Performing in front of Other People
In overcoming performance anxiety its very important to understand that more than half the challenge of learning music isn't really learning all the scales, patterns and chords... all that stuff can be picked up in a matter of lessons. Really the big challenge is about getting more and more on the job experience and a lot of that has everything to do with developing self confidence. The more gigs you play with more experienced musicians, the better you get and the more mistakes and situations you have to learn from and in the end they are the practise which makes perfect. The stuff you do by yourself can have its uses, but in the end at some point it has to connect with reality... real growth begins for the Jazz musician when he or she begins "speaking" in front of other people and learning to think on his or her feet (that's what true improvsational music is about)...
PREPARING FOR THE BIG LEAP
Of course making the big leap from basement/bedroom or classroom to the stage can be quite intimidating for many people. This is one reason why I encourage my students to get their blues down. If you're playing Jazz and you can handle your 12 bar blues form and maybe know a standard or two to boot, you can sit in almost anywhere worth sitting in and for atleast one tune. (*click here for an example of a blues at one of my club's old sessions. The musicians on the recording are amateur as well as pro, but its hard to tell the difference. Also, always remember many of those old Charlie Parker/Minton's Playhouse and early bebop sessions more than half the stuff you're hearing anyway were Blues and Rhythm Changes and the rest old standard changes hipped up. Charlie Parker, of course was no basement or garage band amateur !)
So my advice in terms of practise is this : Rather than work on books and technical activities pretend you're at a gig and try playing through material as you would on a gig, only stopping to work on stuff that you realize will prevent you from hanging in on a gig (for example not knowing how to play a certain chord, knowing stuff about codas, or having difficulties handling simple melodies.) And also, keep in mind that when you start sitting in, you really only need to know a couple of tunes... so if you've been working on 10 millions tunes and still don't have the courage the sit in STOP - - its useless... master a few blues changes (*tunes like Now's The Time, C-Jam Blues, Sonnymoon for Two, etc.) and a commonly called standards or two then GET OUT and play them. - - If you don't believe me, you can probably talk to virtually any truly experienced musician who's out and gigging... you can really tell the difference between musicians who play out and musicians who only play by themselves, and the difference is qualitive and serious ! ! ! (I remember the first time I ever played with a real drummer and how scary it was !)
There are also some other things you can do to make the jump. Try this : next time you go to that local jam session sneak in a small tape recorder (you didn't hear this from me, and I'm *not* responsible if you get caught and you weren't supposed to, though for the record, at my club recording is openly welcome !) - - anyway, record the session, go home, then practise alone with it, and next time you sit in, call some of those tunes. (Don't be afraid to bring along a pen and paper and keep track of the set list.) Of course, be sure to track down lead sheets on the tunes as well.
Another thing you can do is form your own living room band, but there's an upside and downside to this. The best way to really improve your skills as a musician is to get experience playing with all sorts of musicians. It forces you to think on your feet, expand your repoitoire, and not be overly dependent on having certain musicians cover you on your weakpoints or only play one particular way. On the other hand, as a mere "starter" if you really need to prove to yourself that you can play in a safe environment, why not ? And also, if you're afraid to play at the more famous hot shot sessions at certain clubs, you could start your own. As a club owner I can tell you this... I have no objection to musicians bringing me customers. Of course if you go to a club that's already heavily booked months in advance your patronage may not be so appreciated, but trust me, there are plenty of other clubs in your own community who probably currently have no music and no customers... help them, and before you know it you'll become a star in your own right.
All in all though, when it comes down to it there's no getting around it... the only way to really improve your playing is to get out and play in front of people. The excuse, "Well, I'm rusty, I need to work on this or that a bit more..." is just a cop out... Learn to play your 12 bar blues form and get out and play. - - There are some musicians who actually come to my session week after week and start out by calling or sitting in on the same tune every time... (At my session we play lot's of different tunes every week, but also have our staples.) The tune sort of becomes like their signatures and eventually the get real good at it. What happens is over time their playing improves, they get more confident, start sitting in on other tunes and eventually become either leaders or the players other players envy... Most though began quite scared... Jazz, however, is about overcoming your fears, and learning to channel that energy... so get cooking : the world's waiting to hear you swing!
