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Performance Anxiety – Tips On Overcoming Stage Fright

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Performance AnxietyPerformance anxiety? Speaking in public is more feared than death, so it’s not a surprise that performance anxiety is not uncommon when people are performing music in public. There are some, like Chase in a previous newsletter, that have no fear playing in public… no stage fright at all!

I believe everyone can experience ‘no fear’ performing, especially if it’s playing worship music! Here are some specific tips to conquer performance anxiety or stage fright.

Tips On Overcoming Performance Anxiety

  1. Practice your music. It’s easier to play in front of people when you are prepared. When you practice, always pray first. God can help you learn the instrument quicker and it’s much more fun to be focused on Him in anything we do!
  2. Choose songs that are easy. Pick the songs that you play the best. If there is a song that you have trouble playing at home, you will also have problems playing it in public. Choose songs that you are very comfortable playing.
  3. Don’t stop or make a face when you make a mistake. That only amplifies the mistake. Most people don’t even notice if you’ve played a wrong chord, unless you show it in your facial expressions. One of the reasons people have performance anxiety is the fear of making mistakes. Mistakes are OK… just keep playing.
  4. Smile and enjoy the people. When you start and end a song, it’s always nice to connect with the audience. Just eye contact and a smile is enough.
  5. Know that you are wonderfully and fearfully made! Often people are thinking about what others will think of them or that they are not good enough. You never need to worry about what others think of you because the God who made you has already made you unique in all the universe. There is no one else in the universe with your specific gifts and talents!  [Read more…]

New Streaming Videos

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Christian Guitar Streaming Video Lessons

Have posted some Free Christian guitar lessons on a new streaming video platform at WorshipGuitarClass.com/streaming-videos/. If you would like to signup for the Free Lessons or see what’s included in the videos go to the Registration for Free Video Guitar Lessons here.

WGC Streaming Videos

The goal is to eventually get all of the Worship Guitar Class lessons in this format. Will the videos play on an iPad you ask? YES… they do. I’ve checked them on both iPads and iPhones and they play beautifully. Most of the lessons will continue to be available on DVD’s, but the market is definitely shifting to videos that are viewable as streaming videos on tablets, smart phones and computers.

 

Fast and Easy Left Handed Guitar Exercises

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Here are a few left handed guitar exercises that you can practice without actually plucking the guitar. They should help you with your dexterity and guitar technique. Guitar scales and arpeggio patterns are really good to practice but these two easy to learn left hand guitar exercises can specifically help your left hand.

Left Hand Guitar Exercise 1

Place all four fingers of your left hand on the first four frets of the the first string. Lift the four fingers and hop to the 2nd string first four frets all at once. Try to land squarely on the string for each finger. This is a hoping exercise to each of the strings. If you watch the video, it can help you get into a good left hand position.  [Read more…]

Walking Bass Notes

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Walking Bass NotesWalking Bass Notes

A common technique used to write songs is with using walking bass notes. It’s a style of writing music for literally hundreds of years. I think of the very famous Pachelbel’s Canon in D that dates back to the Baroque period in the 1700’s. Pachelbel uses a repeating descending bass line throughout the piece.

‘As A Deer’ is a well known worship song that uses a descending bass line in much of the song. There are several ways to write and make song arrangements. In the video below you can learn the walking bass notes for a number of different keys. I’ve filmed a 6 minute lesson for you. This is also in one of the Video Newsletters but I thought it might be easier to find on the website to have the lesson stand on it’s own, too. The video shows some walking bass notes in major keys, but it also works for minor keys.

If you would like to learn and apply many ways to write songs, you might enjoy our Guitar Music Theory course. I hope you enjoy the lesson. If you would like to learn more about Finger Picking, check out our Mastering Finger Picking course.

The Walking Bass Note Video

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