| |
| |
|
Music Information |
|
|
|
Guitar Performance - Make The Most of It!
Getting ready for any type of guitar performance can be a little scary at first, but if you are well prepared, you will find the experience much easier to handle. Whether you're playing with a band, or by yourself; are a seasoned performer, or a rookie; there are several things you can do to make the most of your performance. First and foremost, realize that you are not the first one on the block to ever feel jittery about playing your guitar in public. It's a common experience among musicians, and being a little nervous can even work in your favor. There is always a mysterious struggle that goes on inside me when I'm about to give a performance. I think it's something akin to the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde phenomenon. Two voices bantering for my attention, the good guy and the bad guy. Mr. Hyde tells me that I must be out of my mind. What makes me think I'm good enough to get up on a stage and play my guitar before an audience? Who do I think I am anyway? On the other hand, Dr. Jekyl tells me that I've worked hard practicing my guitar and know the material well. It will be fun to share what I've got with others so they can enjoy hearing it too. Be brave, live life to the fullest and go for it! Because I am basically a shy person, it would be much easier for me not to play my guitar in public. But there is a certain drive, almost a need I have, to express myself through music; especially with regard to playing my own material. Yes, there is a certain risk involved; it's called being vulnerable. Anything could happen... A string could break (been there), you might forget the words or chords to the song (been there), you might make a mistake and have to start over (been there too). But no matter what happens, the world will go on and you will discover that people are very supportive and encouraging overall. I'm always amazed when I get positive feedback over a performance that I thought was absolutely awful. It provides me with more incentive to continue on. So how can you make the most of your guitar performance? Below I've put together several suggestions for you to consider. They are in no particular order of importance. Some may be relevant to you at certain times and irrelevant at others. Just take what you need and ignore the rest. 1. Develop a repertoire (song list) of approximately ten to twelve songs and memorize them. 2. Make sure you select songs with different tempos and rhythms for your performance in order to create and sustain interest from your audience. 3. Pick songs with varying degrees of difficulty, but don't overestimate yourself. Be realistic about your own ability. You want to pick songs that you enjoy and are able to play well on your guitar when no one is watching. If you find that you are constantly making mistakes in a particular song, give yourself more time to get it down before actually performing it in public. 4. Practice playing with distractions. You will be amazed at how beneficial this can be. I remember playing at an outdoor concert once where the band that was to follow mine was warming up right behind us! Tamborines and all. One of the bandmembers actually started asking me questions about my guitar performance and wanted to know how I learned to play like that! It was very weird, but all I could do was ignore her. After that experience and a few others like it, I began practicing my repertoire with the T.V. and radio turned up pretty loud to mimic such distractions. 5. Start your performance off with something that you find easy to play on the guitar and graduate to the more difficult pieces later. This will help you to warm up your fingers and get comfortable with being on stage. I usually like to start with a strong, upbeat song in order to gain the attention of the audience and rid my stomach of butterflys. 6. Get a good night's sleep the night before your performance if at all possible. That will help keep you fresh and alert and also reduce your level of anxiety. 7. Avoid drinking too much alcohol or caffeine. 8. Have all your clothes, equipment, contact information and directions ready the night before. 9. Always have extra strings, pics and guitar batteries, etc. in your gig bag. 10. Relax, take a deep breath and try to enjoy yourself. After all, it's just another part of the learning process and tomorrow's a brand new day! FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information: Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Music - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Modal Theory for Guitar Players - Part 1 IntroductionThe fact that you are holding this in your hands suggests that you have got to the point in your explorations of, and curiosity about the guitar that the next step is the modes. Maybe it's because you have read somewhere that Steve Vai loves the Lydian mode, or you have listened to music by Frank Gambale and wondered what he was up to. The Revolution has begun - and it will not be Televised The new Artist Development Paradigm In reflecting on the world of the Music Business in 2004, there were some very profound and dramatic changes that changed the nature of the Music Business itself. 2004 will always be remembered as the year the 'Big Five' became the 'Big Four' and don't be surprised if you're reading at this time next year and we're telling you about the 'Big Three'! Beside the Sony/BMG merger, 2004 will also be remembered as the year labels utilized aggressively utilized video games as a marketing vehicle for the launching of many of their artists. Self-Expression Without Criticism When I was 9 years old I played the Saxophone and thought I was pretty good at it. Unfortunately, I had a teacher who didn't think so and he went out of his way to make sure I knew how he felt. Creating Your Own Unique Music Have you ever dreamed of penning your own compositions? Writing music has been a dream of mine for the longest time. And it's a dream I am fortunate enough to have realized. A Guitar Lesson to Help You Develop Your Vision Have you ever done any of the following?1. Made excuses for not practicing because you "didn't have time"? 2. Automatic Control of Chords CORRECT PRACTICE IS INDISPENSABLE!Your success or failure at the keyboard may well hinge on how quickly and accurately you can memorize a new chord. To be really efficient at this you must use your eyes, your ears, and the muscles of your hands. JOHN LENNON - The Man and His Times John Lennon wasn't always my favorite Beatle; at first it was Paul. But gradually, over a period of time, it was John Lennon who won my heart. Where To Download Music On The Internet Virtually all of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest to crush online music piracy. The illegal sharing of copyrighted songs via the MP3 format on top the Internet costs the music industry billions of dollars. How Any DJ Can Increase Their Gigs and Profits By This Simple Strategy The DJ industry is very competitive. There are many DJ's who are making huge amounts of money and then there are other DJ's who are struggling to find any gigs at all. Managing Your Time, when Music isnt Your Day Job You CAN do everything.Repeat. Learn to Play the Piano Rocket Piano is a very professionally done piano lesson package. It includes a number of ebooks, audio tracks, and video tracks to support the instructional material. Dance Musics Most Popular and Enduring Theme: The Declaration of Independence It all started with Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" in 1979, perhaps the biggest fluke in popular music history. To follow up her hit "Never Can Say Goodbye", Gloria's label issued a song called "Substitute". How I Compose a Piece of Music A number of people have asked about my own methodology for creating a complete piece of music at the piano. At the risk of oversimplification, the steps are as follows:1. Effective Band Rehearsal If your band is in rehearsals, either preparing for gigging, or practising new songs to add to your repertoire, the chances are you will have to hire a rehearsal room. The costs of hiring a room can soon mount up if you don't organise your time effectively. Creating Caverns - an Improvisation Exercise In a recent post to my Yahoo group, I mentioned that I created the piece "Caverns" using one chord. I'd like to explain how I accomplished this. Buying A Guitar There are many things to consider when buying a new classical guitar. For instance, whether or not you are a beginner or seasoned professional will determine just what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. Composing for Dummies When most people hear the word composer, they automatically think of classical composers like Mozart or Beethoven. This is the point where many "would be" composers freeze up because they tell themselves that their music could never be as good. Music Licensing: The Cold Cash Facts About Money for your Music Where music meets licensing, there's money to be made. How much money? "I have synched quite a few thousand songs into productions over the years," states Peter Jansson of Janssongs, Inc. Does Reading Make Music? When you read music you are deciphering the printed page and transferring the information to the keyboard. You might say that you are decoding what the composer or arranger put on the page . Guitar Practicing or Guitar Playing? Just because you're holding your guitar doesn't mean that you're playing it, and just because you're playing your guitar doesn't mean that you're practicing. There is a real difference and it needs to be acknowledged if you want to improve your level of playing skill.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
