unhelpful nerves

[Cestrian]

I had my RGT Grade 6 exam today. Frustrating as I feel I didn't do myself justice. Primarily, because of nerves, I rushed one section and made some errors that I wouldn't do ordinarily. The ridiculous thing is that I don't get particularly nervous before I gig but I do when I have my bass guitar exams. Presumably that's because there is an unpredictable element in an exam and the focus is entirely on you, whereas in a band situation the focus is diffused and you know exactly what you have to produce.

Tips? Comparable experiences?

[Cameronj279]

Comparable experience for me would be in college last year and the playing exam involved playing Sir Duke in a band infront of 6 of the lecturers and a tv camera knowing that they were all scoring me on the performance. I royally chuffed up the first time we played the little riff but nailed it the second time.

I think it's just a case of knowing that you're being scored based on it as I don't get nervous at all for gigs (and cant' recall ever being nervous for one) but was terrified to do this.

[ambient]

I'm in my final year at music college. I've suffered from terrible performance anxiety problems all the way through.

I've never had a problem with gigs, or anything else performance wise.

Consequently my final mark is going to be nowhere near what it should be, thankfully I don't have a problem at all with the academic or compositional/arranging side of things.

I was so messed up because of them in my first year, that I went to see my GP. He prescribed Propranolol, a mld beta blocker that helps with the physical symptoms.

Edited March 8, 2015 by ambient