How do you fight your fear of performing?

I don't know about you all, but sometimes performing your instrument can be an intimidating thing. Even in small groups. All eyes are on you and at some level you feel the pressure to want to impress or wow your audience. You want your audience to engage in a meaningful way to what you're doing. I even posted a video to the forums here of a cover, and even though the performance is a bit one sided being a video clip, I still got a little nervous about it.

I wrestled this out today a bit on my blog, but I wanted to carry the discussion here and ask you all... How do you fight any fear, nerves, and anxiety that goes along with performing your uke, singing, or any other instrument? What are some things that have helped you out with this?

Would love to hear your thoughts

Safety in numbers. Start off, if you can, playing with other people on stage. It's far less stressful, if you know there are other people there to help shoulder the attention and/or blame.

I agree with Chap. Also, the main thing for me has been experience, i.e. the more you perform, the easier it becomes. My belief is that, just as we practice our instruments in order to improve, we must practice performing in front of an audience in order to be more comfortable with performing.

Well.. I haven't "performed" in years. But I never considered playing as far as I was concerned "performing". Maybe it's me, but my definition of performing is "pretending" or acting. When I play, and it has always been this way for me, I play because I enjoy playing and feeling what I played. To me, that isn't a "performance". Kind of like if you are doing something you love in your spare time, hobby, or whatever, do you consider it "performing"? I also love antique cars, and restoring them. When I restored one, It wasn't a performance. It was just doing something I loved, and if someone appreciated it, and loved what they saw when it was done, that's great. But I did it for me and my own therapy, but thank you though for appreciating my efforts. When I play today, it is ussally just among a few friends sitting around talking, or visiting. My last was before my medical emergency 3 months ago with a neighborhood gathering. I sat there, in my time, my space and just played. If you wanted to hear, or listen, people came up and around, if they didn't, they walked off to chat with others or participate in something else going on. That was the closest to any public "performance" I have done in over 20 years, but, still, didn't look at it as that, nor tried to "impress" anyone. People that were around loved it by their comments and/or smiles, and those comments were appreciated, but again, I played because I love to, and it was for me, and I was happy to provide smiles while doing it. As I get healthier, I will most likely be more active in the public, and places with my Uke. But to date, with my disability, I am just a little more than a shut in and have been for years. Being a people person by nature, I have hated that about my exsistance the past 10 years, and really am looking forward to being able to get out amungst people again. Soon... Very soon..

So, I guess maybe that is how I cope with the pressure, by not putting any pressure on myself by "performing", but rather just enjoying a pass time I have enjoyed for nearly a lifetime.

If that makes any sense.. <shrug>

Best way to beat your fear is to do what you fear, over and over. Still a thing I am working on.

CoLmes said:

Best way to beat your fear is to do what you fear, over and over. Still a thing I am working on.

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You showed no fear a few days ago brudda.. You are doing just fine..

savethecheerleader said:

How do you fight your fear of performing?

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Don't fight it.
Embrace it.
You could be Jake, and still have that fear.
So enjoy it.
It means that you are alive...

And then look out over the audience--one by one--and silently say to yourself: "You get up here!"...

i'd second playing with a friend - its how I started, and it does work

I have 2 things
1. Perform on UUminijams
2. Before you get on stage do the king louie dance (or while on stage)

In 1980 I was in the US Navy. I went to fleet week in NYC where I bought 2 ukuleles, both Oscar Schmidts the ou2 and ou3. Bought them at a pretty well known music store Benson and Jacobson's. I knew I was about to board the USS Ohio. A sub and space being space guitars were not allowed. 2 ukes were. I knew there would be guitar players aboard who would miss strings.

I don't really perform, I have played for years though and somtimes there are people around. I always just kind of go back to a small galley and think of guys bored sipping coffe enjoying the sounds, as long as slides hammer ons and pull offs can be done....

Find a place you like to play when it is just you and play your heart out. When you find yourself somewhere else remember that place. Courage means nothing if you are fearless, courage is how you overcome when you are afraid.

Easy for me to say I play mostly on my porch.

Nerves are pretty normal to be honest... I remember seeing an interview with a really big comedian (forget his name), you know the sort of thing, in front of thousands + millions on tv. He said before every gig he would be hoping something would happen that would prevent him having to go on stage...

Its a pretty normal thing, the thing is to not back down from it and keep positive... also a tip a friend told me once, don't have more than a few pints, you need to be able to do it without relying on drink.... well his actual words were, thats how you'll turn into a fecking alcoholic, but I read through his Irish charm to the philosophy behind.


... and as the others said its definately good to start out in numbers, it helps loads even if its someone just beating a Djembe behind you or something.

Tudorp said:

You showed no fear a few days ago brudda.. You are doing just fine..

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Haha believe me I was pooping my pants. But, one thing I have learned is don't try to hide your fear. If someone asks me if I'm nervous I tell the truth. Feels like once its out in the open its a lot easier to deal with.

Talk to the audience. Talking is easier than playing the ukulele while singing. You're more likely to succeed, and for 90% of people, it makes the audience like you more.

I'll second the safety in numbers advice. Unfortunately, that isn't always an option.

What helps me the best is really knowing what it is I'm doing. If I have any amount of work that needs to happen to get something right, it isn't worth "performing". (But I will bring it to jams convincing myself that I'm practicing.)

The best bit of advice for musicians I have ever heard was given by a jazz guitarist: Never play outside of your technique.

Basically, all this boils down to practice, practice, practice. When you can play something perfectly ten times in a row, then you're getting close.

~DB

This is a fairly complex subject, because everyone's ability to perform varies. I used to do radio in Los Angeles. The best thing I was told by the news announcer was to write down everything you're going to say - even your name! That worked quite well.

For performing, I'd recommend sticking to an exact set list, keep between song banter to a minimum until you have a feel for what you're going to say, and say only as much as you intend to say.

And you're not going to be nervous... you're going to be EXCITED!

I don't know... amazing when I was watching your video the other day, you didn't look nervous.. Push through I guess.

I am nervous to play in front of my family and even my uke teacher and then make mistakes. I will have to jump over to your blog and see what you say over there.. Interesting topic. I am not real confident about my uke playing but there are somethings I don't get nervous about.

When I was in orchestra, I used to hate performing for the school. I'd get so nervous that I'd do vibrato naturally (from nerves and shaking fingers/body). Even though I didn't have the opportunity to talk to the audience or have any sort of interaction with it, I found that humor helps a lot. So does smiling an awful lot. Go in feeling easy and calm, crack a few jokes or so before performing. Treat the audience like you would your friends. Tell them why you're playing certain songs, tell them about the ukulele. Talking helps. It'll feel much better and any mistakes won't feel as bad compared to feeling as if you're playing with your back against the wall and the audience is armed with bazookas.

Might even be a fun/good idea to mention to the audience that you're actually a little nervous, too.

Beer helps a lot.

Faricelli said:

Beer helps a lot.

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So does sailor Jerry

lindydanny said:

I'll second the safety in numbers advice. Unfortunately, that isn't always an option.

What helps me the best is really knowing what it is I'm doing. If I have any amount of work that needs to happen to get something right, it isn't worth "performing". (But I will bring it to jams convincing myself that I'm practicing.)

The best bit of advice for musicians I have ever heard was given by a jazz guitarist: Never play outside of your technique.

Basically, all this boils down to practice, practice, practice. When you can play something perfectly ten times in a row, then you're getting close.

~DB

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Yeah, as Lindydanny said, I was going to say being prepared. And I'm still scared ;(
DAP