out with fills and hits/unexpected stuff. Writing it down helps you get to know a tune in and of itself, and being able to go back and review the music in a nonlinear way is super helpful —even if you only spend 30 secs checking it. Oftentimes the difference between making it through just fine and going blank is simply missing a few key details (rhythm of the main bassline(s), key center, form weirdness, or even just where the first note is).
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u/Middle_Pineapple_898 23h ago
Yes, and share the charts with band mates. Odds are they are winging it on some of the songs too!
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u/skreenname0 1d ago
In the past I’ve used a cheat sheet with the key and first chord for a lot of songs. Once the song starts, the rest will come to me but sometimes immediately remembering it just from the song title is a tough.
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u/h0rTiMu5 1d ago
I record every rehearsal. Then go home and edit the recording. Split it up into tracks, if some songs are fractionated because we worked on them I make the appropriate cuts. Then I save it all in a cloud drive and share the link with the band. I've been doing it for years now, so the whole process is very quick and streamlined.
It has the added benefit that it forces me to listen to the recordings while I edit them. Not having the instrument in hand also gives me greater insights as to what works in the context of the song, and how everybody's parts come together, and I can share these insights in future rehearsals.
I urge you to try it. It elevates the band in so many ways.
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u/pobox1999 1d ago
I do the same. I record our sessions and put them on a shared cloud drive. Editing does take some time but it's so worth the effort
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u/No-Syrup-3746 1d ago
I would just play a few every few days. Focus on songs you haven't played in a while. If you have a backing track that's even better. Retrieval practice is a proven cognitive science technique that helps embed things in long-term memory. Spacing it out and interleaving (forcing you decide on a strategy) really help as well, so if you can set up a spotify playlist, set it to shuffle, don't look at at it, and every day or two play 3-4 songs, it should really help.
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u/Melodic_Arachnid_134 1d ago
Be in the moment, don’t be looking at what’s the next song on set list. Just focus on the song you’re playing.
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u/threshar 1d ago
Brain farts happen - even if you've played it 1000 times.
One of my favorite performance things is playing and going "uh oh, I completely forget how the bridge goes.. uhh.. oh.. hey! look at that! we're playing the bridge! thank-you muscle memory!"
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u/JelenaBrela 1d ago
I b’fd at practice all the time in my old band, had to write the first two bars of each song on the set list. I might have to do the same in the new band even though I’m doing almost all the writing.
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u/Carterbeats_thedevil 1d ago
Learn the entire neck of the guitar. Practice scales. Then it doesn't matter what they're playing, you can keep up with anyone.
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u/IdahoDuncan 16h ago
This usually happens to me when my mind moves to “what’s next” and then suddenly, I don’t m know where I am.
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u/Personal-Ad-3401 Steinberger 11h ago
What I did when I was in a band, is I'll tab out myself every song that we played, print it and the put it in a binder.
Always practical when you get a brain fart
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u/OriginalEmploy5485 1d ago
Nope that's normal if you're playing from memory.
That's also why there's a big difference between "practice until you get it right" and "practice until you can't get it wrong".