So I have this inability to play well in front of people. I guess you could call it stage fright, but it's not really an apprehensive feeling or at all psychological...I just play really badly. I play (fiddle) with a group of singers, and if asked to do an instrumental set (as I am fairly often) I (obviously) decide on a couple of tunes that I know well and can play well...and proceed to stumble through them. Again it's not like "Ahhhh people watching me this is terrible nooo" it's all in the fingers...does anyone else have this problem? Or even better has anyone else overcome it? The same thing happens to me if I lead a tune at sessions that most other people don't know...I'm not afraid of having people hear me play, I just happen to play worse then.
Sorry that was so redundant, I'm a little tired haha.
Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. I've never got "stage fright" so to speak but when I'm asked to play a solo for someone, I play worse than I would in a group atmosphere. I believe that if I'm concentrating too much on the tune (which I would be playing solo) then I tend to mess up more. Whereas in a session my mind goes off on it's infinite ramblings and I tend to play much better. Also, if I was performing in front of someone, I play ok (well, by my standards which isn't great) if I'm playing with someone as opposed to fully solo. It keeps me on track whether I'm leading or not.
I absolutely understand! I shake uncontrollably when I have to play for people! I tell / let my fingers to do their thing - if I concentrate too much, I'll blow it.
I am much better as a "kitchen musician"!!!! I am very comfortable in my own home, with my friends, but the minute I think that "someone" may be listening to me.......
And yet I can (have) dance on stage for 5,000 people and it never phases me.
I suspect it's a confidence thing. Not much help, I'm afraid - sorry! But you're not alone.
Sometimes that happens me. I've played a few times on stage and sometimes i've been terrified and just wanted to get it out of the way and therefore my fingers tremble on the notes and this sub-standard impression of something like a tune comes out (it's happened in the past with musicians i was not confident playing with).
I'm not sure if this is a way to solve it (i don't want to jinx myself in future) but i find if i warm up a bit beforehand (not on stage, but at home or whatever), generally just messing about with a tune im learning, working out a phrase or whatever, it can get rid of that nervous tension sometimes.
Then, when on stage, i'l do the sound check with the first tune i'l be playing (usually cooley's), THEN hang around for a bit (not playing) and let myself get into the mood, have a drink or two and eventually feel eager to get back up and pick up the banjo. (As i said, this pattern usually works but i don't want to jinx myself).
Let us know if this is of any help.
I hate this feeling. I have just started playing publicly, on the flute. My fingers are actually ok - it's the lips that start fluttering uncontrollable so the sound comes out super weak and unsteady.
I have struggled with this too, despite playing for years, sometimes (OK, rarely) in front of hundreds of people.
The short answer is "Practice, practice, practice" of course.
Here's a longer one: You have some sure-fire tunes, or phrases at least, that you almost always get right, don't you? So you know it's possible to play something correctly, even in front of an audience. Therefore, all you have to do is get all your phrases that comfortable, so you just go from one comfortable thing to the next. How? See the short answer.
Or maybe self-hypnosis is the secret to it, I dunno. Like I said, I'm still working on it.
One possible explanation is that we tend to listen to ourselves differently when we think no one else is listening. So the same "quality" of playing sounds different (often worse) to us when we're sure other people *are* listening.
But my guess (based on personal experience) is that we tend to tense up, even just slightly, when we try to play perfectly rather than expressively. And even just a hint of tension translates into awkward-sounding music. Worrying about making mistakes is like riding a bicycle next to a cliff--the more we focus on what we fear, the more likely we are to steer right into it.
So my mantra is to aim to make my playing effortless and to sound effortless and let the music speak for itself. Put the tune front and center, not your ego or self-consciousness. Easier said than done, but like everything, with practice it gets easier.
are you playing entirely alone? solo? if so, get somebody to play bohdran just to tap out the beat with you. that way you won't feel alone and it may help with the nerves. when i play solo my "partner" is my foot laying down a steady, manageable pulse. i just follow the lead of my foot. that helps alot for me.
Good point, whoosis, and a nice tie-in with a nearby thread. Thinking while playing can become a vicious circle ("Oops, damn, I missed that. And now I missed another one! Sh*t! Now the whole thing is a mangled mess.")
I just try to concentrate on each note in turn, and never look back. But as you say, easier said than done.
Well everybody gets stage fright, at first, some people get over it, and some don't. I find that getting a few tunes, jokes, routines; whatever you do, down really well that you can play them automatically and then playing in front of
a live audience as often as possible will help you.
Sometimes a little adrenaline can help you perform even better than you might think.
There is a group of prescription drugs called Beta-Blockers that are effective in controlling hand tremors. Many professional musicians use these. I suffered for years from stage fright, the shakes etc. My doctor prescribed a Beta-Blocker to control high blood pressure and I noticed an immediate difference in my ability to play in front of people.
Hmm. I've used beta blockers for about 10 years and I'd say avoid them if you can. It's hard to get the dose right, and trust me, trying to play when you are spaced out of your brain and still utterly terrified ain't fun. The main thing that helps is to do as much performing as possible. Get your friends to listen to you; preferably friends who's opinion you value. The more performance practice you have, the more you learn to control the fear.
The main reason everything feels worse when you perform is also that adrenaline magnifies the critical faculties. You probably sound fine, but to you, every note feels laboured, out of tune, out of control. The only way through this is to totally commit to the music and ignore that little negative voice.
Physically, if you tend to get shaky it's often because the extra adrenaline uses up a lot of your blood sugar. Also the breathing gets tense so your oxygen supplies are cut. My favourite stage fright combo is 5 minutes of breathing excercises and a couple of jam doughnuts.
"Mileage in public" is the main thing, I reckon. Busking, playing for dance practices, playing to friends, it's just minutes and hours accumulated in solo performance situation that makes all the difference.
Good advice above about practice and attitude, etc.
Some of us have an inherited shakiness - "Essential Tremor" - that kicks into high gear with a little added stress. Even if I'm not particularly scared, my hands often shake. The beta blockers usually help a lot with this condition. I take 5 - 10 mg of Inderal (generic - propranolol) if I'm worried about performing. I've noticed only slight side effects and that's several hours later, but everybody's different. Try everything else before drugs.
Alcohol also helps with the tremor, but I would not recommend it. My dad took that route and spent most of his life battling alcoholism. I like my brews, but alcohol can be dangerous when it becomes something you depend on.
Just be confident in yourself. That comes with lots of practice. If you're thinking, "I can't play this!" you probably won't be able to. If you say, "I know this tune, I can play it," you will most likely do fine. And most of the time, the audience wants you to do good. The most important thing is to have fun and relax.
"The most important thing is to have fun and relax."
I completely agree with fiddlertracy. I think that these troubles most often happen because the performer's comfort level is not where it needs to be. You need to find a way to be more comfortable and get "in the zone". Eliminate (from your mind) the things that are making you uncomfortable.
Lots of practice leads to increased confidence - increased confidence leads to higher comfort level while performing - and that is where we need to get to (myself too - I'm definitely not there yet) in order to eliminate tension-related faults in our performances.
"Practice" is fine, but only playing in public makes a difference to playing in public. You could practice at home and become the best, most confident, player in the world, then have it all fall apart in front of an audience.
A nice hint from a book called "The Practice Revolution" is an exercise to help nail pieces under pressure. This isn't directly adressing the performance issue, but he makes the point that most of us aren't as reliable in a piece as we think. Having played it through successfully a few times at home is different from being able to nail it every time reliably. This most often shows up when a student performs a piece for his/her teacher, makes a mess of it and then moans "but I could play it ok during practice".
His suggested cure is to play a game with a marker and six squares. Start with the marker on square one and play the piece. If it is perfect, move the marker up one square. If you make ANY mistake, go back to the start. The exercise is finished when you have managed to play through sx times perfectly. I can report from experience that you get a serious feeling of pressure when on square five. You can also do the exercise with excerpts as well as with whole pieces.
And when you know you can play a piece through six times in a row perfectly then you can have a lot of confidence when you go on stage that you really can do it.
Someone once told me that the difference between an amateur and a professional is that the amateur practices until he gets it right, but the professional practices until he can't get it wrong.
