brannon67 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 How did you guys over come stage fright the first time you performed in front of a crowd, or did you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Some performers dive straight in Others gradually move from friendly parties to the 'real thing' Depends on one's role in a band Or solo in the spotlight Where there is a will, there is a way... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 It's a very interesting topic.... Some very famous people have used alcohol/drugs to enhance their performance or overcome stage fright Vocalists in particular have to be careful...even beer can cause problems Many of the jazz musicians from the great eras played better and were more creative 'under the influence'.... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Well, Czech's finest brew certainy helped a lot .... The other thing was having a live set up that I was happy with tone wise, and also knowing the material well. Start off with a track you can do with your eyes closed, will do wonders for your confidence when you get that first round of applause Luckily at our first gig there was only 6 people in the audience so we didnt have to worry about 100 eyes staring at us. In the end it was a good gig and I have enjoyed the experience ever since. Being able to play live gave me the motivation to keep getting better as a player as we tackled trickier songs and different styles. Playing live keeps me sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Well, the reason Im asking is that I got envited to play with an Irish musician Danny O'Flaherty in a month. If you dont know who he is, look him up on Youtube. He had a pub in New Orleans. He will be emailing me a couple of songs to come up and play with him. It will be at a coffee house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZuWa Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Stage fright is normal. Even after yearsof performing it's still there. You have to get through the first song, sometimes only half way through, and you'll start feeling better. Remember to breathe and smile! Start out with an easy song so if you get flustered you can jump right back in. After the crowd gives you some applause you'll be comfy! Congrats on your upcoming gig! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Thanks, It was an honor for Danny to ask me. Im thrilled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 He plays an Adamas 12 string. So I have three guitars to choose from to take to the gig. 2 Masterbilts AJ500M and R or my 1988 Ovation Balladeer. Cant choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 My methods during my younger years are not suitable for this board, these days I'll have a beer beforehand, sometimes not... as I got older I stopped caring so much, but I used to be very tense when I was younger, the bigger the gig, the bigger the tension too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Yeah, I just dont want to Screw-Up, if you know what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Most people in a crowd appreciate the bravery of someone going up to play.... most people in a general audience can't play anything either so are usually impressed with people who can play. The nay-sayers and cork-sniffers are a crowd you can't please either way so I wouldn't ever let their opinion count anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 as these guys have said , a wee loosener is a good thing , but too many can do damage . i usually have one or two beers while setting up and that sorts me out . what you are trying to do is outweigh the nerves with confidence , many a time in the past i have been 5 sheets to the wind and had zero nerves , unfortunately while your head thinks you're jimi hendrix your fingers think they're toes and you make an arse of the song . i got a lot of confidence from anger at myself by what i thought letting myself down . i played rythym in a little band for a while at the start , irish pub sessions are great to at least sit amongst people actually doing it , and to varying degrees of talent . yiu learn that very often the person that you know is the most talented one in the bunch doesnt always get the biggest applause ! a couple of beers , know the song backward and don't give a flying @&£) what anyone thinks . you know you're good enough right?? have fun with it . a great feeling . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Most people in a crowd appreciate the bravery of someone going up to play.... most people in a general audience can't play anything either so are usually impressed with people who can play. The nay-sayers and cork-sniffers are a crowd you can't please either way so I wouldn't ever let their opinion count anyway. Good point As Paul McCartney has said...play to those who are into your music and want to enjoy themselves...they will outnumber any dissenters by a huge margin.... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buc McMaster Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Stage fright can be paralizing in the extreme and I think the performer that doesn't experience at least some trepidation is the exception rather than the rule. Learn to turn the energy of nervousness into musical energy.....go within yourself, grasshopper.....then let it all out in the performance. There's an old stage axiom: visualize the audience naked. Kind of silly at first thought, but if you pick the right person in the audience it can sure put a smile on your face and make you forget the jitters pretty quick! It is good advice to know your material well and start with a number you have a lot of confidence in. A former bandmate long ago told me when you take the stage own it! You're the boss.....act like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Stage fright can be paralizing in the extreme and I think the performer that doesn't experience at least some trepidation is the exception rather than the rule. Learn to turn the energy of nervousness into musical energy.....go within yourself, grasshopper.....then let it all out in the performance. There's an old stage axiom: visualize the audience naked. Kind of silly at first thought, but if you pick the right person in the audience it can sure put a smile on your face and make you forget the jitters pretty quick! It is good advice to know your material well and start with a number you have a lot of confidence in. A former bandmate long ago told me when you take the stage own it! You're the boss.....act like it. Whether it's public speaking, or performing, I always pick out one person in the audience (preferably one who repsonds positively when you give them a little smile) and start out speaking or playing/singing only for them. The nervousness quickly disappears, and I always start out nervous. I don't perform anymore, but I do speak a lot to groups of hundreds of people. Much the same thing, really. In a band, you always start out playing to another another person in the band for the same reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Well, the reason Im asking is that I got envited to play with an Irish musician Danny O'Flaherty in a month. If you dont know who he is, look him up on Youtube. He had a pub in New Orleans. He will be emailing me a couple of songs to come up and play with him. It will be at a coffee house. In this instance, I'd say the first step to defeating stage fright is to study the