Motivation

[hannaugh]

I don't know if the fear of performing is a good idea for me as a motivator.  I've been working a lot lately on being able to overcome performance anxiety, I think I need to downplay any kind of fear I have as much as possible so I don't choke when I do get in front of people.  Otherwise it won't matter how much I have practiced, I'll still sound bad. 

I don't really use the 1000 hours as a motivator that much.  I keep it at the back of my mind for when I'm thinking about the big picture, but mostly I set daily goals by writing down a list of what I want to accomplish that day.  If I don't do everything, it's not a big deal, I just put the leftover stuff on the list the next day. 

I should probably mention that I'm kind of OCD about lists and timing things.  I make a list for just about anything I'm thinking about.  It helps me organize my thoughts.  And I wear a watch with a stopwatch in it all the time and time things constantly.  I time how long it takes me to make 100 bags and boards at work, how long it takes to drive to my mom's house, etc...  This whole timing of practice started because the ear training program I'm working with says not to do more than 10-15 minutes of ear training at a time.  So I had to time that, and it just grew into timing every different part of my practice, and then eventually I started recording the times.  After a month or two I realized it was kind of cool to look back and see how much time I had put into it.  I find it very rewarding in the long run.  It's not at rewarding as being able to go out and play with people and sound good, but it's like the sprinkles on the donut. 

 

[stubhead]

I specifically play more bass in a band more than guitar because the guitarist is expect to tell jokes and make MTV-correct faces when strenuously bending notes and such. It's not really "anxiety" as much as not having "star-type" urges. I still get my git-rocks off on the slide tunes & "Sultans of Swing" and other such fare. It's hard for me to look motivated playing "Mustang Sally" for too-manyth time... :toothy11: And playing fretless bass keeps me from falling asleep! "Oooh what's that awful noise... oh it's... me."

 

[elfro89]

That's cool hannah.  :glasses10:

Performance anxiety is like having sex for the first time, once you've done it, its never quite as scary every again.  :laughing8: Shamone.

But seriously I think the fear of playing live is half the fun. There's nothing like it! I would personally hate to overcome any kind of fear or anxiety before a show. You sweat a bit and as soon as you hit that first note and you hear all your band and really feel the harmonies and groove, it can be a real fun thing to be apart of and not as rewarding had the nerves not have been there. Its the same with my and flying, being nervous before a flight is great. Take-off is amazing and such a thrill ride.

 

[hannaugh]

If my nervousness went away once I started playing, that would be fine.  There's nothing wrong with being nervous before you go on.  The trouble is, I stay nervous and then have no confidence when I play, and I end up sounding bad because of it and make mistakes I wouldn't normally make.  I've been using some of the Kenny Werner techniques lately however, and after a few months of that I am able to play in groups and in front of small crowds without being completely freaked out, and it has helped me a lot. 

I went to a friend's show a few weeks ago (wasn't really a show, it was more like "Hey, we're playing in the park today,") and I happened to have my guitar with me, and we had a random jam session in public with heavy foot traffic where I wasn't racked with anxiety the whole time, and I ended up having a really good time.  I can't see myself being able to do that 6 months ago without being terrified the whole time and without feeling full of regret afterwards.

 

[elfro89]

Right I see, at least your trying to do something about it though. I've been playing to crowds since I was 5 so I really don't mind the attention, haha. Its nice having a crowd cater to my ego.   :laughing7:  :icon_jokercolor:

Whatever gets you out there and performing is good.    :headbang:

 

[hannaugh]

My husband and I are both kind of shy in large groups.  There's a reason we're techies and not actors.  We have both done acting and improv many times, but that's not really our thing.  Strangely enough, I have no fear of speaking (hello, I'm a teacher!) or even singing in public.  I love singing actually because my voice is very low for a girl, which gives me a pretty large range to sing things that most women can't.  It's just when I pick up an instrument or have to remember lines that I start to get nervous. 

 

[stubhead]

OOOH OOOH OOOH - this is most important, even more than most - it's the mostest.

What you're going to do is maximize the efficiency of mental practicing at the times your guitar isn't there - school, work, umm, I'm told that driving on the L.A. freeways generates some, umm, spare time? 

There are two parts to this.

1) You need to be able to get your own playing connected to your brain in such a way that you can hum, whistle, drum and/or sing (sotto voce) your licks and sections.

2) You need to be able to notate or label the sections and melodies of your own music, in some fashion. Unless you're a music-reading prodigy, standard notation is way too costly in time or effort - this part is supposed to be as easy as you can personally make it.

An example is easier than further explanation. Let's say you have three little bits in E major, all at the same tempo, that you think belong together for some reason. Let's label them on your notepad, "Descending scale thing #1", "Emaj Squiggle" and "Emaj-triplet shuff." The goal is to mentally play these in your head, and like most of this, it only happens when you do the work. That part is so important, I'll go out on a limb and say you should whistle, hum or sing everything you play, and if you can't slow down and simplify your playing until you can - then build up the humming as fast as possible. Because:

You're going to have your notepad with you in the car, and you're going to try out these different sections in different ways - A.K.A. "creativity." Play (mentally) Descending scale thing #1, in the key of E. Play Emaj Squiggle in the key of A - and if you can't do that without a guitar, you know what you have to work on when you get home. Play Emaj-triplet shuff. in the key of B... etc. Play Descending scale thing #1 against it's relative minor, a C# drone tone. Again, if you need a guitar - at first - fine. Play Squiggle against an E, play it in A against an E drone, against a C# minor, etc. etc. etc.

If you take this at all seriously, what you're working on is your musical memory, the ability to represent music without an instrument, and the connections between your brain, ear and fingers - there's not really anything that COULD be as useful, except: the generation of new squiggles. There's actually a couple (or five) years hard work in the above few paragraphs. The connection between hearing and learning other people's music should be obvious, too - though you may want/need/have to turn off any radio that's lambasting you with dreck! I can personally have quite a good time musically, in total silence.


So, I had to dig a bit into my trick bag for this one, I'd never fully organized it for students. So Thanks! It's one of the more important things anyone with a day job or school can learn. You can quickly reach a point where you're generating new music without the guitar's presence, and when you get home you can't wait to get hold of it. Tell your hubby I said, "Sorry Dude!*" :toothy12: I would C'n'P this immediately - and sing to the cat. Sing to the plants... only sing your stuff, not the external dreck.

*(Yo hubby -she'll be supporting you in no time if we have our way with her, so, don't push yer luck.) :evil4:

 

[hannaugh]

You SHOULD organize that a little more and make specific exercises for your students based on those ideas... and then tell me what they are.

I've been working on ear training every day for the last 6 months, with the goal in mind that I want to be able to use that training to understand the music I hear in my head and be able to play it without having to fumble around looking for the notes.  I guess what you just said is the next step there.