Need 'warm-up'advice

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Need 'warm-up' advice

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britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

Need 'warm-up' advice

Occasionally I get invited to play solo at a local folk club. (More out of sympathy than respect I think?).

Located in very small premises with no space or facility to 'warm-up' before playing. Just take the guitar out of the case, make sure its in tune, and on you go.

Maybe O.K. for folkie-style playing, but less than ideal for an old creep trying to preach a little basic flamenco to the uninitiated - and generally uninterested. . .

Invariably I screw up the frist few phrases through being 'cold'. And that usually causes me to start speeding up through nervousness.

I'm wondering if some of you guys who perform a lot in public might have any advice for loosening up the fingers, and warming up to playing speed, without having to actually play on the guitar?

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 14:44:42

Morante

Posts: 2178
Joined: Nov. 21 2010

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

Have a copa of moscatel and chat with the locals first.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 16:04:26

Morante

Posts: 2178
Joined: Nov. 21 2010

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to Morante)

And play something simple like fandangos first.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 16:05:40

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

warm up on stage with something libre.

also this....
http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=138798&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=&tmode=&smode=&s=#138798

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 16:10:46

Bulerias2005

Posts: 632
Joined: Jul. 10 2010
From: Minneapolis, MN

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

Honestly, in my experience, I've never had to warm up before a concert or any kind of live performance, but I think it's because I take 15-20 minutes before a performance to just run through basic stuff like a random scale passage or repeated rasgueados. Nothing that's ever set in stone really. I realize that's not very helpful though. Usually I think it's best to start with a slower number, perhaps a tarantas or a granainas or a rondena, and then segue into something faster. Paco does this, for example -- he either plays a rondena that he ends por bulerias, or he starts with a medley of his pieces that includes a slower fandangos that eventually speeds up.

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Daniel Volovets
Jazz, Classical, Flamenco, & Latin-American Guitar
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 16:43:23

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to at_leo_87)

quote:

also this....
http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=138798&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=&tmode=&smode=&s=#138798

This was pretty good. Thanks.

(Some of this stuff looks quite tiring. Not sure if it wouldn't exhaust all my energy before playing , though? )

But I'll certainly give it a go!

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 17:19:19

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

quote:

(Some of this stuff looks quite tiring. Not sure if it wouldn't exhaust all my energy before playing , though? )

It can be very tiring if you are not used to it! I would just cut down on the number of repetitions.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 17:40:31

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

how much do you play during the day before going out to the club?

i usually do 20-30 minutes warm-up/technique practise after breakfast, then 30-40 minutes playing after lunch, so if I go out to play in the evening I don't usually really need to "warm-up" too much.

take the advice to start off with something libre.... but also make sure it is something easy, that you know really well.

quote:

Invariably I screw up the frist few phrases through being 'cold'. And that usually causes me to start speeding up through nervousness.

you need to work on that, because it doesn't matter how "warm" you think you are, a little mistake can then set you off to start speeding up, making more mistakes etc. etc.

Focus on your breathing before and during playing to make sure firstly that you have enough oxygen, and secondly to keep calm. Don't worry about little slips, stay calm and focused. Keep your mind on the task at hand (ie. playing the next note!). Nervousness is firstly a state of mind, which you need to get a grip on, and secondly a series of physical responses that you can largely prevent.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 19:30:46

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to mark indigo)

quote:

how much do you play during the day before going out to the club?

Usually quite a bit. Several hours or so. And I wonder sometimes if that is necessarily a good thing? I've heard some people say they perform better with no immediate previous practice.

No matter how much I practice beforehand, I always seem to get a bit edgy when they start sticking those mikes in my face and in front of the soundhole of my guitar.

I guess if I played in public more often I wouldn't get those jitters.

Never used to get them years ago, when I played in clubs several times a week. But in those days we hardly ever had mikes, etc. Strictly accoustic. . .

