Today's lesson is about "gig anxiety" or "stage fright".
It's one thing in the practice room, but when we get in front of people, or we want to make a good impression, that's when the nerves happen and we get up in our heads.
But for some of us, it's tough to get out of our heads *even in the practice room*.
The was the case for me.
When I first started playing, ignorance was bliss. I'd bang gleefully along with my favorite records, never knowing that "I sucked", so I had no reason to be self-conscious.
Once I went to music school - heck, once I started playing in bands - I *started* to grasp the height and steepness of the mountain, and then I started getting in my head.
Sure, I was improving technically. But my playing became cerebral, and I was no longer having fun.
One big "elephant in the room" is the typical advice I give on this channel: I *encourage* people to drill down, and root out their weaknesses, rather than living in the illusion that they're good.
So how do I reconcile this with my admonition to find the "fun" in music?
A couple of ways.
First, it's about realizing that you'll go through "cycles". To reach a new plateau is going to require some pain and frustration, but once you "level up" you can enjoy playing again.
More subtly, we can draw a "perimeter" around the shed. When we're in the shed, we focus on rooting out our weaknesses. When we're on the gig, or in real musical situations, we have to be equally committed to getting out of our heads and making music.
But how are we supposed to practice getting out of our heads when all the popular exercises are about technique, or coordination, or time?
Via the methods in this video, hopefully;)