Stage fright

[Fishheadjoe]

If I feel even the slightest bit of anxiety on stage, I simply dig in deeper into the song. Whether that means focusing almost exclusively on our drummer or just closing my eyes and "dancing" while playing. I find that being physically active on stage helps to burn nervous energy and also helps the audience see that we are enjoying ourselves. It gets them going which also gets me going... and the nerves fall away.
Another approach is to ask yourself what is the worst thing that could happen if I screw up? Will we lose a gig, well no we won't!
Fishheadjoe

 

[skwee]

Eating bananas and cinnamon together create a natural beta-blocker. But really, a focus on making the music the best it can be is the best recipe: A distinction I always make with my choirs is to make music together with your colleagues for the audience, not at the audience as a presentation, and you are much better off.

 

[jazzyvee]

Just remember that everyone thinks you are actually playing guitar and you'll be fine.

I've lost count of the times i've been asked at pub gigs why I play a guitar with only 4 strings when the other guitarist has 6.

 

[jazzyvee]

You're only nervous till you screw up the second note of first song, then it's smooth sailing. It's really a fear screwing up in front of people, not just being in front of people. Mess up, fear goes away. Done. They never notice anyway.

I don't get stage fright often but sometimes get far to self aware of where I am and what I'm doing when it comes to a solo part so when I mess up a few notes, I then tend to concentrate far too much and that causes me to try to consciously take over what i'm playing rather than let what my brain and fingers do what they already know how to do from practice and rehearsal. That sense feeling then causes me to make more blunders. Eventually I relax and enjoy. Blunders always feel worse than they are especially when you know there are some damn fine muso's in the crowd. The fact that most of the audience can't even tell never makes me feel any better about it either.

FWIW, i find it easier to play to large crowds at a festival than a small intimate venue where you can see the whites of the eyes of the audience, and that reminds me of a gig I played at the after party at the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues festival in Canada about 12 years back and the front row was about a foot in front of me. Too far into my personal space and that felt really uncomfortable as all I could see was this guy glaring at me whilst I was playing and and screaming at the top of his voice as he recognised songs in the set.

 

[Waytootrue]

I'm a bassist. Nobody's gonna pay attention to me!

 

[Brent Davenport]

I play bass in church too - it is exceptionally rewarding. Here's what helps me:

1. Practice each song as much as you can to feel comfortable, especially about changes that may surprise you even though you know the song (turning a page, key changes, jumping back from a bridge to a certain part, etc.).

2. Sheet music can sometimes be challenging to follow; make a copy and mark it up to help your eyes quickly know where to go next. Sometimes I'll even write the next 2 or 3 chords at the end of the previous section so I know what to play while my eyes go to the next section.

3. In church the songs change week to week…if you can use sheet music or chord charts DO IT and don’t feel bad. IMO don’t even try to memorize the songs…that will come in time as the same songs cycle around

4. Play for your band mates. Try to play your best for them. NO ONE in the crowd will notice mistakes, and the One you are really playing for is very forgiving.

5. Play appropriately. Better to play less than more.

6. Stay with it – I wish you all the best!

Thanks man. All of the music that we play is very modern, and I have 90% of it on my Spotify account, so I'm real familiar with it, and can "play along" any time. We also have iPads with charts on them. I think the biggest plus is that we also wear in ear monitors, so I can hear my mix better.

 

[Christine]

I must not fear.
Fear is the groove-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration to the groove.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only the groove will remain.
I must change my underwear.

Fixed that for you

 

[Brent Davenport]

I'm a bassist. Nobody's gonna pay attention to me!

Maybe it's because I'm a bassist that I pay such attention to the other ones in the band when they play. I'm sure you guys are right.... Nobody but a musician or bass player in the crowd really watches the bass player.

 

[Andrew Moss]

The more I played the better it got. I don’t really worry about it now. I try to keep in mind that most of the time the people listening are PAYING to see me do what I do so that thought helps me tremendously. Most of time (and I’ll probably do it tonight) I’ll have a couple whiskey sours, get up there and have a great time. I close my eyes a lot too, but that’s not a nervous thing, I just connect to the music more with my eyes closed

 

[Brent Davenport]

I've lost count of the times i've been asked at pub gigs why I play a guitar with only 4 strings when the other guitarist has 6.

