Question for all musicians

[Don Hughes]

I recently (finally) got back into another band here in Pittsburgh. It's a metal band. Needless to say, it's probably going to require more animation from me than I'm used to doing, which may be tougher than normal considering I'm behind a stationary instrument (keyboards). Do you find that it's something you practice at home (movement while playing)?

[tonefight]

Big NO for me. Not that its a bad idea though.

[kayla]

i wouldn't say i practice it. it happens from time to time at practice. just all of us getting into the music. sometimes i just can't help but move around and get animated. i do tend to make a lot of facial expressions though. common guitar face.

- kayla.

[moxham123]

I can't stand still while playing. If your band wants synchronized moves, that takes some work and choreography. For a keyboard player, it's tough to be mobile unless you get a keytar.

[Don Hughes]

Trust me, I'm not looking for synchronized moves. Normally I'm very UN-animated, but seeing how metal music live probably should have a little animation, was curious what others did.

[Dark Soul]

This is just my two cents, but I say let the music speak for itself. You wanna watch people jump around, go to the circus. When I go to hear a band play, it's all about the music; If it's good, I couldn't care less what they do with themselves on stage, but all the antics in the world can't make up for lousy playing. Ever watch bands like Rush or Dream Theater play? You rarely see them doing that stuff because they CAN'T. It's damn near impossible to play complex music like that while jumping about like a shaved ape. If you feel like being more animated on stage for your own reasons, I say go for it. Be your own dog, but do it because you feel the urge to, not because you're trying to look cool or because your band mates are trying to pressure you into it. If you play the music well, that should be enough.

And btw, congrats on the new band!

[moxham123]

This is just my two cents, but I say let the music speak for itself. You wanna watch people jump around, go to the circus. When I go to hear a band play, it's all about the music; If it's good, I couldn't care less what they do with themselves on stage, but all the antics in the world can't make up for lousy playing. Ever watch bands like Rush or Dream Theater play? You rarely see them doing that stuff because they CAN'T. It's damn near impossible to play complex music like that while jumping about like a shaved ape. If you feel like being more animated on stage for your own reasons, I say go for it. Be your own dog, but do it because you feel the urge to, not because you're trying to look cool or because your band mates are trying to pressure you into it. If you play the music well, that should be enough.

And btw, congrats on the new band!

Shaved Ape - Looks like a good name for a band

[RobTheDrummer]

Just have a good look, that's all.

[nakedtwister]

Have to agree Donnie. No animation needed if the music kicks ass. Unless you plan on getting your tongue split and spit Jack Daniels into the crowd, just let the fingers be your animation. YT B

[ToonaRockGuy]

I have to strongly disagree with most everyone who has posted.

Personally, if I go to a show and see a band standing onstage rooted in one spot staring at their shoes or their fretboards, I'm fucking gone no matter how good the music is. Why do you think a band plays a SHOW? It's not just a performance of music, if you want that then go see the Altoona Symphony Orchestra. It's a SHOW for a band because you combine the musical and visual element. At least the great bands do. Sure, KISS is a musical joke, but no band ever worked harder onstage to provide every fan in the building a full experience.

The best part of playing in a band is putting all that energy out there, and then getting it back from the crowd. It becomes a circle of energy, and if you've never experienced it, you are missing the whole point of playing live.

I'm not saying to rehearse the moves, Don, but don't be afraid to let loose if the music moves ya. I'd rather see a band putting it all out there both musically and physically than just nailed to the stage. Fuck, watch some concert vids from Staind back in the day. Aaron Lewis is the most boring bastard to ever front a band. No energy, no presence, just a depressing fuck who brought down the whole show. Give me someone with the presence of Jonathan Davis or Corey Taylor any day. Imagine a Marilyn Manson show with no energy and the band just standing there playing their instruments. Imagine Metallica or Arch Enemy or Testament or a million other metal bands just fucking standing there. If you take the stage, stand in one spot and look at your fretboard or keyboard for two or three hours, you're fucking boring, period. 'Nuff said.

[StumbleFingers]

From a strictly technical perspective, do any of you find that you have a better groove when your body is moving? I'm not talking about crazy dance moves or anything. It could be something as simple as tapping your foot or nodding your head. There are some songs that just don't seem to come out right for me unless my body is moving. I'll be playing all the right notes in the right places but the feel just isn't there somehow.

I think it's really about being loose and not overthinking it. You don't have to practice specific movements but if you feel that you're overly tight and wound up, work on it. For example, I have a bad tendency to shoegaze, so at practice I'll force myself to stare at a picture on the wall for a whole song or something like that. Anything to pull the eyes away from the fretboard.

[bassist_25]

I have to strongly disagree with most everyone who has posted.