Eddie Landsberg
Tokyo, 2005
PREPARING FOR THE BIG LEAP
Of course making the big leap from basement/bedroom or classroom to the stage can be quite intimidating for many people. This is one reason why I encourage my students to get their blues down. If you're playing Jazz and you can handle your 12 bar blues form and maybe know a standard or two to boot, you can sit in almost anywhere worth sitting in and for atleast one tune. (*click here for an example of a blues at one of my club's old sessions. The musicians on the recording are amateur as well as pro, but its hard to tell the difference. Also, always remember many of those old Charlie Parker/Minton's Playhouse and early bebop sessions more than half the stuff you're hearing anyway were Blues and Rhythm Changes and the rest old standard changes hipped up. Charlie Parker, of course was no basement or garage band amateur !)
So my advice in terms of practise is this : Rather than work on books and technical activities pretend you're at a gig and try playing through material as you would on a gig, only stopping to work on stuff that you realize will prevent you from hanging in on a gig (for example not knowing how to play a certain chord, knowing stuff about codas, or having difficulties handling simple melodies.) And also, keep in mind that when you start sitting in, you really only need to know a couple of tunes... so if you've been working on 10 millions tunes and still don't have the courage the sit in STOP - - its useless... master a few blues changes (*tunes like Now's The Time, C-Jam Blues, Sonnymoon for Two, etc.) and a commonly called standards or two then GET OUT and play them. - - If you don't believe me, you can probably talk to virtually any truly experienced musician who's out and gigging... you can really tell the difference between musicians who play out and musicians who only play by themselves, and the difference is qualitive and serious ! ! ! (I remember the first time I ever played with a real drummer and how scary it was !)
There are also some other things you can do to make the jump. Try this : next time you go to that local jam session sneak in a small tape recorder (you didn't hear this from me, and I'm *not* responsible if you get caught and you weren't supposed to, though for the record, at my club recording is openly welcome !) - - anyway, record the session, go home, then practise alone with it, and next time you sit in, call some of those tunes. (Don't be afraid to bring along a pen and paper and keep track of the set list.) Of course, be sure to track down lead sheets on the tunes as well.
Another thing you can do is form your own living room band, but there's an upside and downside to this. The best way to really improve your skills as a musician is to get experience playing with all sorts of musicians. It forces you to think on your feet, expand your repoitoire, and not be overly dependent on having certain musicians cover you on your weakpoints or only play one particular way. On the other hand, as a mere "starter" if you really need to prove to yourself that you can play in a safe environment, why not ? And also, if you're afraid to play at the more famous hot shot sessions at certain clubs, you could start your own. As a club owner I can tell you this... I have no objection to musicians bringing me customers. Of course if you go to a club that's already heavily booked months in advance your patronage may not be so appreciated, but trust me, there are plenty of other clubs in your own community who probably currently have no music and no customers... help them, and before you know it you'll become a star in your own right.
All in all though, when it comes down to it there's no getting around it... the only way to really improve your playing is to get out and play in front of people. The excuse, "Well, I'm rusty, I need to work on this or that a bit more..." is just a cop out... Learn to play your 12 bar blues form and get out and play. - - There are some musicians who actually come to my session week after week and start out by calling or sitting in on the same tune every time... (At my session we play lot's of different tunes every week, but also have our staples.) The tune sort of becomes like their signatures and eventually the get real good at it. What happens is over time their playing improves, they get more confident, start sitting in on other tunes and eventually become either leaders or the players other players envy... Most though began quite scared... Jazz, however, is about overcoming your fears, and learning to channel that energy... so get cooking : the world's waiting to hear you swing!
Eddie Landsberg
Tokyo, 2005