The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hi everyone!

    We all know the terrible feeling of being disappointed about our own achievements after a bad gig. ”The guitar didn’t cut through the mix”, ”I was soloing one bar behind the rest of the band” and ”My tone was far too bad this time” are all examples that can create enormous frustration inside our brains. For some musicians it happens rarely and for some musicians it happens often. Therefore, everyone have their own checklists to handle disappointment after a bad gig. How do you handle disappointment after a bad gig?

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  3. #2

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    I try to overcome the non-productive emotional scripts (all the variations of “I’m a failure”), try to view the situation with a bit of detachment (as if it were someone else seeking your advice), and ask “what can I learn from this?” Of course, self-prescribing isn’t always the best idea, so it’s good to actually seek advice from a trusted teacher or mentor.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by KirkP
    I try to overcome the non-productive emotional scripts (all the variations of “I’m a failure”), try to view the situation with a bit of detachment (as if it were someone else seeking your advice), and ask “what can I learn from this?” Of course, self-prescribing isn’t always the best idea, so it’s good to actually seek advice from a trusted teacher or mentor.
    Exactly! Mistakes are going to happen. Don't beat yourself up about it. You'll have many more chances to redeem yourself. Analyze the situation and use it as a learning opportunity. "All of your sorrows are joys....". Don't let the bastards get you down! "Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."

  5. #4

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    I don't have as much professional experience as many on the forum. Consider that when you read what I write.

    There will be bad gigs. The inevitable cost of putting yourself out there is failure from time to time. Sometimes a band mate embarrasses you (drugs, booze, not showing up, not being prepared). Sometimes the synchrony among the players is off. Sometimes it's you missing a riff or unable to come up with anything besides scales that match the chord of the moment (or don't match).

    I am convinced that failure is a normal part of life in anyone who tries hard. If you doubt that, watch a baby learn to walk or a kid start to ride a bike. With music, you constantly push the envelope if you want to keep it interesting. So it won't work always.

    Switch to another activity- baseball. Michigan's beloved Ty Cobb was one of the greatest hitters ever. Ever! He got a hit about 37% of his at bats.

    The greatest free throw shooters still miss 10% of the time. It is exactly the same activity that they've done thousands of times.

    I just saw a concert where the guitarist clearly screwed up for about 10-15 seconds. He knew it and shook his head while he was trying to catch up to the beat and he missed more notes. He smiled to the audience and shrugged his shoulders. This musician was a seasoned professional, so he continued on and brushed off his mistake. I found that endearing actually.

    If you want perfection, you can't use humans. If you are afraid of making a mistake, don't perform.

    I spent a little time helping Jerry Reed. He's a fast player. His recordings are pretty precise. His live performances were less so. Yet 99% of the audience just heard Jerry playing amazingly fast and loved it. Professional musicians who heard the mistakes were forgiving and understood. Only a few insecure, ill mannered jerks were critical.

    Here's a video of Jerry in his prime with what looks like a British Keanu Reeves near-clone. I show this one because Jerry was not technically perfect if you listen closely. Jerry knew that but few others noticed, and if they did, they still loved it.




  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Grass
    I spent a little time helping Jerry Reed. He's a fast player. His recordings are pretty precise. His live performances were less so. Yet 99% of the audience just heard Jerry playing amazingly fast and loved it. Professional musicians who heard the mistakes were forgiving and understood. Only a few insecure, ill mannered jerks were critical.
    You knew him? I'm envious. All of my favourites save one are dead; and I really would have loved to see Jerry Reed. As to perfection in live playing - or even recorded, depending on the kind of style or spirit of the piece - you're right. Who goes to concerts for that? The joy is in hearing & seeing someone you like in action, isn't it? Enjoyed yourself = good gig.

    But on flubs: one thing that baffles me is why it should be that I can - and often will - bungle stuff (that I can otherwise play with my eyes closed while doing backwards saltos) when only a few people are present, yet shake out of my fingers with ease - although imprecisely sometimes - when in front of, say a dozen people or more? It's infuriating; every time I happen on something really nice that I only want to show to someone down the hall - not show off at all - it's as if I'm playing with my feet all of a sudden. I've no stagefright, and don't mind messing up in public, but somehow the quiet attention (not even scrutiny, as I'm not showing it to musicians) of only a few bothers me.
    Last edited by Zina; 12-07-2019 at 12:18 PM. Reason: added question

  7. #6

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    It all goes back to the wise words of the noted improviser Jerry Garcia: "What you hear when you're playing, what you hear when you play it back on tape and what they audience hears are three totally different things."

    Even after unsatisfactory moments playing, I try to bear in mind that somebody out in that audience had the most meaningful experience they will get all month.

    It's a privilege to play music for people. It's not just about me.

  8. #7

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    I can hear the faint voice reminding me that it's a learning experience and to extract lessons from it. But, tbh, I usually feel pretty bad.

  9. #8

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    There's no 'how to handle it', you just handle it.

  10. #9

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    Most of the pros I admire play sets that seem perfect.

