Well sir. I am really impressed with your skills. Fingerpicking like that is quite a task.
That was really good, well done
Mightily impressive and inspirational. I’m 6mths in and far away from your time flexing and clean sounds. I’ve just spent $30 on a bang-for-buck mic recording setup as I think it’ll really force me to clean up my playing while hopefully normalising that stress element that comes with being recorded.
Well done mate. You have such a great feeling it will excuse a few mistakes.
That was brilliant Denis. I hope everything went well at your family reunion
Super version. that was great, just relax and play exactly like that and you will amaze!!!
A year late to your post and hope by now you are a regular performer and not only in front of your family. That was excellent Denis!
Thanks. I did have a few opportunities to play for other people. I really have to learn to relax even more, but it did go well. We are meeting again this year (about 35 persons) and I am preparing 3 songs. I might post them here again.
2 Likes
That’s really great that it went well. Do you have any tips - whatever worked for you to help you relax?
I play guitar for friends on my roofdeck sometimes and always get nervous. Of course the key is to be able to focus on the playing but easier said than done. Focusing on breathing before starting a song helps me a bit. And I’ve found that I have to avoid looking at the faces of my audience because that takes me out of focusing on the playing and into a world of worry. Another thing that helps me is to start out with a first song that’s not too technical, not too challenging - that’s a good way to warm up.
The nervousness is just an indication that your performance is important to you - that you want to do well. It’s so rewarding playing for friends and family - it’s so worth the challenge of overcoming the nervousness.
Just like you, I have to avoid looking around me when I play otherwise I lose my focus. It is not as bad for songs with only chords but I still have to take care. For finger picking, I definitely cannot look.
I always start with the same song and now I can even play through mistakes on that song if they happen. So less stress. Before starting any song, I concentrate on the speed and rhythm by taping my foot at the correct speed. If I start a song too fast or too slow it can cause me to go off track and trip up.
I did get to play in front of other people lately and was able to relax some. So I would say I’m improving on that front. We have another family gathering in May this year and I’m preparing 3 new songs. I hope things will go as well as last year.