Playing Live: What To Do With The Little Voices In Your Head

Whether you play for tens of thousands of people every night as part of a world tour, or 20 people at a backyard barbeque, most of the mental anxieties musicians experience while playing live are the same. In almost every case the negative little voice in your head is centered around fear (fear of rejection, self doubt, etc.). We all have experienced some level of fear or nervousness when playing live at some time or another. You may have felt a fear of failure, fear of making mistakes, fear of what the audience will think of you, your music or your band. Have you ever asked yourself questions like:

“What if I make mistakes?”

“Am I even good enough to be playing on a stage?”

“What if the crowd doesn’t like the band, the music, or me?”

“Is this show going to be a disaster?”

Here are some things to think about before your next gig (they definitely work if you use them, especially if you put them all together in your thoughts).

01. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself to perform at a very high level. The time to experience pressure is while practicing at home or in rehearsals with your band. The gig is not the time to be putting additional stress/pressure on yourself. Yes you need to concentrate on what you are doing, but have fun. If you won’t allow yourself to have fun during a live concert, when will you allow yourself to ever actually enjoy music?

02. As a professional musician, the pressure to consistently perform on a world class level is higher on me now than ever before. I perform better by focusing on having fun and living my dream than worrying about making a mistake. I look at it this way, if I play 30,000 notes a night and I play 3 notes imperfectly, that means I have played 99.99% of all notes correctly. It would be pointless for me to concern myself about the 0.01% of mistakes while on the stage. If I need to practice something later to make sure I don’t make the same errors in the next concert, then I will deal with that tomorrow while practicing, not on the stage.

You probably play at least a few thousand notes a gig too (maybe a lot more). Of course most of us strive for perfection, but don’t beat yourself up over a few mistakes. Be happy and give yourself the credit you deserve for playing 97%, 98%, 99%, or 99.999999% of the notes correctly. Don’t let your desire to be perfect cripple you when the reality is that none of us can ever be perfect all of the time. If you were taking an exam at a major university and you answered 99% of the questions correctly you would feel pretty good about yourself right?! Congratulations, you just earned the grade of an “A”! Be happy with that while you are on the stage. You can go back home and practice the other 1% later.

03. Remember this, when you are on stage performing (for 20 people or 20,000) everyone in the audience envies you. Almost everyone there wishes they could be the one up on the stage with all of the talent that you have. Even if they don’t like your music, they at least envy your position up there on the stage. So the next time you are on stage and feel nervous, remind yourself that the people in the crowd are “in the crowd”, only you (and your fellow musicians) are the ones “on the stage”... living the dream at that moment. Think back to when you began playing guitar. Remember thinking how cool it must be to be up on a stage playing in front of people who have come to see and hear you? Remember how much you desired that when you began. When you walk out on the stage, remind yourself how far you have come as a player. You are now able to do something you always wanted to be doing. The size of the concerts you play are not important really. What IS important is what you have already achieved. You are performing on stage, most people only dream about that, but now you will have actually done it! Feel good about that, don’t ruin the excitement and pleasure of that experience by fear of making a mistake or two.

04. In the end, its all about the music. It’s not about you or me really. As musicians we are the real instruments from which music flows. The instruments we play are merely extensions of our beings. When you play for others, you are a “giver”. When was the last time you ever felt nervous or afraid of doing something nice for someone else? If you hold the door open for a little old lady do you feel nervous or afraid? When you donate money to a charity, do you experience fear or self doubt about that? When you give your time to someone who needs help, do you feel nervous about that? Playing music should be no different. Don’t think of yourself as an Olympic competitor that must perform perfectly to win a gold medal. Don’t think you have disappointed the entire human race if you make a mistake or if the crowd doesn’t like your concert. If think of your performance as “giving to others”… you won’t feel nervous or afraid, stage fright will melt away. When you perform, you add value to people’s experience when they hear you. Some may like it and some may not, it’s their choice or preference and even if you play perfectly, not everyone will love what you are doing. That comes with the territory. But you will have given of yourself either way. You came to share what you do with the audience. Feel good about that because when you feel good, the chances of making mistakes in a performance diminish.

