Playing in front of people

[JeffS]

This weekend we had a birthday party for my three year old. It was just family and my mom had wanted to hear my mandolin so I said no problem. I sat down and started with Red Haired Boy. Got out about 4 notes and went blank. Figured what the heck I'll play Cuckoo's Nest. Got the first 7 or 8 notes and choked. Tried a few more with similar results. These are the same people who've heard me play other instruments all the time, at home and on stage. Maybe it is because I am still new to the mandolin. I thought it was a bit odd. Even when I slowed the tempo way down I just couldn't get through a song to save my life. Kinda killed any plans of attending some jams soon. If I choke like this in front of family, strangers would be much worse.

Tonight I sat out on my back patio with the dog and played like a mad man. Based on the croaking of the tree frogs, I think I had their approval. Not sure what the problem was. Bugs the heck out of me though.

It has been a while, 18 years since I've played in front of strangers, but family I would think wouldn't freak me out as much.

[John Flynn]

I think that is pretty normal. Playing in front of people is like a mental muscle you have to develop and keep exercised. Also, I think family is actually one of the harder audiences mentally. I find it's actually easier at a jam. Also playing solo is tough. With a group there is this dynamic that keeps the tune moving along with you or without you.

I agree with my instructor when he says you have to "overpractice" to perform for a group, meaning you should have the tune down to where it is second nature. You take how well you do the tune on your own and plan on that capability being cut by half when you get in front an audience. That may be extreme, but you can't go wrong thinking that way.

[mandorado]

Yeah ... what mandojohnny said. Keep at it. Play with people as often as possible, especially the folks who make you nervous ... you WILL get more confident and soon it will be much easier.
I've done the same thing ... choaking, and going blank. Last year I played with a group at a workshop, and it took me about six tries to get started ... is was hilarious. Laughing at myself finally helped me get going.

[Bruce Evans]

I went to a fiddle/mandolin/banjo/guitar contest yesterday. Because I wasn't competing, I took my guitar and went off to find a group to jam with. When the selection came around to me, I made a very safe choice. I Am A Pilgrim was the first flat pick solo I ever learned. When I came to the break I played the pickup notes... and went completely blank. I've played that break hundreds of times exactly the same way, but I was blank.

The good news is, I improvised a break that got applause from the bystanders, but I was sweatin' like a pig by the time I got back to the verse. I better practice that break a few dozen times today.

[duuuude]

Yeah, it constantly amuses me how I can play a tune so naturally when just pickin' at home, but have to pull it out of myself occasionally at jams. I liken it to differences in the mindset when thinkin' of "playing" as opposed to "performing", once I relax and realize there's no need to "perform", things get simple again.
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[Fretbear]

It can happen at the most enexpected times; I was playing a tune for a symphony violinist the other day who I had just met, and while I didn't go blank, I just kind of went all woozy and un-coordinated, and I had been playing nothing but that number for the last few days. It's just something that you have to experience and move through, and this experience showed me that you are never immune, no matter how long you have been playing.

[Hoyt]

A year or so ago, a buddy of mine and I got several bar gigs. After every "show", I felt like I didn't play nearly as good as I do alone -- actually I felt I sounded terrible.

Luckily, we taped the shows. Every time I listened to the tape, I sounded much better than I thought -- some times better than I thought I could sound.

Just because you don't play the same notes as you do alone or in practice doesn't mean it is bad. It might even be better. Like one of the posters said -- he went blank, but improvised and the audience loved it.

[ira]

hoyt- my sentiments exactly. we always tape ourselves and there have been shows where we thought we bombed, miscues, misplayed chords- and these were some of our best times playing. you never know how it sounds until you hear it.

[SmallFry]

i have a tendency to forget lyrics. I was playing with my fiddle group for our school step-up concert, we were playing star of the county down and when i came to the second verse i froze and just sang la's the rest of the song. I did that again at a coffee house in new mexico while playing wild world by cat stevens.

[mandosteve]

I've learned over the years not to expect myself to be able to execute a lead note for note on stage. This takes the pressure off a bit. I thinks its better if you just have a general idea of what you want your break to sound like and where you want it to go. I'm not saying to wing it totally. I have positions on the fretboard that I know I'm going to play in and I have a general feel for where the melody notes are in that particular postion but I try not to do the same thing twice to keep it fresh. Sometimes when I nail a particular note-for-note break I feel like the passion isn't always there. Its easier said than done, but its more fun to jam if you're not getting constipated trying to squeeze out a premeditated break.

[ShaneJ]

I agree w/jflynnstl - family is a tough audience to play for. I've played and (mostly) sang in front of hundreds and up to 3,000 people numerous times. I've been in front of a couple dozen strangers too, and never really froze in spite of a little bit of stage fright here and there. But, put me in front of my family and I'm embarrassed to death.

I can't explain it, except that you have to see your family all the time, and if you suck you'll be reminded of it and embarrassed again (even if they are kind about it). But what do you have to lose with a bunch of strangers that you may never see again?


Whether it's singing or picking, the more timid you are, the worse it gets. If you sing like you're in the shower and pick like you're on the back porch, then it usually makes for little cause for embarrassment. Easy to say - hard to do.

[pinkerjon]

Bananas (http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=24193)

[Mandodoc]

sjennings, I like this alot "Sing like you're in the shower and pick like you're on the back porch."
Thank you.
jon

[neal]

Bananas...sounds right.

[ShaneJ]

Jon,

It's much easier for me to say than to do, but whenever it happens it's good.

Shane

[mandojimmy]

Hi . Nerves in any matter in life is, in my opinion, due to knowing in your own mind that you have lack of knowledge or lack of preparation. If you play for yourself you really are totally relaxed. When you play for someone else you are mentally aware of YOUR interpreation of THEIR expectation of you. If you are comfortable and proud of the music you play (and don't think that the listener is not on your musical wavelength ) then if you are WELL PRACTICED and HAVE THE ABILITY you won't get nervous playing in front of anyone. Having said that a mandolin on it's own will always be exposed to any small inperfections(tuning, imperfect fretting etc) and it can irritate you to the point of minor nerves which can then take over. Best thing is to try and get a guitar to play along, have a small beer to relax you and make sure the other matters are in order (i.e.knowledge and practice) and all will be OK.

Actually i can get more nervous playing in front of family then playing in front of a bunch of people you dont know. You know why because you dont know the strangers!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[Keith Wallen]

Here is a strange one. I don't hardly get nervous at all playing in front of people and even large crowds but I had to review a project in front of a steering committee at work on Monday and damnn near didn't make it through it. Maybe I was too confident thinking that it was going to be like playing music. I had the entire meeting down in memory but ended up having to rely on notes in order to keep stumbling through. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif