dennisg wrote:
Dan,
Much congratulations on your progress. Playing at camp, in front of a room full of guitarists, can be really daunting, so I have nothing but admiration that you've been working on overcoming the fear.
I've been playing a lot of open mics lately, and I've found three things that have helped me immensely:
1. Know that it's unlikely you'll be as polished in front of an audience as you are at home on your sofa. So if you're struggling with a song at home, there's a good chance that a few dozen sets of eyes and the sound of ocean waves in your head are going to do nothing to improve your confidence and focus. So pick a song that you can whack out of the park easily. And then keep working on the more difficult songs until they, too, become second nature.
2. Slow down. Stand in front of an audience, and your adrenal gland is going to be pumping buckets of fluid through your veins. That's going to do nothing but make you play faster than you normally would, making your task even more difficult. Try to consciously slow everything down about 15 percent; in doing so, you'll likely be playing at a normal speed, but it'll feel easier. And just knowing that you're going to play slower than your adrenalized brain is urging you to will actually have a calming effect and build your confidence.
3. Focus, focus, focus. Don't think about that guy's comb-over. Or that lady's cleavage. Or how you'll probably screw up. Picture the song on a page of white paper. See the chords. Look at the lyrics. Then ... just read. If you can do that, then all the odd noises and potential distractions that naturally occur during live performances can just go by without you even noticing. At my first public performance, I came completely unglued by the steam jet of an espresso machine. But now, since I'm less likely to be hysterical with terror and more able to focus, that kind of background noise doesn't faze me at all. I say ... bring on the espresso! And the cleavages!
Dennis,
It is great to see you on the TG forum again, and thanks for some valuable comments. Good points all. I know you have successful public experience, and there truly is no substitute for experience.
Your first point about the degree of difficulty of your selection is spot on, and why I chose to create a set list of songs I already learned. The (re)learning curve was fast, and the expectation of success very high. It is this group of songs that I brought into public play with no anxiety and no expectation of failure.
The second point regarding tempo, also spot on. A different metronome scheme is helping me there. I don't use a metronome to play along with songs I am practicing. I drill just the right hand with the metronome a few minutes before I play songs, and it has really increased my control of tempo. Regardless of my emotional state and adrenaline level, I am in better control of tempo.
The third point I also cannot agree with more. But cleavage? Hey, it's cleavage. There is no down side to cleavage; the comb-over, sure, but not the cleavage. :laugh:
A final thought. The first part of your first point about public performance tending to be of lesser quality than playing at home, is something I've heard many times, and indeed would be a normal and acceptable outcome, but this is not what I am experiencing. I think I'm playing my best in public right now. At the music store thing last week, the resident instructor noticed I was playing mostly with a pick, and informed me I
surely needed lessons to fingerpick. He asked if I can play
anything with fingers. My nails happened to be in decent shape, so I played the classical section of The Sage like I never ever played it before, and I haven't been able to play it like that since (at home). So what I'm seeing in public playing is better expression through control of timing, better precision in fingerings, very few mistakes, and better recovery when I do make mistake.
Dennis, thanks again for commenting. I'm looking forward to more of your input and performances on the forum.
