vmarkant - Posted - 05/02/2009:  17:22:00

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I seem to have developed a bad case of nerves. The last two times I played in public, I started shaking and the last time I could hardly keep my fingers on the neck. Both times I had to play cold - no time to warm up immediately before performing but I had practiced really hard and knew the songs down cold. Any advice out there - other than a shot of scotch?
TIA


Just picking up pickin''
Vicki

asmcsgac - Posted - 05/02/2009:  17:24:46

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It helps to realize that you're not the Lone Ranger. Keep at it.

Charley wild - Posted - 05/02/2009:  17:31:11

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This isn't much anybody can tell you that will help much in a situation like that. Remember, you're there, we aren't. Even if we were we couldn't help you. The problem comes from within you. All the advice in the world isn't going to help much. Whether we've all "been there" or not makes no difference. Sorry.

"The dogs bark but the caravan moves on"
Arab proverb

1four5 - Posted - 05/02/2009:  17:33:07

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Take your banjo to the local rest home(s) and play as much as you can for the old folks. Appreciative, very non threatening audience that is great experience.

Dean

millennium3 - Posted - 05/02/2009:  18:03:51

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Same problem here...I may need to start at the cemetery.

Crutch

tct1w - Posted - 05/02/2009:  18:10:04

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Been there,done that. Just trying to work through it. I have a feeling you and I being fairly new players will overcome this in time. Its aggravating though isnt it. Take care Dave

Dragonnail1 - Posted - 05/02/2009:  18:20:18

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Crutch no waking the dead......let them rest in peace

Mark

"got banjo"?

Banjoman - Posted - 05/02/2009:  18:26:10

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Only worry about the things you have control over...Walk to the stage, check your fly and strut on to the stage...You're the only banjo player there and act like it. You're the MAN! Pick that banjo! Make them wish they were you.

Hugh
Picking since 1964

“...Bobby Thompson? He is the future! He has this whole new style-you can hear the melody! ''Hard Hearted'' ''Dixie Hoedown!'' Oh my!”--- John Updike

Click Here: Banjo Hangout Rules & Guidelines.

Click Here: Bobby Thompson''s Home Page

Cornflake - Posted - 05/02/2009:  18:35:48

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You probably know that if you fall off the horse you have to get back on. That's probably not much help. What you are trying to do is quite difficult--play a BANJO of all things in front of people without messing up timing, chords, right hand fingering, left hand fingering; at the same time you have to keep your BANJO in tune (HA!). You have to appear that you like what you're doing; you have to pay attention to your band mates, perhaps sing...blah, blah, blah. In fact, what you are trying to do is IMPOSSIBLE. No wonder your subconscious mind is balking at the whole thing. OTOH, what do have to lose, really? Does any body really care all that much even if you train wreck? My bandmates just smile at me and keep going. Moral: try not to be so hard on yourself.

For years I've purposely got myself into all sorts of odd performance situations, and one reason for doing so is to break this nerve problem that I have. Sometimes I feel comfortable and have fun. Other times, like last week at the retirement home, I could not get that banjo in tune. It was awful. I hate it. I'm over it now. Keep plugging along.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It takes a village to tune a banjo

Banjov1 - Posted - 05/02/2009:  18:50:39

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This has happened to me a number of times. ESPECIALLY at a church service where you just don't have any immediate warmup time.

