For this project we will be performing a our first concert in front of a live audience, this means we will have to learn our set list to perform. This page will show our development as a band and as individual musicians, I will reflect on what I believe I did well and what needs to be improved for future rehearsals and the final performance.
Week 1- You Got The Love (Florence + The Machine)
Individual reflection
What went well?
In this performance I managed to play in time with the band which is a very important element when playing with a band or else the timing of the whole band can be thrown out. I also managed to play all of the chords correctly throughout the whole song, knowledge of the chords as a pianist is very important for the band, this is because playing the wrong chords can throw the singers off key. My form on the keyboard was correct during the performance, it is very important as a pianist and keyboard player to have great form when playing for multiple reasons. One reason is that bad form can cause long term health problems such as a bad back or aching hands. It also looks professional to have good composure when playing keyboard, having bad composure such as being hunched over the keyboard looks very unprofessional to the audience which is not what we want as performers. I used my left hand to play the root notes of the chords in the bass clef of the keyboard to add more depth and strength to the chords in the song, we only had 15 minuets to learnt the song. Therefore using two hands when performing on the keyboard shows a level of confident knowledge of the chords in the song as well as my own skill on my instrument.
What went wrong and how will you do better next time?
The area that could have been most improved upon during my performance would have been the communication between me and my band as well as the audience, this is because throughout the whole song my head was looking down at the keyboard. This was caused through a lack of confidence and nervousness, this will be improved upon through regular practice sessions and performing more often in front of an audience. In the final half of the song I missed one of the 3 notes that play after the 3rd chord in the progression, this mistake is unnoticeable to the audience and to the band, this mistake is very minor and will be fixed with more practice on the song. It is important minor mistakes are fixed to get as close to perfection you can during a performance to show a great level of professionalism. During the chorus there is originally an arpeggio pattern for the keyboard that plays the chords notes individually, during this performance I did not have the confidence to play these chords live and in time with the band. This is because If I played the wrong chord I could have thrown off the guitarist and singers causing more mistakes in the performance. This will be fixed with more practice which will make me more confident with the chords and allow me to confidently and correctly play the arpeggio with ease.
Group reflection
What went well?
During the practice session we all managed to play in time as a band as well as play all of the correct notes and chords, this shows our ability as musicians to quickly pick up and learn a song to perform it to an audience. We all managed to control the dynamics of our instruments very well during the intro and bridge, during these sections of the song we played our instruments quieter to create a moment of rest during the songs.
What went wrong and how will you do better next time?
Throughout the performance most of us looked down at our instruments throughout our performance, looking down during a performance looks unprofessional and makes it look like you are uncomfortable. As a performer it is important to act confident on stage even if you aren’t, this makes it more likely for you to give the audience a good performance. This issue will be fixed with more practice, this is because the root of the issue is confidence and with more comes more confidence. At the start of the song our singer stumbled on the lyrics, this was a minor issue that was quickly over and forgotten about, however in our final performance we would not want this. As we keep on practicing the song little mistakes like this will go away as we will confidently know our way around the song. The arrangement of the instruments could probably be better and made more interesting through implementing more techniques and articulations, using more techniques such as arpeggios will help the audience keep engaged with out performance.
Week 2- Love on the Brain (Rihanna)
Individual reflection
What went well?
During the first performance I managed to for the most part play all the chords and their arpeggios in time with the band, however there was moments where I hesitated between sections and missed out a chord or two. This mistake can be heard in the middle of the song when Nick came over to the keyboard. Another time I went out of time was in the bridge where a few chords I played where out of sync with the rest of the band, however I quickly recovered from this mistake and synced back up with the rhythm of the band. Another thing that went well was the rhythm I played on the keyboard was on beat with the bass and drums creating a snappy beat in the music, this went well however it could be improved further during the transitions between song sections, this is because I sometimes I missed chords and notes within the arpeggio because the song has transitioned when I didn’t expect it. This happens most of the time in at the Bridge as it I do not know the song that well, I could mend these mistakes by learning the lyrics, this will give me more of a clear cue of when to convert to the bridge. During the bridge I should add of a dynamic arrangement by playing the chords at a moderate level and reaching a crescendo on the D major chord.