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 20:08:39

Erik van Goch

Posts: 1787
Joined: Jul. 17 2012
From: Netherlands

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

You can move your fingers in a similar way without actually playing a guitar...just move them in the air or, even better, on an object of your preference (the other arm or hand, your legs, other parts of your body or the guitar case you are holding). Also you can play a couple of nice notes/chords to "try out the sound" before you actually start to play your first pice.... but it probably will only delay that awkward moment of starting the first pice and you must make clear the "soundcheck" is over and the show has started (unless you integrate those first "let's get acquainted" notes in the actual pice).

One of my better public performances (and the first one involving my conde) involved the very demanding Peteneras of Paco Peña. I had no time to play for days but i used every opportunity to move my fingers like described above. But more important, i practiced the piece over and over again in my head mentally (the notes, the interpretation, the left/right hand fingering etc.....i actually pictured myself entering the stage, positioning my guitar/hands and successfully performing the pice note by note)....don't think i can do that very easily at precent day but 20 years ago that was the way i preferred to study half of the time anyway.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 21:24:52

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

quote:

No matter how much I practice beforehand, I always seem to get a bit edgy when they start sticking those mikes in my face and in front of the soundhole of my guitar.

it's probably not warming up that's the problem then, it's the getting edgy.... relax! breath, stay calm and focused. Keep your mind on the task at hand

Erik's advice about mental practise is good, you can keep doing that right up to when you start to play.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 21:36:55

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

quote:

Need 'warm-up' advice

works!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 9 2012 21:48:23

kudo

Posts: 2064
Joined: Sep. 3 2009

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

quote:

I'm wondering if some of you guys who perform a lot in public might have any advice for loosening up the fingers, and warming up to playing speed, without having to actually play on the guitar?

ya, use a vibrator

....
really, what i do, is palmas , drink something hot, and do pushups for a bit, get the blood moving....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 1:16:40

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

I drink

there's this really delicate line between loosened up and too drunk to play well.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 1:36:20

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

just wanted to add something else. i've found that the more i think about getting warmed up, the worse i play.

some of the best gigs i've ever played, i had no warm up time. i was just in a good mood. so i think being relaxed is key here. it's more of a mental game.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 7:23:52

machopicasso

Posts: 972
Joined: Nov. 27 2010

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

quote:

I'm wondering if some of you guys who perform a lot in public might have any advice for loosening up the fingers

I'm not performing regularly in public, but one thing I do to loosen the fingers before I practice is a little stretching of the fingers; especially those on the right hand. I stretch each of the three knuckles on each finger for 5-10 seconds. That helps both to loosen them up before practicing and alleviate pressure after practicing (as opposed to "cracking" the knuckles).

You might want to experiment around with some of these other stretches and see what feels useful: http://www.fingeryoga.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 7:48:28

NormanKliman

Posts: 1143
Joined: Sep. 1 2007

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

quote:

so i think being relaxed is key here. it's more of a mental game.

I agree, and part of that involves sensible diet (easily digestible foods and avoiding too much caffeine) and sufficient rest before your performance. But you can't count of being relaxed (unexpected problems, etc.) Before exercises and mental strategies, you should at least stretch, especially if you're getting on in years. (I see that machopicasso has already posted on stretching.) I don't know if this will work for others, but what I do is a motion that you might use if you were painting a wall: Hold out your hand, palm outward and fingers pointing up, as if you were placing it on a wall. Slowly lower your arm but keep your wrist bent (bend your hand back even further if possible), as if you were pressing the heel of your hand on the wall. Spread your fingers as you do this. If you're built like me, you should feel a stretching of all the fibers, maybe even a slight burning sensation. Bring your fingertips together and bend your hand back the other way on the upstroke.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 8:08:32

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

Giving your fingers a good massage and some light streches helps.
The most important thing that happens when you get nervous is that you loose connection with your body. In this case, the fingers. You go all mental and stay up there in the brain and then your playing suffers deeply. A good massage helps you get warm hands and connect with the fingers.
And playing a lot during the day doesnt help to much. I prefer doing something like what Mark Indigo wrote.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 8:10:10

Stu

Posts: 2521
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

warming up is a strange one for me. Ive noticed that sometimes my hand feel the most adept first thing in the morning! ...when I've been awake like half hour or so....anyone else get that? I'm not sure what could cause that...unless i'm warming up in my sleep!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 10:35:15

tele

Posts: 1464
Joined: Aug. 17 2012

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to Stu)

1 cerveza & http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/planet-waves-varigrip-hand-exerciser

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 11:11:16

rogeliocan

Posts: 811
Joined: Nov. 23 2009
From: Canada

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

Choose a starter piece that you will use to open up in these situations. Eventually you can have several.

