Practical Tips for Overcoming Stage Fright

You might be surprised to know that stage fright is a common occurrence among musicians, including guitarist and guitar players. Luckily, it is one of those things which – with a certain amount of practice, the right attitude, and of course patience – can be overcome quite easily.

The first part of the process is establishing that you have a problem. As a musician, it is important to acknowledge that you have a problem, and that you need to do something about it.

Once you’ve acknowledged that stage fright is a problem that is holding your back, affecting your ability to play the guitar well, and limiting the level of your performance on the stage, you can start taking concrete steps in order to overcome this issue.

The first step towards conquering or fighting stage fright as a musician, a guitar player, or just about anything else, is knowing your stuff! As a guitar player, make it a point to get an ample amount of practice well before getting up on that stage. If you know your stuff, if you’ve spent enough time going through the material, you’ll be able to deliver a flawless performance, and trust me on this, it WILL do wonders for your confidence as well. Besides, you’re less likely to muck things up this way, which is a big advantage to have on the stage!

I also recommend that musicians and guitar players concentrate on the job at hand. If you’re focused on your guitar, if you’re focused on playing well and delivering a great performance, you’ll do just that! Don’t think about insignificant stuff such as how you look on stage, and what people in the crowd think about you; the simple fact is that it’s you who’s up on the stage, not them, so none of it matters.

It is absolutely essential to relax when up on the stage. Take a few deep breaths as soon as you get up there, take time to compose yourself, and remain calm. The good thing about fear (if you can call it that) is that it’s a body-reflex, which means that you can easily overcome it. When fear kicks in, your breathing become short and quick. Try controlling your breathing by slowing it down and taking a few deep breaths. Try easing up before sitting down (or standing up, for that matter) to play; develop a warm-up regime that loosens you up.

One of the best things that I can tell you through this write-up is that it’s actually okay to make mistakes. Yes, you read that right, making mistakes is perfectly fine. As a guitar player, there’s no way that you can deliver a flawless performance, and you’re bound to make a few minor errors so it is better to accept it in the first place. Heck, even the best guitar players out there – the biggest names in the world – have made mistakes on the stage. Angus Young from ACDC actually tripped over a wire and fell on the stage during one of his signature on-stage dances!

One thing about making mistakes – or allowing yourself to make a mistake on-stage – is that when it does happen, you’ll probably end up exaggerating it in your head. The truth however is that 99 out of a 100 people in the audience wouldn’t even know you mucked up, because none of those people are musicians, and hence won’t know that you hit the wrong chord, for instance.

One strategy that you can use to slowly build some confidence is to start small; try playing in front of a couple of close friends for starters and work your way up from there, building confidence as you go along.

Make sure that you reach the venue well before time and getting a feel of things. Not only does it leave a good impression on the people whom you’ll be working with, it also allows you to get comfy with the stage and its surroundings, and get rid of some of the nervousness in the process.

As a musician, opportunities to play the guitar, perform solo or with a band, and play in front of an audience (who actually paid to see you play!) usually don’t come very often. Take this opportunity to strut your stuff and show everyone how good you really are. Above all, try having a bit of fun while you’re at it! Enjoy it up there, because like what I said, not everyone gets opportunities like these!

Good luck, and I honestly hope that you rock it out on that stage!