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Nervous shaky playing during solos


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BrassEnthusiast16
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:31 pm    Post subject: Nervous shaky playing during solos Reply with quote

It seems I have a huge huge problem when it comes to solos. Earlier this year I had my first solo in band class and I got really nervous and completely messed it up. I couldn't even finish it. My music teacher said to just keep trying but every time I have a solo or even a playing test in front of the band my arms and torso start to shake which causes me to have a really shaky tone and it sounds awful. I've seen other forums that talk about nervousness but I feel like everyone has their own unique problem. I really want to try and fix this because a while back, I lost my first chair position because of it and some people in the band ridicule me. This only happens during solos. I can be playing a piece and nailing it and then shake and mess up when the solo comes. Right after the solo passes, I get right back into the zone and start doing great. Even when I practice at home I can play it almost perfectly because they are easy but in class I just cannot. I really need help with this because I want to get on top of my game and really show people that I can do it because I know most people now think I can't. Are there any ways I can overcome this?
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jscahoy
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 1:28 am    Post subject: Re: Nervous shaky playing during solos Reply with quote

BrassEnthusiast16 wrote:
I've seen other forums that talk about nervousness but I feel like everyone has their own unique problem.

Not really. The problem is the same for everyone: adrenaline. Nature's way of helping out when you're terrified and the solution is running like hell. But not helpful when you want to play a solo.

You really, really REALLY want to do well. This sets you apart from the other kids in the band, who mostly are just thinking about lunch or that flute player over there. When you overcome this (and you will) it will be because you changed your perspective. It's a solo in a school band, not brain surgery or a war. It's not that important.

But just telling yourself that won't help. You need to experience some success to gain confidence, and the way to do that is to simply play more solos. Get people together, anyone, and play for them. Get your band friends together and play for each other. Right now that probably sounds like a terrible idea. It should sound like fun, which is the whole point of playing music.
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Schilkes22
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 3:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only way you will ever get over this nervousness is by playing in front of people. A LOT!!! Make mistakes. You will, but it sounds like you are young,so you will have plenty of opportunities. Practice A LOT!! Practice the licks that give you the most trouble. Practice them till you think you might puke, then practice them some more. Then, when you are in front of people, you'll KNOW that you have it down. My own personal problem is with the tpt solo in "String of Pearls" I've been playing it for a couple of years now, and I still start to sweat when I see it on the set list. It will get easier for you. Keep at it. Don't stop trying.

I am not a pro, I just wish I was, so take My 2 cents for it's worth.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 4:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi, I recommend this book to my students who continually suffer from performance anxiety. It's called The Inner Game Of Music.

Hope this helps, Dave

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Music-Barry-Green-ebook/dp/B007JK9A28/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1
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GeorgeB
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 4:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Someone said get people together and play for them. Great advice. I don't know what nervous is when it comes to playing for an audience. In my younger days, as soon as I could play well enough I formed a 5 piece combo and we played weddings, teen dances, private functions. Playing for an audience was the biggest thing I missed when I stopped playing in 1965. And now that I am back and with a band, all I really look forward to is the concerts, and the bigger the crowd, the better. So as the man suggested, get people together and play for them. The more you do it the easier it will become.
Good luck.
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Billy B
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Church is a great place to get experience.
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snichols
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 6:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

1. Prepare/practice the music - not being 100% confident in your ability to play the music will add to nervousness.
2. Practice playing in front of people - family members, friends, friends of family members, anyone and everyone.
3. When you feel yourself getting nervous, instead of withdrawing into yourself and getting tight, small, quieter, etc. go the opposite direction. Push through it by taking bigger breaths, play out louder, sit up taller, etc. Sort of like "fake it til you make it". If you train your body and mind to be strong and confident while you're playing, it will become real and you'll eventually feel the confidence.
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Turkle
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 7:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I took a number of years off the horn in my early 20's. When I came back, in my mid-20's, I was nervous as heck. My first show with my band at the time (afrobeat band) I had a tremulous vibrato going the whole time because I was shaking so badly!

For me, it was just about getting experience. A few months of performances and I was back in the saddle, so to speak.

I think there's only one way to get comfortable performing, and that's to perform a lot!

Here's one final tip that worked for me: you'll never get rid of that performance energy, it's part of the game. So what you need to do rather than deny that energy, is to instead harness and channel that energy into musical energy. I think that a lot of nervousness is fighting back against that energy rather than using it to your advantage.