I was very much afraid to be in front of people when I was younger, to the point of refusing to go to the front of the room in high school speech class. The fear exhibited itself in a shakey sound when I played musical solos in public. But my job took me in the direction where I had to speak to groups and provide instruction, and then I became a lay speaker in church, and then I joined a musical group. I just kept throwing myself into the fray, and found it easier and easier to do so. And don't worry about mistakes. The most important thing to learn is how to play past a mistake--everyone makes them once in a while!
"I guess you could call
it stage fright, but it's not really an apprehensive feeling or at all
psychological...I just play really badly. - possumawesome "
Nobody has yet mentioned that there are physical differences between a practice room and a performance venue.
The first difference that comes to mind is noise floor. When the noise floor is louder people tend to play louder to compensate. In order to play louder you start changing what you are doing slightly, different muscles in use, etc. than when you're in the quiet practice room.
One way to get around this is to practice loud and/or turn on a radio or tv to add to the noise floor in the practice room and then play over that.
I think it is a matter of distraction level. When you are playing out, things go on that just don't happen in a practice room. I'm sure sessioneers here have already given and can give more great examples.
You could try practicing while a mate is distracting you in various ways, sound, visuals, etc.. Try to think of what are the distractions you face in a gig or session and practice over them.
Aim for being so rock solid that nothing throws you off. The best way I've found is to just have your focus on the music itself and don't interfere, as if someone else was playing it and you are just listening.
Gosh, I know what you mean- but the more you just get into the tune and really start jamming..the less it's likely to happen. at least for me. i play a lot of competitons...i guess just the more you do it, the easier it gets..... now, I still get nerveus, but i can control it. the worst that happens to me now is that my legs get a little weak.
I'm not a great sufferer from stage fright, I enjoy performing too much - must be a bit of an exhibitionist, I guess. I've always thought I must be fortunate to be nerve free.
Anyway back in June, the last time I played in front of a large audience, I decided at the very last minute to swap my old familiar Incredibow for a wooden bow that was also in the fiddle case. I'm not sure why I decided to do that now. With hindsight it was a crazy decision to make at the last minute.
I was also band spokesperson and gave the spiel to introduce our performance, intro'd the first set and away we went.
It was then that I noticed that I hadn't tightened the bow anywhere near enough, if at all! I didn't feel I could stop playing so limped through to the end of some hornpipes using my thumb as tensioner!
Then I was up to play a duet and spent a few seconds standing at the mic talking drivel and subtly twiddling the tension screw on said bow.
We then launched into the duet set, with me discovering the bow was now so tight the thing was bouncing so much I could hardly keep it on the strings!
Again I didn't think I could stop playing without spoiling things so once again had to limp through to the end as best I could.
The rest of the concert went fine, I'm happy to say.
I mentioned my bouncing bow to a friend who had been in the audience afterwards and they said, "Oh. We just thought you were really nervous and it was your hand shaking as you bowed!"
A bit of stage fright seems infinitely more preferable to on stage idiocy, imho!
Haha yes it does! Thanks so much for all your ideas everyone! These all sound really helpful...next time a brilliant audience member alls for an impromptu fiddle solo, I'll at least get the bodhran with me (he left right before this set at the gig that inspired me to write this...and is new to the instrument)....Everything you all have said should be really helpful...I hadn't considered the physical differences yet! Thanks!
Wow, you got some great advice, but I can't keep from adding to the pile. Keep remembering that you play because you love it, and that someone asked you to play because they love to listen. The more I'm enjoying the music and focusing on the tune (not the audience), the less nervous I get.
I also agree with having some type of accompaniment...even clapping. It helps you play better, and if you do go down in flames you'll take someone with you for company!
I get pretty nervous, but I've learned to deal with it, and even when I know I could have played better, the rush from the performance was worth the angst.
You can probably see why a lot of our greatest players lost their skill to drink problems as the Irish players from years ago were not flamboyant or flash men in fact a lot of them are humble shy and retiring types and therefore not natural "performers" as such. So they mask it up by having a few this turns into a bad habit
Speaking of drinking during a concert, I saw Lunasa twice fairly recently- the first time, they were all drinking a good deal during the concert,(all exept for Kevin)and you know; they were still good but they were a little sloppy. then i saw them again a few months later at a venue that didn't permit drinking, (so all they had was water on stage) and you know, they were so great!!!! They were tight and sounded just so much better then the concert where they'd each had several beers.
