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I 'freeze' on stage....stagefright
- Thread starter Fassa Albrecht
- Start date
Tough to say without, well, being you. Personally, I have a beer before a set and take off my glasses onstage. Can barely see my feet without 'em. Audience? What audience?
haha!! Nice.. When the lights are up and I start to hear that downbeat, I can only see my pedal and hands.. "tunnel vision" I think they call it. The "glasses" idea is outstanding thou.
It is a slow song that one of the guys did with his other band too.
I will keep this in mind and maybe give it a shot. I mean, this club is full of old people and the stage is not even a foot off the ground! Maybe pick when the people are more drunk too-toward the end of the night...hehe!
I REALLY want to do this!!!
First, the one-lined that Jive posted: dead on.
You are your own worst critic, every single time.
What seems like the most overblown, horrific, unmistakable train wreck on stage to you will never be noticed by 90% of the audience. Of the 10% that notice it, 90% of them will have no clue that YOU just made a mistake, just that something was "off". Of the 10% of those that notice the mistake, 90% of them will immediately shrug it off as long as you keep going like it didn't happen.
Those that are left will judge you by that single small imperfection.
They are @$$holes and have no better thing in life to do than make themselves feel better by noticing (and pointing out if at all possible) how badly everyone else around them is doing what they're doing (nevermind the fact that they themselves are totally and utterly incapable of doing what it is they are criticizing you for doing ).
Ignore them, and enjoy playing music (which 99% of your audience can't do as well as you can, no matter what your level of experience!).
For advanced "worriers", when you make a mistake, remember what it was, and where you did it in the tune, and REPEAT it the next time, like you MEANT to do it (no matter how awful the mistake is). For the 1% of the audience that is at your level of musicianship or greater, they will think you meant it, and you just are hearing something they don't, which will impress them.
You are your own worst critic, every single time.
What seems like the most overblown, horrific, unmistakable train wreck on stage to you will never be noticed by 90% of the audience. Of the 10% that notice it, 90% of them will have no clue that YOU just made a mistake, just that something was "off". Of the 10% of those that notice the mistake, 90% of them will immediately shrug it off as long as you keep going like it didn't happen.
Those that are left will judge you by that single small imperfection.
They are @$$holes and have no better thing in life to do than make themselves feel better by noticing (and pointing out if at all possible) how badly everyone else around them is doing what they're doing (nevermind the fact that they themselves are totally and utterly incapable of doing what it is they are criticizing you for doing
). Ignore them, and enjoy playing music (which 99% of your audience can't do as well as you can, no matter what your level of experience!).
For advanced "worriers", when you make a mistake, remember what it was, and where you did it in the tune, and REPEAT it the next time, like you MEANT to do it (no matter how awful the mistake is). For the 1% of the audience that is at your level of musicianship or greater, they will think you meant it, and you just are hearing something they don't, which will impress them.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
+1 I find it helpful to think of fearfulness and excitement as opposite sides of the same coin: use the energy to your advantage by discarding the negative label.
Ask yourself these two questions: (1) Whats the worst thing that could happen? (2) What's the worst thing that's likely to happen? The worst thing that could happen is very unlikely to occur, and even if it did, would be very unlikely to have any real-world consequences.
As cold as this may sound, Jive's makeup analogy is a very kind way of saying this kind of fearful preoccupation is often little more than narcissism rearing its ugly head.
Used to be more like 4 or 5 for me. Surefire stage fright eliminator! I even played better too...or at least I think I did!
I think the ones that notice are musicians themselves..or hangs around the band that plays the same material all the time.
I tend to pick up when some of my band friends goofs. I don't say a word...I understand.
I tend to pick up when some of my band friends goofs. I don't say a word...I understand.
It helps to realize that there are a TON of great bass players out there who really can't play their way out of a wet paper bag, yet they make good music and provide a good entertainment for the crowd. They aren't hung up on what others are thinking about their playing, and it shows. If you feel embarrassed to play in front of others, it will show, and everything will suffer.
I don't think drinking or drugs is the answer as it becomes a dependency. Just try to realize that no one is analyzing you, and if they are it's their problem, not yours. Just enjoy yourself and try to exude confidence. It will show and people will enjoy what you are doing, even if your playing is only average.
I don't think drinking or drugs is the answer as it becomes a dependency. Just try to realize that no one is analyzing you, and if they are it's their problem, not yours. Just enjoy yourself and try to exude confidence. It will show and people will enjoy what you are doing, even if your playing is only average.
