12 responses so far ↓

• 1 Joe // Mar 14, 2008 at 4:36 pm

  That happens to me all the time, exactly as you describe it (except I don’t play Becker at home). It pisses me off too. I just want to try out some gear, but I can’t get anything to its full potential when I’m self-conscious about people listening. And it doesn’t matter if I’m confident with what I’m playing either. I just don’t want anyone listening to me.

  I suppose it’s just a matter of experience. For a guitarist (especially for an aspiring professional), my trips to music shops are rare. If I went more often, got to know the employees, etc., I’m sure I’d loosen up.

• 2 Bryon // Mar 14, 2008 at 7:24 pm

  Play simple things - things stereotypical of you. Nothing is ever going to sound the same at home as it did in the store, anyway. I tend (like the last comment said) to go to one or two shops, and stick to them. It’s not really a good time for real playing so just noodle, and have fun. Also, I try to go places with a 30 day return policy.
  I actually really like Guitar Center. I’ve got one sales rep. I deal with exclusively. She’s never had a problem with returns (even if it’s simply “I don’t like it”).
  I realize that doesn’t help with playing in the store, but hopefully it’ll take some pressure off, as far as the finality of a purchase. IE if you get it home and it doesn’t work out, you can take it back.

• 3 jimmy mac // Mar 15, 2008 at 6:32 am

  As a New Yorker, Guitarist and one time Guitar salesman- No one cares how much you practice.
  Only you do. If you’re in a store on a saturday and want to give a concert at least buy something.
  You did your Steve Vai …its time to buy. I know it sounds harsh but i had numbers make. OK , i’ll lighten up.

  The unfortunate part of playing 3 hours a day is not sounding like you practice 3 hours a day. But what does that sound like any way? Its an issue of confidence or is it self-consiousness? Guitar-Center playing should be just that. Its not a gig. Unless you want a job there. If thats the case, eventually you’ll sound really good there because that’s where you’ll be practicing, true? If you become a “working” musician or a member of a group that’s got gigs this will be the least of your problems. Enjoy what you do without the pressure of performance in places it doesn’t matter.
  No one in the store cares what you sound like only how loud you are in this case you better sound good.. So, buy something and maybe they’ll think you’re a good player? Probably not. They’ll think you’re a good customer. Remember a lot of good players go thru music stores as a way of making a living and connections. Bottomline , the owner of the store wants sales-people. So, do yourself a favor. When you’re in a Music Store and want to try out an instrument play to the instrument. That is , play what that guitar was made to play. For instance, if you’re looking for an Arch-Top , the first thing that pops in to your head shouldn’t be Crazy Train by Ozzy, true dat?
  Maybe Here’s that Rainy Day or Stella by Starlight ?
  I pick something up and know in 30 seconds whether this instrument will complement how i play. In the immortal words of a 48th street (NYC) salesman Ira:
  ” Indecision sucks buy a guitar ” another good one ” all my customers are good guitarists”
  Now get a gig for people who really want to hear you play.
  Its only entertainment and you start all over tomorrow.

  shalom

  -jimmy

• 4 Bobby D // Mar 15, 2008 at 12:21 pm

  I also know the feeling. I agree with jimmy in the sense that it’s not a gig. I dont think you have to buy something just play what comes natural to you. If you try to sound like Vai you’re gonna sound uptight (even if you can play like him). Relax, do your thing and people will notice. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some amazing players but your only as good as you are good. jUST BE YOURSELF!

  Bobby D

• 5 Nick // Mar 15, 2008 at 1:13 pm

  Pick a song to go with the guitar at the store. If you are playing a dime razorback for example, Play I’m Broken. Gibson explorer, Master of puppets, SG? Any sabbath or ac/dc.. all will respect you.. Oh yeah, also I could careless what others think of me with the exception of my kids. It’s a good stress free way to live.
  Let it go and live fully

• 6 jimmy mac // Mar 16, 2008 at 6:19 am

  Just a note: the Neuro-components involved in the heightened self awareness with anxiety and sensitivity to motor responses such as performing on an instrument are missing in our artists rendering.
  Areas such as the Amydala, hippocampus, and the medial prefrontal cortex are more likely involved. The appropriate neurotransmitters such adrenaline as well as serotonin play a role in performance inhibition.
  The HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocorticol) axis which mediates cortisol, contributes to increased apprehension and anxiety. Its not time for Inderal but some healthy meditation practices would help…well it might. Just a bunch of crap from a guy who never became the Doctor his Mom wished he could have been..But no, he had to become guitarist. Oy vey.
  -j

• 7 innocent "by-stander" // Mar 16, 2008 at 11:50 am

  how bout learning a nice joe pass chord melody, and then playing THAT in the store.