I suffer quite badly from performance anxiety, but I think I am starting to control it.
I played in the Easter liturgy at school this year. I had to play a piece which I was given the afternoon before the liturgy so I really didn't know the tune. It was dark so I couldn't read the music. The music teacher decided it would be a good idea if I played without piano the first time through. I couldn't see the teacher conducting. Missed my cue. I started shaking awfully (especially in my bow hand so it couldn't pass for vibrato).
Mistake after mistake after mistake. After the liturgy I burst into tears and couldn't bring myself to play for a week or two afterwards. Whenever I got my fiddle out I felt physically sick.
Since then I've asked a lot of performers how they controlled thier nerves and I am gradually regaining my confidence. I put my name down to play at the school music festival. I worked on two tunes which I know really well and love playing (and didn't have to read). I got my dad to accompany me on the piano and it all went well. You CAN do it.
My tips are try eating a banana before you play. Apparently these contain beta blockers which help control tremors. If you are playing standing up try bending your knees a little. I find this helps me relax my upper body. Breath. The nerves I feel before a performance often mask the fact that I am getting really dizzy from not breathing enough.Most importantly, keep playing in public in circumstances you feel you can control.
Stage fright kind of type thing
Stage fright kind of type thing
So I have this inability to play well in front of people. I guess you could call it stage fright, but it's not really an apprehensive feeling or at all psychological...I just play really badly. I play (fiddle) with a group of singers, and if asked to do an instrumental set (as I am fairly often) I (obviously) decide on a couple of tunes that I know well and can play well...and proceed to stumble through them. Again it's not like "Ahhhh people watching me this is terrible nooo" it's all in the fingers...does anyone else have this problem? Or even better has anyone else overcome it? The same thing happens to me if I lead a tune at sessions that most other people don't know...I'm not afraid of having people hear me play, I just happen to play worse then.
Sorry that was so redundant, I'm a little tired haha.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by possumawesome
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. I've never got "stage fright" so to speak but when I'm asked to play a solo for someone, I play worse than I would in a group atmosphere. I believe that if I'm concentrating too much on the tune (which I would be playing solo) then I tend to mess up more. Whereas in a session my mind goes off on it's infinite ramblings and I tend to play much better. Also, if I was performing in front of someone, I play ok (well, by my standards which isn't great) if I'm playing with someone as opposed to fully solo. It keeps me on track whether I'm leading or not.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by PaddyCmusic
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
I absolutely understand! I shake uncontrollably when I have to play for people! I tell / let my fingers to do their thing - if I concentrate too much, I'll blow it.
I am much better as a "kitchen musician"!!!! I am very comfortable in my own home, with my friends, but the minute I think that "someone" may be listening to me.......
And yet I can (have) dance on stage for 5,000 people and it never phases me.
I suspect it's a confidence thing. Not much help, I'm afraid - sorry! But you're not alone.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by Ceolagusrince
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Sometimes that happens me. I've played a few times on stage and sometimes i've been terrified and just wanted to get it out of the way and therefore my fingers tremble on the notes and this sub-standard impression of something like a tune comes out (it's happened in the past with musicians i was not confident playing with).
I'm not sure if this is a way to solve it (i don't want to jinx myself in future) but i find if i warm up a bit beforehand (not on stage, but at home or whatever), generally just messing about with a tune im learning, working out a phrase or whatever, it can get rid of that nervous tension sometimes.
Then, when on stage, i'l do the sound check with the first tune i'l be playing (usually cooley's), THEN hang around for a bit (not playing) and let myself get into the mood, have a drink or two and eventually feel eager to get back up and pick up the banjo. (As i said, this pattern usually works but i don't want to jinx myself).
Let us know if this is of any help.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by copo24
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
I hate this feeling. I have just started playing publicly, on the flute. My fingers are actually ok - it's the lips that start fluttering uncontrollable so the sound comes out super weak and unsteady.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by wormdiet
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
I have struggled with this too, despite playing for years, sometimes (OK, rarely) in front of hundreds of people.
The short answer is "Practice, practice, practice" of course.