FWIW Here's my list o tips

1) If you're in an environment where you have to play multiple songs, try to schedule the easy ones first.
2) Talk to the rest of your band ahead ot time and prep them for mistakes. I've been in situations where they're following me and during practice everything's fine so no one has issues keeping up. But when you mess up for the live performance it can get compounded if everyone's cueing off you for their parts and you get completely lost in flubs. It really helps if they play steady through their parts, especially in early intros, regardless of where you end up.
3) Sometimes at church, I'll put my picks on early and play my knee a little bit before we perform the actual tune.
4) Make sure you're completely warmed up. Not just for the tunes you're about to play, but try to get an hour or two in before the performance of just general practice.
5) If you're using a sound system, try to practice with the sound system. Microphones and monitor issues can completely throw you off, especially if you're not rehearsing with the same equipment.
6) Play in front of easy crowds. I think someone above mentioned nursing homes. That's a great experience if you can get it. Sometimes family get togethers can really help out.
7) Chalk everything up to experience. You will get more comfortable with live performances the more you do it. I've been playing out about once a month lately and even though I'm still relatively new on the banjo and I still mess up (A LOT), I'm able to recover from mishaps a lot easier and I'm feeling a lot more comfortable playing in front of folks than I did last year at this time.

Tony

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Edited by - Banjov1 on 05/02/2009 18:58:10

retiredguy - Posted - 05/02/2009:  18:52:20

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If playing the banjo would wake the dead, I'd have a yard full of Zombies......Keep at it, your are the man and don't let anyone forget it.. You know you can do it.... and for goodness sake , have fun... good luck

Love my banjo.. hope it will someday return the love

Hoss - Posted - 05/02/2009:  20:00:37

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I feel your pain! Check out
http://www.drbanjo.com/instructiona...g-press.html
for some good advice.

Harry

Stringmeister - Posted - 05/02/2009:  20:42:17

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Read "Effortless Mastery" by Kenny Werner...It will take any self conciousness out of the equation, and allow for relaxed confident playing....

Banjo Feller - Posted - 05/02/2009:  20:58:05

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I don't really have no advice because I don't play in front of anyone other than my wife and daughter (and sometimes they are ready to throw things @ me) but I could not help but notice that everyone keeps saying "you're the man" when in fact, I think the poster is female (@least according to her profile)!! The only thing I can suggest is to relax, smile and have fun!!

"Only a sinner saved by GRACE"
God Bless our Nation and our Troops!!
Banjo Feller

RenoStyles - Posted - 05/03/2009:  00:20:10

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Hi Vicki,

A hypnotherapist could help you. Look in yellow pages, pick up the phone and chat to one for more details.

Best wishes,

Martin

millennium3 - Posted - 05/03/2009:  04:55:38

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I'll have to get "Effortless Mastery" too Steve...thanks.
A couple of other good books are "The Inner Game of Music" by Barry Green and "Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art" by Stephen Nachmanovitch.
I look forward to the day when I (and Vicki) stand there calmly in front of others with that Scruggs smile on my face and let God's music flow through my hands enjoying every minute...if I make a mistake...big deal. (I've got a ways to go)

Crutch

Joe Larson - Posted - 05/03/2009:  08:38:09

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I know just what you mean and the term 'Self-Conscious' doesn't even begin to describe it does it? But that's precisely what it is, you're thinking about yourself instead of the music; 'I hope I don't mess up, I hope I can remember the songs, I don't belong here, I'm not good enough, I suck" blah, blah, blah, I, I, I. NOBODY CARES. Play the music for the reasons you've always played the music, because it's fun.

j

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user...&view=videos
I''d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

1four5 - Posted - 05/03/2009:  09:20:52

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I still have a hard time looking out at a room full of people. And I still will turn toward my band mates sometimes at the beginning of a performance, instead of facing the crowd, and then turn towards the people and interact as the jitters go away. I'll do like Joe says, just play the music, because it's fun and I'll just concentrate on that as if we are jamming in the living room. Usually by the end of the first song, I've redescovered that I actually can play somewhat, my fingers still do work, nobody shot me, and they are smiling and clapping. A couple songs in, and you wonder what all the fuss was about inside your head. But even more importantly, I've learned that these feeling and fears are going to come, and recognize them as normal. You get used to then, and then they aren't so bad. You've conquored them every time before, and today isn't any different. Since you now control them, they become fleeting.

Dean

Banjoman - Posted - 05/03/2009:  10:37:30

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quote:

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I could not help but notice that everyone keeps saying "you're the man" when in fact, I think the poster is female...