    But, some of the pros I admire, and other players admire, names you'd know, flub notes. I don't hear clams very often, but poorly fretted notes and passages that aren't perfectly in time (thinking about a show with a prominent player who probably didn't nail a single up tempo line all night) do happen. I won't name them here because I don't want to have a searchable negative review because a player had a bad night, but it happens.

    I wonder how the pros handle it?

  11. #10

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    I wouldn't consider myself a pro yet. But there was one time where I had to learn a setlist of around 10 songs (pop oriented) for around 5 days - a week for a birthday party. I skipped basically a day of practice. I was pretty awful at the gig, one song I did alright but the rest went out of order with the setlist (and probably in different keys too!). It was a group thing and I didn't know about the change in setlist. I did my best to play along but I wasn't playing how the songs are supposed to sound like (which in pop is pretty important I think).

    If there is any lesson from this is to never skip a day of practice when you have a gig coming up soon. Have I haven't underestimated the gig I probably would have done way it better. I have heard stories of master players doing awful at gigs (albeit rare) and I heard some recordings of them that leave a lot to be desired. Nobody is perfect, might as well learn from it and do better next time!

  12. #11

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    I'm always well prepared, so it's never a train wreck, but I make mistakes all the time, because I play all the time. I'm probably the only one that notices, I don't sweat it. You can't play jazz and be afraid of mistakes.

  13. #12

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    I guess I just try to get over it, learn whatever can be learned from it, make necessary adjustments. If it can't be easily improved now it can always be better next time.
    Also I think great, when convenient, to have a close friend, bandmate, etc, whose judgment you respect* (*key word), to reflect with, give sound constructive criticism.

  14. #13

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    I'm 59 now and have started playing publicly at age 13 (music school events) , going pro at 24. Quite a long time and many mistakes, many bad gigs, even veritable train-wrecks along the way and I'm still doin' it ! For a living so I have little choice...So, I have a rather differentiated view regarding the topic of "disappointment" after a "bad" gig/performance. When I do a background solo gig at a restaurant/event I generally view this as a paid practice session where I'm supposed to take care of the athmosphere in the place. I can make as many mistakes as I like because I'm the only one (most likely) who will notice them - I'm referring to the occasional bad note, buzzes, slips, timing errors etc. but not blatant blunders. I go home disappointed when my performance did not meet my own standard of "excellence" and when that happens it usually results in more practicing at home. The bad feeling goes away quickly.

    Last tuesday I was invited to a session where I didn't know the other players (bs, dr + sax) - they called a few tunes that I was not very familiar with and we also did a few in a different rhythmic style - THAT threw me off and I had to really struggle keeping up with the drummer  and the bass- who played un-amplified which did not make it any easier. It did not feel good and I thought my playing was under par but to my surprise the other guys and parts of the audience commended me after the gig about my playing, the sound I got and that my playing really helped the overall sound of the group. So my initial disappointment was purely subjective and unnecessary. Perceptions differ, always.
    I get angry and disappointed when my fellow players come to the gig un-prepared, don't care for the paying guests, come un-tidy, too late, when the money is bad even though the client could easily afford to pay more (only when I'm not responsible for the gig) - that sort of thing which you normally don't have any control over. I have to accept certain things and keep smiling. Sometimes I decide not to call certain musicians any more or I even turn down gigs when I know that it could be overly problematic , for any number of reasons.

    The older I get, the better I can handle these pitfalls (avoiding them, too), shrug it off, re-adjust my crown and carry on.

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by gitman
    ... I get angry and disappointed when my fellow players come to the gig un-prepared, don't care for the paying guests, come un-tidy, too late, ...
    Isn't that weird? I've seen people do that (only in big cities, though), and just can't imagine how they didn't sink through the floor from embarrassment. Unkempt, bored, clothes you wouldn't wish on a toddler. When I went to compliment the band afterwards I ignored them (the scruffy arrogant ones); I hope they got the message. It's distasteful.

  16. #15

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    And let's not forget to put things in perspective. There's "I/We didn't do our best" which is regrettable, but also recoverable. Then there are other things that tend to put a damper on the evening. Did you get paid? Good gig. Were you stiffed, or did you have to negotiate for a settlement at 3 AM? Bad gig. Were the cops called? BG. Was the Emergency Room involved? BG. I could go on at some length, but I'll spare you. I wish and hope that all JGOers will not experience these type of occurrences.

  17. #16

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    Look at a bad gig as an opportunity to address every issue you have with the gig. What can we or you do to correct this? Have a band meeting and be honest with each other. If you are good friends you'll be able to handle constructive criticism. Respect each others strength and weaknesses and find a way to address each. Is someone drinking/drugging too much? Is the PA cutting it? Is my equipment cutting it? Are we playing a tune that is over our capabilities? It's an opportunity to address problems and make yourself better.

  18. #17

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    I just go home and play guitar. Later i might think what the reasons were, and go from there. If it was me, practice more! If it was something or someone else, choose wiser in the future!