If you don’t get anything else out of this article, at least remember this: The best antidote for stage fright is to change the mindset from “impressing others” to “giving to others”.

Copyright 2007 by Tom Hess. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Tom Hess’s instructional website and world tour dates

POSTED: 09/08/2007 - 07:41 am

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Comments

[_3Lm0_]

Pretty good.
Applicable to sex as well.

[BlackMist]

Very good article, thanks for this!!

[Got-ReVerb?]

Clearly, when your on stage having Sex with a fellow band member it's very applicable.

[Desdenovacruë]

It's useful. But before you have to get onstage you won't be thinking about this I'm sure...

[StratPat]

Thanks mate good read

[slann101]

good call.

[strong_wizard]

so what if these voices aren't negatively pointing towards yourself...

[Korzack]

If only I'd read this thing last night - Dammit! Still, I'll remember this - gonna be very handy in many a way.

[t3xas_dood88]

_3Lm0_ wrote:

Pretty good.
Applicable to sex as well.

haha....good article

[UNIe]

Great article!

[echo_4190]

Quite good! I'll try and remember this next time I play somewhere.

[Obelisk]

_3Lm0_ wrote:

Pretty good.
Applicable to sex as well.

Nice. Well done article. Makes me want to play shows really bad.

[Godbe]

That's good advice, because being a musician is as much psychological as it is physical.

[Green_Jelly]

The best antidote for stage fright is to change the mindset from “impressing others” to “giving to others”.

I'll bear that in mind. Great article.

[Corey Taylor]

awesome article, really helped. thanks a lot man!

[Sloopy]

Some of the stuff was really 'no-brainer'. It wasn't as good as Tom's other columns.

[blarnbatt]

yea, i was ina band for 3 years, and one of my guys had thta problem no one else really did though.

[Pyro128]

this gives me warm fuzzies inside... no clue how to spell 'fuzzies', good article

[samerika]

Really good article, i liked the structure of it and the last sentence was the best one,

LULZ its like having sex hahah

[phillyguitar]

I enjoyed this article, points out some very important things, and most of all highlights the main thing you should be doing when playing music for people: having fun and loving it.

[Jackolas]

Nice little article that highlights positive things to remember.

[DOOdooroCK]

thnks for tha advice, good article

[metalhammer79]

thanks man, great article, great idea for a article

[XXXguitarman]

Very good man.

[Piel]

true, i envy people who preform ;(

[Ruzzido]

Great article man! Thumbs up!

[Masonpwiley]

Nice read

[Sir_Awesomeness]

So i dont get it when he was talking about missing 3 notes out of 30000 or whatever. How do you "miss" notes? I dont see it that way. Every note you play has a purpose and everynote that isnt there has a purpose in the music you are creating. With this in mind, i dont really see how you can "mess up" playing, so i dont get nervous because they will either like it or not, and if they dont, its not the end of the world. but they will.

[utookmyname]

think about all the pussy you get after the show. thats what i do.

[Jondy]

hahaha applicable to sex as well. that comment made my day man.

[Sean-Man]

you make it sound like guitar hero lol, good article

[HavokStrife]

Sir_Awesomeness wrote:

So i dont get it when he was talking about missing 3 notes out of 30000 or whatever. How do you "miss" notes? I dont see it that way. Every note you play has a purpose and everynote that isnt there has a purpose in the music you are creating. With this in mind, i dont really see how you can "mess up" playing, so i dont get nervous because they will either like it or not, and if they dont, its not the end of the world. but they will.

Dude, simple.

You wrote a such and such a chord progression you played at a show and you botch a few strums or slip up fingering in a spot. You done ****ed up. Anyways.


Good article.

This was actually my big huge problem that took like a year to overcome. I don't know why, but I've never had a lot of self esteem. And those highlighted quotes in the beginning ran through my head in spades before during and after shows, until I, well, played in front of a bunch of disrespecting drunk ****s and didn't care how well I performed, and for some reason I've had a good mentality going into every show since. You really can't believe how much better your show will become when your head is screwed on right.

