Starvin’ Vol. 2, No.3- ‘H#’

by Bing Futch

Somewhere along the line it has become common to perceive performances as holy ground and rehearsals as places where anything goes. For example, it’s okay to flub a note in rehearsal because the adage goes, if you play a funky

note without an audience, does it actually sound funky? But don’t you dare

hit an H# while on-stage. In reality, both rehearsals and performances are holy

ground, because performances aren’t anything but public rehearsals when you

think about it. And what about those missed notes? Who gives a shit? In

most cases, only the originators of the songs and some rabid fans know the

mistake–everyone else thinks you’re an improvisational genius, so don’t blow

your cover by fessing up and making The Mistake Face. That’s the look that

says, “Jesus! What was I thinking? I suck!” and then the whole crowd knows

that you beefed it. Hit a sour note, then hit the bad boy again. I’ve said

it once and I’ll say it another time, if you screw up once–it’s a mistake,

but if you screw up twice, it’s jazz.

Okay, so maybe you’re one of those purists who needs to be technically pure

on-stage, that’s fine–but during rehearsals, truly–anything goes. You

should be allowed to fully depart from your standard methods of playing in

order to explore new lines, riffs, leads, fills or whatever your musical

heart desires. I know a lot of guys and gals who shy away from

experimentation during rehearsals because they’re afraid of hitting bad notes

and feeling wierd around more experienced musicians. Don’t worry about it.

Every one of us has played H# at one time or another, and that links us

together as aural linguists. We’ve all stammered before we have learned to

speak.