Group reflection
One thing we improved upon from the first rehearsal was communication, during this performance we all looked at each other more and enjoyed our selves more when playing. This is because we have already become more confident when performing since our first rehearsal with each other, it is important to enjoy the music you play on stage otherwise the audience isn’t going to enjoy it. There was some moments during the performance where we slipped off time a little bit, however we all quickly recovered at synced back up to the beat of the music. This was only our second run through the song, meaning as we become more familiar with the song there will be less cases of us losing our rhythm in the music. To add more depth to the song one of the singers could hit the tambourine on beat with the music to accentuate the beat more, doing this in our music would show creativity as we begin to add our instruments to the arrangement. Looking back at the footage I realised maybe the electric guitar could be amplified a little bit more, this is because for most of the song the guitar is hard to hear. This ultimately takes away impact from the snappy beat of the music which ultimately takes away the power and energy from the song. This problem could also be solved by turning down the bass a little bit more, this is because I believe during this performance the bass guitar was also too loud as it sometimes felt like it became close to the focus point in the music. During this song the bass acts as support for the rhythm and loud in the mix, therefore I think our bass was a little bit too loud in the performance as it drowned out other frequencies and instruments such as the guitar.One thing that went very well in the performance was the drum arrangement played by Abby, the drums filled the song with energy and made the beat more exiting at times by playing with the rhythm of the vocals. The rhythm of the drums throughout the song was played in time with the band and there was not much mistakes from the drummer.
In conclusion I think this was a very good rehearsal as we managed to play through the song as a band after only learning it for a couple of hours. There was many mistakes in our performance, mostly caused through our lack of knowledge around the songs structure. With more practice we will begin making less mistakes until it is almost perfect and ready to perform.
Week 3- Transparent Soul
Individual reflection
During this rehearsal I made a lot of mistakes which are very clear to see in the video, these mistakes were more often caused by the lack of knowledge I have with the song. The most obvious mistake can be seen at 1 minuet 18 seconds, at this point in the song I had come in too late and lost my place in the music. Because of this error I missed out on playing the verse as well as the bridge and had to come in during the chorus, this problem will be fixed as I learn the song more and become more familiar with my cues and the song structure. I could also resolve this issue by counting the beats in the music so I don’t lose track of where I am in the song, this will also help me play my cue in time with the rest of the band. I looked very uncomfortable during the performance with my left hand, this is because I had not yet figured out what notes to play in the left hand meaning I didn’t know where to position my hand. I will correct this issue in the future by learning what notes to play in my left hand through experimentation, a simple solution to this issue would be to play the root notes of the chord in my left hand. During the performance I could not hear my own keyboard in all places aside from the chorus, this could have been caused myself not pressing the keys down hard enough or the volume of the amp not being high enough. To avoid an issue like this happening again I should play the instrument before playing to ensure it is the correct dynamic level.
One thing that went well during this performance was my ability to play the correct notes and chords for the time I was playing. There was moments where I missed cues, however when I was playing my instrument it was in time with the band and played correctly. On the keyboard I also played the chords through the technique of voice leading to make the chord changes sound more fluent through chord inversions, this shows that I am confident with what chords I am meant to be playing in the music as well as my knowledge of music theory. During the chorus I also played the melodic synth notes in time with the vocals, this is because the note must be released when the singer stops singing the lyric “Souls”, this example of playing in time with the singer shows that I am listening to the band well while focusing on my own instrument. In conclusion there is much to improve in this song on my behalf, mostly regarding timing and knowing my musical cues. However I played all the correct notes and chords, meaning that does not need improving as much as timing and my own confidence.
Group reflection
As a band we played to an satisfactory standard however there is much to be improved upon in the run up to the official performance. The bridge in this song can get a little bit boring in my opinion and there is many techniques we can use to make it more interesting. One of which could be a crescendo played by the guitar leading up to the chorus, this would build up tension and make the song more exciting. While looking back at the footage I also realised that there was moments where I could not hear the guitar in the music, this may have been caused through being drowned out by the drum kit as it was very loud. This problem could be fixed by turning up the amp and making sure it is the correct level. Many of our band members including myself did not bring ear plugs to the rehearsal which is a health and safety risk as too much exposure to loud noises can causes long term ear damage, this risk can be avoided by bringing our own ear plugs to the band rehearsals for our own safety. During the performance I was aware of this risk therefore I improvised and used my own headphones as ear plugs, this did not work as well meaning I must bring my own protection next time, the band members which did bring ear protection include: Tia, Niall and Abby. The vocalists could need to also become more confident with the lyrics of the song, this is because during the rehearsal they are holding there phones to read the lyrics. In a official performance this would be seen as unprofessional, however this problem will be fixed through more rehearsals which will make them learn the lyrics better through repetition.