Here's a longer one: You have some sure-fire tunes, or phrases at least, that you almost always get right, don't you? So you know it's possible to play something correctly, even in front of an audience. Therefore, all you have to do is get all your phrases that comfortable, so you just go from one comfortable thing to the next. How? See the short answer.
Or maybe self-hypnosis is the secret to it, I dunno. Like I said, I'm still working on it.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by mickray
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
One possible explanation is that we tend to listen to ourselves differently when we think no one else is listening. So the same "quality" of playing sounds different (often worse) to us when we're sure other people *are* listening.
But my guess (based on personal experience) is that we tend to tense up, even just slightly, when we try to play perfectly rather than expressively. And even just a hint of tension translates into awkward-sounding music. Worrying about making mistakes is like riding a bicycle next to a cliff--the more we focus on what we fear, the more likely we are to steer right into it.
So my mantra is to aim to make my playing effortless and to sound effortless and let the music speak for itself. Put the tune front and center, not your ego or self-consciousness. Easier said than done, but like everything, with practice it gets easier.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
are you playing entirely alone? solo? if so, get somebody to play bohdran just to tap out the beat with you. that way you won't feel alone and it may help with the nerves. when i play solo my "partner" is my foot laying down a steady, manageable pulse. i just follow the lead of my foot. that helps alot for me.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by Brendan
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Good point, whoosis, and a nice tie-in with a nearby thread. Thinking while playing can become a vicious circle ("Oops, damn, I missed that. And now I missed another one! Sh*t! Now the whole thing is a mangled mess.")
I just try to concentrate on each note in turn, and never look back. But as you say, easier said than done.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by mickray
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Well everybody gets stage fright, at first, some people get over it, and some don't. I find that getting a few tunes, jokes, routines; whatever you do, down really well that you can play them automatically and then playing in front of
a live audience as often as possible will help you.
Sometimes a little adrenaline can help you perform even better than you might think.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by b0dhran
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
There is a group of prescription drugs called Beta-Blockers that are effective in controlling hand tremors. Many professional musicians use these. I suffered for years from stage fright, the shakes etc. My doctor prescribed a Beta-Blocker to control high blood pressure and I noticed an immediate difference in my ability to play in front of people.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by christoronto
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Hmm. I've used beta blockers for about 10 years and I'd say avoid them if you can. It's hard to get the dose right, and trust me, trying to play when you are spaced out of your brain and still utterly terrified ain't fun. The main thing that helps is to do as much performing as possible. Get your friends to listen to you; preferably friends who's opinion you value. The more performance practice you have, the more you learn to control the fear.
The main reason everything feels worse when you perform is also that adrenaline magnifies the critical faculties. You probably sound fine, but to you, every note feels laboured, out of tune, out of control. The only way through this is to totally commit to the music and ignore that little negative voice.
Physically, if you tend to get shaky it's often because the extra adrenaline uses up a lot of your blood sugar. Also the breathing gets tense so your oxygen supplies are cut. My favourite stage fright combo is 5 minutes of breathing excercises and a couple of jam doughnuts.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by oh fiddle it
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
"Mileage in public" is the main thing, I reckon. Busking, playing for dance practices, playing to friends, it's just minutes and hours accumulated in solo performance situation that makes all the difference.
# Posted on September 4th 2006 by TomB-R
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Confidence and experience - two things that can't be got in five minutes, but as they accumulate you'll see the difference.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Good advice above about practice and attitude, etc.
Some of us have an inherited shakiness - "Essential Tremor" - that kicks into high gear with a little added stress. Even if I'm not particularly scared, my hands often shake. The beta blockers usually help a lot with this condition. I take 5 - 10 mg of Inderal (generic - propranolol) if I'm worried about performing. I've noticed only slight side effects and that's several hours later, but everybody's different. Try everything else before drugs.
Alcohol also helps with the tremor, but I would not recommend it. My dad took that route and spent most of his life battling alcoholism. I like my brews, but alcohol can be dangerous when it becomes something you depend on.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Just be confident in yourself. That comes with lots of practice. If you're thinking, "I can't play this!" you probably won't be able to. If you say, "I know this tune, I can play it," you will most likely do fine. And most of the time, the audience wants you to do good. The most important thing is to have fun and relax.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by fiddlertracy
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
"The most important thing is to have fun and relax."
