# Sloppiness when playing in front of others?



## Metalrulz (Jul 10, 2012)

Hey guys

I've played in front of friends, Crowds of 5-100 plus people with my friends bands, But it always seems that my playing is nowhere near as good when its just me. I don't feel stage freight as I Got over that long ago, But I tend to overthink playing and worry about messing up so much that it makes my performance suffer... any tips? advice?


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## Pedantic (Jul 10, 2012)

Mistakes happen you should worry less about them, and the more you play shows the less worried you get.


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## rug (Jul 10, 2012)

Pedantic said:


> Mistakes happen you should worry less about them, and the more you play shows the less worried you get.




This. We can probably lock the thread now, Pedantic gave you all the advice you need.


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## iRaiseTheDead (Jul 16, 2012)

Same happens with me when recording... something in my head clicks "intimidation!" eventhough I'm all alone in my room xD I guess my best advice is to close your eyes and try and pretend like you're just focusing on what you hear from your guitar/amp


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## Metalus (Jul 16, 2012)

I suffer from the same issue. I think when it comes right down to it you have to practice until you feel you can play the song without thinking. Thinking is what causes problems haha


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## Dores (Jul 16, 2012)

The audience will never hear you mistakes. 

Ever.


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## Loomer (Jul 16, 2012)

What everyone else said. You still have stagefright, so play more shows and work through it. 

Also, the crowd never hears your mistakes as clearly as you do, so fuck 'em.


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## Soubi7string (Jul 17, 2012)

less fucks given=better focus on just playing the song.
SO, just focus on the songs being played.


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## TRENCHLORD (Jul 17, 2012)

More shows and more alcohol.


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## mortbopet (Jul 17, 2012)

TRENCHLORD said:


> More shows and more alcohol.



Dont ever hide stage fright with alcohol. History should have proven, that this is the wrong road to go.

Almost every other bit of advice given in this thread is what i would recommend too.


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## Konfyouzd (Jul 17, 2012)

Yea I get nervous as hell when I play in front of ppl. That's why I hardly ever post videos. The same thing happens. I've just started playing in front of my friends and such for practice. Sometimes my friends have parties where they'll have instruments and such and I'll go there and play since a lot of the ppl there are folks I don't know it's just practice for when it actually matters.


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## pentecost (Jul 18, 2012)

one of my guitarists always plays up-tight, seems to totally f with his sense of tempo and saps all the 'feel' out of his playing. 
i used to fall prey to the 'over-focus' thing a lot too. making sure i had a song uber-memorized didn't help, if anything it just fed my neurosis. i finally broke it when i got comfortable with the *key* of a song, then the musical phrases just naturally resolve and you aren't so worried about messing up because your hands find their way there on their own. comfort is vital, don't forget the whole point is to have FUN!!!


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## CTID (Jul 18, 2012)

I get nervous and kind of sloppy if I play by myself in front of people unless it's people I'm used to playing in front of, but when I get up in front of people as part of a band, it doesn't even slightly phase me anymore. I get pre-show jitters but once I'm playing I completely forget that there's people watching me and I just enjoy myself.


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## Leuchty (Jul 18, 2012)

Concentrate less on "playing" and focus more on "Van Haling" 


Get to know the songs so well that you could play them blind and focus on your stage presence while performing.


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## makeitreign (Jul 18, 2012)

Your performance anxiety on stage will go away. Just remember that the audience would rather see you on stage having fun than playing all the songs exactly right every time. You're gonna mess up.

I still freeze up when I hear a click track, though.


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## cronux (Jul 19, 2012)

one beer before the show calms my nerves... try it, but *only one* 

although what I've found frustrating is fatigue

i hate when I have a gig during the week when I have to work all day - that usually sparks my mistakes during a show


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## The Reverend (Jul 19, 2012)

I can have the same problem, although I've never played guitar in a show setting. It's really frustrating, because I _know_ I'm better than the bullshit my fingers are playing.


