Nervous Jitters or What?

[kennygee30]

Gospel Family
 I really need your help with this, I don't consider myself a professional by any means but thru Gods glory He uses me to be an instrument for Him and that I thank Him so much for....
Well on to my question..

I want to be the best keyboard player I can be but what happens when you practice and practice and drill and drill but when it is time to perform be it Church or other events, I find myself being nervous and start doing the same chords i allready know...I know I need to push myself out of that comfort zone but I do you get over the fear of making mistakes and falling back into your same chord pattern all over again?

Now don't get me wrong I don't get nervous being on stage or in church but it is just when i learn a new pattern or progression I just freeze up and can't use it or don't remember where to put it and i fall back to playing what i call SAFE chords to keep from making mistakes...CAN YOU ALL HELP ME WITH THIS PLEASE???

[4hisglory]

The problem is (and I have this problem also) is that the new stuff you learned, you haven't en grained the new material in you.

When I first started learning, I use to try to learn everything, but then I discovered that I wasn't actually learning anything.  I would learn songs, and forget them the next week because I did not take the time to really learn the material.

Recently, I have changed my practice routine to try to better en grain material into my playing, rather than just learn stuff and forget it next week.

[kennygee30]

Thanks I really appreciate that...now should i try taking more time to learn one song, because it does get kind of boring doing the same drills every day and i am not using them when i play on sunday...

[T-Block]

Thanks I really appreciate that...now should i try taking more time to learn one song, because it does get kind of boring doing the same drills every day and i am not using them when i play on sunday...

What exactly are the drills that you practice and are not using?

Drills accomplish a whole lot more than trying to use them in a song.  They help with speed, finger strength, muscle memory in your fingers, flexibility, etc.  All those things are a bi-product of your practice.  So, wihle u may not use them note for note in a song, they are benefiting you in other ways.

Also, i like what 4hisglory said about having the music engrained in you.  You new progressions, chords, and runs have to become a part of you.  So, you keep practicing whatever it is you practicing until u can spit it out like it's normal.

All those great players like Kevin Bond, P.J. Morgan, etc. all the things those guys play are normal to them because they practice it over and over and over again until it it's like breathing to them.