I completely agree with fiddlertracy. I think that these troubles most often happen because the performer's comfort level is not where it needs to be. You need to find a way to be more comfortable and get "in the zone". Eliminate (from your mind) the things that are making you uncomfortable.
Lots of practice leads to increased confidence - increased confidence leads to higher comfort level while performing - and that is where we need to get to (myself too - I'm definitely not there yet) in order to eliminate tension-related faults in our performances.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by snapper
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
"Practice" is fine, but only playing in public makes a difference to playing in public. You could practice at home and become the best, most confident, player in the world, then have it all fall apart in front of an audience.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by TomB-R
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
A nice hint from a book called "The Practice Revolution" is an exercise to help nail pieces under pressure. This isn't directly adressing the performance issue, but he makes the point that most of us aren't as reliable in a piece as we think. Having played it through successfully a few times at home is different from being able to nail it every time reliably. This most often shows up when a student performs a piece for his/her teacher, makes a mess of it and then moans "but I could play it ok during practice".
His suggested cure is to play a game with a marker and six squares. Start with the marker on square one and play the piece. If it is perfect, move the marker up one square. If you make ANY mistake, go back to the start. The exercise is finished when you have managed to play through sx times perfectly. I can report from experience that you get a serious feeling of pressure when on square five. You can also do the exercise with excerpts as well as with whole pieces.
And when you know you can play a piece through six times in a row perfectly then you can have a lot of confidence when you go on stage that you really can do it.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by Crackpot
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Am sure there is an earlier thread where the "Inner Game of Music" is recommended for dealing with stage fright.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by TheCurvyFiddle
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Someone once told me that the difference between an amateur and a professional is that the amateur practices until he gets it right, but the professional practices until he can't get it wrong.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by lazyhound
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
or learns to wing it...
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by oh fiddle it
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
I was very much afraid to be in front of people when I was younger, to the point of refusing to go to the front of the room in high school speech class. The fear exhibited itself in a shakey sound when I played musical solos in public. But my job took me in the direction where I had to speak to groups and provide instruction, and then I became a lay speaker in church, and then I joined a musical group. I just kept throwing myself into the fray, and found it easier and easier to do so. And don't worry about mistakes. The most important thing to learn is how to play past a mistake--everyone makes them once in a while!
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
What helped me was to understand that they were here to enjoy the music, not to catch my mistakes.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by cathrynb
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
"I guess you could call
it stage fright, but it's not really an apprehensive feeling or at all
psychological...I just play really badly. - possumawesome "
Nobody has yet mentioned that there are physical differences between a practice room and a performance venue.
The first difference that comes to mind is noise floor. When the noise floor is louder people tend to play louder to compensate. In order to play louder you start changing what you are doing slightly, different muscles in use, etc. than when you're in the quiet practice room.
One way to get around this is to practice loud and/or turn on a radio or tv to add to the noise floor in the practice room and then play over that.
I think it is a matter of distraction level. When you are playing out, things go on that just don't happen in a practice room. I'm sure sessioneers here have already given and can give more great examples.
You could try practicing while a mate is distracting you in various ways, sound, visuals, etc.. Try to think of what are the distractions you face in a gig or session and practice over them.
Aim for being so rock solid that nothing throws you off. The best way I've found is to just have your focus on the music itself and don't interfere, as if someone else was playing it and you are just listening.
Hope some of that helps!
Lesl
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by LH
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Gosh, I know what you mean- but the more you just get into the tune and really start jamming..the less it's likely to happen. at least for me. i play a lot of competitons...i guess just the more you do it, the easier it gets..... now, I still get nerveus, but i can control it. the worst that happens to me now is that my legs get a little weak.
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by BE
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
I'm not a great sufferer from stage fright, I enjoy performing too much - must be a bit of an exhibitionist, I guess. I've always thought I must be fortunate to be nerve free.
Anyway back in June, the last time I played in front of a large audience, I decided at the very last minute to swap my old familiar Incredibow for a wooden bow that was also in the fiddle case. I'm not sure why I decided to do that now. With hindsight it was a crazy decision to make at the last minute.
