Performance anxiety at practice

[ajkula66]

Don't practice it until you get it right, practice it until you can't get it wrong.

This. Times a zillion.

 

[EddiePlaysBass]

You are asked to play the solos note for note. Try changing it up here and there, just a little, and see if the BL notices it. Often "note for note means "recognizable". Don't get hung up on it - if it causes you anxiety, is it really worth it?

 

[meisi]

You don’t need to win at practice.

Unless it’s a paid gig it’s all for fun!

Sometimes watching tv while practicing at home helps with distractions in the wild. Start with reruns and then move onto new shows or movies.

I practice while talking to my wife across the house. Well, more like she talks to me and I’m expected to respond. Makes me pretty good at timing and fumbling my way back into the groove after a goof

 

[JonathanPDX]

Hi gang.

I am playing in a three-piece combo (keys, bass, drums) doing New Orleans music and old school R&B.

We have two numbers featuring extended bass solos, which the BL wants me to play note-for-note.

At home... no problem. I nail them every time (mostly).

As soon as I get to band practice, I invariably flub a few notes here and there. Which I chalk up to performance anxiety.

What are your thoughts on overcoming this issue?

You might evaluate the differences in environment. Are you playing it standing, with the same posture, at the same tempo, when playing at home? Or are you sitting in your favorite chair, relaxed, at a low volume, playing a little slower because the live band actually counts it off just a bit faster than the record?

It may be anxiety but there could be other factors at play which impact your ability to perform the piece as cleanly as you do at home.