I found recording helps a lot too. You can really find out how good of a player you actually are recording something half decent.

[vanceboy]

i've always felt that if yuo were really really passionate, that passion can outdo many fears.

[vanceboy]

also, maybe a couple beers before hand helps you loosen up...obviously don't overdo the beers.

[Skadge_101]

utookmyname wrote:

think about all the pussy you get after the show. thats what i do.

damn rite dude.

[dann_blood]

Good article, helpful.

Checked.

[monox]

...it's all about music- and that's all what is about, great article

[TheUnholy]

Unnecessary article, Tom Hess has yet again bored me. Who actually needed to be told this?

[sadistic_monkey]

Not a bad article. Arrogant in some places though.

[postmortem2006]

Its actually not that bad. Entirely truthful, good job.

[cody733]

It's been years since I've been nervous on stage, good advice for absolute beginners though.

[Retro Rocker]

Nice, I liked it.

[The_Man_IV]

Skadge_101 wrote:

utookmyname wrote:

think about all the pussy you get after the show. thats what i do.



damn rite dude.

Damn just think about all the beer you can get after the show thats what its really all about The Beer

[Nick_porter333]

Good article, but when was the last time you were paid to open a door for an old lady...

[daos_soad]

haha how about you just smoke a blunt then play that always seems to work =]

[rage6945]

daos_soad wrote:

haha how about you just smoke a blunt then play that always seems to work =]

and then be too stoned to play
ive tried it, doesnt work
not in a live situation at least

[Thefallofman]

I never had a problem with nervousness really, but this is a great article.

[julianklazinga]

The_Man_IV wrote:

Skadge_101 wrote:

utookmyname wrote:

think about all the pussy you get after the show. thats what i do.



damn rite dude.


Damn just think about all the beer you can get after the show thats what its really all about The Beer

it is about the music, but i like where these guys' minds are at!

[Chad11491]

that's a great article, and really helpful too

[BennyStruggle]

music, sex, beer and drugs are the holiest of all unions.

[ai4281]

Also, it is important to know that no one would probably notice your mistakes anyways... Especially if you are a bassist (jk)

[pAmpH]

I've never played a stage gig before (Yet), but when I do, I'll keep all that in mind Thanks.

[David Fyfield]

You are correct.Excellent article.

Love your audience as fellow human beings.

Give a performance as if it were your last.

Do your best every time and if you are a little nervous use this positively to give your play an edge, imagine yourself in the audience at the time you are playing. ie, enjoy listening to yourself and your fellow geezers at the same time as the audience.

[The Novice]

Wow, you just took away some of my stage freight.
Be damn proud of yourself

[RockDragon]

Good advice, though I'm not sure if it's the best. I find that the best way to overcome nerves is to perform to the best of your ability. If you're putting on a show, that entices the crowd and gets them to pay attention to you. Once the crowd are involved you don't need to worry about buggering the odd note up, because they'll be too busy rocking out to notice or care.

Of course if you're a drummer then one slip means the whole thing goes tits up :P.

[daniel c b]

very good, i was thinking of printing this and putting in my guitar case

[theking4everr]

jus the right time this article came out..my band is gna b performin in a few days at the national level..its a huge competition..really made me feel good readin this...gud on ya mate

[JackMonty]

Good article indeed.

In my younger days I also took a stab at using my guitar to try my hand at stand up comedy (ala Stephen Lynch, but not nearly as good OR funny). That experience alone helped me get over any nerves I might now experience before playing. And there's always a little bit of nerves before playing, no matter how many times I've done it. The bottom line here is any chance you can get to speak/perform publicly gives you more confidence each time you do it.

The other thing my failed attempt at comedy taught me: how to face rejection. It's very humbling when you can't make 150 drunk people laugh.....

Peace and keep on playing - live music is the best!

