The Central Nervous System and You - 101

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CelticWhistler
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by CelticWhistler »

Hi Kirk. I totally understand how you feel being nervous and freezing up when people are watching you or when you try to play along with other players. May I suggest something that helped me immensely? Get some sheet music that come with play-along cd's.

Here are links below that sell sheet music/cd accompaniment sets:

http://www.musicminusone.com/

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Music-Flut ... 400&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Music-Flut ... 400&sr=8-4

Band in a Box is software that lets you easily create play-along chord backing tracks from many included real instrument sound files: http://www.band-in-a-box.com/

I was the same as you when I first started playing the whistle. I know, I know, the whistle is easier than the flute. :D Whenever people would watch me play, I would freeze up or make continuous mistakes. I made some guitar backing tracks to play along with, and that helped me a lot, and I bought some play-along cd's to practice with. Plus, I had my wife start watching me play at home. As I become more experienced with the whistle and the more I learned the songs, the less nervous I became and the more confidence I had. But I am still by no means at professional level. I still make mistakes. What you need to do is just practice, practice, practice until it becomes automatic. Until you don't even have to think about the fingering or embrochure. I do realize that it probably takes much longer to reach this level on the flute compared to the whistle (no embrochure skill on whistle), but I know if others have done it, so can you. Another thing I do is just focus on my music, block out the rest of the world while I am playing. Kind of like a playing meditation. Focus on the music and the instrument, not the people around you who are listening and watching. Another thing I would advise against (at least for me personally) is to not switch back and forth between different instruments while still in the beginning to intermediate stages of learning the flute. I did this for a while, constantly switching back and forth between the whistle and recorder. It seriously slowed down my whistle progression. So I started focusing on just the whistle, and my progression really pickup up again. So I have been just focusing on trying to reach higher levels on the whistle. But once I get the Tipple flute I recently ordered, I will only be focusing on learning it, and not the whistle. :party: Something else I strongly recommend: slow down! Slow and correct playing is so much more important than fast and sloppy playing. I have seen way too many beginner-intermediate whistle players try to play ITM very fast, but sloppily. This only reinforces bad playing habits. I know most want to play fast ITM, but we have to learn how to walk before we can run. :wink:

I don't play at sessions or concerts, but I do play Irish/Scottish airs and ballads on my low D whistle at a large crowded park where I live during the summer. When I first tried doing this, it was scary! Lots of people would stop and watch me play. I kept freezing up or hitting the wrong notes. Totally embarrassing! But now, it's not much of a problem. Stage fright is common. Just give it time. Play in front of a few family members or friends at home first, plus play along with some backing tracks or cd's. Given time and lots of practice, your confidence will build, and you will feel more relaxed. Then once your confidence builds enough, go to a park and start playing in front of strangers. It's actually a lot of fun. Live music seems to attract people like flies to honey. :)
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by Nanohedron »

I was talking about performance jitters with some people not so long ago, and it occured to me that I do in fact have my own version of it at times: usually I get worked up the day before (sometimes I won't be able to sleep at all) and have trouble winding down afterward (same with the sleep thing). But during the performance I don't get nervous in any way that I can point out. Odd. Maybe I'm just riding the adrenaline wave and have sublimated it.

This is usually for new venues, though; if it's something fairly steady or I've at least gotten used to it, I'm more relaxed. I have to say I'm grateful for that. I hate puking. :wink:
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by Kirk B »

Well, I'm getting better with it. I've been to session several times now and have actually started tunes on several occasions. My session is pretty laid back so that helps. The only thing I have to contend with is now is that the other flute player is really good. She's young but has been playing for 15 years (plays classical Boehm flute) and the ego is definitely there. Sooooo, she plays at light speed and very loudly on a lot of the tunes that know and join in on. Even some of the rest of the crowd has trouble keeping up. Then in the middle of the tune as I'm struggling to keep up, she'll stop playing and scratch her arm or stretch, etc. Awfully transparent ploy, but It doesn't phase me a bit. I'm married with children and I've no pride left to retain. I just sit there all dumb and happy and keep smiling.

Cheers,

Kirk
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by david_h »

Is it all related to jitters or is some of it distraction or an, in between, self-conciousness ? When I started, a bird flying past the window, seen in my peripheral vision, could throw me off and the door of the room opening would stop me. Two or three years down the line I can idly watch the bird table whilst playing (whether doing that is a good idea is another issue) and nod yes to a cup of tea.

I would be really jittery going on stage. But a couple of weeks ago, at friendly 'slow session' someone brought out a piece of paper with some music and asked if people knew what it was. Several people started clumsily playing it simultaneously and making various guesses as to what sort of rhythm it was (horpipe, reel, polka etc). I recognised the melody and played a few bars (a polka). Someone stops and says "Dave's got it", but I couldn't even play those bars again with everyone listening.