I was also band spokesperson and gave the spiel to introduce our performance, intro'd the first set and away we went.
It was then that I noticed that I hadn't tightened the bow anywhere near enough, if at all! I didn't feel I could stop playing so limped through to the end of some hornpipes using my thumb as tensioner!
Then I was up to play a duet and spent a few seconds standing at the mic talking drivel and subtly twiddling the tension screw on said bow.
We then launched into the duet set, with me discovering the bow was now so tight the thing was bouncing so much I could hardly keep it on the strings!
Again I didn't think I could stop playing without spoiling things so once again had to limp through to the end as best I could.
The rest of the concert went fine, I'm happy to say.
I mentioned my bouncing bow to a friend who had been in the audience afterwards and they said, "Oh. We just thought you were really nervous and it was your hand shaking as you bowed!"
A bit of stage fright seems infinitely more preferable to on stage idiocy, imho!
# Posted on September 5th 2006 by Jay-eye
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Haha yes it does! Thanks so much for all your ideas everyone! These all sound really helpful...next time a brilliant audience member alls for an impromptu fiddle solo, I'll at least get the bodhran with me (he left right before this set at the gig that inspired me to write this...and is new to the instrument)....Everything you all have said should be really helpful...I hadn't considered the physical differences yet! Thanks!
# Posted on September 6th 2006 by possumawesome
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Wow, you got some great advice, but I can't keep from adding to the pile. Keep remembering that you play because you love it, and that someone asked you to play because they love to listen. The more I'm enjoying the music and focusing on the tune (not the audience), the less nervous I get.
I also agree with having some type of accompaniment...even clapping. It helps you play better, and if you do go down in flames you'll take someone with you for company!
I get pretty nervous, but I've learned to deal with it, and even when I know I could have played better, the rush from the performance was worth the angst.
# Posted on September 6th 2006 by irateacher
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
You can probably see why a lot of our greatest players lost their skill to drink problems as the Irish players from years ago were not flamboyant or flash men in fact a lot of them are humble shy and retiring types and therefore not natural "performers" as such. So they mask it up by having a few this turns into a bad habit
# Posted on September 6th 2006 by Ripthecalico
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
Speaking of drinking during a concert, I saw Lunasa twice fairly recently- the first time, they were all drinking a good deal during the concert,(all exept for Kevin)and you know; they were still good but they were a little sloppy. then i saw them again a few months later at a venue that didn't permit drinking, (so all they had was water on stage) and you know, they were so great!!!! They were tight and sounded just so much better then the concert where they'd each had several beers.
# Posted on September 6th 2006 by BE
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
There's an article in The Telegraph about a certain Pete Doherty (who he?), his drug-taking habits, their effect on his music, and why he hasn't been sent to the slammer:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/09/07/do0703.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/09/07/ixopinion.html
# Posted on September 7th 2006 by lazyhound
Re: Stage fright kind of type thing
I suffer quite badly from performance anxiety, but I think I am starting to control it.
I played in the Easter liturgy at school this year. I had to play a piece which I was given the afternoon before the liturgy so I really didn't know the tune. It was dark so I couldn't read the music. The music teacher decided it would be a good idea if I played without piano the first time through. I couldn't see the teacher conducting. Missed my cue. I started shaking awfully (especially in my bow hand so it couldn't pass for vibrato).
Mistake after mistake after mistake. After the liturgy I burst into tears and couldn't bring myself to play for a week or two afterwards. Whenever I got my fiddle out I felt physically sick.
Since then I've asked a lot of performers how they controlled thier nerves and I am gradually regaining my confidence. I put my name down to play at the school music festival. I worked on two tunes which I know really well and love playing (and didn't have to read). I got my dad to accompany me on the piano and it all went well. You CAN do it.
My tips are try eating a banana before you play. Apparently these contain beta blockers which help control tremors. If you are playing standing up try bending your knees a little. I find this helps me relax my upper body. Breath. The nerves I feel before a performance often mask the fact that I am getting really dizzy from not breathing enough.Most importantly, keep playing in public in circumstances you feel you can control.
# Posted on September 9th 2006 by Kim123