Performance anxiety and guitar repair

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Everybody gets nerves before a performance. Here’s a quote from a newsletter article from learnclassicalguitar.com “When anyone is nervous, the blood draws from the extremities (hands, feet, etc.) to the center of the body. This is part of the “fight or flight” mechanism instilled in us by nature. This trait was an important survival element for our ancestors as they were trying to outrun lions, tigers and bears (oh my…).

It meant that, if caught – with the blood drawn to the center of the body – the chances of bleeding to death from a wound to the extremities were lessened. For better or worse, we still have this physical reaction when we are nervous. What this means for us as performers, is that the blood draws to the center of the body and the hands get cold before a concert…

Remember to tell the student to keep the fingers warm, (mittens or gloves are not a bad idea) and keep the fingers moving. Everyone gets nervous before they play. As a student becomes more familiar with this feeling, they will usually grow to enjoy the feeling…”

So it’s not a waste of time brushing up on the science that’s relevant to us as guitar players. It sometimes helps us to find solutions to our own private issues.

Gyorgy at Guitar How-To passed on a link to a site that publishes reviews of local guitar repair guys. Repair My Guitar allows you to search for repair shops in your area and read reviews and ratings posted by their customers. You can then contact your local guitar repairers by email. Sounds like a great idea if you’re afraid of luthiers or you are using your phone book as a pouffe.

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