Tips for Musicians
Here is a bunch of tips for musicians coming out of my experience over the last 4 decades.
I already threw them out through my twitter account...
Contact info: +31 654 310 214 - jeroen@jeroenderijk.com
- CONSISTENTLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE EARTH'S HEARTBEAT -
- It's not about solos, it's about music.
- See what happens if you do not play at all in certain sections of a tune.
- Try your best to be understood by others, both musically and in 'regular' communication.
- There is not much to worry about as long as you are your own toughest critic.
- Take into account that getting to know your musical heroes personally may lead to some sort of disappointment.
- Being good @ something simple is more valuable than being not so good @ something complicated. Practice what you can handle.
- Keep in mind that there are VERY few artists that stick with the same people/team for a lifetime.
- Any person who tells you there is a lot of mystery about certain rhythms, styles, traditions et cetera is to be ignored.
- Not knowing at all what you want is as hard a deal as knowing exactly what you want.
- Make sure that greatness around you inspires instead of puts you down.
- It is never the technical abilities of someone that make him/her special, it's the guts to be personal and authentic.
- 1 minute (or even less) of a vacuum in time awareness while performing together is something to be very grateful for.
- Think a day ahead when you have a show. Scores, clothing, spare parts, snacks, MP3's of the repertoire, who to pick up etc...
- Don't kill yourself trying to be heard. If the engineer sucks, you have no chance. Just do your thing, enjoy the music.
- Check your heroes, the ones who write their own songs, to find out most of 'm don't recruit musicians from model agencies.
- When options and decisions take long it very often means that they will not book you in the end. Good news comes fast.
- Read a long and serious article about non music related matters in a serious newspaper when you can.
- Practice with 1 hand on your lap and 1 on your instrument, it shows you more in depth what you do with both sides separately.
- Good (a&r) music managers are OK with simple questions you may have for them. Distrust them when they're annoyed with you.
- In regular society people are to be trusted until proven dishonest, music managers are to be distrusted until proven honest.
- You sometimes learn more from clever people playing stupid music than from stupid people playing clever music.
- Think carefully about what happens in between songs when performing. You easily loose your audience in those silent moments.
- Think very carefully about the right tempo for songs. Use a metronome for counting in when playing live to be safe and cool.
- Forget the importance of your particular instrument, it's music itself that is important.
- Your (over)concentration on stage may make you look very unhappy. Try to keep that vibe away from your facial expression.
- Work on playing your instrument and make your instrument sound as if you speak. It's only another means of communication.
- The amount of hours you practice make the difference in how close your hands come to doing what your brain wants to hear.
- Practice + become friends with a clicktrack. It just helps you to be a little steadier while playing to be muted in the end.
- Simply say 'no' to people if you don't feel comfortable with the conditions under which they want you to perform for them.
- Unless you have a roady, pack and move your instruments from stage straight after the show when you are still energetic.
- Visualize complicated songs in your head, play 'm with your brain only, visualize your hands, your sounds, in/outro etc.
- Work on versions of songs in another time signature than the original. For instance a 3/4 version of a 4/4 original.
- When you get a chance, talk in depth to non playing music fanatics about why they like what in who.
- Rehearse @ a relaxed volume, listen to details in arrangements (like BD>bass groove). Go full blast once when you're happy.
- Also practice riffs, licks, scales et cetera while you do something else, like watching TV (soccer games in my situation).
- If there's a chance, ask up level guys what you really want to know honestly and strait. Often you'll get a helpful answer.
- 'Stage' is just another little spot on planet earth, no reason to be intimidated. It's a better place than a hospital IC.
- Remember that expectations live in your head, not in the heads of an audience, unless people show up for you personally.
- Practice music you work on in different tempos and at various volume levels. Try to give it as much impact in every setting.
- Focus on the 1st song of your concert and not on the problem in the (let's say) 5th song of the set.
- Buy the best instruments you can afford but remember that it is YOU that is responsible 4 the music, never the instruments.
- Keep in mind that 98% of a regular audience hasn't got a clue what's going technically. They just sense a vibe, which is OK.
- Put the tempo of a (or the next) song in your head way before you start, not just before. Unless you work with a metronome.
- While on stage, forget your mistakes and get on with it, keep playing open minded. Think about what went wrong afterwards.
- Don't hope to be cool by wearing sunglasses on stage.
- Express the hope to people that help you get your instruments into a place will also be there when you leave after the show.
- Simply thank people when they say they enjoyed the music. Don't share your trouble about (monitor)sound, shitty solos etc.
- Be the first one to arrive so you can get yourself the best space on stage, so you can shrink later when the rest arrives.
- Get serious about having your and all other monitors on stage as low as possible, and keep 'm that low during the show.
- Practice at home, try at rehearsals and forget about everything your hands (should) do on stage.
- The level you play at has no relationship with the fun that comes with playing.
- Be conscious of the extra little sounds you produce when playing. Decide to y/n include ghostnotes, slips, slides, skin etc.
- Understand that 95% of what we do is called 'work' in other ('regular') parts of society.
- Guitarists!, but basically everyone, look around you as much as possible while on stage or in rehearsal.
- Think carefully about what you do with compliments.
- Try to have (@ least once) a personal conversation with your heroes; find out if they keep inspiring you after that meeting.
- Most important moment 4 earplugs: Soundcheck! That's when feedback occurs most. Fingers in your ears are always too late.
- The most important mistake we make is to be afraid to make mistakes. Music is there to be played fearless.
- Analyze all the parts in music you like '1 by 1' and try to understand why they played it like that and why with that sound.
- Put out of your head that substantial amounts of drugs and/or alcohol will do your performance any good, whatever the situation is.
- Remember why you wanted to be a musician. For most of us it was fun. Don't loose that basic element, fun. Do you know anyone who became a musician for financial reasons?
Contact info: +31 654 310 215 - jeroen@jeroenderijk.com