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Evaluating Performance – What Makes a Good Performance?

Live performance is a central element of music and has been a key mode of sharing music throughout time. There are several components required to make a good performance, especially when as a group or ensemble. Aside from the more obvious aspects of performance required, such as ‘a certain level of technical accuracy’ (Carla, 2011) and consideration of stylistic concerns (Carla, 2011), there are many components that contribute to making a good performance. This can include: having a connection with the other performers; having a connection with the audience; movement; and confidence.

The ability to perform well as a band typically comes from having strong relationships between members. Having this allows the band to create an effective connection with the audience when they perform. As a bass player, it is essential to have a good connection with and lock in with the drummer. This is often done by syncing the bass line with the kick drum as it helps keeping time and the groove of the song. This makes a good performance as it creates a foundation for the other elements of performance to build upon as, in most genres and styles, ‘the drums are the backbone and the bass guitar is the driving force’ (Snider, 2009). Making a connection with the audience when playing is arguably the most important element of a good performance. this can be done in many ways, for instance, singing along, clapping, and holding up lights. One example of this being done particularly well is Rich Aucoin at the Osheaga Festival in Montreal where he ‘broke out a parachute and had the audience hold it up and dance underneath it’ (Cool, 2012). By involving the audience, the live performance becomes about the experience as well as the music, giving it stand out qualities from listening to an album.

Another part of making a good performance is movement as, arguably, it ‘is the key to looking confident on stage’ (Making Music, 2016). If a musician moves around on stage and appears to be enjoying themselves, the audience will be much more likely to enjoy the performance as well. One band that is known for their live performances is My Morning Jacket. In their performances, they move around the stage, interacting with both each other and the audience. This makes for a good performance as the audience sees the band confidently performing and connecting through their music. Matt Sharp, former Weezer bassist, always moved throughout their live performances, no matter the size of the stage. This movement helped add charisma to their performances and heightens the impact of their songs upon the audience. Additionally, Sharp’s continued enthusiasm despite venue size ensured that the band always connected with their audience. Tailoring performances to venues is essential as it determines whether a performance will land with an audience. An example of a band who is successful in doing this is Biffy Clyro. Their arena shows make use of big sets, lights, and movement across large stages, making even the furthest audience member from the stage feel involved. In contrast to this, their MTV Unplugged performance was stripped back instrumentally and by sitting on a low platform, close to the audience, the band made an emotional connection with their audience. This duality makes for a successful performance no matter what the show is and is an essential article for consideration when planning a performance.

As well as movement, it is also important to be passionate when playing. ‘If bands treated every show like it could be their last, the energy and passion that would come through would no doubt help make for a great performance’ (Cool, 2012). One bassist who always gives their all when performing is, former Pixies bassist, Kim Deal. Despite often providing backing vocals, meaning she must stand at the microphone for much of their performances, Deal still moves where she can and passionately provides the backing vocals. Her confidence on stage is also shown through her passion and enthusiasm. With this, it then becomes natural for the audience to have an emotional reaction to the performance. Making a good performance comes from utilising ‘the idea that music may alter a listener’s moods, the close connection between music and expression of emotions, the notion that expression is embodied in acoustic parameters of the performance’ (Juslin, 2003). By doing this, the performers ensure a deeper emotional connection with their audience which will leave the audience feeling impacted by the performance.

Overall, a good performance can be achieved by considering many aspects. Essential aspects to consider, once technical accuracy is achieved, include: having a strong relationship with the other performers, movement, passion, and connecting with the audience. With this, performers can ensure that the audience enjoys the performance and comes away from the performance feeling impacted by their experience.

Bibliography

Carla. (2011)What Makes a Good Performance?. [ONLINE] Barnsley: Open College of the Arts. Available from <https://weareoca.com/subject/music/what-makes-a-good-performance/> [Accessed 7thJanuary 2019].

Cool, D. (2012) Music Career Advice. The Four P’s of Playing Live Shows: Performance,05thApril. [ONLINE] Montreal: Bandzoogle. Available from: <https://bandzoogle.com/blog/the-four-p-s-of-playing-live-shows-performance> [Accessed 7thJanuary 2019].

Juslin, P. (2003) Psychology of Music. Five Facets of Musical Expression: A Psychologist’s Perspective on Music Performance, 31(3), pp. 273–302.

Making Music. (2016) Top 10 Tips For a Better Performance.[ONLINE] New York: Bentley Hall, Inc. Available from: <https://makingmusicmag.com/my-top-10-tips-for-a-better-performance/> [Accessed 7thJanuary 2019].

