improving stage presence

[pipedreams]

hey i'm new to playing gigs, and i want to improve on stage presence. sometimes i feel 'excluded' behind the keyboard because unlike the guitarist, i can't move around. i also tried moving with the music but i'm not much of a multi-tasker; when i do this i hit the wrong keys :x

oh and i need to get over stage fright too.

 

[Vaiyen]

do what rudess does. when u're using only 1 hand to play, use the other to wave or give pple the birdie or something.

 

[dric]

hey man, i too need to improve on my stage presence. the thing is......im the guitarist...and ive got stage fright too. everytime ple tell me i look stoned on stage. one thing that i feel as helped a bit since i started performing would be not too concentrate on my guitar too much. cos then i get nervous that i'll play the wrong note, so i try my best to let the playing come to me naturally like when im playing at home. but ofcours eim still working on it. and ofcourse, the dancing to the music bit is quite important, and it just takes time to come to u. so initially yea u'd prob hit a few wrong notes, i tend to do that too. but i guess this just takes time. although, for me its been a really long time.

 

[Vaiyen]

do what Vai does. Sing along to the music you're playing. Helps a lot.
lol, i'm encouraging a lot of parroting.

 

[thor666]

just smile a lot to the audience.

 

[Cheez]

Important thing is not to always look at your keys. I find many keyboardists do that when performing - like they are afraid of playing wrong notes. Their attention is totally on the black and white plastics.

I've been practicing playing in total darkness and with my eyes closed. That helped me to know my keys - performing is about feeling and not just playing. Many times when I play, I keep my eyes closed - which actually made people surprised (that no wrong notes come out) and actually add to the mood for the listeners (depending on the type of song you play).

I agree with the other comments as well. Eye contact is important. Also, eye-contact and bodily communication with the other band members add to the atmosphere of performing live.

 

[teraslasch]

hmm, don have much experience though, but i don't really have stage fright. my band conductor always tell me to MOVE MOVE MOVE.. DON SIT THERE STONED AND PLAY lol.. so when i join rock band i move lor hahaha... u must be feelin the music and movin haha.. =p... though if it doesn't come natural, don't force urself, u'll just look wierder..

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

This is a perspective from a non-musician gig organizer...

Playing in a band, stage presence is not any individual thing. You cannot be moving and swaying when all the others are keeping still. And, even if you are behind the keyboard, and not movig a lot, you could be contributing a great deal to the band's stage presence too.

I guess performers that ate natural makes me feel good, whether they are bouncing or staying still. Key things are..eye contact, verbal communication if you can, and exhibit confidence. All these come with practice, practice and practice.

 

[wyldeboon]

Key things are..eye contact, verbal communication if you can, and exhibit confidence. All these come with practice, practice and practice.

nicely said Anthony.....
let me add to 1.... if u cant get into the mood, let the mood get to u.... it will if u keep it on.......

 

[crozzfire]

move with the music..constantly keep eye contact with ur crowd...make the crowd groove with ur music...

 

[vivalapunkrawk]

i used to have a stage fright too, try to get the crowds attention and make them move to the songs u are playing.

 

[deedeeboi]

i have learned that music isnt onli about playing...

feeling the music is 1..u gotta move...practise hard on whutever you doin..ur confident enuff then move around..d/l clips from whutever b and that influences you...see how they move and learn bit by bit...

2nd thing is the crowd....they will motivate you...i was ferst nervous..i play punk rawk...when they mosh in front of me for the very ferst song..that motivated me to move along together..but u gotta keep it in tune...

thats ma point of view...

 

[pipedreams]

thanks for the input guys!

 

[azhiwen]

I bob my head to the music, do a little swaying, grin widely and stuff like that.

 

[RazrAsh]

do crazy stuff on stage... strap ur board to urself and jump around and go into a crazy solo..

 

[Ichiro]

for me i like to move on the stage, jump ard but do becareful, coz if u are the onli one doing it, u will look kind of "funny" on stage.....

for me stage presence is as impt as playing well... coz u want to bring yr music to ppl, not juz stand there and play... more ever when u get the hang of it... u will not feel any stage fright anymore....

to achive this, the band muz make use of their body language to tell the audience that u guys are enjoying and not... juz perform for the sake of performing....

then u can add some moves during songs small breaks, like jumping together or swing yr guit.... or u can learn a solo using left hand if u are a right hand... then during performance u change the way u sling the guitar..

in this case... ppl will get amused by yr performance... thus they will enjoy watching u guys play... haha

my 2cents

 

[RazrAsh]

ichiro.. the thread starter is a keyboardist.. so abit irrelevant..

 

[azhiwen]

do crazy stuff on stage... strap ur board to urself and jump around and go into a crazy solo..

Lol, try strapping a Triton and jumping around.

 

[Ichiro]

opps sorri... i was replying to dric.... sorri guys...

 

[RazrAsh]

chill la ichiro.. wah... idea sia.. a triton and jumping around.. a bit difficult.. he might end up with a slipped disc in his back after that...