Lose my chops on stage!!

[contiContiCONTI]

Hey everyone!

been getting really frustrated recently as when I play at home or even in rehearsals, I love the way I play and think I sound great, but that’s not the case as soon as I stop on stage.

on stage I completely forget where notes are, I’m unable to improvise and my fingers just move automatically.

no matter how much I practice. On stage the lost terrible stuff comes out.

anyone shares this same problem? Ideas on how to fix it?

 

[Seashore]

Make sure you warm up before the set, make sure you can hear and see everything you need to, try to relax, focus on your bandmates instead of the audience, remember that nobody's going to notice most of the mistakes you make, and the more you do it the easier it gets.

 

[Mincer]

Also, make sure you get some practice in while standing (of you stand when performing) and without direct eye contact with all the band members (if your band sets up traditionally). Rehearsing and practicing sitting might put your wrists at different angles when standing- it shouldn't, but it is common with lots of players. Your body's relationship to the guitar is different, so you play differently. Add in sound issues at a typical live show (that you are not running the sound for), and it is a recipe for losing confidence.

 

[Securb]

If you are playing at home sitting down then play live with a low-slung guitar you will not have the same wrist angle. As Mincer said play more standing up and play around with the strap length.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Get drunk first....been doing it almost 30 years.. It never fails...

Last night I played w/ a dislocated ankle (booze + painkillers!) ...yes, it was trippy :bigthumb:

 

[contiContiCONTI]

Thank you for all the advice.

i would like to add though. I don’t think it’s a physical thing. In the sense that im warmed up and the playing atabding up doesn’t really feel different. It’s more of a mental thing. Like as if I suddenly forget everything I know how to play and no melodic or licks come to my mind in that moment.

 

[ICTGoober]

This might come off harsh... you keep saying "I".... Suggest you start listening to the guys in your band while playing, and think about how to propel the song along, and give everyone else a chance to contribute. Playing music with a group is supposed to be a musical conversation (even cover tunes). Honestly, the best times I ever had on stage was when we were listening to each other, and the music ended up playing US instead of the other way around.

 

[Mincer]

Thank you for all the advice.

i would like to add though. I don’t think it’s a physical thing. In the sense that im warmed up and the playing atabding up doesn’t really feel different. It’s more of a mental thing. Like as if I suddenly forget everything I know how to play and no melodic or licks come to my mind in that moment.

Well, then I'd think it is just a matter of making everything second nature. I can rely on muscle memory, and still do a respectable show, but it won't be remarkable. But there are so many distractions when playing live, from the sound not being right to the cute girl in the front row that you can't concentrate on every note like you can in practice.

 

[jeremy]

dont get drunk before you play, thats bad advice. it makes your playing sloppy regardless of what people will tell you. some dont care about that though.

if its a nerves/mental thing, it takes time and practice to over come that. there is no quick fix as far a i know. i played last night and the sound was trash, but people told me it was the best live show they had seen recently. if you arent used to playing in front of people, it can be intimidating.

as far as improvising, what are you talking about? just solos? if so, work something out and practice that until you can nail it five times in a row. bring that on stage and keep playing that until you can nail it on stage. once you can do that, then you can try improvising a little from that framework.

 

[Seashore]

This might come off harsh... you keep saying "I".... Suggest you start listening to the guys in your band while playing, and think about how to propel the song along, and give everyone else a chance to contribute. Playing music with a group is supposed to be a musical conversation (even cover tunes). Honestly, the best times I ever had on stage was when we were listening to each other, and the music ended up playing US instead of the other way around.

This does come off a bit harsh and not necessarily responsive to the problem he's having. Stage fright sucks. Focusing on the band (or maybe the drummer, whatever helps) is a good idea, and definitely tune out the audience until he gains some confidence, but I didn't get the sense from his post that he's trying to go nuts and step all over the song. I find that it's really easy to lose my place in a lead section if I'm nervous or having trouble hearing something, and it's hard to get back on the horse. Frustrating.

OP, I don't know what style of music you're playing, but maybe it would be a good idea to figure out your parts for these songs in advance and rehearse them, so you know exactly what you're going to play instead of reaching for improv? Work on the improv stuff in situations where you feel comfortable, and build up your repertoire of ideas, and you'll get there if you stick with it.

 

[Securb]

Remind yourself that you have earned the right to be on that stage with long hours of prep and practice. Also, the people in the audience are there because you have something to offer them musically. Loosen up and have some fun onstage with your bandmates and the audience. If you make a mistake...it happens to al of us. I saw Victor Wooten totally fumble on stage he started laughing and the audience gave him a standing ovation. Brush yourself off and play the next lick. None of us amateurs or the top of the top professionals have flawless performances. Lastly, I agree with Jeremy, alcohol will not make things better, more likely worse.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

dont get drunk before you play, thats bad advice. it makes your playing sloppy regardless of what people will tell you. some dont care about that though.

if its a nerves/mental thing, it takes time and practice to over come that. there is no quick fix as far a i know. i played last night and the sound was trash, but people told me it was the best live show they had seen recently. if you arent used to playing in front of people, it can be intimidating.

as far as improvising, what are you talking about? just solos? if so, work something out and practice that until you can nail it five times in a row. bring that on stage and keep playing that until you can nail it on stage. once you can do that, then you can try improvising a little from that framework.

That's "advice". Period. That's why I put up the clip. Nothing wrong with it performance-wise & if you'll notice , & yep, no one complained at the end. As Securb said it's about loosening up and having fun (though he disagree's w/ the rest/ most important part, cuz eh, that's just "wrong" :laugh2 . Not everyone experiences the flying fingers sober.

Just don't knock it till you've tried it...who knows...

I used to be just like the OP where I'd freeze, go blank and panic...

Poison was the cure ( = 30 yrs of drunken onstage bliss & flying fingers :bigthumb


No idea what the OP's age is ..but if he's into 70's/80s or even 90's rock & metal (and you could add blues & Jazz to that as well) ...chances are pretty much nil that any of his idols from that era ever hit the stage even remotely sober :lmao:

Something to maybe figure in as well :bigthumb:

 

[Mincer]

I wouldn't recommend anyone hit the stage in any other state but sober. But is this a case of nerves? Stage fright?

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Well there's drunk.....

& there's drunk...

The trick is finding the 'sweet spot' :bigthumb:

 

[GuitarStv]

It's scary to play on stage in front of people. There are specific things that your body does when it's terrified - it pumps adrenalin and cortisol into your system, priming your body for fight/flight response. One of the side effects of this is that fine motor skills become less effective and more difficult, creative thinking is harder, and concentration is more difficult. Anything that isn't deeply engrained in your mind/body isn't going to work very well. This is why when you're boxing (just as an example) you spend so much drilling and hitting pads before a match. The first shot in the face you panic and most of your fancy movement disappears. It makes getting into that relaxed, comfortable state that the best playing comes from very difficult.

So the initial key is to avoid improvisation and any complex guitar part that you don't have down cold forward and backwards. You want to reduce thinking and fine motor skills so you can focus on controlling your fear for a little bit. Once you have enough shows under your belt it starts to feel more normal and your body will start to relax a bit more - this reduces that 'terrified hormone' dump thing that's going on and is when you'll start to sound more like yourself.

It's not an uncommon shortcut for people to use drugs/alcohol to try to avoid facing their fears. I wouldn't recommend doing this - because the more you use it as a crutch, the less able you'll be able to function musically without them. It is also easy to over do things and simply introduce more impediments to being able to play properly. There's nothing wrong with having a beer when playing a show once you're comfortable playing sober, but it shouldn't be done as a shortcut solution to try to fix your own fear. That and pretty much all booze in any quantity is bad for you. You're going to be better off long term if you reduce the times you imbibe over your lifetime.

 

[dotsdad]

Instead of getting drunk, ask your doctor about a class of prescription medications called "beta blockers." They basically prevent your body from going into the fight-or-flight mode and experiencing the symptoms GuitsrStv described above.

 

[ErikH]

Man, I've been there. I still get nervous getting on stage, mostly at new venues. After the first song all is good. A couple tips I can give: One, if you are thinking about what to play next, don't. Just play, stay in key, and flow with the music. That's more authentic than thinking about whether the next phrase is going to sound right or not. Second, if you have a lot on the floor, simplify your rig. I don't know about you, but I play better without having to think about if this pedal is on or if that effect is dialed in right.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

It's scary to play on stage in front of people. There are specific things that your body does when it's terrified - it pumps adrenalin and cortisol into your system, priming your body for fight/flight response. One of the side effects of this is that fine motor skills become less effective and more difficult,creative thinking is harder, and concentration is more difficult. Anything that isn't deeply engrained in your mind/body isn't going to work very well. This is why when you're boxing (just as an example) you spend so much drilling and hitting pads before a match. The first shot in the face you panic and most of your fancy movement disappears. It makes getting into that relaxed, comfortable state that the best playing comes from very difficult.

So the initial key is to avoid improvisation and any complex guitar part that you don't have down cold forward and backwards. You want to reduce thinking and fine motor skills so you can focus on controlling your fear for a little bit. Once you have enough shows under your belt it starts to feel more normal and your body will start to relax a bit more - this reduces that 'terrified hormone' dump thing that's going on and is when you'll start to sound more like yourself.

It's not an uncommon shortcut for people to use drugs/alcohol to try to avoid facing their fears. I wouldn't recommend doing this - because the more you use it as a crutch, the less able you'll be able to function musically without them. It is also easy to over do things and simply introduce more impediments to being able to play properly. There's nothing wrong with having a beer when playing a show once you're comfortable playing sober, but it shouldn't be done as a shortcut solution to try to fix your own fear. That and pretty much all booze in any quantity is bad for you. You're going to be better off long term if you reduce the times you imbibe over your lifetime.

Honestly, and as someone who pretty much only improvises solo's...whether it's on stage or anywhere else the less you "think" when you're playing the better. The flow is better, the melodies are better, the motor functioning works better & the whole fucking solo is better. Of course my claiming this fact caused a whole lot of derision, name calling & finger pointing until I pointed out that that's exactly what a bunch of other 'famous'/well known players who improvise all day long say as well (posting YT interviews in which they say so clearly/explicitly/repeatedly to avoid further confusion). Which eventually caused things to die down..

Personally I like to be at the stage where I'm maybe just a bit unsteady on my feet but still able to set things up, adjust my amp, plug in my guitar right, communicate w/ bandmates etc..that's my personal sweet spot.... it does'nt affect my speed or motor functions at all..

I don't don't really know how I'd function without alchohol onstage....the fun part is never finding out

Crutch or not ..who cares? Religion is a crutch, politics ..everything really ..everyone has their crutches. Why not use one that actually helps you achieve a goal instead of fucking everyone & dividing everyone up around you instead..

 

[Securb]

It's scary to play on stage in front of people.

My first few gigs I was uncertain about what the experience would be, but I was never scared. I have played with guys who had horrible stage fright and the more they played the less it affected them. I would say just keep pushing, have fun and the "yips" will eventually go away.

The yips is an informal term for a movement disorder that causes involuntary muscle spasms in the wrists when attempting a specific movement. It's most commonly associated with golfers, but can also affect other athletes, such as those who play baseball, cricket, darts, archery, or bowling.

The yips can be caused by a number of factors, including:

Anxiety
Anxiety can worsen the yips, causing athletes to become so self-focused that their ability to perform is impaired​

 

[jeremy]

Honestly, and as someone who pretty much only improvises solo's...whether it's on stage or anywhere else the less you "think" when you're playing the better. The flow is better, the melodies are better, the motor functioning works better & the whole ****ing solo is better. Of course my claiming this fact caused a whole lot of derision, name calling & finger pointing until I pointed out that that's exactly what a bunch of other 'famous'/well known players who improvise all day long say as well (posting YT interviews in which they say so clearly/explicitly/repeatedly to avoid further confusion). Which eventually caused things to die down..

Personally I like to be at the stage where I'm maybe just a bit unsteady on my feet but still able to set things up, adjust my amp, plug in my guitar right, communicate w/ bandmates etc..that's my personal sweet spot.... it does'nt affect my speed or motor functions at all..

a bunch of famous people being drunk or high on stage doesnt mean shit. there are videos of famous bands on stage messed up and they sound like garbage. i drink when i play, sometimes more than i should, and if i listen back to the recordings, i can tell. maybe no one else can, but i sure can. keef drunk on stage? sloppy. morrison drunk on stage? a mess. a lot of 80s bands sounded like trash on stage, no one cared cause the audience was as messed up as the band and there wasnt the glut of video that there is today. zakk wild has stage beers, which very little actually gets drank, most of it gets sprayed or spilled, its a show. by its very nature, alcohol effects your motor function. most people think they play better when altered, but thats just not true.

i agree that overthinking is bad, but there are better ways to avoid it than being drunk