Snider, A. (2009) Drums and Bass Guitar: The Foundation of Reggae Music. [ONLINE] Burlington: University of Vermont. Available from: <https://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/Havel.htm> [Accessed 7thJanuary 2019].

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Practice Week 12 - 12/12/18

Performance Week!

Today was the performance, which I was beyond excited for. Yesterday we had a practice with Zoe and Em so that we could run through all of our songs with a singer which went smoothly and only took a few run throughs before we were happy with the covers. 

This morning we ran through ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)’ with Ethan singing and Em on saxophone. We also ran through ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and tried slowing it down slightly to make sure that we portrayed the emotion that comes from the context of the song as a war song. Following this, we made sure that we all felt prepared for the performance later and had everything that we would need.

When we arrived at Blueberry Hill, we found that we would be performing last which I felt was good as we could enjoy everyone else’s performances before performing ourselves. We started with ‘It’s Not Living’, then ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, and ended with ‘My Mind’. I felt as though the performance went well and that we all played well together and, most importantly, had a good time doing so. 

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The Wrecking Crew Documentary - Carol Kaye

“You play good for a girl, Carol” “Yeah and you play good for a guy too”

The Wrecking Crew were a group of studio musicians based in LA who recorded on thousands of recordings in the 60s and early 70s, hundreds of which were Top 40 hits. This documentary is Denny Tedesco’s tribute to his father, Tommy, who was widely unheard of until his death, and the core group of studio musicians of whom played alongside him. 

Carol Kaye, ‘the First Lady of bass’, played on an estimated 10,000 recordings throughout her career, including: ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ - Ike and Tina Turner, ‘These Boots are made for Walkin’’ - Nancy Sinatra, and ‘Be My Baby’ - The Ronettes. 

In the documentary, Kaye talks about her role as a studio musician and how they would learn how to play however they were wanted to. She would also develop parts to create what are now iconic bass lines. ‘The Beat Goes On’ (Sonny and Cher) initially had a much simpler sounding bass line but Kaye developed this as “without a good bass line the melody doesn't pop”. 

Carol also talks about hearing music as a kid as her parents were involved with music and she picked up guitar at the age of 13. She says how in that time most women played until they got married, then they gave it up to care for their family. Kaye however, had two kids and her mother to look after yet still maintained a successful career and made it home in time for dinner.

“There was one point in the mid 60s that I was making more money than the President of the United States”

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Practice Week 11 - 05/12/18

Since we didn't have Cherie again this week, we have decided to have someone else sing. Luckily, both Em and Zoe were free to provide vocal harmonies over ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’. Although we only initially planned to run through this song briefly, we ended up spending most of the rehearsal on it which is beneficial for this cover. However, on the whole we perhaps could have managed our time better as the other cover is much weaker in comparison and we hadn't yet decided on a third song. 

With ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ we have now been able to add the drums. This gave the piece more of a jazz style which suited the existing instrumental parts. The instrumental section that we worked on last week is now followed by Zoe and Em singing the song. I feel the this improves the cover as it becomes much less repetitive and allows us to add another layer to the song.

Towards the end of the session, we decide on a third song, ‘It’s Not Living if it’s Not With You” by The 1975. Even though we only had enough time to run through the song a few times, the song worked well and we should easily be able to develop it for next weeks rehearsal, possibly scheduling another rehearsal for before then as well. From the point we reached with this cover today, I feel as though keeping the song uptempo will be effective but we should experiment with new rhythms next week to really make the song our own. 

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Funk the Fawn Recording - 03/12/18

Following the recording session with the Masters students in week 5, one student, Josh, asked me to play bass on a recording of the funk track that he had written. I felt like this was a good opportunity for me to expand as a bass player as I had not really explored playing in a funk style before. I spent a few days learning the piece and coming up with ideas for the improv section at the beginning. 

When I arrived, we spent a short while listening to and playing through the song as Josh and Jonny finished setting up. As this was one of the first times I have been in a proper recording studio setting, I was excited to experience and learn from this and the other musicians in the session. 

After playing the piece together a few times it felt as though we were playing together and feeling the vibe of the song. Even though we ended up finishing recording past 12am and I was beyond tired, it was a really fun experience and I feel as though I have learnt a lot from it, notably Josh’s ‘signature slide’.

I did however feel as though I did not play as well as I know I can during this session as I am still having bad joint pain from my illness a few weeks ago. Despite this, I think that I dealt with it well and worked with Josh to simplify parts of the bass line so that they were less strenuous on my hands. 

Overall, I really enjoyed working with Josh, Jonny, Ryan, and Chris and hope to be back in a similar setting soon. 

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Practice Week 10 - 29/11/18

Despite not having Josh or Cherie again this week, which is hindering our progress as we head towards the performance, we made good progress in finding our second song. 