Despite the elements we need to improve upon we did manage to play in time with each other until the end of the song, showing great progress in learning the song in a matter of hours. The guitarists both played well in terms of timing and articulation showing professional ability to play the song correctly, however during the performance they where sitting down. In the final performance they will have to stand up in front of an audience, meaning they must practice to play standing up to become more comfortable with performing stood up. This also means they have to supply themselves with guitar straps so that they can improve.
Week 4- Set List Play-through
Individual reflection
what went well?
This time around I knew my timing on transparent sound a lot better than I did on the last rehearsal, I improved myself from last rehearsal by counting my time in the music and coming in on the fourth bar of the verse. I have know gotten to a point in the first You’ve got the love where I am very confident with my part that I can start thinking about adding different elements. This could be more articulation or an arpeggio pattern in the bass clef. During this performance I performed the first song very well with the parts I have learnt. I am also becoming a more confident performer as I can be seen looking up at other band members during the performance and enjoying the music more as I perform it. There was points in the music where I also lost my place in the music such as in Love on the brain, during this situation I had to find my place by listening to the music and recognising where I would play in it. This shows great listening skills and focus skills while preforming in stage. During the bridge on Love on the Brain I decided to try and play a crescendo on the keyboard, I did this by playing each note louder than the last in the last two bars of D major in the bridge.
What went wrong?
During the sound checks before this performance we discovered that the acoustic piano patch on the keyboard had some kind of bass distortion on it that we could not get rid of, this meant we had to use the organ patch instead which was not ideal when performing songs such as Love on the brain and You’ve got the love. In future we should avoid this problem by checking if the patches we intend to use are functioning properly earlier on in sound checks. One thing I could easily improve is the end of Love on the brain, this is because at the very last chord of the song I can be heard continuing to play arpeggios after everyone has stopped playing. This mistake was caused by my lack of knowledge surrounding the song and when it ends, this mistake will be fixed with more practice on the song and by playing a whole chord at the end (G major). During transparent soul the keyboard was too quiet for myself and Tia in the monitor, meaning it was drowned out in the music therefore I could not hear my own mistakes or successes in the music. This problem can be fixed by turning up the amount of keys I am getting in my monitor so I can hear it better while playing. I could also improve by using the sustain pedal in between chords to make the music sound more fluent, this is because in love on the brain and you got the love there was a lot of space between chords which sounded unpleasant to the ear.
Group reflection
what went well?
Since the last rehearsal we gave improved as a band and as individuals, during this performance both the guitar and bass player were stood up unlike in the last rehearsal. Getting comfortable playing while stood up will prepare them for the event where they will also have to stand up, sitting down during a performance also looks unprofessional and sloppy as a performer. Our stage communication and performance skills have also seen improvement since the last rehearsal as we often look up to each other during the song and overall look to be enjoying our selves more, this is because we are all becoming more familiar with out parts in the music and that gives us space to relax and enjoy the performance. During this rehearsal we all did a great job with knowing our parts and performing the songs back to back in a set list, we had minimal mistakes though some mistakes were noticeable to the audience. With more dedicated practice we will become better performers and know the song better, meaning we will be more than ready to perform in front of an audience.
what went wrong?
During love on the brain our bass player Niall played a incorrect note in the verse, this mistake was called out by our tutor which quickly corrected the bassist. To fix small mistakes like this we can improve by repeating our parts to become more confident with our roles, hopefully in the live performance the bass player is more confident with the chords. After reviewing the footage I have realised that during Love on the Brain our singer Lucy is singing the curse words in the lyrics, in the final performance we must be child friendly for our audience. This means we must quickly start rehearsing the songs with alternative lyrics which replace the curse words. In the bridge in Love on the Brain someone was also playing off key as it was dulling the chords and making them sound off key, we don’t know exactly who it was so to avoid this problem we should make sure everyone is playing the correct notes and there guitar is in tune. Because an off tune guitar can make someone who plays the correct notes off key.