songs he sends you until you know them backward and forward. With an invitation like this, you can never know the artist's music "too much." If he's asking you to play, then he probably knows what he's going to be getting when you step up on stage, but I'd still approach it from the "less is more" perspective. Good taste goes a long way, and in fact it goes further than overly flashy playing. While many here have counseled you to have a drink or so to get "loose," I'd advise against it. It is a slippery slope and you're going into a situation where having a clear head is more important than this mythical thing about being "loose." Who defines "loose?" If you want to get loose, do some stretching beforehand. Run warm water over your hands and wrists. Do some breathing exercises. But once you start altering your perspective with alcohol, you start substituting the booze-induced perspective for good taste. I've seen lots of players have a drink (which leads to two, etc.) before a show, then get up and play and when they walk off stage they think they've played great but in reality, they were a mess and just didn't realize it. Don't fear "stage fright." Just get up there and play with O'Flaherty and approach it as if it is just two old friends sitting around and playing and you are the only two in the room. Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I like to take the view that stage fright has no effect, like the "nothing to fear but fear itself" kinda thing. It is just a feeling, that to me only ever proves to never pan out-nothing ever bad happens from it. So, therefore, I allow myself to FEEL whatever fear I may have, but I don't allow it to change anything or give it any credibility. No one has died from it. I think the idea it effects your playing is more of a myth, because I have seen plenty of poeple play with it, from ametuers to pros, with all different levers of stage fright, and I can see no situation where I can say it effects anything. Back me up on this guys: stage fright does NOT cause you to miss chords, play the wrong notes, or play with the wrong timing. These things happen from being unrehearsed or not paying attention. So, if it is a benign sensation, I usually just enjoy the feeling while it last-you only live once and playing live is a thrill that can be addicting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LP4Me Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 In addition to the other great info provided, I'll add that it's a good idea to make a connection with the audience....make eye contact, don't stare down at your guitar neck......if you are making a connection with the audience, and do happen to have a little glitch, they are much less likely to notice it if you are "sharing" the live music experience with the crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 In this instance, I'd say the first step to defeating stage fright is to study the songs he sends you until you know them backward and forward. With an invitation like this, you can never know the artist's music "too much." If he's asking you to play, then he probably knows what he's going to be getting when you step up on stage, but I'd still approach it from the "less is more" perspective. Good taste goes a long way, and in fact it goes further than overly flashy playing. While many here have counseled you to have a drink or so to get "loose," I'd advise against it. It is a slippery slope and you're going into a situation where having a clear head is more important than this mythical thing about being "loose." Who defines "loose?" If you want to get loose, do some stretching beforehand. Run warm water over your hands and wrists. Do some breathing exercises. But once you start altering your perspective with alcohol, you start substituting the booze-induced perspective for good taste. I've seen lots of players have a drink (which leads to two, etc.) before a show, then get up and play and when they walk off stage they think they've played great but in reality, they were a mess and just didn't realize it. Don't fear "stage fright." Just get up there and play with O'Flaherty and approach it as if it is just two old friends sitting around and playing and you are the only two in the room. Have fun. ah now if only you had been around for keith or jimi . how different a world it would be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The best antidote to stage fright is being prepared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhanners623 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 ah now if only you had been around for keith or jimi . how different a world it would be Well, I was around for Keith and Jimi (and make note that only one of them is still with us) and if Brannon67 plays like either of them, then he probably doesn't have anything to worry about. But most of us don't play like Keith or Jimi, and over the course of my time in music, I have met far too many musicians who wanted a drink to "loosen up" and before you knew it, an otherwise competent player sounded like crap on stage. In this instance, the booze is a crutch and probably a bad habit to get into. If you can get over stage fright without the alcohol, I would posit that it is a perfectly reasonable thing to strive for. Then again, it is a free country and folks can booze it up all they want. Some audiences don't care. Plus, as I recall, the guy said the gig would be in a coffee shop. The audience will be hopped up on caffeine.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I think that the cures are 1) experience and 2) being comfortable and confident in what you are doing. Solo gigs are, I think, much more nerve wracking. I play solo and all instrumentals (if you heard me sing, you'd know why). It simply took me a long time to become sufficiently comfortable playing in front of people and to feel confident in my playing and arranging skills. Recently, I added a harp guitar to my collection. That thing is a whole different instrument! I've worked up about 6 arrangements. But, I now find myself nervous when playing it in public. It's not that I haven't had experience gigging, but that I'm not yet confident in playing that confounding harp guitar! The only cure is a painful one: just keep showing up at gigs (and making mistakes) with the harp guitar. So, to the original poster's question: I think that it's simply a matter of practice and experience. As for imbibing, I often advise my audiences that they more they drink, the better I sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryl M Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Confidence is a fright killer. If you know your material and are confident in your ability, then fear is usually overtaken by adrenaline. Walking out on stage, standing in the batter's box facing a pitcher, or giving a presentation at work-it's all the same. Do your homework and when your moment comes, you'll be ready to cut some heads! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Exactly what Daryl said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 If possible, arrange to go there when the cafe isn't opened to the public and do a couple of songs. Don't just noodle them though - do them as if there were an audience. That will get you comfortable with the surroundings. If you can rehearse with your partner on one or two, all the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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