I knew a bass player who said this happened to her--never saw it, but I believe it. At late night bluegrass jam sessions, when the other musicians refused to let her leave (because she was the bass player), she could fall asleep while continuing to keep the beat. Divine gift, I guess.
I guess brushing your teeth and bowing a fiddle uses some similar motion . . . think about that for a new practice technique. Tommy Peoples may have some insight on this
Sometimes I go into a weird state of sleep where I know I am asleep but I am thinking at the same time kind of like lucid dreaming so I might have fallen asaleep and played while asleep before.
As a bass player in a wedding/society band, I'd often fall asleep around the third hour of a late gig, especially after a long day of teaching. Just a quick zone-out...didn't miss a beat (or so they tell me)...
I heard a story about a concertina player at a folk festival who purportedly fell asleep in the middle of playing a set of tunes - some 2 or more hours later, he awoke with a start and finished playing the tune he'd fallen asleep in the middle of playing.
Now, whether true or not - or exagerated beyond all recognition from what actually happened due to large quantities of drink being consumed - I don't care - its still a good story!
I've done it! Only in really late sessions, like in East Durham. It's kinda cool. I think I lose some of the rolls I usually play when I'm asleep, and my tone is probably not as hard and focused, though I'm not sure. Otherwise I keep playing as usual.
This past summer there I perfected the technique of sleeping during tunes I didn't know. I figured that was more efficient, and wouldn't hurt my playing on the tunes I did know. The sound of a familiar tune would wake me up with a start, and I'd grab my flute and play it until another unfamiliar tune came along. Then back to sleep.
This happens to me all the time, practically every night. I practice until I fall asleep. I usually wake up when I make a mistake. Hasn't happened at a session yet, they're too exciting.
Hey, I could never fall asleep when I'm playing, cause I'm always totally astounded by just how brilliant a player I am!
I mean to say, who could fail to be knocked out by my wonderful ground breaking playing technique & superb choice of tunes - keeps me awake every time!
You should try becoming better players & then you 'would' keep yourselves awake!
Hey CELTIC, OK, so you must have heard me play? Right, but don't let on to the others, they still think I'm a great player! Sssshhh! Mum's the word! Ta
We played a whole spate of long and late gigs in a ten-day period, ending with a gig in one of our favorite pubs, one where the crowd keeps us playing real late. The Lovely and Talented Min Gates, who really needs her sleep and a lot of it, was running down in the after-two-a.m. set, and was clearly dozing behind the bodhran.
At the end of the set, some pals who are university music students were laughing about the bohranist clearly playing thru a firey reel set while dozing (she doesn't even nod), and asked TJ if Min ever lost the tempo when she dozed onstage.
TJ, without the least pause, says, 'Never, she's steady as ever no matter what. But I can tell when she's -really- tired because her pitch falls off just a tad.' Of course, some of our student pals laughed at the notion of the bodhran having pitch at all, but it's true, Min does play 'notes' with the pressure of her left hand in the drum. Unless and until she's sleeping...
I fall right over when I doze, so I have to get up and go away when I'm that tired...
In my first band, we were playing the third gig in two days: - Friday nght barn dance, Saturday afternoon in the hot sun at a street festival, and now a Saturday night barn dance. The lead musician fell asleep still playing her accordion about half-way through the Saturday night dance. We recognised it because she normally played with a lot of expression, both in the bass-side stacatto chords and, particularly, the use of the bellows technique to emphasise; when she fell asleep she lost all the accents out of her playing. The mandolin-player, who was standing next to her with his amplifier behind the pair of them, woke her up by changing key !
I kind of doze off sometimes while practicing on the concertina. That may just be my subconscious telling me something though. I may be insulting myself.
I fell asleep onstage (well, on farm cart actually) playing piano during a rather boring barn dance. If it hadn't happened to me I wouldn't have believed it. At the time I was badly hungover forn the night before but also had a heavy cold and was all drugged up with cold cures. The worrying thing was that nobody noticed - the others in the band said there had been no change in my playing. This either indicates that I play as if I'm asleep or that I can go on automatic pilot - I like to think it's the latter. I woke up because my head fell forward and I bumped it on the mic. Tell this to young people today - they won't believe you......
Is it actually possible ?
Is it actually possible ?
I've heard of musicians falling asleep while they continue to play. Any merit to this? If so, is it a learned talent or devine gift?
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by richeyjohn
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I knew a bass player who said this happened to her--never saw it, but I believe it. At late night bluegrass jam sessions, when the other musicians refused to let her leave (because she was the bass player), she could fall asleep while continuing to keep the beat. Divine gift, I guess.
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by tedium
Re: Is it actually possible ?
IT would probably be easiest for blues. .. because the bass player plays the same d@mn thing every single tune. .. .
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by wormdiet
Re: Is it actually possible ?
My wife swears that I once fell asleep while brushing my teeth and continued to brush for about ten minutes.
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Bob himself
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I guess brushing your teeth and bowing a fiddle uses some similar motion . . . think about that for a new practice technique. Tommy Peoples may have some insight on this
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by richeyjohn
Re: Is it actually possible ?
Sometimes I go into a weird state of sleep where I know I am asleep but I am thinking at the same time kind of like lucid dreaming so I might have fallen asaleep and played while asleep before.
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Why Bother?
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I have to wake up and ask what key I am playing in
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by geoffwright
Re: Is it actually possible ?
http://www.bodhran-info.de/Proitze/image41.jpg
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Stewart
Re: Is it actually possible ?
