Today I shared a budget plan with the group via Facebook, detailing how much money we've made, how much we could potentially make and how much should be assigned to each aspect of the show, in advance of the food (our last, planned expense) being purchased tomorrow, so that those buying it will have a guideline on how much to spend and why.
This evening I went over to rehearse with Kian and Dylan at his grandparent's house as I was concerned about my performances of "Givin' Em What They Love" and "Sunshine of Your Love" which I felt were under-rehearsed.
After running the songs repeatedly I felt more at ease about performing them in the show. Kian then asked if I wanted to try playing bass guitar on his performance of The Smiths' "Big Mouth Strikes Again" and in response I insisted he teach me the bassline. He taught me a slightly simpler bassline which I picked up quickly, though I struggled initially with the song's tempo and the rhythm of the strumming that Kian demonstrated.
After a few minutes I was able to play along with them both and so Kian then taught me a different bassline for a short section of the song. This one was more complex as it required very quick fret changes which I was determined to master so I sat playing it repeatedly until I could play it at the tempo Kian was playing in.
Dylan and Kian shared some really helpful tips and pointers on how to hold the bass guitar and where and how to position my hands and fingers. These techniques made it much easier to play and towards the end of the evening I was able to play the song through, mastering the first bassline to the point that I could look away from the guitar as I played it without error. The second bassline sounded a little more sloppy however and I wasn't consistently nailing it with each run; but there were times when I played it accurately which spurred me on to keep rehearsing and practising it.
Whenever I made a mistake or struggled with the bassline, I would simply improvise a simpler melody using the same notes so that I got accustomed to doing this for the live performance if I didn't master the second bassline by then. Though I rehearsed the second bassline as much as I could, I wanted to ensure that in the event of me not being able to play it properly during the actual performance, I'd be able to effectively improvise a simpler bassline without the performance being disrupted and the audience noticing (unless they were very familiar with the song).
This last minute rehearsal was the most fun rehearsal I've had in a long time and has spiked my excitement for the show tomorrow. I am very grateful for the opportunity to play bass and Dylan and Kian's impromptu masterclass. I'm also thrilled that I managed to play alongside them repeatedly without lagging behind or playing discordant notes and so I am not concerned about playing bass before a live audience as I felt very relaxed. Tomorrow's final rehearsals will confirm for definate if I do play in the show depending on my performance and mood in rehearsals - but I'm sure I'll do fine as I'm very keen to show the rest of the group.
I'm most concerned about "Sunshine of Your Love" as the stress of the past week has taken its toll on my voice which is more hoarse and tires easier than usual. With this, there is also an increased tension at times when I sing that I do not normally experience, whether this is down to actual physical changes in my throat or simply nerves I am unsure of but it is causing me to struggle with the vocal arrangement of the song.
During the rehearsal I did improvise different melodies and arrangements, but they still felt far inferior to the renowned original. Additionally, with the song being so revered I would rather cut it from the set list rather than change it too much and the performance not being well received by the audience. I will evaluate my performance in rehearsals tomorrow and converse with the rest of the group to gain their opinions also before making a decision to peform the song in the show or cut it.
No comments:
Post a Comment