[Whiskey Tango]

Right on the money. I don't usually get nervous before hitting the stage unless it's a venue that we haven't played before. New venues pile on another level of uncertainties (is there good power for the PA, what are the patrons like, how and when are you going to get paid, etc.). Use the tips in this post and enjoy your time on stage.

[zora350]

"Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself to perform at a very high level. The time to experience pressure is while practicing at home or in rehearsals...Yes you need to concentrate on what you are doing, but have fun."

_3Lm0_ wrote:

Pretty good.
Applicable to sex as well.

oh so true.

[TheZookeeper]

utookmyname wrote:

think about all the pussy you get after the show. thats what i do.

Yeah, it's all about the music, until it's all about the pussy.

[Nirvana-Man]

nice

[Dan Weiler]

Very good

Checked.

[spiderfizz]

who cares about missing notes. most of the time the audience doesnt even notice it. even if you do f*ck up, if you are a good performer, all is forgiven

[Tigri]

yeah cool article thx... what i experienced... i play better(or for me it seems like i play better) when i´m totally drunk or at least a bit^^

[Mike_Philippov]

as always, great column Tom!

[recklessftw]

Great article I think, it really helps. I found the same thing when I playing at my cousins wedding mass... Just me and my guitar. I thought this: I know my stuff, I know I am ready and most of the people wish they were me. I was still nervous because I am just a beginner when it comes to being on stage but that really helped me out. Also, really getting to know your stuff will help if the ol brain stutters a bit!

Good article, I'm going to read the others from him as well.

[AngryGoldfish]

Fantastic article. I don't even think I need to try it because it makes perfect, logical sense! You put it very poignantly and starkly, really gets your mouth froaming for music! Well done.

[Spiritweaver]

Haha I tanked my first gig a couple days ago, wish I'd read this earlier. It seems to be very true.

Checked.

[earlearl]

That's not bad advice, thanks. And you're advice about giving was right it's very true, thanks again for the advive.
Earlearl

[Nightfyre]

Obelisk wrote:

_3Lm0_ wrote:

Pretty good.
Applicable to sex as well.


Nice. Well done article. Makes me want to play shows really bad.

so you can have sex onstage? kinky :P
good article

[soupdragon]

cool, nice article

[skydemon666]

might help a little

[Dnalrafcmb3]

rage6945 wrote:

daos_soad wrote:

haha how about you just smoke a blunt then play that always seems to work =]


and then be too stoned to play
ive tried it, doesnt work
not in a live situation at least

Uhh?? Slash?? His trademark photo is like a cig in his mouth with a guitar. He always does it, but I guess he's good enough to. Oh well...

[Dnalrafcmb3]

_3Lm0_ wrote:

Pretty good.
Applicable to sex as well.

lol.....lol.....lol.....=)

[shammyshamsham]

i got better advice than all of that, do one gig, then do another, then do another, and another, until when u get up on stage it feels like home.

stage fright is a fear just like any other, and as soon as u realise that it's 99% paranoia it goes away.

[Johnothan_k]

Yeah i always shit my dacks at the thought of playing on stage but when i actually got up and did it, i loved it and kinda felt whole after it. I think now i'm a happier and more socially comfortable person just from playing my first few gigs. and yeah its Very similar to sex lol i never would have made that connection though...

[Farid Macleod]

Excellent !!! positive attitude !!!
well done , everyone should really think about it !!

[demea]

I'm always worried that the rest of the band is going to remember their parts.

[punkguitarist55]

I was nervous when I walked onto the stage, but it wasn't as bad once I started playing, and saw people enjoying the music.
Also....
I'm trying to conquer my stage fright. I will try to remember this stuff next time I am onstage.

Thanks

Checked.

[Shadoein]

good article dood

[cobain_is_king]

Dnalrafcmb3 wrote:

rage6945 wrote:

daos_soad wrote:

haha how about you just smoke a blunt then play that always seems to work =]


and then be too stoned to play
ive tried it, doesnt work
not in a live situation at least


Uhh?? Slash?? His trademark photo is like a cig in his mouth with a guitar. He always does it, but I guess he's good enough to. Oh well...

