Pump up your Game

If you want to learn to lose weight you’ll call a personal trainer.

If you want to learn ice skating you’ll call an ice skate instructor.

If you want to learn math you’ll call a tutor.

If you want to learn to act on stage you’ll call an acting teacher.

If you’re a writer and want to learn how to put your play on stage you’ll call a theater producer.

If you want to learn how to perform music on stage. Who you gonna call?

If you live in the USA, you’ll call this guy.

If you live in Germany, you’ll call me.

photo by Gage Skidmore on a Creative Commons License

Build and Destroy

“Why do you do that?” I hear someone say.

Here’s why. Because it’s not about having the castle. It’s about building it. Kids learn by building things. They then destroy everything so they can build (=learn) some more.

When do we get trained to think that it’s better to have things instead of creating things?

Create and learn. Start now.

Jedi Mind Trick Mastermind

No, wait. There’s always been the same amount of stuff going on, but now we just get interrupted by it more often. Constantly.

If you want to get things done, there are two simple ways to get into the zone.

1. Don’t read the news (or any other publication).
Stop buyng newspapers, magazines etc. Read the headlines on your way to the coffeeshop. The really important news will reach you no matter what. Just don’t actively bring that kind of noise into your system.

2. Work, then switch on your computer.
The easiest way to shutt off the noise is to NOT switch it on in the first place. If you have work that needs to get done, do it first, then, AFTER you’re done, switch on the noise if you need to.

Photo by davidyuweb on a cretive commons license

Creating magical Moments

To make the experience superb for your fans during a show you have to create some magic moments musically.

How to create those moments depends on the music you’re playing, but there are some universal musical concepts to take into consideration.

You can integrate them into your arrangements no matter what style of music you are playing. Think of your music as an idea, a concept, a movement, instead of just songs.

Some ideas worth contemplating:

• Jean Jaques Rousseau tells us that “Melody arises from harmony”
• A melody can be a motif
• A melody can be an intervall
• Every sound is a color. The way you compose the colors make the “sound-picture” or sound design (What’s the sound design of your band?)
• Sound can be a structure element (not only verses or choruses, but sound colors)
• Melodies can be linear (motifs make meldies stand out from the chords)
• Melodies can be vertical (within the chord which gives them a high degree of fusion with the chords of a song)
• Rhythm can be structural
• Rhythm can be levitating (avoid to start and/or finish a rhythmic figure on the 1 or any other downbeat)
• Repeat rhythmic patterns on different (non congruent) beats

When you rearrange your music for the live show, think of colors, moods, emotions and create these by implementing new musical concepts.

Happy arranging!

Show Composer At Work

Dave Liebman says

Composition = Improvisation slowed down

I translate that when it comes to live shows and say:

Show composition = Show slowed down

To prepare a performance, a concert, a gig, a show, is like composing a piece of art.

If you look at show preparation as composing a piece of art instead of just preparing and playing a list of songs you will easily understand this article.

Most importantly, though, is to think of the whole show, not just your performance. After all, no matter what music you play, classical , rock, pop or other, if you are in the business of being on stage playing for an audience, like it or not, you are in show business. Stop thinking about your performance and start thinking about your show.

The wording is a bit confusing, so I’ll give you my definition of it.

For the musician, a concert is a performance. For the audience a concert is a show. And a show is what you have to compose. Simply because the audience is a part of it. Your performance is only another part of the show. Plus, there’s a whole universe of things that is not your performance but that is still part of the show.

So for now, I talk about a show, which contains both your performance and the audiences overall experience.

What a show means to the fan vs. the musician – Fan / Musician Equations

Leading the band, but please, not all the time!

If you want your band to thrive you need to be a band leader. Yes, I think democracy is great but there has to be a leader in the band. Especially when the band is on stage. Without a leader it’s mayhem and the audience doesn’t know who to follow in the show.

You don’t need to be aleader all the time. You sould not be the leader all the time. Not live. Not never.

Everyone needs to take the role of the leader for certain aspects of a bands business. Be it booking, arranging, costume design, writing contracts, etc…

Delegate the roles in business as well as on stage in your arrangements. If you are in charge of a certain role in the band or show, stop fooling around and be a leader!

Wonder what makes a great leaders? (Some suggestions by Seth Godin)

Leaders are:

• generous (they reflect the light onto the band members)
• helping the band find something new (introducing new ideas, people)
• enabling the band to thrive
• getting out front (get attention, don’t want it but use it)
• making a point
• challenging convention (introducing new methods of getting things done)
• speaking up (have an opinion)
• brave (you do and let others do the talking)
• uniting the band (tighten the bonds)
• reinforcing the bands sense of purpose

A strong band with strong leaders in it has many advantages.

Happy leadership!

Rehearse and switch it up

Bands usually rehearse songs playing them from the top down to the end.

As with all habits, it becomes boring. We think we know what the song is, we just play it without listening, without trying to go places with it as long as we played it through. Done. Next.

Here’s the thing to do. Switch it up.

• Start the song in the middle (especially if you notice parts that don’t really groove the shit out of you)
• Play the song in different keys (or play each verse in a different key)
• Play it instrumental, no vocals (see what happens. In 9 out of 10 cases bands can’t play the songs when they don’t hear the lyrics. I wonder why)
• Mini oncert: 2 instrumentalists perform the song for the rest of the band. Switch instrumentation. (vocals and bass, guitar and drums etc…)
• Play the song as slow as you can without loosing the edge.
• Play it as fast as possible (without falling apart or getting tense)
• Put away your instruments. Sing the song (everyone sing their parts)
• At the end: Put it back together and see what happens. If it ain’t better now, quit and take that job at the bank.

Happy rehearsals!

Here’s the video of one of the performances we did at Hoergang last Saturday.

Thanks to all you fine people, who came out to see us play. You whish to stay up to date about the development of the piece, sign up to my newsletter!

Related show

• Artist: Hacklwurf – Reiter & Griebel Duo
• Date: Wednesday, January 25th 2012
• City: Hacklwurf – Reiter & Griebel Duo in Munich
• Venue: Teamtheater Comedy
• Address: Am Einlaß 4a
• Country: Germany
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

• Artist: Hacklwurf – Reiter & Griebel Duo
• Date: Thursday, February 2nd 2012
• City: Hacklwurf – Reiter & Griebel Duo in Munich
• Venue: Rationaltheater
• Address: Hesseloherstr.18
• Country: Germany
• Cancelled
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal