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my first public performance
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Ailsa
Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England
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my first public performance
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Well I've finally done it - played solo in public! I've been learning for nearly 18 months now, so I guess it was about time to get out there I'd organised an end of course performance for the guitar course that's just finished in London. It was at a really nice Spanish bar called Camino. The two classes played what they had learnt on the course, and then a few people played solos. I'd been practising like crazy, but actually decided I wouldn't play - thought it was enough doing the organising and didn't want to get completely stressed out. But somehow I ended up doing it! I played a Tientos-Tangos, in which I borrowed from everyone to make a piece I liked - the course teacher, teacher of group classes in Oxford, and even stole a funky rhythm from Ricardo's tangos (it's OK I bought the tab!). I also made up an introduction out of Ron's Lazy Tientos!! So as you see I'm not afraid to nick other people's ideas - but I do always credit them Well it wasn't brilliant, but I made it through to the end. What I learnt is that my fingers get shaky, but thank goodness what I had feared didn't happen. I thought I might get a complete mind-blank, that the whole piece would go straight out of my head, but it didn't. I remembered what I had to do and where to put my fingers - now just need to make them do it........
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Date Sep. 22 2008 2:08:03
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NormanKliman
Posts: 1143
Joined: Sep. 1 2007
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RE: my first public performance (in reply to Ailsa)
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I don't think it has much to with being embarrassed or shy. Well, obviously it does, but that's TOO obvious. What I mean is that I think it has more to do with information, usually visual, that you perceive when you look up and see a bunch of people staring at you expectantly. It's like being on top of a tall building and preparing yourself to walk up to the edge: Everything was going fine until I looked down. Staying focused is so important. At job interviews, first dates, doctor's appointments, etc. people usually manage to squelch the urge to flee. (Tell us if you haven't, it'll probably make for an amusing anecdote .) I always have to keep thinking, "I know I can do this." I'm not a brilliant guitarist, but I know I can play a few minutes worth of a number of styles. It's a question of imagining the horrible consequences and realizing that you're easily able to avoid them. I remember a time about 20 years ago that I played for some older guitarist friends in a bar. I'd been going over a bunch of ideas for over a year, and they were very clear in my mind. But when I sat down on that bar stool, it felt like the falsetas had run away to hide in a corner of my shoe! When I'm playing well, it's just the opposite. The rhythm seems to be all around me and it's really easy to play. I think this has to do with distraction. It's like when you daydream and your thoughts become very clear. Very interesting idea for discussion.
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Date Sep. 24 2008 9:36:49
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mark indigo
Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007
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RE: my first public performance (in reply to Ron.M)
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quote:
quote: I read somewhere that in an anxiety-provoking situation fine motor skills are the first thing to go. I wonder why that is? What is nature's intent here? I mean what good is fumbling or shaking in a "fight or flight" situation? Anyway it's a curse. When you get it bad it's like having glue inbetween your fingers and no strength or co-ordination. There is a third option in response to danger.... play dead. Apparently this is the best option when encountering one of the bear species, can't remember which one! Playing dead involves not breathing either, and I have been told that the shaking fingers that accompany nerves is due to lack of oxygen, the result of tensing up muscles in the body restricting breathing. If you get the shakes, take a deep breath, and then keep taking them (don't overdo it and hyper-ventilate tho')! Have found that this actually works. The other thing that works is that a lot of "nerves" is/are caused by internal thought saying things like " i can't do it", "I'm crap" "it's too hard" etc. Most people are not even aware that this is going on. Preventing these and/or countering them with their opposites/positives can also work. If i feel nervous, tense, or flustered while playing, i just tell myself it's easy and that often is enough to carry me through.... I've had quite a bit of practise at it tho', and done quite a bit of work on performance psychology etc. Here's a really weird (and slightly digressive) one, which actually sort of contradicts the above: when i approach a fast passage or run, I often think "fast" but due to a lot of crazy mixed up thinking from when i was younger and first performing, i attached the label "fast" to putting in more effort, and to put more effort in i tensed more muscles harder, which impairs coordination and speed, so when approaching those passages i think "slow", then i relax, and go faster!
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Date Sep. 24 2008 11:07:46
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NormanKliman
Posts: 1143
Joined: Sep. 1 2007
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RE: my first public performance (in reply to Ailsa)
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quote:
If you get the shakes, take a deep breath, and then keep taking them (don't overdo it and hyper-ventilate tho')! And I've read that exhaling very slowly helps to calm anxiety, maybe because it gets more oxygen into the blood. quote:
when i was younger and first performing, i attached the label "fast" to putting in more effort, and to put more effort in i tensed more muscles harder, which impairs coordination and speed, so when approaching those passages i think "slow", then i relax, and go faster! quote:
...are we still talking about guitar playing?? A case of the willies, eh?
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Date Sep. 25 2008 1:04:01
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