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"You da Man" has nothing to do with gender but everything with attitude.

Vicki, the more you play on stage, the better you'll feel about it. Don't worry about it...Just get up there and play.

Hugh
Picking since 1964

“...Bobby Thompson? He is the future! He has this whole new style-you can hear the melody! ''Hard Hearted'' ''Dixie Hoedown!'' Oh my!”--- John Updike

Click Here: Banjo Hangout Rules & Guidelines.

Click Here: Bobby Thompson''s Home Page

steve davis - Posted - 05/03/2009:  11:31:45

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Playing more is the cure.

Pool

vmarkant - Posted - 05/03/2009:  16:47:07

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Thank you all for taking the time to reply. I appreciate the advice and will give it a try - one piece of advice at a time - to see what works best.
Peace, Vicki

Just picking up pickin''
Vicki

Catdaddy - Posted - 05/03/2009:  17:08:37

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quote:

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Originally posted by Hoss

I feel your pain! Check out
http://www.drbanjo.com/instructiona...g-press.html
for some good advice.

Harry

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Hey Harry that is some great advice!! Thanks for posting it!

Walt

Richard Dress - Posted - 05/03/2009:  17:23:32

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Most people have the same problem. Even some professionals who have played all their lives have it still. You can make the problem manageable by gaining experience: get your worst screwups behind you. Play a lot of 'little jobs' and jam a lot. Make mistakes in front of people. After a while it won't bother you much anymore and as a consequence you will have fewer train wrecks.

FatManMary - Posted - 05/03/2009:  17:41:19

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Yeah I don't think there's too much you can do other than focus on the tunes or loosen up with something. Even someone like Merle Haggard after all these years is still nervous when he goes out there.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Grand Ole Opry Ain''t So Grand Anymore

http://www.reinstatehank.org/

wrentree - Posted - 05/03/2009:  18:13:03

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I don't get nervous playing my guitar, emceeing a show, calling bids at an auction, but put that banjo in my hands in front of a crowd, big or small and I tend to freeze up. This too shall pass, If you let it. I haven't let it, .................yet

Harold

Ukeridge - Posted - 05/03/2009:  18:20:54

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I knows whereofs you speaks. I found the Wernick stuff incredibly helpful.

I would add that you try to change your mind set: forget about "performing"---nobody listening cars about it the way you do. The audience is not the flip side of your nervousness. Better to get in the mindset (which is lot different than just thinking the words) of "What the hell, I'm just gonna have fun and see what I can do."

Furthermore, it was a great revelation to me when John Hartford said the audience likes to hear flubs. Actaully, they really do! Makes them feel there listening and that they've seen an "event."

"That''s how I roll."
[/quote]

----------------------
"That''s how I roll."

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Edited by - Ukeridge on 05/03/2009 18:21:45

rvrose - Posted - 05/03/2009:  18:32:43

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Pray before you play.

mdgodaat - Posted - 05/04/2009:  04:13:09

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I agree with pretty much all posted replies.

That subconscious thing is what does it. FEAR !!!!!

The bottom line and stigma is that when someone sees you wearing a banjo you immediately expect that everybody expects you to play like Earl or whoever and whip off every song something HOT and 500 gazillion mph.

If seen wearing a banjo they expect that you know how to play it with no mistakes, fast, clean and look cool, etc.

With THAT fear in the back of your mind you cannnot concentrate on all the other potential subconcious problems like fretting, fingering, picking, SPEED, screwing up, etc.

Having fun is not in your mind because of all the other subconscious stuff going on.

RELAX !!!! But how ? Relax right hand while playing. But how ?

If anyone can figure out exactly how to do this with an answer that works they'd be the new banjo God.

Hypnosis ?? Trust me, I have the same problem. It rarely is not there.

I find when you're in a relaxed, no pressure group type jam with players at or around your own playing ability you tend to have more fun and less stress and with that you play better and are more relaxed.