That's awesome!

 

[nilorius]

The only thing that sometimes makes me nervous - the notes. Last gig the floor was so vibrative, that my notes flyed off 2 times.

 

[xnewyorka]

Look up Toastmasters and see if you can find a local chapter where you can go and participate for a little while in their program until you feel comfortable.

 

[Ozonbass]

Vodka?

I was going to suggest Lorazepam but this would work too =)

 

[Lava]

Just remember that although it may seem so, all of the audience are not all looking at you all of the time. As long you're not messing up, most people won't notice you at all. I knew a singer who had terrible stage fright, who claimed that wearing sunglasses on stage helped him immensely. And remember, you're up there doing something that you wanted to do and enjoy doing, think positively.

 

[electracoyote]

Of all the great strategies you will read and hear, Job #1:

Be over-prepared. Like you're taking the state bar exam and determined to nail it in one shot. Be so prepared you literally cannot play it wrong even in your sleep.

Nothing boosts confidence like being over-prepared. You may still hit a clam, but you'll hit a lot fewer, and recover more quickly, if you're over-prepared.

Also, you will be able to relax that death grip on your instrument, your body language will ease, you will be less tense, sweat fewer bullets, enjoy the performance more, and end up a better entertainer when you are confident you know the material. Hell, you might even get to take a look at the audience and see all the people digging on what you and the band are doing.

Way better strategy than anything you can ingest.

 

[nilorius]

The most frightened are always - the back vocalists. But why ???

 

[klejst]

I never had terrible stage fright, perhaps some nerves at first, but what did help is not making eye contact directly with anyone in the crowd especially for long periods of time. I used to just focus on a spot on the wall in the way back so it looked like I was looking at the crowd or also moving around stage helps too as you're not just standing there shaking in your shoes.

 

[JoZac21]

Vodka?

This worked amazingly well until I was doing karaoke in rehab...

Nowadays I seem to be settled in by the third or fourth song... of the band on after us...

Gonna be following this thread closely.

 

[hrodbert696]

I think "stage fright" can mean different things. For some, like @Stumbo was alluding to, we're talking a type of anxiety disorder that may warrant therapy and medication. I have a daughter with a social anxiety disorder and it's WAY different from someone who's merely shy.

Probably more common, though, is simply natural nervousness of being looked at by crowds of people and having to execute a performance where there's a risk of making mistakes. The best ways to deal with that, as others have mentioned:

1) overprepare. However tight you get in rehearsal, you're going to lose 15% when you go live. So get to the point in rehearsal that you know your parts backwards and forwards and can play them in your sleep. Muscle memory does a lot to kick in during a performance and carry you through. I think it was Suzuki who said that amateurs practice until they get it right, but pros practice until they can't get it wrong.

2) live in the moment. You WILL make mistakes. The beauty of live performance is that the instant you make them, they disappear, gone into the ether. All that matters is the NEXT note. Don't linger over mistakes.

3) Fourth wall. This is an actor's technique. Build an imaginary wall between you and the audience. Actually visualize what's on that wall - a painting here, a TV set in the corner, a fireplace, whatever. Spend time over it and make it vivid. When you look out in the audience's direction, don't look at them, look at your wall.

4) breathe, and channel the nerves into energy.

By the way, in my experience big crowds are way less nerve wracking than small ones. If I'm seeing a handful of specific individuals I know, I start getting distracted by worrying about what they're thinking and if they're enjoying themselves. But a crowd is just a mass of anonymous faces.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

I've never had crippling stage fright, so I don't know that I have experience with that the way you do, but you mentioned that you have a failure complex. Is it possible that you could train your mind to see not stepping up and taking a chance as failure and making mistakes as the process?

I make mistakes at every show, but even when they're horrific howlers to me, the audience just keeps right on dancing, especially if I look like I'm having fun while screwing up. Screwing up isn't failure, it's the process of getting better.