Sure it's possible, just like driving your car while asleep.... but then again Gurdjieff said we're all asleep.... woooo, heavy..
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Cammy
Re: Is it actually possible ?
So thats why fiddlers allways have immaculate teeth!
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Backer
Re: Is it actually possible ?
As a bass player in a wedding/society band, I'd often fall asleep around the third hour of a late gig, especially after a long day of teaching. Just a quick zone-out...didn't miss a beat (or so they tell me)...
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Greg the Piano Tuner
Re: Is it actually possible ?
All of life is but a dream ....
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Ottery
Re: Is it actually possible ?
...Sheboom, sheeboom!
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Innocent Bystander
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I heard a story about a concertina player at a folk festival who purportedly fell asleep in the middle of playing a set of tunes - some 2 or more hours later, he awoke with a start and finished playing the tune he'd fallen asleep in the middle of playing.
Now, whether true or not - or exagerated beyond all recognition from what actually happened due to large quantities of drink being consumed - I don't care - its still a good story!
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by On Sabbatical
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I've done it! Only in really late sessions, like in East Durham. It's kinda cool. I think I lose some of the rolls I usually play when I'm asleep, and my tone is probably not as hard and focused, though I'm not sure. Otherwise I keep playing as usual.
This past summer there I perfected the technique of sleeping during tunes I didn't know. I figured that was more efficient, and wouldn't hurt my playing on the tunes I did know. The sound of a familiar tune would wake me up with a start, and I'd grab my flute and play it until another unfamiliar tune came along. Then back to sleep.
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by seisflutes
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I've fallen asleep while running scales on the piano. That was typically the signal to get up and go home and go to bed.
# Posted on September 12th 2005 by musicfan
Re: Is it actually possible ?
This happens to me all the time, practically every night. I practice until I fall asleep. I usually wake up when I make a mistake. Hasn't happened at a session yet, they're too exciting.
# Posted on September 12th 2005 by Shrog
Re: Is it actually possible ?
Hey, I could never fall asleep when I'm playing, cause I'm always totally astounded by just how brilliant a player I am!
I mean to say, who could fail to be knocked out by my wonderful ground breaking playing technique & superb choice of tunes - keeps me awake every time!
You should try becoming better players & then you 'would' keep yourselves awake!
# Posted on September 12th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Is it actually possible ?
haha..ptarmigan....very funny
# Posted on September 12th 2005 by CELTICCHEF83
Re: Is it actually possible ?
at a session i could never ever fall asleep....too much fun!!
# Posted on September 12th 2005 by CELTICCHEF83
Re: Is it actually possible ?
Hey CELTIC, OK, so you must have heard me play? Right, but don't let on to the others, they still think I'm a great player! Sssshhh! Mum's the word! Ta
# Posted on September 13th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Is it actually possible ?
We played a whole spate of long and late gigs in a ten-day period, ending with a gig in one of our favorite pubs, one where the crowd keeps us playing real late. The Lovely and Talented Min Gates, who really needs her sleep and a lot of it, was running down in the after-two-a.m. set, and was clearly dozing behind the bodhran.
At the end of the set, some pals who are university music students were laughing about the bohranist clearly playing thru a firey reel set while dozing (she doesn't even nod), and asked TJ if Min ever lost the tempo when she dozed onstage.
TJ, without the least pause, says, 'Never, she's steady as ever no matter what. But I can tell when she's -really- tired because her pitch falls off just a tad.' Of course, some of our student pals laughed at the notion of the bodhran having pitch at all, but it's true, Min does play 'notes' with the pressure of her left hand in the drum. Unless and until she's sleeping...
I fall right over when I doze, so I have to get up and go away when I'm that tired...
stv
http://wwww.cdbaby.com/Culchies
# Posted on September 13th 2005 by stv culchie
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I'm not very good at my whistle.
I normally get fed up and go to sleep.
Don't go to many sessions because it disheartens me because I know I'm not as good as the rest of them.
# Posted on September 13th 2005 by MissWalshy
Re: Is it actually possible ?
Oh God,
I sound so sorry for myself.
Ignore me.
# Posted on September 13th 2005 by MissWalshy
Re: Is it actually possible ?
In my first band, we were playing the third gig in two days: - Friday nght barn dance, Saturday afternoon in the hot sun at a street festival, and now a Saturday night barn dance. The lead musician fell asleep still playing her accordion about half-way through the Saturday night dance. We recognised it because she normally played with a lot of expression, both in the bass-side stacatto chords and, particularly, the use of the bellows technique to emphasise; when she fell asleep she lost all the accents out of her playing. The mandolin-player, who was standing next to her with his amplifier behind the pair of them, woke her up by changing key !
# Posted on September 13th 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I kind of doze off sometimes while practicing on the concertina. That may just be my subconscious telling me something though. I may be insulting myself.
# Posted on September 15th 2005 by keyedup
Re: Is it actually possible ?
I fell asleep onstage (well, on farm cart actually) playing piano during a rather boring barn dance. If it hadn't happened to me I wouldn't have believed it. At the time I was badly hungover forn the night before but also had a heavy cold and was all drugged up with cold cures. The worrying thing was that nobody noticed - the others in the band said there had been no change in my playing. This either indicates that I play as if I'm asleep or that I can go on automatic pilot - I like to think it's the latter. I woke up because my head fell forward and I bumped it on the mic. Tell this to young people today - they won't believe you......
# Posted on September 20th 2005 by flying tigerpig