Relax

[montezuma]

Hola!
Could anyboady recomed me any exercises which could help me to relax. I don't feel any stress (stage fright) beevor a stage performance. I'm on stage over 7 years. But I feel always nervious durning recording. I mean almost always, when I have to record in a studio I feel some kind of stage fright. How is it possible? Are there any tips to work against this kind of stress?

[yoni]

Hola, Montezuma!

I get the exact same thing! Maybe it's from knowing the recording is "permanent", even though I also lost any stage fright long ago.

Because of this "recording fear" I know my best performances by far have been live, not recorded. If a show is recorded, I feel best not knowing about it until afterward!

What to do? I guess deep breathing and other physical relaxation exercises help, along with trying to forget you're being recorded, just hearing & playing the music...

The more we record, the more relaxed we might be about it, just like performing.

Shalom, Saludos,
yoni

[montezuma]

Thanks yoni!
May be after me 100 recording I record the next one naturally! : ) You'r right. When I play a concert and I know that is recorded I feel unnaturally. Have you ever been on TV? Does TV record you durning your playing? I was few times and I was very nerwous! But my falily and frends ware very happy! May be I should try yoga or meditation? Some musician try alcohol and drugs. I don't think that this a good idea. I like to be conscious when I play.

[yoni]

Hi again Montezuma!

Yes I've been on TV and often it's worked out fine, but probably still play best in small informal situations. I also don't think alcohol and drugs is an answer. Yoga I think is great, but I don't have the patience for meditation much. I do plenty of that when I sleep, or play.

Hmmm, haven't tried it yet, but loving up with the muchacha soon before recording might help.
That's the best "relaxation exercise" I know of!
:;):

enjoy!
yoni

[Raymond]

I love the subject about the psychological and physiological part of playing drums. It is most of the time overlooked....

A little nervousness or "tight feeling" is sometimes normal. Breathing and going about it and forgetting your nervousness will do the trick.

However, be aware that lack of confidence will do the trick to get you nervous in a hearbeat. That you have to check if that is the case. Experience will help you with your confidence but is not all. If you are playing something you do not "dominate", it could give you that feeling too! Playing with some players you admire will get you sort of nervous! I had the experience at the begining of me playing around but is just of not overdoing it and going with what you dominate! You should take advantage of these experience to strive to improve yourself!

I've done a lot of TV shows and ocassionally, I get the "anxiety" attacks but it is sometimes...Normally, it goes away after awhile...When I get them is because I am playing with a group I do not have the experience to playing with a lot or that some of the work will be doing is "ad lib"....If you think about it too much it will detract from your playing...Be confident about your skills...we go back to the confidence part that is very important!

Recording???? I've never done recording, although, I am about too....I've been to a lot of them...I've heard the "horror stories" of people not been able to deal with "clip tracks" and feel confident about it....I'll let you know when it happens in a couple of weeks but I guess feeling nervous about it a little bit will be normal and that is how I am going to deal with it.

Do you play well, feel confident that you will do the job and know your part correctly??? Nothing to be nervous about it although is normal to do so a little bit....

Saludos!

[yoni]

Hi Raymond!

So true, what you write. I get them less and less now, but for me also the "anxiety attacks" go away after awhile. It's like jumping in the water - if it's cold, it takes time to get up the nerve to do it - but once you jump in and start moving, it's usually okay.

Once Charlie Parker was asked what he thought his best recording was, and he answered, "Sorry to say, my best recording has yet to be made". Maybe he also had some of that "recording fear", and I hear he played his very best in more casual settings...

He sounded so great on recordings... can you imagine what he sounded like live? Wow.

yoni

[GuruPimpi]

Hi guys!

Yes, stage fright already transformed in a positive charge, but beingin studio for depends... If i get along with the producer (if I know him, haveworked with him...) then it's no problem, especially if I'm recording for a band which i usually don't play with, different is with my own band when I know that i should really be into 100% music and really relaxed (hard to be relaxed when you have to be realxed... )kind of a forcing situation, but I found out, like with every other things and activities - with every experience you get better and softer and harder and groovy...

I once had a unexpected love encounter with my girlfriend before the expected recording and we came late to studio, but... There was no ,, Let's do it again!'' from the producer, opposite he was more than satisfied, cause I didn't spent whole day in a studio and I even got extra bonus. Making Love, makes the groove strong and tasty... Dance of Life.

I also did a TV performance, live recorded concerts (just for band and also for other TV shows). Yeah, it can be stressful and can tight you up, but my only advice against that stress is, not just confidence, which can led, like Raymond said, to over dominant and prakatatatatkaktutuattehchec too much of every thing, but just close your eyes, focus on music and try to 'speak' and 'talk' with the band what you try to say in music.

I saw many different musicians in the studios (duh) and some of them need to be calm and some of them need to be some sort of nervous. If the 'calm' one was nervous, he was not performing as he could and vice versa. So... Find out for yourself what kind of person you are and go with that... Your heart and spirit knows the music and you just let him go through your body out.

I am more of a hiperactive and 'romantic' person which means I hear music as a special language of emotions and impressions, so many times I go for a walk before recordings , go through the songs in my mind (if that is possible) and walk into studio, and other times I'm like :'' LET ME IN AND DO MY THING!!!''

Of course, more you practice and record yourself and band during practice (and very important that you all hear the recorded tape, so that you talk about the cookies and candies that you made - you know, making bondage in a band helps and builts up the groove that you need in studio!)

Know yourself, thrust yourself!

Primoz

[montezuma]

Hi!
Well, well! It seems that I started really interesting topic! Thanks every one! GuruPimpi - thanks for your advices. "Making Love, makes the groove strong and tasty... Dance of Life." - I like it! "Your heart and spirit knows the music and you just let him go through your body out" - I'll try it to. I'm going to record tomorow morning. I'll let you know what happened!

[GuruPimpi]

Hit it, Montezuma!

Wish you that tommorow in the evening you'll be filled with proud and satisfaction!

P.

[montezuma]

Hi!
I've done it! It was much more easier then I expected. I just record: conga, bongo, timbales, udu drums, handsonic and other percussion. I did't plan any rhythms any strategy. Just feeling and music. I recorded all at once. I had not to repate my recording. Before recording I heard only 3 songs. And I recorded 6. Which mean that 3 of them I heard the first time durning the recording. The producents were supraised and invite me to record and other project. Wow!!! If I had to give someone advices about recording I would say - "do not think about it, just do it"!
All the best for you! I'm very proud and satisfactioned!