Argh! Performing at a gig in less than a week!!

[Trawler]

Ok, so I let myself be talked into performing at an open mic folk evening in Winchester next Tuesday (3rd April I think?) with my friend on fiddle and her brother on guitar.

We're playing Star of the Country Down first with fiddle and whistle on melody. I can do that one. Then we're playing Swallowtail Jig with her on melody and me backing up on fiddle.

...then we're playing Flowers of Edinburgh with me on melody and her on backing. To put it bluntly, I'm sh*ting a brick with nerves.

I've practiced FoE for a few weeks now, albeit at a slower speed, and have few problems there - but the pace we practiced was faster, and I find I'm missing notes and losing my place. I've memorised the tune but sometimes I find I'm forgetting a few bars, which then puts me off until I can pick up again a few bars later or even at the next repetition. I'm thinking of asking if we can practice it a bit slower, maybe even perform it a bit slower. What do people think?

Obviously fluffing my part is not acceptable for a live performance, so...

I know I need to practice more, but does anyone have any tips for overcoming nerves?

Thanks
-Trawler

[Peter Duggan]

I'm thinking of asking if we can practice it a bit slower, maybe even perform it a bit slower. What do people think?

Dunno what speed you're taking it (?), but bear in mind that it's a Scots Measure rather than a reel and normally taken/sounding best a little slower.

[Innocent Bystander]

There a lot to be said for being able to play with a few drinks inside you. I am sure you will be fine. Open Mike Evenings are friendly occasions, and forgiving ones, in my experience. When I've made a particularly bad howler - and by the gods, I have - I comfort myself with the understanding that poor performances at Open Mike Evenings encourage other performers, even if it's only with "I could do better than THAT!"
Most people are their own worst critic. The ones who aren't are intolerable. Take it easy, and take it easy.

[MTGuru]

Obviously fluffing my part is not acceptable for a live performance, so...

Why not??? That's the thing ... it is acceptable. And you need to believe that. You're human, not a robot (at least I'm assuming so!). Great players make mistakes all the time. You don't notice because they also know how to recover. They just keep going. You can do the same!

Take your open mike as a great learning experience. Practice enough to have confidence in the mechanical details, so you won't worry about those. Count on your playing mates to carry you through any rough spots; they're on your side. And tell the audience up front that you're nervous; chances are very good they'll be on your side, too.

Good luck!

[muso]

As someone who has shared your terror I can sympathise.
The first few moment's were always the worst, so take a few
mins to warm up your digits then they will feel like fingers
rather than blocks of wood! Try and remember that you love playing
and are there (like everyone) to have a good time!
Before you know it you will be soaking up the applause
and wondering why you were so worried!
Have fun and blow them away!!

[hoopy mike]

I'd be more concerned if you weren't nervous about it - it's the natural reaction to standing up and performing. Try using that nervous energy and just go for it. If you really can't play one of the tunes, then leave it out of the set and leave them wanting more.

[Trawler]

I'm thinking of asking if we can practice it a bit slower, maybe even perform it a bit slower. What do people think?

Dunno what speed you're taking it (?), but bear in mind that it's a Scots Measure rather than a reel and normally taken/sounding best a little slower.

Thanks for the advice Peter! I practiced it this morning at a slower speed (without accompaniment), and I can manage it just fine. I've asked my friends if they mind playing slower, so we'll see what happens at the next rehearsel.

-Trawler

[jiminos]

advice for nerves.... the only person putting pressure and expectations on your playing is, most likely, you. so... instead of thinking about what you MUST do or not do... just go to have fun and hang out. There is a chance that most people in the audience do not know you, so you needn't worry about what they think or will say (cuz you won't be seeing them again.) and there is a very high likelihood that the other performers there will be so caught up in their own stage nerves that you won't even exist as far as they can tell.... have fun.... then come back and tell us about the success and the adventure!

be well

jim

[highwood]

One of my first music teachers told me that you should be a little nervous performing, that if ever you were not then you should stop playing!

Of course there is a big difference between 'a little nervous' and nervous - too much is definitely bad. Playing performances helps (especially if they go well), and knowing the music helps.

Practice slow enough that you can play the music perfectly - you might be surprised who much faster you can play in a performance with the nerves and adrenalin kicking if your fingers are totally sure of what they going to do.

