Phil,
Good observations. Now I'm going to give you the "MAB ASSESSMENT." and some overview.
I know you didn't do a "tour" with me, because financially of course, you have limited funds. But on the times we've even gotten together, we have always worked with others, and have never had a lot of time just you and me and for me to give you some pointers. If you come back to Nashville, I think you need to plan on spending a little time with me ( I do hourly rates as well, and for you, we could do the "brother in law" price if you would just ask.) But you need to get some instruction on performing to help you smooth out what you are doing. When you have access to me (I came over there to help you guys out) you need to take advantage. Even if it is just to let me listen to what you are doing, I can be a big help.
You are are pretty physically fit guy. You are not overweight (wish I could say that), and are generally in pretty good shape for your age .Actually you are in pretty good shape for ANY AGE. I don't know if you go to the gym or work out at home but it shows. If you have ever really worked out, and built up, and then gotten away for a while, you develop something called MUSCLE MEMORY. This is where your muscles are used to exercise and will pick up where you left off. Why people who don't ever work out, (Me and OD), are lacking, is because we are not the most dedicated work out people.
But some people take NO TIME to drop weight and get buff. My friend Jason Gregory is that way. Always in good shape, he is now training for the IRONMAN triathelon so he runs, bikes, swims EVERYWHERE. He is RIPPED. But for a while he was not training every day. And he was STILL in good shape.
What is the BRAIN? THE BIGGEST MUSCLE in the human body. So practice should develop like that. If you practice year round, especially if you are doing the same songs, they should come to you IMMEDIATELY, in situations like BOBBY'S. And then I have to give you the TWO TYPES OF PRACTICE.
PRACTICE, WHEN YOU DO IT BY YOURSELF AT HOME.
REHERASAL, when you do it with others, and put the PRACTICE TO PRACTICAL APPLICATION.
I have been on you about playing all those open mics and writers nights. And I know you do some of them. But every time we talk you always say "And there is this other one in ..... that I have been meaning to go to, but don't."
THE REASON YOU DO THOSE ARE IT'S REHEARSAL!!!!
Playing those half filled, nobody is paying attention, half the people doing cover songs is the VERY REASON YOU DO THAT! So you can get comfortable and play YOUR ORIGINAL MUSIC! That is the point. To BUILD UP for the BIG NIGHTS LIKE BOBBY'S, DOUGLAS, THE FLORABAMA, ETC. That is why you do that. Muscle Memory.
You still have a very erratic timing problem. You tend to jump measures in your approach, you get ahead and behind the beat and don't feel comfortable. Part of it is trying to pattern after the way we wrote particular songs. I use THE CHUNKY EIGHT NOTE FEEL on many of the songs I write. It is because of something called PROSODY.
If you think of the song BORN TO BE WILD, by STEPPENWOLF, you can see it.
"GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING" (da da da da da da da da)
HEAD OUT ON THE HIGHWAY" (da da da da da da da da)
LISTEN TO THE WIND (da da da da da da da da)
AND THE FEEIING COMING MY WAY (Dd da da da da da da )
That is called an "EIGTH NOTE FEEL." It is very common in "CAR, PLANE, TRAIN" TRANSPORTATION" songs because it mimics the movement. Also in the construction or demonstration of "TIME."
BOARD GAMES....(DA DA DA DA DA DA) WEARING OUT MY PHONE....."
"RUN!!!" DA DA DA DA ).....
Those songs are MOVEMENT SONGS. So a "chunky 8th note feel" denotes MOVEMENT.
This is what you need to get FLUID and SMOOTHER on. I think working with a metronome would help you get to this point. Also using your camera phone to record your performance while you rehearsal, would help.
You should also run through EACH SONG THREE TIMES BACK TO BACK. This will give you muscle memory on those songs. You need to NOT USE A MUSIC STAND, as that can trip you up as well. You are only doing three songs, and you have months to practice and rehearse those. So you need to get past the music stands completely.
Yes, I know other people use them, and so do I, if I am working on new songs. But I work on trying NOT TO LOOK at them any more than I absolutely have to.
This is the reason you get tripped up and forget words, which cause you to start, stop (didn't do that much this time) and be erratic in your delivery.
Another thing to do:
Go through a practice JUST PLAYING THE GUITAR. DON'T SING. Sing in your HEAD, but just work on the guitar with no vocals. Do that a couple of times. Then add the vocals.
Another thing I do, is in the SHOWER, or in the car, I often will JUST DO THE LYRICS. I will hear the music in my head but rehearse it like giving a speech. That way I can see how to BEND NOTES ,HOLD NOTES, or what I need to GET RID OF.
And that is another thing. I know you did some editing on our songs to eliminate extra words. But the truth be told, you might be able to cut another here and there and it might even be MORE COMFORTABLE.
And that is the TOTAL POINT. You need to be TOTALLY COMFORTABLE onstage. Only way to get there is DO IT A LOT, IN EVERY TYPE OF SITUATION.
Don't overlook coffee houses, small bars, libraries that might have songwriter or music events going on. Churches sometimes will have things like this. Now of course you don't have to do, PICK UP songs, but you should be writing a bunch of stuff. You need to be having songs for every situation. Father's day, Valentine day, Christmas, Halloween. weddings, funerals, you are a writer. You should have something for anything.
And Kevin doesn't get away unscathed either. He was using lyric sheets even more. Of course he writes more songs ,but you guys are ONLY DOING THREE SONGS. So you should know them, and shouldn't HAVE to rehearse as much.
You guys did fine. But there is PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. CAN'T REST ON YOUR LAURELS.
Every show is important. You never know who is in the audience And you get one chance to make a bad first impression.
So keep at it and always let me know what you need. I'm always around for you.
Thanks for the post.
MAB
LOVE IT