Stage Anxiety, how do you deal with sweaty hands.

Congratulations . On your achievements so far


There are string lubricants out there that you can put on your strings to help you slide ,any guitar shop should have this stuff

 

Congrats on playing out! Overcoming the anxiety is part of the thrill and should happen naturally w more playing out. Until then, consider packing a flask.

 

Does this happen other times in your non-band life?

 

^^ I agree. The best (and really only way) to get over performance anxiety is preparation. The more prepared you are, the more confident you are, the less you think and worry about it. Next thing you know, it becomes much more fun than scary.

 

It's natural, and normal, and you will be able to deal with it eventually.

I used to get the cold/clammy hands , playing to a tape recorder in a basement with no one else in the house.

What eventually worked for me was having been in a Church group, having to play fingerstyle guitar every week. It's just a repetition thing. You will still get a mild case of the crazies going onstage, but the hand problems will go away.

 

A lot of help here on the anxiety. But, in the long run, you have to learn to play with clammy hands.

There will be times when it is hot and humid and your strings are just going to be sticky. This is something we all need to learn to deal with sooner or later.

 

Cold hard fact. You are the only one paying that much attention to you. I doubt if anyone in the congregation will notice your mistakes.

 

I cut my teeth on our worship team, still play on it 30 years later. The best way to get over this is to remember that on this stage at least, it's not about you, it's about facilitating worship. I can't sing & play at the same time without some practice & prep, so I let my playing be my worship. Everyone in the congregation is concentrating on Someone Else, not you.

Having said that, I always wash my hands before I pick up any instrument. That seems to help as I also can get sweaty-palmed pretty fast. A towel is always a handy item, too.

Above all else, try to just relax & have FUN with it. Knock 'em dead, you can do it!

 

When I first started playing shows I used to get super nervous. Even to the point where I puked before we went on because I was so nervous. The more you play the less of an issue it is.

To add, the more prepared you are the more confident you’ll be which is definitely helpful

 

Last thing I do before I get on stage is wash my hands in cold water. Cleans the crap off so your strings last longer, the soap dries your hands off, including sweat, and the ritual of it helps me focus and normalize going on stage.

 

This is great advice. Also I've noticed that if the back of the bass neck has a shiny finish or is poly'd/lacquer'd/sealed heavily...your hands will always stick if there is even a little moisture. One of the first things I do on a finished neck like that is mask off the edge of the fretboard and scrub the back of the neck with a scotchbrite pad or light sandpaper (800grit) until the shine wears off a bit. Plenty of youtube videos about it if you were curious.

 

Practice and repetition are key for stage fright. I've played bass in bands for 25 years and have long gotten over being nervous about my playing.

But that being said, on 5/18 my son is getting married and they requested that I play acoustic guitar during the processional, when the bridal party and the happy couple walk up to the front. Alone, no singing, but just me and an acoustic. NOW I'M PRETTY NERVOUS ABOUT THAT let me tell you. I'm playing a fingerstyle version of "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "Here Comes the Bride"....

Not sure how I'm going to get over the nerves on the big day. I've been hammering through these over and over so they're as ingrained as possible. I'm honored to have been asked, but this is not just some camp fire strumming now!

 

Very true... when there’s 1,000 or 10,000 people, it usually feels as if the crowd is almost entertaining themselves and the band can play just about anything and everyone has fun. But when there’s 10 people, and they’re all sitting there staring at you, that’s usually feels like more pressure and it’s harder to just relax and have a good time.

 

I really don't get too nervous. The trick is to 1) remember you're just the bass player and nobody cares what you do (unless it is blatantly awful) and 2) nobody wants to see you fail - they're all there to wish you the best performance you can give. Remember that the gig is the fun part of the cycle - all the practice and prep is the work - the actual gig is fun. And I actually think it's easier to perform to large crowds vs small ones - it's much less personal.

 

Keep a small towel on hand. If your bass neck has a gloss finish, no k it down with a scotchbrite pad. You won't believe the difference.

 

+1

The only time I ever have nervousness is when the band isn't prepared.