We have decided to play ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’. In terms of style, we played the piece in an almost baroque style, mostly driven by the  bass line and chromatic run downs. The use of the lead guitar as the melody also adds to our cover as it gives us an opportunity, as instrumentalists, to explore the song in ways that we may not have if we initially began with the vocal melody.

When coming up with the bass line, I took the chords from the song and used the root notes as a basis, adding passing notes (3rds, 5ths, 7ths, etc.) in between. The crotchet rhythm of the bass line helps to keep the emotion behind the song as, written in the context of WW2, it is lyrically about being away from loved ones at Christmas time. 

Next week, we hope to have a full band, however, if we are without a singer and drummer again we will begin working on a third song and ask Zoe to sing and Bob to play drums so that Lauren, Cam, and I can practice the songs with a full band. 

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Be My Mistake - The 1975 (cover)

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Practice Week 9 - 22/11/18

This week Josh was ill and Cherie has childcare issues which mean that she can’t always be here, which although it does hinder our progress, we worked around this as successfully as we could have done. 

Since we were missing the singer and drummer, we decided to work on the main groove from ‘My Mind’ and develop this from last week. We looped the main groove and worked on our parts so that the guitars played weaving in and out of each other as opposed to playing similar things as they did before. With the bass part, I wanted to develop the line from playing basic root notes of the chords to adding 5ths and 7ths, also following the melody briefly in the pre-chorus section. By doing this, we ensured that out parts worked well together and that we were locked in with each other which will be helpful for our next practice with the full band as this will make it easier for the drums and vocals to fit into the cover song. 

We also looked at ‘Purple Rain’ by Prince, trying to play through the main groove and working on sections to allow for us to have instrument solos. However, due to the songs developing structure, it was difficult to play without the vocals reminding us where we where in the song and the drums keeping the rhythm and timing. Because of this, we decided to leave working on this cover until we have the full band. 

Finally, we looked at ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and tried playing it as a slow jazz piece. However, due to the songs simple rock n roll design, this didn't quite work. following this, we decided to think of more Christmas songs to try next week.

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A stripped back, acoustic version of a song I wrote recently (I’m not as sad as I look I promise)

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Practice Week 8 - 15/11/18

I’m back!!!

Fortunately, this Sunday I was well enough to come back to Leeds and now I can be with the band ready to practice for the December performance. Even though my illness has left me with many side-effects, including aching joints which carrying and playing my bass probably hasn’t helped, I have been relieved to be back playing after a long 2 weeks. 

As the gig was last week, we spent this week starting to look for 3 new songs to cover for the next performance, one of which of course being a Christmas song. 

The first Christmas song suggested was ‘This Christmas’ by Chris Brown. We looked at the song, trying to find a way to develop this as a cover, however by the end of the session we had decided to keep this song in mind but look for another. This was as we felt that we could do a better cover of a more well known Christmas song and try giving it a jazz feel. 

Moving on from this, we worked on a song called ‘My Mind’ by Yebba. As the original version of this song is only vocals and a guitar accompaniment, we found many ways to develop the song. We decided to start with vocals and guitar, similarly to the original, and then bring the song uptempo as we reach the chorus, creating an ethereal introduction with development throughout, both through changing dynamics and adding and removing instruments. 

Next week, we hope to find a new Christmas song and also a third song to cover, coming up with ideas for songs and styles to perform them in during the week. 

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Practice Week 7 - 07/11/18

A Tragic Tale, continued:

This week was performance week. However, I am still not well enough to come in for uni. Luckily, Brad was able to fill in playing the bass and I could watch videos of everyone’s performances, which were all amazing. 

The good news though, is that I am getting better and am on track to be back at uni for next week. Although it is important that I don’t push myself, it will be wonderful to be back. 

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Top 5 Music Videos

5. Panic! At The Disco - New Perspective

The New Perspective music video is set in the school from a favourite film of mine, Jenifer’s Body, as the song features on the soundtrack. Throughout the video are references to the film such as t-shirts that say ‘I eat boys’ and clips from the film. 

4. The Cure - Boys Don’t Cry

This music video features Robert Smith, Lol Tolhurst, and Michael Dempsy’s silhouettes appearing as the shadows of younger versions of the members who mime performing the track. Despite the simplicity of the video, its effectiveness comes from the children and their relation to the lyrical message of the video of hiding your emotions because ‘boys don't cry’. 

3. Ariana Grande - thank u, next

Ariana Grande’s latest music video has been beyond successful, reaching 46 million view in less than 24 hours, breaking many records and reaching number 1 on youtube trending videos.