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## Loomer (Jul 19, 2012)

cronux said:


> one beer before the show calms my nerves... try it, but *only one*
> 
> although what I've found frustrating is fatigue
> 
> i hate when I have a gig during the week when I have to work all day - that usually sparks my mistakes during a show



This. As they say, everything is good in moderation. I prefer going on stage sober, since I don't really get stage fright anymore and haven't for years, but I don't having a few beers in my system. As long as it's not detrimental to your playing, it should be fine.

It IS a fine line, however, and it's really a matter of knowing your limits and knowing them well. If you're young enough to still get stagefright, you're probably not old enough to know your alcohol limits  

Also agree eleventy million percent on the fatigue thing. Trust me, while touring with my old band, trying to get as much and as good sleep as possible was a real priority, and the Red Bull really was a dear friend of mine. The best shows I've played have not been the ones where I've been drinking alcohol, but the ones where I've chugged down god knows how many energy drinks. Makes for a good, Dillinger-style hyperactive stage show, and doesn't screw up your chops. Unless you have to play something slow, that is


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## WhiteWalls (Jul 19, 2012)

I am probably the most shy and socially awkward person on earth yet I have never experienced anything close to stage fright. The moment I go on stage I basically enter an alternate universe where the only thing I give a fuck about is to put on a great show and rock out. The audience could very well be filled with dudes who do nothing but point their finger at me and laugh and I still wouldn't give a shit.

Also, the adrenaline makes me play a lot faster than I do at rehearsals or at home, and when you're playing pissed off death metal music you can certainly use any speed boost you can get


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## CrushingAnvil (Jul 19, 2012)

Once you just learn to enjoy the moment of making a guitar sound the way you want it to, the probability of making a mistake will decrease


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## bob123 (Jul 19, 2012)

For every 100 mistakes, the audience will hear 1.


If they can hear that one mistake, it means you're not playing loud enough 


worry about mistakes in the studio. Have fun playing live, thats the whole point!


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## cronux (Jul 20, 2012)

Loomer said:


> Also agree eleventy million percent on the fatigue thing. Trust me, while touring with my old band, trying to get as much and as good sleep as possible was a real priority, and the Red Bull really was a dear friend of mine. The best shows I've played have not been the ones where I've been drinking alcohol, but the ones where I've chugged down god knows how many energy drinks. Makes for a good, Dillinger-style hyperactive stage show, and doesn't screw up your chops. Unless you have to play something slow, that is



I H.A.T.E. energy drinks 

my friends band had the pleasure to be sponsored by Red Bull so the whole band was supped up every show, while the whole energy drink thing backfires in my case. I drank 1 energy drink 10min before doing 2 shows (on different days) and it was the same - after 15min of playing I felt like a beat down dog (maybe it was a bad batch  ) so no energy drinks for me 

my routine is pretty much the same - a nice cup of coffe during sound check, maybe one or two beers two hours before the show and a nice cold one before hitting the stage - note: ONE MORE COLD ONE HAS TO BE ON MY AMP HEAD so I can feel like a rock star... and... for reasons 

edit: also, an important factor - EAT!


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## FarBeyondMetal (Jul 21, 2012)

Practice your shit until you can play it on autopilot and not even think about it. Thinking is what's fucking you up, as many others have said already


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## Wrecklyss (Jul 21, 2012)

People notice the performance more than the technical ability. I've seen bands that can play through an entire set perfectly, but they are so focused on execution that all they do is stand there and play. It sounds good, but it's boring to watch. I've seen other bands that maybe weren't technically perfect, but brought such energy and life to their show it was impossible not to have a good time watching them. 

Which bands do you think i remember the most?

Bring the energy, put on a show, and make it fun for the crowd. They'll remember you rocking the house, not a couple of missed chord changes or bad picking on a solo.


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## McKay (Jul 22, 2012)

Rehearse properly. Playing together in a room does not qualify as proper rehearsal. Also forget anything anyone has said about tightness, unless you're playing rock covers or something. Tightness directly translates to groove, if you're not tight people will dislike your set - they wont know why, but they will. Just because they can't pinpoint mistakes doesn't mean they aren't aware of a general poorness of performance.

Practice practice practice. Then practice some more. Practice moving around, practice playing every note of every song with your eyes closed. Then you can have fun and relax because you'll know the songs so well it will be second nature.


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## ShreddingDragon (Jul 22, 2012)

Do two styles of practicing: "normal" concentrated and precise learning/memorizing, then practice while pretending you're playing live.


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## texshred777 (Jul 22, 2012)

Everyone messes up, just don't worry about it and make a face or gesture and tell on yourself. Tosin messed up the first run of the first solo and stopped when I saw AAL in Austin. No biggie. He recovered, didn't telegraph the mistake, let the phrase come back around and was damn near flawless the rest of the night.


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## Luke Acacia (Jul 23, 2012)

You just have to keep working at it. The way you jam is very important as McKay said. When jamming try actually rocking out and practice your performance as well as your song. The more you do that, it will be better when on stage and rocking out will feel more comfortable as well as you playing tighter when doing it.
Never play a song live that EVERYONE is not 100% comfortable with as it will show. Just keep working at it and you will eventually forget that you even had an issue.


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## Andromalia (Jul 23, 2012)

cronux said:


> one beer before the show calms my nerves... try it, but *only one*



That's what Ozzy said the first time no ?


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## Murmel (Jul 23, 2012)

CYBERSYN said:


> Concentrate less on "playing" and focus more on "Van Haling"
> 
> 
> Get to know the songs so well that you could play them blind and focus on your stage presence while performing.



This is one of the best tips in the entire thread.

Jump around like a retard when practicing at home. Whether you'll do it on stage or not is up to you, but it will definitely help you improve. I do it myself and I'm much more comfortable in weird situations that occur while playing now.


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## VBCheeseGrater (Jul 23, 2012)

bunch of good advice in here. The main thing is to just play more shows. I typically have a few screw ups, or overplay a little the first few songs of a set, usually due to the adrenalin flowing, but after a couple songs i always settle down into the groove. 

Basically, just keep at it and it should work itself out.

Another no for the booze, that's one more thing to worry about, and just a band aid. You don't wanna end up thinking you need a drink to play out.


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## Strobe (Jul 23, 2012)

One of my bandmates (who is tighter than me) will drink a couple beers to calm his nerves before a show. I never feel anxiety going up on a stage. It might just be my personality, but I have a story to back it up.

When I was 18 I played a show at a local club. There were probably a hundred people there. At one point during the song the other guitarist started playing the wrong section of the song. It was in the same key and time signature, but it really did not go with what I was playing. I tried to give him a look but he was eyes closed sort of lost in the moment.

I gave him an obvious (although gentle) kick on stage. I then turned my back to the audience and gave him a look that looked like daggers. He caught back on. I was not nearly as self assured at that age, and I felt pretty embarassed.

After the show, I was approached by a number of people who loved *that* song. They described how it went to me, and I was suprised by their choice as I became more aware that they could not be referring to a different tune.

Moral of the story: Most people will either be oblivious to or forget most mistakes if you pretend like they were not. If you do a bad job of pretending they were mistakes, they probably still will. People want to get into a performance. They do not want to feel awkward. All you have to do is let them get into it, and they will not even notice when you flub. It's kind of like how only musicians* notice the bass.

*Also: bassists**

**That was a joke.


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## bob123 (Jul 23, 2012)

McKay said:


> Rehearse properly. Playing together in a room does not qualify as proper rehearsal. Also forget anything anyone has said about tightness, unless you're playing rock covers or something. Tightness directly translates to groove, if you're not tight people will dislike your set - they wont know why, but they will. Just because they can't pinpoint mistakes doesn't mean they aren't aware of a general poorness of performance.
> 
> Practice practice practice. Then practice some more. Practice moving around, practice playing every note of every song with your eyes closed. Then you can have fun and relax because you'll know the songs so well it will be second nature.




Im quoting this to make sure you read it


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## bigredmetfan (Sep 17, 2012)

I used to get really down on myself for making a few mistakes live, but after the show so many people would come up and say what an awesome set you just played, or compliment on how tight it was.....i eventually shook it off and have way more fun playing.....I will make a mistake a couple times in a show....it's the nature of the beast..... Your only human right? 

Plus nobody here's the mistakes but you and your band mates, something to bitch about with each other after the show


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## flow (Sep 21, 2012)

Rather than think about not worrying, i would think about how much fun your having and how well your playing! that is going to get "worrying" 100% out of your head.


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## whilstmyguitardjentlyweep (Sep 25, 2012)

also, you don't notice your own mistakes as much when you are practising them alone, you fudge a couple of notes in your bedroom and generally, you don't give a fuck. But make those mistakes in front of other people and its like "AHH SHIT I TOTALLY FUCKED UP!!"


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## avenger (Sep 25, 2012)

McKay said:


> Rehearse properly. Playing together in a room does not qualify as proper rehearsal. Also forget anything anyone has said about tightness, unless you're playing rock covers or something. Tightness directly translates to groove, if you're not tight people will dislike your set - they wont know why, but they will. Just because they can't pinpoint mistakes doesn't mean they aren't aware of a general poorness of performance.
> 
> Practice practice practice. Then practice some more. Practice moving around, practice playing every note of every song with your eyes closed. Then you can have fun and relax because you'll know the songs so well it will be second nature.


Do this and you will have confidence... confidence is key in everything.


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## Konfyouzd (Sep 25, 2012)

Pretty sure I heard a few people I look up to fuck up live and they typically just roll with it and I end up wondering if they meant to play it differently live. In fact, when I went to see Vai recently I'm almost certain some of the notes he played were off and he just improv'd something that resolved to the proper key/sig and it sounded like nothing ever happened. You wouldn't know unless you knew the original song and even then it just sounded like a cool little embelishment by the time he was done.


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## Ryan-ZenGtr- (Sep 25, 2012)

I had a funny one last night. Brought out a Les Paul which I don't play too often, ordered Guinness and they had to change the barrel for a new one, also hadn't warmed up before leaving the house.

With the unfamiliar guitar, extra strong Guinness and everything else going, let's just say it was a little stranger than usual.

"Some really interesting notes there..."

No complaints!


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## Underworld (Sep 25, 2012)

avenger said:


> Do this and you will have confidence... confidence is key in everything.


 


All that have been said above, plus THIS! I am a way better player live than alone just because of that adrenalin boost the stage gives you. Trust yourself and have fun. Also, give the best of yourself during rehearsals, with colored lighting, headbanging and all the shit and giggle you normaly have during a show.


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## Dooky (Sep 26, 2012)

iRaiseTheDead said:


> Same happens with me when recording... something in my head clicks "intimidation!" eventhough I'm all alone in my room xD I guess my best advice is to close your eyes and try and pretend like you're just focusing on what you hear from your guitar/amp



This is so true for me too! I feel more comfortable playing in front of 1000 people, but recording anything (even when I'm the only person around) I tense up and get really nervous.


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## bigredmetfan (Sep 26, 2012)

I forgot to mention (don't know if anyone mentioned this either)

Practicing in front of a mirror is a good idea. You can see exactly what your doing, practice your moves etc... and watch your hands move up and down the fret without shoegazing at them


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## dbuk01 (Oct 16, 2012)

cronux said:


> I H.A.T.E. energy drinks
> 
> my friends band had the pleasure to be sponsored by Red Bull so the whole band was supped up every show, while the whole energy drink thing backfires in my case. I drank 1 energy drink 10min before doing 2 shows (on different days) and it was the same - after 15min of playing I felt like a beat down dog (maybe it was a bad batch  ) so no energy drinks for me
> 
> ...



Energy drinks before a show = big no for me! I learned the hard way on a tour and ended up being so wired I fucked everything that night - never again!!! Just nice black coffee and eat some good food and I'm good to go -


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## feraledge (Oct 18, 2012)

Can't say enough about practice. Make it routine and then don't change it. I have no issues with being on stage, but I use the same straps on all my guitars and have never played a guitar at a show that I didn't use at a band practice first. You shouldn't have to think about playing live, just do it and give it more edge.


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