Tips from the Pro's

Do you wonder how others seem to play so confidently?  Our music director Marsha Kozlowski posed this question to the Silver Strings club and spoke with a number of members about this dilemma. The following is a compilation of their ideas to improve your musical confidence. Because yes, you can learn how to be a better, more confident musician, and yes you can have fun while doing so. 

Apps are a great way to learn a tune by ear, or if you read music, to keep yourself on tempo and that tendency to speed in check. 

• Chordbot Learn chord progressions 

• Band In a Box Type in chord progressions & it creates a backup band to play along with 

• AnyTune Pro Record or import a recording, change the tempo, change the pitch, create loops 

• Amazing SlowDowner Change the tempo

• Trad Musician & The Session Plays ABC & midi files

• ForScore Organize all your sheet music on Apple. Create endless set lists 

• Mobile Sheets Pro Organize all your sheet music on Android

• YouTube Someone else has played this tune before 

Take a moment to remind yourself why you’re doing this. Personal satisfaction? The joy of music? Jamming with friends? A desire to get on stage and perform for others? A means of mental exercise?  Perhaps you’d like to share your music with others in hopes it will brighten their day? Whatever your reasons, know that if you have made yourself or anyone else smile or tap their foot that’s enough. You have done good.

If your goal is to get more comfortable playing for an audience, do it anytime you have the chance to, especially in a low/no threat environment. 

• Play for your dog, your mother, your kids 

• Travel to a different city where nobody knows you

• Play in a group where you can count on others to carry the tune if you falter

• Play where you won’t be recorded and posted on social media

• • Create/start/join a practice group. Get acquainted with other members at about the same level and get together weekly. Make it fun, give yourself a name. (Turtles, Snails, Slugs, Unite!)

  • Keep your instrument out on its’ stand and pick it up multiple times every day.  Waiting for supper? Play. Waiting for the paint to dry? Play. Need to chill? Play. If you only have the mental or physical stamina for a few minutes at a time, play that few minutes.

  • Learn to tune it. Fix it, clean it, pet it, gaze fondly on your musical best friend.  Play loud, play soft. Play along with a recording. Let it be your personal therapy device. 

  • Sure, have goals, but don’t worry about them too much. Have fun with however you play your instrument right now. Enjoy the learning process.  Why do so many accomplished musicians decide to start over with a brand new instrument? Because learning something new is fun!

  • Listen and watch other players. If there is something they do that you like or admire, ask for a short lesson. People are honored and sometimes astonished to be asked. “Who me? I’ve only been playing for....” Assure them, “Yes, you. I really want to learn this thing from you..” Because we are all here to help each other. Before you know it, someone will ask You for help in the same way. 

  • Silver Strings Dulcimer Society YouTube practice library. If the tune you need isn’t in the practice library, ask the SSDS Board if it could be added

Performance anxiety is real, even for professionals. Since performing is a part of our club, you are encouraged to try some of the things that could alleviate anxiety and help create a confidence in playing to audiences.

• BREATHE! Slower, controlled breaths help a person stay focused and relaxed. He further suggests slowly wiggling your fingers and toes to be helpful.  

• ACT CONFIDENT even if you don’t feel that way. Stand or sit up straight. “Sell” confidence with confident body language. You may even fool yourself!

• KNOW most of of the tunes you will be playing. It helps defeat the fear factor.

• CHOOSE YOUR GIG Play in settings where you will not stress out. Some gigs are more stressful than others. Farmers Market gigs where people come and go gigs are more relaxed.  

• SMILE Choose a couple of friendly faces in various directions in the audience. 

• LOOK UP  from playing a few times. Catch their eye and smile. They will think you are playing just for them. Their happiness is catching.

You’ll make mistakes. Everyone does, even the pros. Accept the inevitability of mistakes. Have a plan to “get back in the game” when that happens. 

• Work on smiling every time you make a mistake. Don’t grimace! If you smile from the mistake, do it with a twinkle in your eye, like it was just a joke. Pretend like you are having fun. (Fake it until you make it!)

• “Own your mistakes –then work on that measure, phrase, to make the tune second nature to your muscle memory.” 

• Don’t “squeeze in” any notes you missed, just skip them and stick to the tempo. If you squeeze in the notes, this will call attention to the error and can  speed up the tempo of the tune,  starting a “death spiral” where the tune keeps getting faster and faster. Remember, a mistake is only a millisecond long. 

• Use your practice aides to play along with the tune without following the exact melody. Concentrate more on the chord structure and what places are easiest to get back on board. The start of the A or B part frequently works well for this, as well as the start of new musical phrases, especially the ones you really know well. 

• Tempo Drills. When learning a tune, use the tempo controls on YouTube or your apps to accurately work up to speed and then to “overspeed”—playing faster than you’ll need to in the performance.  

• If a tune is giving you a bad attitude, then take a break. Get some water. Go chat with friends. 

“But it sounded pretty good in my living room” Once you have the tune down, add some new stressors. 

• Change the lighting. Change your location. Add background noise.  

• Wear hearing protectors so you don’t have the same acoustic feedback you are used to.  

• Stand if you normally sit or vice versa. 

• Play your dulcimer flat on a table or kitchen countertop. 

• Change the relative height of your instrument by putting books under the legs of your stand. Stand on one foot.

It’s easy to be nervous and start a tune too fast. It’s also more common and easier to speed up during a tune than to slow down. So, how do you start the tune at an appropriate (slow enough) tempo when under the pressure of a performance and a tendency to speed up? 

• Make your starting slightly more complex than just playing “potatoes” or the last bit of the melody.  

• Try Rolling-Arpeggiated Chords. Do a Chromatic Run. Use Block Chords.

More Tips on starting tunes

• For a waltz, play the entire last phrase of the song

• Don't quit if you don't hear anyone start playing at the right time. They will figure it out and join you

What happens when you have achieved mastery? What do you do when all those exciting difficult tunes are now ‘ho-hum’?

• Learn a new instrument! All the sudden those easy tunes just got very challenging! (Don’t want to lug around a new instrument, then get a harmonica!) 

• Don’t look at the music, try to play it by ear

• Play a backup, counter melody, or variation. Add fancy embellishments

• Play that old easy tune the best you have ever played. Put your heart & soul into that tune

• Pay close attention to your technique, style & performance presentation. Find areas you need to improve

• Look up - watch everyone else while playing, smile at the audience!

• Smile! Dance & Play!