It should not be too technical but it does not have to be simple. You have to be 100% confident that you can play it easily. Once you are comfortable playing the piece practice playing it cold using people you know. You warm up for 2-3 minutes, either playing or like mentioned above, then you play it. In all you are done under 10 minutes. Try doing this 2 or 3 times a week and you will get really comfortable cold-playing this particular piece. Eventually, practice this with 3 people... Eventually you will have done it so many times that you will be confident about it and no reason to be nervous.

That is what I am doing right now and it is working.... for me.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 10 2012 13:33:39

sig

Posts: 296
Joined: Nov. 7 2007
From: Wisconsin

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

Britguy,
Here's a link to a video that's helped me quite a bit. I think your issue is much like mine, more about nerves than warming up. When I play gig's with our group there's usually little to no warm up time depending on the venue. Most times we just go out cold. To be honest, I don't think the warm up helps me much anyway because by that time its too late. I agree with what others have said, play a simple piece first if possible, something that you know well and you will gain your confidence and the audiences.

Sig--

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 11 2012 16:05:43

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to sig)

BritGuy, you are looking for something to DO, like warming up or exercises, but from what you have said it really does seem that it is the nerves that are the problem, and warming up or doing exercises will only distract you from the nerves, and only until you start playing, and then they will crash back in....

This vid Sig has posted is gonna help you if you give it some time and attention....

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 11 2012 16:34:29

Leñador

Posts: 5237
Joined: Jun. 8 2012
From: Los Angeles

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to britguy)

Yeah, nice vid, I'm going to start trying that, playing with bands and playing alone are two completely different experiences I think. I played in front of hundreds of people with very little nerves, now I play in front of a small group of people and I feel like a mess........knowing your'e not awesome adds to that I think

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 11 2012 16:42:46

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to Leñador)

quote:

I played in front of hundreds of people with very little nerves, now I play in front of a small group of people and I feel like a mess........knowing your'e not awesome adds to that I think

My experience is very similar.

In past years I've played repeatedly in front of hundreds and barely a trace of nerves.

But recently the small Club 'audience' is largely made up of other (steel string ) guitarists, many of whom scorn 'nylon' guitars, and are just looking for any mistakes to crow about.

And if I do sometimes manage to play well, the frequent comment is " Bet he couldn't play that stuff on steel strings. . ."

It's a competitive world out there. . . music seem to take second place to dazzling technique and showy licks. . .

(Who am I kidding?).

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 15 2012 18:22:17

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to NormanKliman)

quote:

I don't know if this will work for others, but what I do is a motion that you might use if you were painting a wall:

http://youtu.be/aMX1ZTjySLU

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 15 2012 22:32:37

NormanKliman

Posts: 1143
Joined: Sep. 1 2007

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to at_leo_87)

Ha-ha, it does remind me of that scene, but I got the idea from this video at about 1:31:

Extra points if you can dance like the guy at 1:40. That's my morning wake-up routine.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2012 7:49:33

britguy

Posts: 712
Joined: Dec. 26 2010
From: Ontario, Canada

RE: Need 'warm-up' advice (in reply to NormanKliman)

quote:

Extra points if you can dance like the guy at 1:40. That's my morning wake-up routine

H M M M; well Norman, lots of extra points for YOU if you post a video of your 'morning wake-up routine'.

Look forward to seeing it soon. . .

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Fruit farmer, Ontario, Canada

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 16 2012 13:16:03