He wasn't talking about just a cigarette.

[xprincessPeachx]

me likey.made me feel better

[xprincessPeachx]

me likey. never thot about it that way. made me feel better

[Guitar Newbie]

Just played live today...LOL
First time ever with the band!

I always get nervous, but I couldn't care less for making mistakes or anything like that.
It's my personality to be nervous, I get nervous before an exam, first day of school, doctor's visits...

LOL

[kman123]

oh man GREAT article
played live yesterday, and i stuffed up on my solo but everyone still said it rocked

[frankiedj]

nice. ill have to remember this sometime in the next year ill hopefully have a band. i like the part about how even if people dont like your movies, they still envy your spot on stage. i wouldnt have even read this article if it didnt have a pic of M. Shadows as the cover. i was hopin for some albium info

[stigmeister2win]

nice post make me feel the same way when i eat momma cherris apple pie. Ive never done a gig before but when im going to i hoe ur advice vill help me.
They call me GuitarMAAN

[XxPunkMafiaxX]

all u gotta do is not be too over confident or arrogant about how good u think u r. if u know u can do something perfectly: u can concentrate on showing off or something, but the part comes where you have a tendency to mess up, stop ****ing around and concentrate. lol.

[C_majzer]

Dnalrafcmb3 wrote:

rage6945 wrote:

daos_soad wrote:

haha how about you just smoke a blunt then play that always seems to work =]


and then be too stoned to play
ive tried it, doesnt work
not in a live situation at least


Uhh?? Slash?? His trademark photo is like a cig in his mouth with a guitar. He always does it, but I guess he's good enough to. Oh well...

dude, a blunt gets you high, a cig jus gives you a rush-a buzz-of-a-sort... playing while high is pretty different than playing with a dull-rush from a cigarette.

Nice article.

Reminds me a lot of Kenny Werners book, Effortless Mastery. Which is something anyone who's interested in learning more about achieving this state of mind should have.

[swinghead]

nice but part 4 was the best, it's an excellent philosophy for musicians

[guitarist7347]

thank dude that stuff actually works

[mikea93]

_3Lm0_ wrote:

Pretty good.
Applicable to sex as well.

LOL

[SL!!!]

Pyro128 wrote:

this gives me warm fuzzies inside... no clue how to spell 'fuzzies', good article

haha, me too.

[silent caution]

this was kinda good, but for me alittle thing like wearing a hat and covering my face alittle but gave me the mental edge i was looking for to play good on stage

[HooliganOnE]

C_majzer :
Dnalrafcmb3 wrote:

rage6945 wrote:

daos_soad wrote:

haha how about you just smoke a blunt then play that always seems to work =]


and then be too stoned to play
ive tried it, doesnt work
not in a live situation at least


Uhh?? Slash?? His trademark photo is like a cig in his mouth with a guitar. He always does it, but I guess he's good enough to. Oh well...


dude, a blunt gets you high, a cig jus gives you a rush-a buzz-of-a-sort... playing while high is pretty different than playing with a dull-rush from a cigarette.

Or just step it up to a class A, I find that usually quells any nerves or doubts

[Tiznow]

Wow...lucky I stumbled upon this article....thanks man this should help

[TheReFiller]

Great information! I will certainly be looking at this again when I play live sometime in the future.

[MadGoat]

Totally true.

[lockless7x]

really helpful

[metaldier]

_3Lm0_ wrote:

Pretty good.
Applicable to sex as well.

So that's what you were telling me about.

And yes, good article.

[ibikinz]

Its a bit like OCD i guess.

[ibikinz]

please take my comment back. I feel a wee better now.

[ColinElmhurstEX]

daniel c b wrote:

very good, i was thinking of printing this and putting in my guitar case

GOOD IDEA! good article too

[Bellz06!]

nice.. helps alot

[Rocker Extreme]

Good article, but also try geting laid before the show, it improves confidence.

Just make sure the chick isn't at the show, then it ruins the confidence.