Acoustic Performers' Anti Stage Fright Guide

There are few things in the world more unnerving than stage fright. Your heart thumps heavily in your chest. Your eyes scan a room full of people who (in your mind, at least) are waiting with baited breath for that first sour note. If you are an amateur acoustic guitar performer, you are probably more than familiar with some of these feelings. But some of the greatest artists in the world still admit to feeling pangs of anxiety before belting out those first verses. One of the keys to battling stage fright is in preparation. But in addition to grooming oneself for a show, there are some other little things that might help you compose yourself before you hit the lights of the stage...

Rehearse (But not too much.)

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And while it is inevitable that you will get in a solid practice session prior to your rehearsal, it is quite easy to burn out when you go over the same songs too many times. The day before your show, briefly run through your set . But right before the show, refrain from going through every note of every song. Surprisingly, doing so may only make you more anxious about your performance. Keep your fingers warm (many clubs are quite cold) so that strumming and picking are done with ease. But in general, tuning, sound checks, and quick voice warm-ups are really all that you should concern yourself with before your show. After the technical details have been taken care of...relax.

Rusty Pipes