Another area for improvement as a band would be to get quicker when transitioning between love on the brain and transparent soul, this is because it took us around a whole minuet to get ready. This is because many people where discussing the upcoming song, for the final performance we have to be confident enough to play the song without asking confident. During the set list both singers are also using there phones for lyrics still, this looks unprofessional and can’t be used in the official event. To avoid using there phones they could repeat singing the song in there spare tine to memorize the lyrics. The beginning to Love on the Brain was really sloppy this time around as we all started at different times, and I also dropped out for a bar which made the start sound even worse. This issue was mainly caused by the 6/8 time signature which is an awkward count in if you haven’t worked in that time signature before. Becoming more familiar with the time signature will also make us more confident with the song.
Week 5- Seven Nation Army Swing (The White Stripes)
Individual Reflection
For our final song of the set list we are going to perform a Jazz arrangement of Seven Nation Army, this is the most challenging piece to me as well as the most fun to play and perform. During the first rehearsal I tried to experiment to see what play style would suit the music, I did this by playing around with the notes inside of the chords to the rhythm of the music. My communication with my band members needs to be improved because with this performance I was focusing on my keyboard too much and not looking at my other band members, in the final important it will be important to look up from the keyboard as looking down too much at your instrument make it look like your are scared. I was however enjoying playing the music as I was moving around to the music and enjoying it, I need to become more confident with my role in Seven Nation Army in order to comfortably look up from my instrument. In order to do this I must practice playing my instrumental at home. There were moments in the music where I could not be heard such as the pre-chorus, this can be avoided next time by doing a small sound check and turning my self up on the amplifier if I am too quiet.
In the chorus I played the keyboard in staccato to the rhythm of the guitar to make the music sound more aggressive and energetic. However when it transition to the verse I played the keyboard at pianissimo level and used the sustain pedal to gently lay down the chords. This creates a smooth and relaxing sound that relieved the tension the chorus had, however in the second half of the verse I went back to playing staccato to build up tension to lead up to the final chorus. There was moments were I played the wrong note, one example can be seen around (3:35) where I accidentally played 2 off key clashing notes. I quickly moved on from this mistake as it is important to move on from mistakes in a live performance or the audience might notice them, mistakes are made all the time and I think moving on from my mistakes quickly and carrying on with the performance is a sign of great performance skills. At the end of the performance when Millie and Lucy are ending the show I played the keyboard smoothly to give the music a relaxing rest from the tension, this is because we planned to go back into the chorus and playing the music at a high dynamic level will make it hard to hear the vocalists. It also means there would be no impact when we went back to playing the chorus as we would already be at our dynamic peak.
Group Reflection
As a band we know everyone in the audience will have heard of Seven Nation Army and recognise the main riff, this is why we thought it would be a great idea to get the audience engaged with the music. At the start of the video Millie and Lucy told the audience how and when to participate with the music, the interactions they have planned with the audience have become a lot more fluent and confident. As at first the did not know what to say, but during this rehearsal the showed that they know what to say to the crowd to get them to join in. At the end of the performance Lucy said to the imaginary audience that “we were gonna” go even though we planned to go back to the chorus. This was the second time we played through with that plan so it is understandable that she forgot, therefore we must all remember that we are going for one final chorus at the end of the show. Unfortunately at the end of the video before we had time to finish the song we were interrupted therefore there is no footage of the final chorus. In the last chorus the cues to stop and start the music was tight and this was only our second try, therefore cues to drop out is not something we have to worry too much about for our final performance. However there was a moment in the first bridge were our guitarist played the wrong chord in the bridge, which stood out in the music and sounded off. This was only a tiny mistake and would not be noticeable to an audience, little mistakes like that will become rare with practice. One thing the singers could improve would be to memorize the lyrics through practice as during the rehearsal they were looking at their phone, in the final performance they won’t be able to use their phone as it looks unorganised and unprofessional.