The song itself is Grande’s reflection on her past relationships and was written shortly after her breakup with her ex-fiancé. The music video parodies many 2000s cult teen movies including Mean Girls, 13 Going on 30, Legally Blonde, and Bring It On. 

2. BLACKPINK - Ddu-Du Ddu-Du

BLACKPINK’s Ddu-Du Ddu-Du m/v broke many records upon its release, being the most viewed online video in its first 24 hours of release by a Korean act and hit 100 million views in just 10 days, which had never been done by an all-female K-pop act before. The video also made it to the second most watched music video of all time, having more than 36.2 million views within 24 hours of its release. 

The video itself features the impressive dance skills of the members and astounding visuals, from outfits and makeup to backgrounds and videography. 

1. Gorillaz - Saturnz Barz

The Saturnz Barz music video explores Gorillaz fictional universe as they appear to be entering their new home, Spirit House. In the house, the band members decide to split up and look around which leads to each member encountering the haunting which takes part throughout the video. During the video each member seems scared by the haunting however only 2-D appears still effected as the band leaves the house to go get breakfast. 

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Practice Week 6 - 31/10/18

A Tragic Tale ft. me and a broken liver

On Monday evening, I was rushed to hospital with what I now know was glandular fever, which had caused my liver to stop functioning. After days of speculation about what my illness was, the doctors told me that I had glandular fever which in 1% of people (lucky me) causes the liver to stop working properly. This however, was a welcome diagnosis compared to their previous concerns of it being an auto-immune disease or tumour. 

Because of this, I was unable to attend this weeks rehearsal and likely won't be able to make the performance as the doctors recommended at least one week of recovery before I go back to uni. 

Thankfully, Brad, the bassist from another group, was able to play instead and have time to practice with the band before the performance. in these rehearsals, they worked on polishing off the songs and focused on making sure that the endings were strong and together. 

Although I won't be back next week, I hope to be feeling better and back playing soon, ready for the December performance and Christmas, even though I’ve missed celebrating my favourite holiday today, Halloween. 

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Practice Week 5 - 24/10/18

In the practice this week, we prepared for the recording sessions we were having with the Masters students later in the day. We didn’t have Cherie again so we focused on similar things to last week, making sure we would be able to create a good backing track for Cherie, or another singer, to record over at a later point. 

However, in the recording session, we had Elsie, a singer from another group, come in towards the end of our session and sing for us. Before this, we set up levels and made sure the beginning and ending of the song were tight. We recorded the instrumental parts for a backing track and played through the song, ‘Crazy’, ensuring that we were comfortable playing this in the studio environment before being joined by Elsie. One piece of advice given to me was to play with a pick for recording, like Carol Kaye, but unfortunately I am not yet able to play as well with a pick as I can with my fingers. This is an area that I plan to work on over the rest of the semester.

With Elsie’s arrival, we practiced the song through once, as Elsie had not practiced the song with us before, and then we recorded a few takes. We initially recorded the songs with Elsie however the Masters students decided to use this vocal recording as a guide track for Elsie to record over.

Overall, we received positive feedback from the session and were given tips about how to improve our playing for recordings - such as building into new sections and using dynamics to indicate where the piece is going. 

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Practice Week 4 - 17/10/18

Since we didn't have Cherie this week, we focused on the instrumental elements of the covers. We worked to make sure that we could not only play the songs but play them together, as an ensemble, locking in the kick drum and bass. This will make incorporating Cherie’s vocals next week easier and allow us to support her vocals and use an element of improvisation to better suit the covers to her voice. 

We also worked on our communication with each other as a band when playing, so that we can easily adapt whilst performing whilst staying together. This is key for the start of ‘Crazy’ where we start slow and instrumental before building together into a more upbeat style for the main part of the song. 

We received positive feedback throughout the rehearsal in regards to our sound and ability to play well together which was encouraging as this is what we had been working towards and focusing on.

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Video from our Practice Week 3 performance

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Practice Week 3 - 10/10/18

This week, Josh was ill so we didn’t have a drummer for the most part of the practice (with Bob playing drums for our end performance) and so we focused on finding a third and final song to cover for Blueberry Hill. Despite looking at ‘What is Hip?’ last week, we played ‘Halo’ by Beyonce with a more upbeat style which we will develop further next week when Josh is back. 

When working on ‘Crazy’, we decided to try beginning the cover in a stripped back style then building up and repeating the first verse, with the second time being in the style of the rest of the performance. This required a lot of communication between the instruments so that we all built up together which we will be able to improve next week when we have a drummer to lock in with. 

At the end of the session we performed ‘Halo’, with Bob playing the drums. We recorded the performance which is good as we can look back and see any potential areas for development.