I have never been in a jam session, made a mistake or really flubbed it up and had someone chastise me. But that fear is always STILL there.

Bluegrass in my blood. Now, if I can only get it to my fingers ?

millennium3 - Posted - 05/04/2009:  04:42:06

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There was a post here recently about Mr. Scruggs making a mistake on one of his (Mercury) records...but treating like "I meant to do that" and going on. I was about to post the question "Why didn't they just rerecord it?" and realized...it was live. Perhaps a big key word "Live". The post even talked about people learning the song with the mistake. Might be a lesson here....life is live. What we like about this music is that it's real, it's natural, pure in it's live form. Just like life, mistakes will be made and learned from. Leave the perfection to the studio. Live and enjoy. ( OK, I need to go follow my own advice).

Crutch

Dan-O - Posted - 05/04/2009:  05:38:59

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Vicki, I used to live over in Monroe, still have a few good friends there. For what it's worth, the first time I preached in front of a large crowd was at College of the Ozarks, in 1990, and I was so nervous that I went out and vomited in the shrubbery beforehand. I preached again the next year for the same annual event. I was so nervous that I dropped the microphone down the chancel steps and had to scurry down after it. It was on live radio, to boot. Then I announced that the topic of the sermon was, "I'm having a terrible day." The place fell out in laughter, I felt like I was among humans, and I've never been too nervous since. I think the thing to remember is that people want you to enjoy yourself, play to your ability, and entertain them. They want to share in the music through you, and probably wish they could be up there picking, and wonder how you ever have the nerve to do it...since they never would. So go ahead and play through the music and make mistakes and go on playing, Listen, I baptized a kid with the wrong name once, over in Monroe. The world kept spinning, the sun still shined, and I kept baptizing.

Daniel

"A lie goes half-way around the world while the truth is still tying its shoes."

steve davis - Posted - 05/04/2009:  05:53:59

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People aren't shocked if someone makes a mistake.Mistakes are part of the real world.
Getting all upset is to say "This is unacceptable...I'm too good to make a mistake."Unrealistic.

Pool

goldtopia - Posted - 05/04/2009:  07:47:50

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When playing on your own in front of an audience don't play fancy licks and rolls, keep it simple, these things can take more concentration and the distraction of an audience can put you off. As you become more confident you can do these things, in fact you would want to because after playing simple stuff for a while you will want to show them what you can do, and that will give you a boost. If your playing with a group of others let them take the limelight, later you can show off a bit when you have got used to it. We have all been through it, some more than others.

Bill.O

www.bluegrassminstrels.co.uk

jitaylor - Posted - 05/04/2009:  08:01:16

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quote:

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Originally posted by millennium3

Same problem here...I may need to start at the cemetery.

Crutch

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Funny!!

millennium3 - Posted - 05/04/2009:  08:01:32

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I like Matt's comment about straping on a banjo and everyone expecting you to blast away. That one thing has hindered me for years. With a guitar you can go anywhere and stay on the fringes just strumming. We've chosen an instrument that many (myself included sadly - tho I'm begining to rethink that) think you can either play or not...no in between. Not reality.

I wonder how gunslingers in the old west practiced? Another one of those you're either good or not. Thankfully with a banjo you can miss now and then but return for another high noon.

Crutch

vmarkant - Posted - 05/04/2009:  14:04:51

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Well if the audience likes to hear flubs, I made them very happy.

Just picking up pickin''
Vicki

MTBanjo - Posted - 05/04/2009:  15:31:41

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Good posts. Really, I know when I'm in an audience, seeing one or all of them at the same time mess up, pick it right back up & continue playing while looking at each other and laughing about it...I love that. If you make a mistake you move along and laugh about it, because you can take it in stride and you're confident. Confident doesn't mean you don't screw up, it means you're comfortable enough with yourself that it's ok with you that you screw up. When an audience sees that you can screw up & laugh about it, they laugh, and when you see that they're laughing WITH you, and not AT you, you'll loosen up & realize everything's fine, mistakes or not, and you'll have a lot better time.