I was self-concious enough to stop the tune coming out, but I am inclined to think of it more as 'distraction' - sort of a 'don't look, you will put me off' - rather than nerves. Something that will go away as experience develops the neural pathways or whatever. Or maybe it is a false distinction.
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by pflipp »

My take on it is always that it is a state of heightened alertness, which under animal conditions was very useful if you found yourself at the center of attention -- i.e., of hungry wolves or enemy soldiers. This raised awareness is also the reason why you get distracted by such small things as a bird flying by.

I personally dislike the "scientific" term "flight or fight", because you would normally not consciously think of doing either of them. You just get very alert at a time you know you should feel calm :) It would probably help to identify and observe this natural reaction as separate from your own personality, intended for more serious circumstances, and to set your mind to explore the feeling that you would like to have instead.

I just wrote the last part down because that's how I feel about it, not claiming it would help anyone in particular or that I am immune myself. (In fact I have an almost constantly heightened muscular tension which I expect is for similar reasons. It doesn't primarily give me stage fright, but it does affect my posture.)
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by david_h »

So, maybe, being brought to the 'here and now', ready for quick decisions and perhaps fast action, rather than in a more 'detached' state when we listen to tunes and play them ?

Added: Come to think of it though, there are different situations: something with anticipatory excitement (starting a tune), something unexpected (what I was talking about), something expected but still giving attention to us (the microphone !) etc.
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by lesl »

david_h wrote:So, maybe, being brought to the 'here and now', ready for quick decisions and perhaps fast action, rather than in a more 'detached' state when we listen to tunes and play them ?
I agree with that. I'm basically in the camp of nervous = needs more practice, since the tunes I know really well don't cause problems. But in general, I'm terrible for messing up when losing focus. When you're in the zone just totally making the music, everything works just fine. Lose focus and the body can more easily stop cooperating. I've read that concentrating on a physical sensation, like say feeling the air vibrating under your fingers, keeps you in the present. Not sure if I agree with that, since it's still 'doing something else' - but in david's detached state is where I fall off a tune, myself. Still thinking about this, interesting..
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by Kirk B »

I think that loss of focus is a big part of it for me. I need to concentrate more on thinking ahead to the notes that are coming up as well as breathing points. Maybe I need to chant, "Breathe before you need to! I think that recording yourself really helps too. You find out what you're really doing vs. what you think your doing.

Cheers,

Kirk
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by david_h »

lesl wrote:... but in david's detached state is where I fall off a tune, myself. Still thinking about this, interesting..
Ha, I wasn't clear - I was thinking of it the opposite way. Detached good, alert bad. Being detached from things that make me self-conscious and from distracting outside stimuli rather than alert to them, and so being able to give attention to the tune (including listening to others) or maybe let it flow. 'Focus' and 'concentration' seem the wrong words - 'attentive' may be more like it.

I guess what I am getting at is that maybe 'performance anxiety' is a specific example and solutions to that may not work in other situations. My microphone, for me only, is not the same as a real audience is it ? or only partially the same.
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by lesl »

david_h wrote: Ha, I wasn't clear - I was thinking of it the opposite way. Detached good, alert bad. Being detached from things that make me self-conscious and from distracting outside stimuli rather than alert to them, and so being able to give attention to the tune (including listening to others) or maybe let it flow. 'Focus' and 'concentration' seem the wrong words - 'attentive' may be more like it.
Oh I thought you meant detached from the music! ok I still agree with you. The best scenario I think is to be detached from distractions while still being aware. Certainly *telling* oneself to "focus" or "concentrate" is not the state of mind we want. Rather just be attentive like you say. It puts me in mind of my current favourite analogy, the Dog Whisper says "calm assertive energy".

For sure a microphone isn't the same as an audience, but it could be the gateway to an audience. On the other hand though as a tool its pretty good. When your fingers slip up the recording can show you where the spot is. Despite my frame of mind when playing, that always signals to me I have to do those fingering spots till they come out right even when distracted.

I was just reading Joe Derrane's interview on the NEA website. He told a story there of being called to do a gig after not playing for 35 years and how he got prepared to handle it. Wow.. here's the link- (I just watched the NEA heritage awards announcement webcast and saw their site has finally been updated) - here's the Joe Derrane interview
http://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/fel ... id=2004_03
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Re: The Central Nervous System and You - 101

Post by Sigmund »

Has anyone had problems with "lip trembling"?

If I go busking or play gigs, this is the big nightmare, that my lips will start to tremble (from fear I suppose), and my sound will be terrible... It has happened a couple of times, but it usually stops after a reel or two. If not, the whistle is always good to have... :D

A year ago, in class, the teacher (med. professor) told us how he used drugs to help him through a presentation. Because he used be shaky in front of people, he could not hold his lazer pointer steadily. This time he was going to a huge international conference, and could not make a fool out of himself. After he had taken some stuff, his hand was totally relaxed...
"Basically, the game is over if the rhythm is unsteady; it makes things jarring musically and impossible to listen to." -Jerry O'Sullivan
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