Good luck!
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robbrand
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know I'm going to get flak for this, but there is something else you could consider. Nervousness or performance anxiety and anxiety disorder are not the same thing. Nervous energy can be marshaled; anxiety disorder can be debilitating. I suffer from the latter. No matter how many times you appear before an audience, an attack of anxiety can strike out of the blue. There is nothing you can do do stop it, no matter how many times you force yourself to do the thing that triggers the anxiety. So, talk to your doctor about getting a script for beta blockers. They are a cheap and highly effective drug to control adrenaline uptake (and thus shaking) due to anxiety. They have no negative side effects. They work. Many professional musicians and other performers use them.
You don't have to use them permanently; I found that reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety has the effect, over time, of reducing actual anxiety. In time, you'll be able to reduce your reliance on the drug, perhaps to a point where you may not need it.
PS. I speak from experience as a university lecturer, not a musician. I do play music in public, but as a member of a 30-piece band, where I'm mostly ``hidden'' in the back row. Even there, sometimes, anxiety strikes out of the the blue. And shaking does not go together with trumpet playing!
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cheiden
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was in high school I played first chair and soloed a lot. But I used to have crippling performance anxiety. I would get cotton mouth so bad I could hardly get a note out. And sometime in the middle of a solo I'd get tunnel vision and nearly black out.

There's some truth to the fact that you just need to work through it by putting yourself on the spot as often as you can. I think you might actually benefit from playing in a small chamber setting like a brass quintet where you are solo most of the time.

Truth be told even though I've played hundreds of gig in front of thousands of people I'm still a nervous player, but I manage it fine most of the time.

It helps me to realize that the listening audience doesn't expect perfection from me personally. Rather than shooting for perfect I try to play a little melody and to interject a little personality. It's should be a lot more like a casual conversation than giving a formal speech.
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snichols
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 9:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

robbrand wrote:
I know I'm going to get flak for this, but there is something else you could consider. Nervousness or performance anxiety and anxiety disorder are not the same thing. Nervous energy can be marshaled; anxiety disorder can be debilitating. I suffer from the latter. No matter how many times you appear before an audience, an attack of anxiety can strike out of the blue. There is nothing you can do do stop it, no matter how many times you force yourself to do the thing that triggers the anxiety. So, talk to your doctor about getting a script for beta blockers. They are a cheap and highly effective drug to control adrenaline uptake (and thus shaking) due to anxiety. They have no negative side effects. They work. Many professional musicians and other performers use them.
You don't have to use them permanently; I found that reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety has the effect, over time, of reducing actual anxiety. In time, you'll be able to reduce your reliance on the drug, perhaps to a point where you may not need it.
PS. I speak from experience as a university lecturer, not a musician. I do play music in public, but as a member of a 30-piece band, where I'm mostly ``hidden'' in the back row. Even there, sometimes, anxiety strikes out of the the blue. And shaking does not go together with trumpet playing!


Not to give you too much "flak", but I think this advice is best reserved for more advanced musicians who have already practiced overcoming nervousness to no avail. This player in question seems to be a beginner (relatively) and should go through the regular process of overcoming nervousness before assuming it is anxiety. If his/her doctor diagnoses him/her with an anxiety disorder, then yes, sure that's between the player and his/her doctor to determine the appropriate treatment, which might include beta blockers (I have no issue with people using them); but at this phase, I think something like that is really putting the cart before the horse. If your fan doesn't turn on, make sure it's plugged in before you buy a new fan, you know?
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

robbrand wrote:
I know I'm going to get flak for this, but there is something else you could consider. Nervousness or performance anxiety and anxiety disorder are not the same thing. Nervous energy can be marshaled; anxiety disorder can be debilitating. I suffer from the latter. No matter how many times you appear before an audience, an attack of anxiety can strike out of the blue. There is nothing you can do do stop it, no matter how many times you force yourself to do the thing that triggers the anxiety. So, talk to your doctor about getting a script for beta blockers. They are a cheap and highly effective drug to control adrenaline uptake (and thus shaking) due to anxiety. They have no negative side effects. They work. Many professional musicians and other performers use them.
You don't have to use them permanently; I found that reducing the physical symptoms of anxiety has the effect, over time, of reducing actual anxiety. In time, you'll be able to reduce your reliance on the drug, perhaps to a point where you may not need it.
PS. I speak from experience as a university lecturer, not a musician. I do play music in public, but as a member of a 30-piece band, where I'm mostly ``hidden'' in the back row. Even there, sometimes, anxiety strikes out of the the blue. And shaking does not go together with trumpet playing!

I think this is premature. First of all this person is young and new to playing and new to solos. You do not want to prescribe a middle or high school kid beta blockers especially when the op is fine till they have the solo. Society is too quick to dose out meds as it is and should be a last resort for kids.
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Robert P
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reminds me of a guy I knew in college who was a very technically proficient player in the practice room. He was famous for being a practice-aholic. Practiced constantly. Could double/triple tongue like a maniac, lip trills, played the stew out of Clarke, Arban etc.

Yet at his recital, his performance was a train-wreck. His sound was suddenly timid, splattered notes left and right. He fumbled his way through passages we all knew he could play in his sleep. Everyone had been looking forward to his performance assuming it was going to be awesome. Jaws were on the floor at how bad it was. I guarantee he had played the piece virtually flawlessly in practice.

What was odd was he didn't have a problem soloing in stage band performances - he stood out front of the band and played the solo part on "The Land Of Make Believe" at a concert with no problem. But in a room with other students in the music department program and their friends and family accompanied by a piano, he could barely function.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As was pointed out above, there's a huge difference between pre-performance nerves/jitters and the other extreme of total parallizing chronic anxiety. A conditioned response.

I once asked my trpt professor (who had a degree in psychology) about this stage fight phenom and his serious response was, "If it's that troubling, maybe your'e playing for the wrong reasons." That was 35 years ago and I'm still mulling over those words.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just recently watched a great interview with Gail Williams, former associate principal horn in the Chicago Sym. and she spoke about nerves. She had an interesting take: she said if she were in a situation where the conductor was making a "show" of the concert she would tend to get much more nervous than if she felt all involved were there to serve the music. In other words, it's not about us! It can be hard to keep that in mind sometimes but worth the effort.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another good place to get wonderful experience playing for an audience is any of the senior residences or assisted living facilities near you.

Contact the activity director to see if you could come in and play. Bring a book of jazz or pop standards or religious melodies and pick out songs the seniors will recognize.

Bring a cup mute because volume can be a problem in these places.
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tim_wolf
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am someone who suffers from performance anxiety and have taken beta blockers for years. I agree with the advice of playing in front of people as much as you can. When I was younger I never had stage fright issues, but I was playing in front of people all the time. Once I got out of college, I wasn't performing quite as much on my trumpet, but I led the singing in my church, so I was still performing in front of people a lot. I remember doing a trumpet solo one Sunday evening, and I totally screwed up, to the point of having to stop and tell the piano player, let's start at measure such and such. You know what? It didn't phase me at all! That's how comfortable I was performing.

Several years later I left that position, and that was the start of doing very little performing in front of people. Oh, I had gigs, but I rarely played solos. It was about the mid-nineties that it started getting bad, and I started taking beta blockers. Just so we're on the same page, I AM NOT RECOMMENDING YOU TAKE BETA BLOCKERS! If you can do more performing in front of people, the novelty wears off and so do the nerves.

I also want to share one of my pet peeves, and that's the people that tell you to just prepare well. BS! Once I played in my present church with the handbell choir. I could have sight read the part in Jr. High school, it was that easy, but my whole body was shaking and my heart rate was about 160. As was already said, it's adrenaline. Of course you should prepare well, but that in and of itself is not going to cure performance anxiety.

Your post also reminded me of something the conductor of my chamber orchestra told me, which has already been said in this thread, and that's "you have stage fright because you care."

Please keep caring! Prepare well, and seek out every chance to perform, and you will beat this.
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starkadder
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I second the advice of getting as much experience as you can. That is what worked for me.

Another thing that has worked for me is to embrace the nerves. About two minutes before show-time the adrenaline dumps. Instead of fighting it, or fretting about it, I welcome it as part of the experience. I tell myself that this is a good thing, a sign that I'm doing something significant, and its time to get into the moment, to make music.
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cheiden
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tim_wolf wrote:
I also want to share one of my pet peeves, and that's the people that tell you to just prepare well. BS! Once I played in my present church with the handbell choir. I could have sight read the part in Jr. High school, it was that easy, but my whole body was shaking and my heart rate was about 160. As was already said, it's adrenaline. Of course you should prepare well, but that in and of itself is not going to cure performance anxiety.

I know people have a whole range of experiences with this but I tend to agree that fixating on preparation can contribute to the problem because it feeds the notion that you have to prepare so much that you can't screw up. And trust me, failure is always an option.
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Paladin53
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beta Blockers can have quite a few side effects. Google is easy.
They do work but I think they should be a last resort and used sparingly.

One of the POSSIBLE side effects is Peyronie's Disease. That will put a kink in your lifestyle. You dudes might be interested in this.
http://peyronies-disease-help.com/beta-blockers-peyronies-disease-2/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10044-peyronies-disease

There are many resources on dealing with performance anxiety.
It is no fun to try to play the trumpet with a dry mouth, shaking body, and unsteady air supply. I've had that experience with the trumpet and other activities too.

I hope the OP can get the information and or help in overcoming this nervousness. It can be done.
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