But even the pros get nervous. If you aren't nervous before playing in front of people, there's something wrong with you.

Zach

ibapicker - Posted - 05/05/2009:  07:48:39

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Get on 100 stages (events to play at) as fast as possiable, Rest home, Churches, sidewalks dog house openings. Play everywhere you can and it will get better for you. It will make you a better picker as well.
and don't forget to SMILE ( ;>)

The key to happiness is wanting what you''ve been blessed with.

http://summitgrass.com/
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cf...ID=225959996

gjt1028 - Posted - 05/05/2009:  09:26:02

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Met John McEuen after a concert (not long after he split from the NGDB). Got loads of good advice on a variety of subjects (not all musical). Best was on live performing: "The audience is rooting for you. Your job is not to p#ss 'em off." If you know going in that the audience is on your side, an incredible amount of pressure goes away.

Greg

ac5aa - Posted - 05/05/2009:  11:48:10

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I'll second the suggestion made at least once previously above - go to a nursing/retirement home near you and play for the folks there. My little band has been doing this now for six months and it has helped our nerves, and the folks really enjoy it. When we first went we were so nervous we muffed every song, but they never seemed to notice. Now we play a lot better and they still appreciate us! :-)

Duane C.
Sullivan Greenbrier, Gibson RB-250

david in ky - Posted - 05/05/2009:  13:33:54

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Hi Vicki, heck, the way I look at it, when you make a mistake half the people don't even know it and the other half don't care. Back when I used to play golf, no matter how bad you were playing you could always look around and see someone playing worse than you............as far as "You Da Man" this comes to mind............................http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oof60kDFqAc

tinkersdam - Posted - 10/19/2009:  10:12:39

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I was the world's worst when it came to freezing up in front of folks.    Started out on the wrong foot in grade school doing 'oral reports'....got paniciky and was told to go 'sit down!' by the teacher and got an 'F' for the report.   Never quite got over that.    However.... life went on and I ended up in a profession where I had to do frequent technical presentations to conference halls full of cocky 'professionals'.     After a few 'duds' (or so I thought) I finally realized my best preparation was to stand in front of a big mirror and actually do my entire presentation 'live'....in front of the mirror.     I watched my own facial expressions....  If I screwed up... it showed in my face... so I worked on 'recovering' with a smile instead of an 'eee-gads teeth clenched' expression...., I listened to myself...tone, expression, speed etc... made corrections to that too....    If you don't act like you made a mistake... most people won't catch it.     Learn to be comfortable in your own mistakes.... that's life... it happens.... just acknowledge it, correct/compensate as best you can....and move on......

But #1 is always.... KNOW WHAT YOU PLAY... and only PLAY WHAT YOU KNOW... never try anything 'new' on stage.

Dee


I can get 'er up to 120.... but any more than that and I'm gonna be roadkill on the bluegrass highway.

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Edited by - tinkersdam on 10/19/2009 10:17:09

BrianBanjos - Posted - 10/19/2009:  13:52:50

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My 2 cents (worth less after inflation)

I think you have to identify what you're afraid of. Is it mistakes? (everyone makes them) It is that people won't like what you're doing? (some will, some won't). Are you in over your head (step back, practice and make ready..). I've started to perform in public a little bit here and there with a good friend. We practice practice practice but in the end things happen. You try to do your best but yesterday I revesed two verses of a song in front of seventy people. Probably no one even knew I did it.

I played Salt Creek pretty sloppy , I thought, by my current standards ( not intentionally but somehow the tempo got away from us) but it must have sounded OK because the Cripple Creek / Salt Creek medly we did got good applause. Which is not to say that I'm so wonderful that my mistakes sound great..just that anyone of us is probably never as "bad" as we think we are. Also..enthusiasm and engaging the crowd with some banter or eye contact and a smile go a long way here. This is fun right? Look like you're having fun. Fun is contagous.

