1st Time Playing for an Audience - Advice?

[Steelee]

Have been invited to pick a couple of tunes with a local BG band on tuesday. Usual Community Center crowd is about 200 people. I have never played in front of people before - fear factor for sure.

Any advice to lose that fear, and maybe have some fun?

Regards, Lee,

[Bertram Henze]

Fear and fun are inseparable twins - accept fear as your friend, then fun is never far away.
Maintain a relaxed concentration on what has been rehearsed.

Under no circumstances start to think (why am I nervous? that girl in the 3rd row is looking at me! ... that kind of stuff that will provide enough distraction to derail you and make you feel like you never played this tune before). Practise playing the tunes without thinking. Can you walk across the stage in front of 200 people without getting your legs mixed up? That's because you don't think about your legs. Playing a tune works exactly the same.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Valuable advice, Bertram. I might add that you better avoid alcohol, even though it might seem tempting. For further reading, get Timothy Galwey's "The Inner Game of Tennis", which is fun to read.

[Paul Busman]

One bit of common advice it to picture yourself naked in front of the audience to alleviate nervousness. Oh wait, it's the audience that's naked, not you...This works well unless you're playing for a nursing home audience
On a more serious note, see if the BG band you're picking with will play your best, most solid tune first. That'll give you confidence for the rest. A community center crowd won't be overly critical-- they're just glad to have live music and will love whatever you do.
Once you get past the initial jitters, playing for an audience is a wonderful experience. Finally sharing the results of all the hard work you've put into your playing is hard to beat.

[tprior]

They don't know it's your first gig ! They are excited about seeing the players....

If you are well rehearsed it will be just fine...don't think about the audience, work off the other players, that gets it down from 200 to 4 or 5...once you get thru a few bars the jitters will go away...

Congrats on the 1st gig, it's just the first...of many more to come...

[Tim2723]

To all this sage advice I'll add: Get your equipment together in advance, touching and counting each item as it's put in the kit. That way you're certain you have everything and won't have to go through that sinking feeling of 'did I forget my...' on the way to the gig.

And as Henry said, don't drink. It sounds like a good idea, but it's not.

[Denny Gies]

Another vote for avoiding the booze. See if you can get the band to agree to play stuff you are very comfortable with. Most of all, have fun.

[Jim]

+1 for go with your best stuff first, +1 for don't drink.. The audience came to hear music & you play music, you were made to do this and it will be so much fun! Focus on your playing & never on your mistakes ,the listeners mostly don't notice anyway.

[Bertram Henze]

Focus on your playing & never on your mistakes

Very important! Never look back, not even a few microseconds to your last mistake, or else the next one hits you before you see it coming.
A quote from Victor Wooten's Music Lesson comes to mind:

A kid playing air guitar never hits a wrong note

[Markus]

Start with a strong tune.

If you're standing at the show and you are used to practicing sitting - practice standing up.

While it's not mandatory, try to look up [at the back wall over the audience heads works just fine] and smile from time to time. Try not to have your face look like you're having a medical issue or are unhappy about something.

It's okay to shut your eyes to get your concentration back.

You are the only one who can know something was a mistake, unless you give it away. Don't give it away!

Don't critique while on stage, and don't obsess about the mistakes afterward.

If you aren't sure about how you did, hang around a little after and talk with the crowd and I bet you'll get compliments. You might hear the mistakes, but they hear the rehearsal and immense amount of practice you've put in. Don't forget, to a non-musician, getting anything pleasant out of an instrument is a near-mystical power.

[Laird]

Okay, here goes: wash down those pain relievers with several Long Island Iced Teas before the gig. See-through clothing (if any) will help keep the crowd's attention. Don't worry about tuning--just play loud. This is a great chance to try out that discordant improvisational noodling, which would probably sound especially good over the top of other players' solos. Make sure that your politics come through loud and clear during breaks between songs. Occasionally hijack the set and announce your intention to compose a piece on the spot--atonal, of course. If you hear any chatting in the audience, bring the song to a sreeching halt and berate the audience, loudly and obscenely. And if all else fails, turn your back on the crowd.

Oh, wait. You wanted good advice? Okay, ignore everything I've just told you, and you should be fine.

[Steve Ostrander]

Think about this: You are a better picker than anyone in the audience, or else they'd be up there instead of you.

[Mandobart]

Well, for me a beer or two helps relax before playing. I've played with a couple guys who drank way too much before/during the gig and that didn't help at all. Definitely check your gear and have spare cords, picks, strings, etc. spare batteries for any pre-amp or tuner you need. Get there early and setup; do a good soundcheck, make sure you don't have feedback issues. Know what you're playing before hand; by that I mean I hate to see a band or soloist come up and hem and haw about "what song are we playing? what key is that in?" etc. Know it cold; I hate to see people shuffling thru notebooks, loose sheets of paper, etc. when they're supposed to be playing. You may have a tendency to rush the beat a little; most people do when they get nervous.

You'll make a few mistakes. To me one of the worst beginner habits to shake right away is wanting to start over; since that's what you do when you practice. This is live. As soon as the pick hits the strings its over and time to move to the next note. Never ever leave your instrument precariously perched while you dig for a pick or adjust the PA etc. That mando should be on you or in its case, closed up. With 200 people around anything can happen.

[Phil Goodson]

Bertram is +4 !!

Just play and forget about everything else.

Remember ... if anything is less than perfect, NOBODY DIES!!!
Lots of worse things to worry about! (what all I could tell you.)