I don't quite remember my very first days or months of playing on stage, but I often wondered if I would ever have a "freeze" or "panic attack" on stage. I haven't.
I've been playing for about 9 years now and I ALWAYS make mistakes on stage. I HAVE CHOSEN NOT to worry about my musical mistakes, or worry about what the audience thinks of my playing. However, I do take into consideration of what our band leader (church) thinks and I apologize for my mistakes or when I mess up too much because I forgot to rehearse the songs enough. luckilly he usually says "hey, don't worry about it..."
I also think about other things people have told me like: "people don't listen as closely to the performace as the musician does" or "I didn't hear any mistakes, I was worrying about my own mistakes (other guitarist)"
so as long as the song is not a train wreck DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT... if it is a train wreck, practice that song more and try to do better next time.
I've been playing for about 9 years now and I ALWAYS make mistakes on stage. I HAVE CHOSEN NOT to worry about my musical mistakes, or worry about what the audience thinks of my playing. However, I do take into consideration of what our band leader (church) thinks and I apologize for my mistakes or when I mess up too much because I forgot to rehearse the songs enough. luckilly he usually says "hey, don't worry about it..."
I also think about other things people have told me like: "people don't listen as closely to the performace as the musician does" or "I didn't hear any mistakes, I was worrying about my own mistakes (other guitarist)"
so as long as the song is not a train wreck DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT... if it is a train wreck, practice that song more and try to do better next time.
yeah, I line dance and dance and it doesn't bother me...so IDK what the problem is..I mess up from time to time line dancing!!
I told my friend the other night (texted-haven't gotten a reply yet), that I had an idea. My friend is the bass player who wants me to play a song they do...I normally dance to his playing (well, his band)..so I told him, I could play that song while standing on the dance floor instead the stage..since their stage is really short (like a stoop..not worthy of a "stage"), then I can graduate to a stage...
if that makes any sense...
I remember the first time I was on stage and we were playing a song with a bass riff only intro. it was only supposed to last for 8 bars but the drummer decided to be cute (I guess, knowing this was my first gig) and didn't come in until 16 bars in. I was crazy nervous and scared. During the latter 8 I flubbed a bit because I was really caught off guard by this. Now, I was really embarrassed, and somewhat pissed at our drummer, but now I almost think he did it for my own good. After the slight mistake, the 'pissed off' in me made me think, "okay, that's NOT going to happen again, I'm going to rock this joint." and I played perfectly the rest of the night. Since then I haven't felt the stage fright.
I've been gigging for years now and still get terrible stage fright, and it happens in the worst way it can possibly happen: my right hand locks up and suddenly I can't move my index and middle finger independently, so I'm forced to play whatever line I'm playing with one finger, or if it's REALLY bad my thumb. It only lasts through the first song and after that everything's fine, but the first song without fail is always my worst of the night.
It happens much less severely if I have a beer or two in me beforehand, but I also just move around a lot and let my energy get the crowd going when my playing is falling short.
Point is, it happens. Just learn how to counter it and you'll be fine.
It happens much less severely if I have a beer or two in me beforehand, but I also just move around a lot and let my energy get the crowd going when my playing is falling short.
Point is, it happens. Just learn how to counter it and you'll be fine.
Anything could happen on stage, expect the unexpected, always be a little bit on alert. Even if something is agreed upon, songs could take totally different directions. The only way to prepare for this is to play with various configurations for hundreds of hours -- doing jam sessions now and then even accelerates this skill as jam sessions are mostly very much unpredictable.
- Dec 21, 2007
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Church band? Maybe pray/meditate/whatever for some calm?
Some great ideas here.
1. Nobody is as critical as you are to yourself.
2. Anxiety and excitement are the same physiologically. Mentally turn your anxiety into excitement.
3. It doesn't matter if you're nervous. One of the best bassists I've ever known, and the one who most absolutely OWNS the stage once he starts playing, assured me that he's terrified before every gig - big ones, little ones. But you'd never know it when he steps onstage, he makes that energy (the nervousness) drive a great performance.
4. Having fun is key.
Rock on.
Some great ideas here.
1. Nobody is as critical as you are to yourself.
2. Anxiety and excitement are the same physiologically. Mentally turn your anxiety into excitement.
3. It doesn't matter if you're nervous. One of the best bassists I've ever known, and the one who most absolutely OWNS the stage once he starts playing, assured me that he's terrified before every gig - big ones, little ones. But you'd never know it when he steps onstage, he makes that energy (the nervousness) drive a great performance.
4. Having fun is key.
Rock on.
