When I play guitar in front of people what do I do when I make a mistake or become embarassed?

Answer 1

Depends on how obvious it was. If it was a little blunder, just play on. The very few in the audience with discriminating enough hearing to pick up on the mistake also have enough experience not to tell if you don't.

If it is a little more obvious, a self deprecating comment is usually in order. "Funny, that sounded a lot better in rehearsal" or "We can edit that out in the mix" (I've actually used that one. If you get the right crowd it's a hoot) or even "Funny, this instrument is guaranteed not to do that, I'm getting my money back!" Something silly and funny and just a little bit impossible, so the audience knows you're still in control

If it's something that can't be recovered from, like:

1. A Broken string
2. Someone throws a drink on you
3. Cracked neck
4. A couple start fighting in the audience and inadvertently yank out the power cord

(Yes, these things have all happened to me as well)

Be kind, be gracious, never try to blame the audience and chalk it all up to experience. There is no way you can prepare yourself for "Acts of God" so all you can really do is to decide in advance not to lose your temper, to be as friendly and polite as you possibly can, and promise yourself you are never ever going to play for your sister's wedding again!

Answer 2

Different people have different levels of discomfort from public performance. For the most part (with some exceptions) the nervousness goes away with experience. The more you play live, the less nervous you typically will be with each performance. And truthfully, I don't think you can find a more forgiving audience than a church congregation. That's a fantastic place to start. But accept the fact that you're probably going to mess up; it's just something we all have to deal with. The fact is, and many performers don't realize this, all or most of your mistakes will go unnoticed by the audience. You have to remember that you are your own worst critic, and if you go to a C when it should've been a G, no-one's really going to realize it. A couple of tips, though: Train yourself to smile and chuckle when you make a mistake during a live performance. Reason-being, most people grimace or scowl when they mess up; DON'T. So many mistakes would never have been noticed by the audience if the performer would have just glossed it over. Above all else, keep the rhythm. You can jack up notes and chords all day long and potentially get away with it, but if you break the rhythm for any reason, everyone will notice that. This is especially important if you're playing in an ensemble, since you all depend on each other to keep the beat. Break a leg!

Answer 3

1. You make a mistake.
2. You become embarassed.
3. Because you got embarassed you make another mistake.
4. Back to #2. And so on.
PREPARATION is the key to confident performance. There are times that no matter how you try to continue, you will break down and have to stop and start over. The MORE you PREPARE the less you'll goof up.
Experience in live performance will teach you how to get past the tough spots with aplomb.

Answer 4

You've had some great responses to your question, but consider these methods when making a mistake before an audience:

1. Ignore it.
2. Repeat it as if it were correct.
3. Hit notes a half-step above or below the incorrect note and it will be fine.
4. Stop. Do a rewind motion and sound and begin again.

Answer 5

If you make a mistake,keep going.In most cases,you know the music better than your audience.Try to work it into your performance and act like you meant to do it. As for embarrassment,tough it out and try to get used to being up in front of people. Keep smiling.

Answer 6

Keep going. The worst thing you can do after making a mistake is to stop. It highlights the error to everyone (including those who did not know you made a mistake) and disrupts your mindset. Musicians tend to be perfectionists and as such we often have trouble continuing after making an error. We want to stop and play the section again correctly. One of the hardest things to learn about performing is not to stop and play through the errors.

Answer 7

Act like you didn't make a mistake. Chances are no one will notice but you.

If it's obvious, smile and make a joke out of it! It's way better than running offstage crying.

Answer 8

If you make a mistake, keep going like it never happened. It's possible to meld it into the song to make it sound like you meant to do it.

Answer 9

Pretend it was the way it was meant to be played, then go back to your room and practice harder for next time.

Answer 10

Sweetie has the answer above.
I would add: "Play LOUDER".