Hyperventilating - advice please

[Jadoube]

Hi guys

I'm a late bloomer, been "playing" for about 5 months with zero musical knowledge in my past. Happy with my progress due to having found a great teacher who I get on well with.

One big problem started recently. Stuff I do fine at home goes to pot in my lessons. Things that sounds great at home sometimes come out as a pathetic feeble poot - and I'm gasping for breath after 3 seconds. I tighten up and lose it totally.

Stupid cos I'm perfectly OK about making mistakes in front of teacher - that's what he's there for. The teacher's consulted with others and their conclusion is I'm tense, hyperventilating and "it will pass in time" but the time might be 2-3 years. :shock:

I've dug myself into a psychological pit and can't break out of it. My wife says the problem is I'm a perfectionist.

Any suggestions would be really welcome. :?

[cleger]

I don't know the answer, but I struggle with some of the same demons. Some days are worse than others. If you have an accomodating spouse maybe you could ask if they mind if you practice in front of them. I prefer to practice when my wife isn't home so I guess I am still kinda hiding from this :| .

I hope to play in a jam session at some point but my nerves will be a real problem in meeting that goal. Even when I hit record on the computer my anxiety levels go up knowing that my sounds are being recorded.

[Jeff Flatt]

Yep, I've had a similar thing happen to me - only it's a vibrato effect due to nerves impacting on the diaphragm. The perfectionist trait places us under pressure to perform at unrealistic expectations and when we don't we can feel as though we are failing. This triggers an adrenaline output from our adrenals and hence a stress reaction. It does pass after time as confidence increases and limitations are realised. It sounds as though your teacher is helpful, this is great and will make relaxation easier. The best thing to do is to breathe down into the diaphragm as deeply, slowly, and as much as is possible. Start before you go to the practice; if you're like many perfectionists you'll probably start breathing shallowly a few hours before the session. Just concentrate on the breathing and things will come right. If this is not enough start going to meditation classes - these will be of unbelievable benefit in all areas of your life and not just you sax life. Best of luck.

[bartone]

I noticed that I yawn a lot (really a lot) during a lesson. Probably the same issue. I think the cure is a probably a nice scotch on the rocks. Have someone else drive, though.
bart

[gary]

Are you keeping your shoulders relaxed when you play? If not, try just "letting go" of all tension in your neck muscles and by dropping your shoulders.

How's your physical condition? Winded climbing stairs? If so, you know the remedy for that.

[bartone]

How's your physical condition? Winded climbing stairs? If so, you know the remedy for that.

Drugs?

bart

[Jadoube]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Spot on Gary : At home I'm relaxed. At lessons shoulders, arms, fingers, legs, chest and brain all tense like crazy.


How's your physical condition?

Well I'm 50, not the rugby playing 25 year old I once was and going to the gym more often is never a bad idea. Probably not the main issue though.



For the uninitiated : rugby is a little like American football, except there's no helmets or padding, no time outs to fit in the TV ads, and you don't take a rest for oxygen every play. You're only allowed off the field if you're injured or permanently substituted. You take an 18 stone hit in the solar plexus you get up and keep running for 80 minutes. You have stud marks down your back (due to putting your body between the opponents boot and the ball) and the 18 stones repeatedly stands on your fingers - all within the laws of the game :blackeye:

Great game, set plays are relatively rare so you improvise lots. :)

[Jolle]

My sax-pal told me to play my mistakes with confidence and enjoy them. It demands a little twist in the brain to enjoy playing mistakes, but it really helps to get the tension away.

[Neil Sharpe]

What you're describing is completely normal. It happens to everybody in one way or another.

Whether it’s your initial game with a firsts side (I'm also an ex-rugby player), or the first time doing a sax solo in front of people, the stress, nerves, and emotional issues are essentially the same. We’re dealing with basic human behavior. Here are some techniques that deal specifically with these issues.
http://www.saxontheweb.net/Resources/Performing-NSharpe1.html

No one is perfect. Mistakes and failures are a normal part of the learning and performing process. Making a mistake under pressure isn’t a problem. It happens to everyone. Mistakes provide valuable feedback and are opportunities for future improvement. One learns more from failure than from success.

One may feel an expectation to be good right from the beginning. It doesn’t work that way. We get into trouble when we expect too much too soon. Success doesn’t happen suddenly. Learning all the fundamentals and intricacies doesn’t happen overnight. Allow yourself the time and patience necessary to acquire the required skills and experience so that when an opportunity does present itself, you’re ready to take advantage.

“Perfectionism” is a particular problem area. “Perfectionists” often set impossible standards. I know, I used to be one of them. We can think that we have to play well no matter how inexperienced we are. Even if we have success, if a single mistake is made, we can focus on that and not what went well. Some people can become entrapped in vicious cycles of self-criticism and self-doubt when they don’t achieve these unrealistic standards.

Ken Fornetran is a great alto sax player whose CD “Shadows and Short Stories” was named one of the best CD's for 2005 by Downbeat magazine. I'll shortly be publishing an interview with Ken on SOTW. In the interim, here are some excerpts that give his perspective on these issues.

"“I used to get all worked up. I felt like I had to come up with the perfect song, the perfect set, and would get upset if there were mistakes. If you get stressed out, it’s going to affect the music.”

“ Worry turns you inward, cuts you off. We begin to have issues about getting up in front of people and playing. We can begin to get nervous about it, to constantly worry…But, I learned to just let things happen. It’s not going to hurt you if you make mistakes. That’s how we learn. We need to understand and accept that for some nights and for some sessions something can go wrong and will go wrong. It’s the same for every musician, no matter how talented…We’re a lot better off going in relaxed and letting things happen.”

Sometimes things will flow easily, sometimes they won’t. Sometimes the results will be terrific, sometimes they won’t. That’s part of being a musician, of being a human being. The talent always is there. It just finds different ways to express itself from time to time.

Cheers!

[Jadoube]

Thanks Neil, really helpful advice