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Double Bass Am I the only one who doesn't get nervous?

L

lloccmttocs

Jan 12, 2007
211
0
37
Storrs, CT USA
#1
I'm no pro, by far. But for some reason, I don't really get nervous. I went to all my college auditions and saw everyone all shaking trying to practice last second and then they are breaking a sweat. And then there's me, I just kind of walk in, do my stuff, make jokes with them and then leave.

Is this normal? I had a master class with Edwin Barker and a bunch of other people and everyone was so nervous but I didn't understand why. I asked and they said "Because it's Ed Barker!" First off, I'm bad with names, I really didn't know who he was. Second it didn't really matter, he's only listening to me play and giving comments or suggestions. I don't understand should I be getting nervous? Or have I just gotten over a stumbling block my peers havn't?
 
#5
Nerves don't matter. I've known many great bassists that after an amazing performance will say, "I was so nervous," yet from the audience perspective, they seemed very collected.

It's great that you don't get nervous. Part of not being nervous, however, is not worrying about the other bassists. If you are worrying about why you aren't getting nervous, isn't that a form of nerves in itself?
 
#6
lloccmttocs said:
I'm no pro, by far. But for some reason, I don't really get nervous. I went to all my college auditions and saw everyone all shaking trying to practice last second and then they are breaking a sweat. And then there's me, I just kind of walk in, do my stuff, make jokes with them and then leave.

Is this normal? I had a master class with Edwin Barker and a bunch of other people and everyone was so nervous but I didn't understand why. I asked and they said "Because it's Ed Barker!" First off, I'm bad with names, I really didn't know who he was. Second it didn't really matter, he's only listening to me play and giving comments or suggestions. I don't understand should I be getting nervous? Or have I just gotten over a stumbling block my peers havn't?
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Well, it is all simply in the ability to just brush it off as nothing. Far less people than I originally thought can do this.
 
#7
A little warning. It is not that a person does not get nervous but it is when the person will get nervous. Some people never get nervous performing but get deathly nervous before lessons. Some people become nervous while performing later on in their career. The key to it is to know how to deal with nerves when they come up.

I personally do not get nervous that often, but I have had great teachers who have taught me how to deal with it without using any drugs or old folklore tricks. But I promise you, one day you will be nervous.
 
#11
sibass89 said:
A little warning. It is not that a person does not get nervous but it is when the person will get nervous.
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Umm, I dunno - I don't seem to get nervous, whether I'm doing a gig where I'm backing up a dozen different acts and essentially sightreading everything (in front of a couple of thousand people) or playing a community theater version of a broadway show. Nor do I worry about sessions, since that's kinda what I do every day...
 
#12
Dave Martin said:
Umm, I dunno - I don't seem to get nervous, whether I'm doing a gig where I'm backing up a dozen different acts and essentially sightreading everything (in front of a couple of thousand people) or playing a community theater version of a broadway show. Nor do I worry about sessions, since that's kinda what I do every day...
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I think the initial point of "when will you get nervous" is that you haven't yet.

So, you don't, but maybe you will in the future. Do you know the future?
 
#13
jdapodaca said:
Do you know the future?
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+1 What a great question. Well, one of the best bassists I've ever met told me he still gets nervous when performing....however, it doesn't seem to hinder his ability. As was stated before, it doesn't seem to matter so much whether or not you do get nervous, but rather that you don't let it affect you negatively.

I think Barry Green said something about calming the nerves by focusing on fixing parts of the music during performance. For example, focusing purely on intonation or vibrato to help you discard thoughts of the audience. It's been a while, but I think that's along the lines of what he said.
 

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