  Also, i can think of some practice routines that could sound real good to other ‘by-standers’,
  such as:

  practice solo improvisation on a simple tune (i.e all the things you are), you can do this for workup.
  practice comping on a simple tune.

  practice playing 3rd or 6ths up and down the neck, just on 2 strings, going through the changes of a simple tune. repeat this routine, adding altered scales on dominants.

  practice playing shifting intervals as accompaniment for a simple tune, again, up and down the fingerboard on just 2 strings. i.e. 4ths to 5ths, 4ths to 3rds, and 2nds to 3rds (hardest one)

  by this point, if they didnt throw you out of the store yet, you can maybe play a classical tune, but keep an eye on the dynamics, and on the sight of your moving hands.

  cheers.

• 8 Ben // Mar 16, 2008 at 7:38 pm

  Yeah, I used to hate that. It wasn’t that I was walking into the music store to show everyone what I could do, it was that I wanted to really connect with the gear I was trying out to really know whether or not it was worth buying.
  I finally started to get over it when I just devoted an entire day to sitting in my local Guitar Center and playing a few different guitars I was interested in. It helped that I picked a weekday in the winter time, so there were only ten or twelve people in and out of the guitar section all day. It was cool, because even though I played the same crap over and over again and the sales people probably hated me, I finally relaxed and really connected with a couple different guitars. When I had narrowed my choice down to two guitars I left, and returned a week or two later. By that time I could really open my ears objectively, and within a few minutes I had made my decision, and went home with a beautiful new Strat.
  These days I usually don’t spend more than a half hour or so trying out different things. My latest purchase was a compressor that I hated at first, but because I could really open up and play what I wanted to play, I quickly realized how unique this compressor was, and took it home.
  I think the sales staff was more accommodating too, because they could tell I wasn’t just there to shred and turn heads.

• 9 matthew // Mar 17, 2008 at 5:30 pm

  Perhaps you need to consider what practicing means to you. If your answer has to deal with playing anything from beginning to end, you need to evaluate your practicing time. My advice would be to work on the most difficult areas first…and start with them at a slow tempo. Your goal is to become aware of the little nuances used in production (shifts, fingerings, harmony). When you become undoubtedly sure what you are creating, increase the tempo. Increasing tempo is not done within one practice session, but in slow gradients over a long period of time (i.e. a week maybe more depending on daily practice duration).

  From what I can gather, you are trying to play at tempo to quickly and your thinking about muscle memory entirely. Motor responses should be the last thing to worry about. The awareness of sensations is the first and most important step to establish. So take the time to “feel”, or the sensation of music translated onto the instrument the music, and everything will fall in place with fluid coherent results.

• 10 Brian Lowe // Mar 17, 2008 at 10:46 pm

  I’m at a level where I don’t really get nervous about playing in a store, because I worked for Line6, and I’m used to it. But you know what else? I’m in there to buy gear for me. I know what I want the gear to do, I know what I am looking for, and I could care less if someone thinks I clammed a note…I’m not in there to play for them. If they want to hear what I can really do, well, come to the club, or buy a ticket to the concert…that’s where you will hear Brian play..and if you are one of those who judge people by hearing that 16 year old kid bang out a really bad version of something, lighten up..you weren’t always a guitar god, either.

• 11 Bob H // Mar 22, 2008 at 3:29 am

  I had the same problem until I realized that a Guitar Shop is where we make purchases, NOT a place to impress the guy behind the counter or the other “shoppers.” (When I go to a restaraunt, I don’t get nervus about how I eat … I don’t go to juggle silverware, ya know?) When your in the Music Store, know your priorities. Only play a guitar in a Music Store if you are seriously interested in purchasing it. Otherwise, get your picks and get out.

  Test Play and Purchase at the Music Store … Seriously play and solo at home or at your gigs. Know you venue!

• 12 JB // Oct 28, 2008 at 12:21 pm

  Yep,yep…
  I must say,you are some overthinkers,my friends!
  Stop conceptualizing everything.
  And don’t ever forget my humble words of wisdom:
  The only constant thing in universe is CHANGE.but you remain unique and so is your playing!blow peeps away with what is YOURS.
  When things turns from blue to gray…just know,”this,too,shall pass”.
  Oh btw the brain can fully focus on something only 20 minutes.so make pauses…drink(water!)and get back to it!3 hours in a row is just pointless.but if you dig it,do it!

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