  19. #18

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    Yea... some cool replys... Different Gigs, different expectations. Big venue well paid gigs, yea no room for mistakes. I'm also a pro from the stone ages.

    I mean show rehearsed gigs, festivals etc... and you make stupid or careless technical mistakes. It is on you, or me. But playing jazz generally isn't about seeing band replay rehearsed music from CD etc... it can be about improv, not so much anymore. But it's still going on and part of that approach to performing jazz is to push, play and interact with the other musicians and create LIVE music.

    Your putting yourself and the band on the edge of crash and burn... the other small detail, after millions of gigs, you learn how to crash and land. Which becomes part of the entertainment.

  20. #19

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    "Failure is preparation for success."if you are pushing and growing your skills as a jazz musician, you will make mistakes.

    In one video, "Evening With Jie Pass," Joe past talks about mistakes as part of why he doesn't like to have an amp right behind him; it makes the mistakes more audible and he doesn't want to hear that. Going through the house PA that was a little less immediate to him. So if Joe freaking Pass has a consideration for the possibility of making mistakes, I guess the rest of us can too.

    In an interview or perhaps the Tal Farlow movie, Tal talked about the distress of playing a bad gig. It happens to top drawer pros, as well, although I suspect their notion of a bad gig probably still sounded way better than my best gigs ever. Apparently Allan Holdsworth was so self-critical that he would apologize to the audience in the middle of a gig, saying something like "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

  21. #20

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    Joe said that there was a flub in everything he's ever done. 'It's my trademark' he used to say.

  22. #21

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    It's over - move on. If the leader calls you again, that means you did OK. The crowd is only there to drink and visit - they think Uncle Joe's cousin Fred's kid, Waldo, back home who plays Wildwood Flower, is the greatest thing since canned beer and girls; they don't know the difference. I wish I had a quarter for every drunk in the local saloon who told me, "boy, you should be in Nashville". Put it in perspective - it's not rocket surgery - do your best and learn from your mistakes and do better next time - it's not something to beat yourself up over. Chet (Atkins) said if you play a wrong note, play it again on the next chorus and they'll think it's jazz and you did it on purpose. Probably nobody noticed but you, anyway. Finish the gig, load the equipment (even help the drummer), shake everybody's hand, get paid, then go to the local diner for ham and eggs. Tomorrow's another day.

  23. #22

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    I already advised something in the similar situation...

    bourbon (or as Fulkner usedto say if there is not bourbon '' between nothing and scotch I choose scotch'')

    Seriously there are situations that we have to learn to handle ourselves without checklists, shortcuts, tricks and tips.


    For some musicians it happens rarely and for some musicians it happens often
    all the pros I know who play often just learn to ignore that feeling, some for better, some for worse ...

    Those who do it for bette r- they just can move away negative impression and focus on their problems to fix (whatever it is: music,organization, socialization --- sometimes may be even decision not to play in publuc for a while...) they treat their impression seriously but they do let it to ruin them.

    Those who do it for worse (majority - unfortunately!) -- they just use it as self-protective tool.... if you feel shame there are two ways you either correct something or you become shameless.... they choose the second.

    Modern practice allows it -- the ausdience and colleagues are very tolerant... you can lag and make mistakes for years and still be there.

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skip Ellis
    ... Chet (Atkins) said if you play a wrong note, play it again on the next chorus and they'll think it's jazz and you did it on purpose ...
    I did that from the beginning until I realised some people haven't heard jazz. Then I started to kick my amplifier (machine gave me a Bb instead of a C, like when you select trailmix, but it gives you Smarties) or shake the lead (I played the right note, but it's probably still stuck in there). For unamplified playing though, I have no choice but to scowl at a fellow player if there is one (the drummer is safe; can't see you rolling your eyes). However, sometimes there are players in the audience. In that case I say it's because of cultural or religious difference, depending on their insistence and/or gullibility. Surefire.

  25. #24

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    At my amateur level, a “bad gig” isn’t when I’ve made too many mistakes, it’s when nothing seems to click and there seems to be no way to pull things together. Fortunately that hasn’t happened too often in gigs, but has in jams.
    Things that can set if off for me:
    1) When the acoustics and/or noise levels are awful,
    2) When one or more bandmate’s sense of time or harmony is off,
    3) When I don’t know (or like) the repertoire as well as I thought I did,
    4) When there’s something about the gig or perhaps something going on in my life that has given me low expectations about it.
    I’ve learned to keep those factors in the back of my mind before I accept a gig I’m not sure about.

  26. #25

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    There is a story that I have heard from a young (at the time) guitarist who, at the end of the set, went out in the audience and found someone like Barney Kessel or Kenny Burrell in the audience. Hr immediately apologized for all of his mistakes, commenting that it wasn't what he was trying to play. The senior musician looked at him and said "I heard what you actually played and it sounded fine." A lot of times what we think of as mistakes are things that didn't come out as we planned them but that doesn't mean they didn't come out OK.