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Nerves before a Performance

Do you get nervous before a performance?

  • Yes

    Votes: 92 50.5%

  • No

    Votes: 90 49.5%
  • Total voters
    182
#41
nerves are a good thing ... ! it's just some adrenalin floating around ... I started performing as a young child , ... playing for some audiences of a couple thousand by age 11 ... ( piano ) ... channeling that energy brings your performance up to a different level .. ! when in high school / college most folks found out I was a very good sight reader , which always lead to accompanying soloist at the last second at State Solo and Ensemble contests ... use the energy ... !

playing in bands , usually not so much nervous energy ... unless it's a brand new bands 1st night out , and I'm playing bass, keys , singing and running sound/lights from stage ... ! but I'd get worried/nervous more about the sound/mix, more than my playing ... !! practice , be prepared ... have fun .. !
 
#42
Helix said:
But for some it never goes away even at the pro level, and have to resort to med's or even psychiatric help
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#43
I said no but I do get what I call nervous energy. I get kind of wired, talk allot and quickly setup and help others. I'm just trying to use up the energy and charge I sometimes get playing live. Alcohol in moderation calms it down for the most part, sometimes a cigarette.
 
#45
I personally don't have this problem anymore; it seemed to automatically stop many years ago, and I don't know exactly why, but I'm not going to analyze the reason. What I have been told, however, is that many performers over the years have used beta blockers to get rid of stage fright. Apparently they cancel out some of the "fight or flight" sensation that can go on in the brain.

Here is a relatively good explanation:

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#46
The more you play, the easier it becomes. Focus on the music and enjoying yourself, and realize that you are far more of a critic of your own playing than anyone else listening to you will be, and that probably includes your own band!

As for the whole meds thing, generally speaking if people need meds it is because they have a diagnosable mental health condition, and not just "stage fright", so IMO this is not really a comparable factor to discuss here. Almost everyone will have to deal with some degree of nerves or stage fright or whatever you want to call it, and the vast majority of people will find that it fades away with experience and/or other strategies that they use to cope that don't involve medication.
 
#47
here is how I got over stage fright. I got in a band with two raving egomaniac guitar players who would hump their guitars on stage and all sorts of dumb stuff. after watching the crowd eat it up you start to realize NO ONE pays attention to the bassist.
 
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#48
I've always had to fight nerves before a show. I'm anti-social by nature so crowds of people freak me out a little. Once I get going I get over it, but it takes a bit to "get into the zone" where you aren't thinking about what exactly it is you are doing.
I practice my @$$ off so I know I'm good with my parts. Warming up before playing helps kill time and helps the muscle memory take over.
I watch a lot of the other bands, which usually makes me feel pretty good about my band. Yes, I'm one of those judgy types, and yes I think of a show as a competition. If I played shows with bands that I myself listen to, I would probably get more nervous.
Just hanging out with friends or the band helps keep your mind off of it as well. If I let myself, I would probably psyche myself out so keeping distracted helps.
A beer or a cocktail doesn't hurt either.
 
#49
Never had a problem, but then a few years back I started getting really heady and weird about my playing and got what I'm assuming was stagefright. In the process to learn to relax and not give a dang what people thought again, I learned I had been holding lots of tension in my body in weird places like my wrists and triceps when i played. I've really focused on working through this. and like any learning process there have been challenges, but now am the most relaxed performing I've ever been and feel I'm in the home stretch with this mini-battle.

There is an AWESOME website called "the bulletproof musician" that outlines many strategies and can help you break through to loosy goosey-ville. I still get a blast of adrenaline before I play, but no longer think of it as stress, just energy. Once it settles down and balances out, then I feel great.
 
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#50
I figured out pretty early on that as long as I knew the material inside & out, I'd be just fine once the curtain dropped. I like to have a drink (water or a beer) before the show, talk to people and stay loose. We like to start our shows with a no-brainer that's nearly impossible to mess up. In the first few moments, I focus on locking in with the drummer and LISTENING to the rest of the band. You're not alone up there, so lean on one of your reliable band mates. Ignore the audience until you find your groove and the butterflies go away.
 
#52
a little nerves is a good thing, lets you know you are alive. I've been getting on stage since ~4-5th grade for music or theater, and while it never goes away, it is not the debilitating dread it once was. More like an old friend, lets me know I am ready. What scares me is when I don't have any kind of nerves. usually means this is the wrong gig for me.
 
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#54
A factor that is valid for me: how often do I perform? The first show I did after having been out of the performance game for a number of years, the nerves were terrible and I never managed to relax entirely during the show (leading the band and conceiving all the material didn't help either). This slowly got less as i started gigging more. Nowadays, that I perform more or less regularly again, it is much better.

I still have nerves, and in certain of my scenarios (doing a solo bass guitar show with largely improvised material, for example) nerves can affect the music immensely.

My key preparation points:
1) Accept that I have nerves and will always have some. I think Barbara Streisand to this day still throws up before every show. I tell myself it is OK to have them. In fact, with a little bit of nerves I usually play my best.
2) I got this one from horn players. I try and give myself time before I go onstage, to warm up in peace. The key for me is to connect with the bass and the space - not just loosening fingers and joints, but to sit, play one note, and listen how it envelops and dissolves in the room or wherever I am. Repeat several times, maybe adjust right hand positiong, attack, amp settings - it is hard to explain but once the connection is there, I know it instantly - I feel a peace in my whole body, with a loose picking hand that produces a determined tone. Making sure I have that connection when the show starts helps tremendously
3) 1 glass of wine or beer before the show can help me to loosen up a bit.
 
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#57
For me it's about having a routine. Knowing when I play, when I can set up, and when I need to be there by is the first step. Then I have a good, but safe meal before I leave (no street vendors or gas-station sushi... that's NOT what people came to see me do on stage, if you catch my drift). Get to the venue early helps me. I can chat with the soundguy if he's available, scope out where I can setup and get things rolling. Then once all is said and done, grab a beer and enjoy the night.

The routine helps me avoid feeling rushed, which keeps the bad nerves away. If you can develop a routine like this, it gives you a sense of control and allows your anxiety become anticipation and excitement. Those will fuel your performance while anxiety will suck out your energy and attention.
 
#59
I was an awkward kid that grew up in a strange family. I had to deal with embarrassment at a young age on a regular basis. Makes missing a note during a song feel like nothing.

The most stage fright I ever had was when I performed a solo version of 'Godspeed' by the Dixie Chicks at my daughter's funeral. Although it was a supportive audience, they were all sober and attentive for a very emotional moment. After doing that, I feel like I can perform anything, anywhere, for anybody.

Sometimes our imagination makes things worse than the reality ever could be. Save your imagination for the creativity of the show, not for dreaming about what can go wrong and the 'tragedies' that may result.
 
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