Once you've got a good number of performances under your belt you start to think of it as "just something you do" or "going to work" (but not in a bad I have to spend ten hours in my grey cube sort of way...). You take the bad with the mostly good and keep on keeping on. It's a fair bet that every poster on this forum loves live music but you really don't get an appreciation of how much people do love it until you've been on stage, especially in the small settings where most of us will be whether a church, party, small coffee shop and such like.

Get used to playing for people you know. You'll see them again. When they start asking why you didn't bring your banjo to the party you know you can have any crowd of strangers in the palm of your hand.

Happy Pickin'
Brian Daniels
Deering Goodtime II
Deering Deluxe
No-Name Asian Rat from dear old Dad
Seagull Mini Jumbo vintage burst cedar and cherry
Tacoma DR-28 Herringbone
Fender Standard Telecaster

Erbus - Posted - 10/19/2009:  14:30:18

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Last Aug. at a Bluegrass camp I signed up for the band scramble. You play a simple song with some other musicians you've never played with before. It came to my break and I completely crashed and burned, hardly hit the strings, shaking like a leaf, sweating etc.
I kept thinking I have no excuse for this, I've played in bands in front of lots of people but NEVER a banjo.
This year another band scramble, another year of pickin under my belt and it went GREAT!
Playing in front of people definately helps and tons of practice really helps.

Terry
"We all need something to believe in, I believe I'll have another beer"

JackJack - Posted - 10/19/2009:  14:58:12

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I found that if I walk around and talk to people, strangers especially, I'll completely relax. Sometimes doing some sort of exercise helps too, but it's harder to explain why you're doing push-ups, than to just say "How's it going?" to somebody.

MTBanjo - Posted - 10/19/2009:  15:20:21

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Who decided to bring this thread back from the dead?

I'd like to know if the original poster has had better luck recently...

Zach

PBGuardsman - Posted - 10/19/2009:  16:20:42

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haha wow that was a while ago.

I found it helpful to play in front of a crowd with a lot of other musicians onstage. That way one can duck back if one is messing up, and wait to regain one's confidence.

"But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, 'Why have you made me like this'?" Romans 9:20 (NRSV)

Tam_Zeb - Posted - 10/19/2009:  16:47:50

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Hi Vicki

Welcome to the Hangout.. Judging by the number of resposes of support your not alone when the nerves kick in. I played along with my jaming group for the very first time in 1 year 6 mths this evening. I can handle the singing but the banjo well that's another story..



Regards Tam

Picking a Fender FB 58 and PROUD to describe myself as a Student of the Murphy Method

KidfromDeliverance - Posted - 10/19/2009:  17:53:40

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I hadn't done this in a while (and only once at that), but yesterday I went to the park with the banjo, just to get a little people-exposure to my playing. I'm not in any band, but I knew I needed to deal with nerves even in the slow/moderate jams I'd been attending this year. I'm okay with playing around in the background, of course, and that's valuable in itself, but I'd never take a real lead. Got to break out of it sometime.

Anyway, I avoided the main city park after seeing another guy with a guitar already there (wasn't ready to get into a "thing" with anyone - just needed to be where other humans could theoretically hear me play!). Found another, smaller park, a few kids running around, others playing touch football. Found a bench not too close to the other activity, and made sure I was turned away from them. Just dipping in a little toe, no hurry. Even that much got to me, though; I could play, but the hands were pretty shaky. I figure like anything, it's just a matter of getting used to it - too bad winter's on the way, I should really do this every week.

Some guy hit my fender the other day, and I said unto him, "Be fruitful, and multiply." But not in those words.
- Woody Allen |

gdoc - Posted - 10/19/2009:  21:58:20

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I have the same problem, but I realize it's from the excitement of a dream coming ture.... doesn't help, but enjoy the excitement anyway. Your there, and like others said "your the man/woman" And remember above all, they don't know when you make a mistake..... you just improvised.

gdoc