Personally, if I go to a show and see a band standing onstage rooted in one spot staring at their shoes or their fretboards, I'm fucking gone no matter how good the music is. Why do you think a band plays a SHOW? It's not just a performance of music, if you want that then go see the Altoona Symphony Orchestra. It's a SHOW for a band because you combine the musical and visual element. At least the great bands do. Sure, KISS is a musical joke, but no band ever worked harder onstage to provide every fan in the building a full experience.

I totally agree with Kevin. Stage presence is important. Live music is a visceral experience. Having good stage presence doesn't necessarily mean you have to be doing backflips off the drum riser. Johnny Cash was pretty stoic but still had a ton of presence. Charisma is generally a must if you want to move higher in the ranks. IME and IMO, of course.

As far as keyboards and metal, maybe I shouldn't be referencing them because they're Grade A American cheese, but the keys player of Dragonforce was totally rockin' it when I saw them live a few years ago.

[bassist_25]

From a strictly technical perspective, do any of you find that you have a better groove when your body is moving? I'm not talking about crazy dance moves or anything. It could be something as simple as tapping your foot or nodding your head. There are some songs that just don't seem to come out right for me unless my body is moving. I'll be playing all the right notes in the right places but the feel just isn't there somehow.

Actually, yes! On some songs with a syncopated pocket, you'll actually see me kind of bebop as a way to lock in with the kick drum. I probably look goofy doing it.

[bassist_25]

P.s. Just don't borrow this guy's stage moves when you play keyboards on stage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS-h3MBR0mA

For added hilarity, here he is fronting the band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlkRaEPjAv0

[Dragan Kalasa]

I actually have to say that I did practice moves at home, but more to hone in and control them. Once in awhile I may try to learn some hand choreography, or try to add some variety to my "chicken dance", but mostly focus and control. Still, for me as a fan first type of vocalist, if the crowd is amped and going ape sh*t during a breakdown or really at any time in a song I will usually go into the crowd and echo that.

As a keyboardist though, you can have limited movement and still be just as animated as the crowd or other band mates. ie. Christian "Flake" Lorenz from Rammstein (minus the whole crowd boating thing) and the keyboardist from Children of Bodom, just to name two.

[moxham123]

Playing in a live band is part playing and part performance. Anybody can play the notes but it's how the songs are presented that make all the difference and set a band apart. If the band looks like they are having fun, it translates to the audience.

[kayla]

The best part of playing in a band is putting all that energy out there, and then getting it back from the crowd. It becomes a circle of energy, and if you've never experienced it, you are missing the whole point of playing live.

i agree with this completely. i've experienced it with small crowds of people, i can't imagine the feeling of standing in front of tons of people. its something that can't be explained, it can only be felt. that feeling to me is worth more than any amount of money. it makes the time and effort worth it for me. that was a tad off topic, but oh well.

- kayla.

[nakedtwister]

Don, I didn't mean to stand there like a bump on a log, but you don't have to go all Gene Simmons on their ass. We played together and I never remember you just standing there. Just be your enthusiastic self. B

[Don Hughes]

Except the first show at DelGrosso. I think I did a pretty good impression of a statue hehe

[lonewolf]

I gotta practice moving around at home just to unstiffen my joints. Glucosamine helps.

Kevin is right...people want action! not GMAJ7b5

[Naga]

I say do what you feel comfortable with. Move around, sure, but do what you can, not what you're going to end up hurting yourself or your equipment over. I've seen keyboardists really get into it. There are some that have put their other bandmates to shame. But not everyone has the ability to move constantly. If you can, awesome, get up and do it. But if you're going to throw yourself off if you do more than nodding along to the beat, then just do that until you're comfortable enough to do more

Keep this in mind: Moving around is about fluidity with the music as well as comfort in oneself and playing

[Jasaoke]

I don't ever practice any specific moves or choreography, but I DO find it nearly impossible to stay still while playing music. It's a Bob-n-Sway kinda thing. Come to think of it, I do that all the time. This actually got me into a bit of trouble during my brief stint in high school jazz band. I was the only one who was groovin'.

As a fan/spectator, I'm certainly put off by either end of the spectrum. I'm bored by the shoe-lookers, but I also can't stand anything contrived or over-the-top.

[songsmith]

I'm paranoid lately that I don't look up from the fretboard enough, but dobro isn't like fretted instruments... If I play a G note on the low E string of an acoustic guitar, my finger can hit the string anywhere between the frets, and still sound the G note. On dobro, if your steel is off a sixteenth of an inch, it's noticeably off-key. Therefore, I can't look up as much as I want to.
The metal band days were different. We weren't virtuosos, so we had to put more en_er_gy out to the audience, in order to get more back. In retrospect, it all looks pretty silly, but at the time, it's what you did.

[PanzerFaust]

I used to do my Angus dance in my bedroom haha...