Worst scenario: you learn something.

[William Smith]

Have been invited to pick a couple of tunes with a local BG band on tuesday. Usual Community Center crowd is about 200 people. I have never played in front of people before - fear factor for sure.

Any advice to lose that fear, and maybe have some fun?

Regards, Lee,

Just Have fun with it buddy,,thats the main thing..try not to worry and relax,,I know that sounds easy to say but "go with the flow" Best O luck!

[SGraham]

One friend of mine who plays classical gigs for a living told me of some sage advice an older player gave her. Seeing her obviously nervous at one of her first gigs, he leaned over and whispered, "You've got to play it anyway, you might as well have fun."

I tell myself this every time I go out on stage. Seems to help.

Congrats on the gig, by the way.

[Malcolm G.]

If you're having fun - they're having fun - and that's why they came.

[mommythrice]

Start with a strong tune.
Don't forget, to a non-musician, getting anything pleasant out of an instrument is a near-mystical power.

I'm going to remember this, too. Great advice.

I got alot of great ideas from The Stage Performance Guide for Bluegrass Bands It's mostly about stage presence and being entertaining - it assumes you already know how to play. Basically, relax - have fun - let the audience KNOW you're enjoying what you're doing up there and they will enjoy it, too!

Once you step off the roller coaster you'll want to get right back on.

[Darrell D]

See if the band will avoid making a big deal about it being your first performance to the crowd. That adds way too much pressure. Maybe they could say it after you're done. Good luck and have fun!

[Jeffff]

When you walk out onstage, own it. That is YOUR house, if only for a few tunes. The people in the audience don"t care if you are nervous. They don't care if it's your first time. They want to be entertained and most of them will be on your side and give you the benefit of the doubt.

Act AS IF it is your 10.000 time.

Don't worry, you will be excellent.

[Brandon Flynn]

I've found experience most helpful. I've not played too many gigs, and they are intermittent occurrences, so I practice playing in front of people I know, standing up like I would at the gig. It works better if I know they are paying attention somewhat, so I'll ask a friend "can I play this for you" and then the pressure is on. Each time it seems to get easier.

I also try to get lost in enjoying the tune. It's a thin line between concentrating on your playing and concentrating on it's effectiveness as the two are related, but as much as you can focus on the former the better in my opinion. So I am not thinking about the last note, just the next few.

[tprior]

I would also add, don't worry about mistakes, just move on...

In 10 years when you are well experienced on the bandstand you will still be making mistakes now and then, the difference is you will just think to yourself what a "bonehead I am" and just continue on ! After well over 30 years on the bandstand I still make playing mistakes, we all do, my band mates look over and ask " what was that "..the answer is always " Jazz"...

[Bertram Henze]

If you don't make mistakes, everybody will suspect it's all playback.

Playing in public is a lot like flying. Here is the well-known prescription by Douglas Adams:

There is an art, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day, [The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy] suggests, and try it.

The first part is easy. All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and the willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt.

That is, it's going to hurt if you fail to miss the ground. Most people fail to miss the ground, and if they are really trying properly, the likelihood is that they will fail to miss it fairly hard.

Clearly, it is the second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.

One problem is that you have to miss the ground accidentally. It's no good deliberately intending to miss the ground because you won't. You have to have your attention suddenly distracted by something else when you're halfway there, so that you are no longer thinking about falling, or about the ground, or about how much it's going to hurt if you fail to miss it.

It is notoriously difficult to prize your attention away from these three things during the split second you have at your disposal. Hence most people's failure, and their eventual disillusionment with this exhilarating and spectacular sport.

If, however, you are lucky enough to have your attention momentarily distracted at the crucial moment by, say, a gorgeous pair of legs (tentacles, pseudopodia, according to phyllum and/or personal inclination) or a bomb going off in your vicinty, or by suddenly spotting an extremely rare species of beetle crawling along a nearby twig, then in your astonishment you will miss the ground completely and remain bobbing just a few inches above it in what might seem to be a slightly foolish manner.

This is a moment for superb and delicate concentration. Bob and float, float and bob. Ignore all consideration of your own weight simply let yourself waft higher. Do not listen to what anybody says to you at this point because they are unlikely to say anything helpful. They are most likely to say something along the lines of "Good God, you can't possibly be flying!" It is vitally important not to believe them or they will suddenly be right.

Waft higher and higher. Try a few swoops, gentle ones at first, then drift above the treetops breathing regularly.

DO NOT WAVE AT ANYBODY.

When you have done this a few times you will find the moment of distraction rapidly easier and easier to achieve.

You will then learn all sorts of things about how to control your flight, your speed, your maneuverability, and the trick usually lies in not thinking too hard about whatever you want to do, but just allowing it to happen as if it were going to anyway.

You will also learn about how to land properly, which is something you will almost certainly screw up, and screw up badly, on your first attempt.

There are private clubs you can join which help you achieve the all-important moment of distraction. They hire people with surprising bodies or opinions to leap out from behind bushes and exhibit and/or explain them at the critical moments. Few genuine hitchhikers will be able to afford to join these clubs, but some may be able to get temporary employment at them.

[OldSausage]

If you're anything like me, then forgetting that the audience is there will be quite impossible. If that's the case, just know that it's okay to feel nervous, and it's also okay to stagger through it as best you can. Later you can learn to use your nerves to help you.

[Jim]

To add to Bertrams advice "Don't Panic"