I find that the tunes I know well enough that when I practice I can stare out the window, think about planting my garden or that I have to mow the lawn, and the notes just 'play themselves' are most likely with just a little bit of attention going to go perfectly in performance and will survive the screaming little kid, the goof by your fellow musicians, looking at the audience and interacting with them, the whatever.

Not making a big fuss of any mistakes, playing through, keeping the tempo and the audience will likely miss the mistakes and just enjoy the music - now playing for an audition is different because they're probably not there to enjoy themselves.

And if someone comes to you after the performance and tells you how wonderful it was say thank you and enjoy that they enjoyed it - Do this even if, especially if, you thought you did not play well - they enjoyed the music, you created it, job well done.

[mutepointe]

Here is something that I learned on this forum.

I always just thought when a peformer had their eyes closed they were really cool and totally in the groove. It never crossed my mind until someone posted that the performer may be totally nervous and it's helping.

I think it still makes them look cool and I started playing with my eyes closed too.

Enjoy yourself no matter how you do. That's the point of music.

Please let us know how it goes.

[plunk111]

There ARE people (I am one) who suffer from performance anxiety that cannot be controlled by anything other than medication. Lots of people give all kinds of advice about how it's all in your head, etc. Well, I tried all the methods and even went to seminars, etc. Turns out (shock!) that there are people who need to use some sort of "extra" help. We can't discuss medication on this sight, but you can surely discuss this with your physician (mention "beta blocker" and he/she will know what you're talking about). Good luck!

Pat

[MBalance]

This is a bit different from your situation but a few years back I was HORRID at dealing with social situations. In a group of people standing at the bank I'd feel all jittery and anxious for absolutely no reason. Logically I knew it was big deal to be around people but emotionally it was like a train wreck.

After a large amount of annoyance and frustration I decided to start conversing with people at random/saying hello to everyone I could and chatting with anyone who wanted to talk(I was probably a bit excessive). After a bit of that, reading and studying public speaking books, practicing persuasion, door to door sales, telemarketing sales- I'm now doing public speaking at seminars in front of large crowds

Point being: If I can do it. YOU can do it. You've just gotta put yourself out there. Start up a webcam chat with someone and play your whistle, play in front of your family and friends, do whatever it takes to make you comfortable. It will be painful at first but you will evolve. Good luck

[Blaydo]

Yeah I know how you feel, last year was the first time I played behind a mic and that was in front of 300 people here in Ireland where everyone knows the tunes and songs. I was nervous as hell before going on, but the minute we started playing I totally relaxed. It doesn't matter if you miss a few notes as there's no set rule for what notes must be included in a tune, for all the audience know you could be just doing a variation. The secret is just to keep going with the tune, recover as quickly as possible and no one will even notice. That's a skill in itself which I'm starting to get good at!

Anyway, don't worry, you'll be grand! When it's all over you'll be wondering what all the fuss was about and you'll be looking forward to your next gig. We all had to get over that first hurdle.

[pancelticpiper]

Wow I don't know if I would want to play Flowers of Edinburgh like that... that tune goes at a pretty fast clip, at least the way it's played for dancing.

You can't talk them into you playing melody on a jig, or air?

Really the only solution is practice, practice, practice.

Do you practice with a metronome? It really helps. Many people, myself included, find that practicing with a metronome helps them memorise tunes more quickly, as well as playing with a stronger sense of timing, and with stronger technique.

Practice the tune slowly to the click until you have it very solidly, then begin speeding up the clicks, gradually, say over a half-hour period, until finally you're playing the tune faster than you'll ever have to actually perform it. Then slow it back down again, to slower than you'll actually perform it, to clean up various timing or technique issues which have probably crept into your playing.

Why take a tune faster than the speed you think of as the ideal performance speed? Because it's very common in live performances for things to start getting very fast, faster than the performers realise. But when that happens, you won't be struggling! No, you will be at ease, because you have practiced the tune at every speed, and can play it comfortably at any speed.

About performance anxiety, it's very common in the Pipe Band scene, and you'll see many pipers eating bananas right before competing. Many people pop beta blockers before going in front of the judge.

[hoopy mike]

About performance anxiety, it's very common in the Pipe Band scene, and you'll see many pipers eating bananas right before competing. Many people pop beta blockers before going in front of the judge.

It maybe worth adding a rider that you're not recommending the beta blockers...