Reddit Reddit reviews The Inner Game of Music

We found 20 Reddit comments about The Inner Game of Music. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Books
Self-Help
Success Self-Help
The Inner Game of Music
Check price on Amazon

20 Reddit comments about The Inner Game of Music:

u/ChuckEye · 6 pointsr/Guitar

Very much in the same style as Effortless Mastery, Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art by Stephen Nachmanovitch and The Inner Game of Music by Tim Galloway and Barry Green.

If you start to sort them, those three together probably go with Wooten's "Music Lesson", "Zen Guitar", and "The Musician's Way".

u/oh_just_stuff · 4 pointsr/classicalmusic

Wow, playing Carnegie Hall is quite the accomplishment!

> On a side note, OP, can you talk a bit about how you got through your perf. anxiety?

Sure! The first thing I did was read The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green. The whole book is great and he gives a lot of exercises you can practice in and out of performing that really help.

I would say the biggest thing that helped me besides all of the great exercises I learned from the book was the preparation routine I created for leading up to performances. The routine I'll go into below really helps me feel secure in my knowledge of the music, as well as helps to eliminate any unknowns I have, which seem to be a big part of what slips me up and makes me nervous.

If I'm giving a solo recital, for example, my first step is to give myself deadlines for 1) having my music learned, 2) having my music memorized, and 3) having my entire program ready to perform. It's different for everyone of course, but I typically want to have my music memorized a month before the performance and have my program ready to perform 2 weeks before.

In the weeks leading up to the performance, I do several things. 3 weeks before the performance, I start visualization. I go into a quiet room, close my eyes, and visualize the entire performance - how I feel 10 minutes beforehand in the Green Room, walking out on stage, what the stage looks like, what the audience sounds like, sitting down and tuning, starting the first piece, etc. Even if I don't really know what the stage looks like, it helps for me to visualize and truly feel myself getting amped up before and during my imaginary performance. I naturally find that, over time, I'm less anxious with each visualization.

2 weeks before, I play through my entire program every day. I cut an hour off of my practice time to do this so I don't tire myself out, but at that point, I should be prepared enough that I'm just hitting spots. One of the absolute biggest triggers for a memory slip or disaster performance is not being able to recover from a mistake, so when I run my program, I always play through my mistakes and then look at them later. A lot of the mistakes are just flukes - when you're playing for an hour, it'll happen. But, in my opinion, being able to recover from them is one of the most important skills a performing musician can have.

On performance day, I have my little routine I like to do. I go for a run in the morning, make my favorite breakfast, listen to some music for an hour or so, and then practice for a couple of hours throughout the day. Some people like to take the whole day off, but I like to keep busy.

About 30 minutes before, I'll go into a quiet space and meditate for 5-10 minutes. When I start to get anxious, I use the techniques I learned in The Inner Game - one of my favorites is, when my palms inevitably start to sweat, I observe that it's happening and remind myself, "Yes my palms are sweaty, and that's okay because it won't cause my hands to slip or play the wrong notes." They usually stop sweating at that point, but if they don't, I'm okay with it.

I've been doing this routine for years and, coupled with the techniques in the Inner Game, I have no anxiety on stage, just excitement and what I consider normal nerves. It's also worth noting that I perform a lot, so while I absolutely believe in this routine and it has helped me with every single one of my performances, I think a lot of it also has to do with me getting more seasoned as a performer.

This became a lot longer than I intended it to be! I hope it was helpful. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to PM me. :)

u/Zenny_Lucidez · 4 pointsr/Guitar

As /u/ChuckEye mentioned, The Inner Game of Music By Tim Galloway and Barry Green is a good read. I've personally found it incredibly helpful so far.

u/Bradfords_ACL · 3 pointsr/marchingband

Current Band Director, I would highly recommend this book. Helped me get through my nerves as a freshman music major in college.

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Music-Barry-Green/dp/0385231261/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525876130&sr=8-3&keywords=the+game+of+music

u/EsqRhapsody · 3 pointsr/Clarinet

So, back in college I botched a spot in an orchestra concert and was really beating myself up about it. One of my sectionmates bought me a book that she loved called The Inner Game of Music. It didn’t keep me from screwing up on occasion, but it absolutely helped me get out of my head and over my mental blocks and focus on the music. Definitely worth a read.

u/eviloverlord88 · 3 pointsr/Trombone

Play more in public. Volunteer to play at church, or for a nursing home. Perform for your family, your friends, your classmates.

The thing is, performance anxiety and nerves don't just go away. As you get more experience performing, you get more used to them, to the point where I've heard (and read) professionals talking about how nerves are that extra little spark that makes a performance more special than a rehearsal - in other words, their anxiety doesn't disappear, it becomes a part of how they perform.

Now, all that said, there are things you can do to help you cope with the side effects of nerves on your playing. If this is something you're serious about tackling head-on, I highly, highly recommend tracking down either Performance Success or Audition Success by Don Greene. Perhaps see if your local public or college library has a copy or can borrow one via interlibrary loan before buying either one yourself. Two other books I see recommended a lot (that might be easier to find at your local library) are Zen in the Art of Archery and The Inner Game of Tennis, both of which have valuable insights that can be applied to performing. (The is even an adaptation of the latter called The Inner Game of Music, but I don't feel it adds much to the original.)

But yeah, the best thing you can do overall is to find and create more opportunities to play for more people. Force yourself to step outside of your comfort zone often enough, and you'll find it soon becomes comfortable. We've all been there to some extent!

u/TheCrazyRed · 3 pointsr/guitarlessons

Look very closely at your picking technique. To go faster you may have to generate the picking motion from other muscles. The picking motion can come from several places, i.e., rotation at the elbow, rotation of the wrist, pronation/supination of the forearm, or moving the fingers that hold the pick. Research all of these different sources of picking motion, try them and find what works for you at the speed you are targeting. It's very important to find the technique that works for that speed. For some people different speed = different technique.

For your fretting hand, I don't have a lot of advice except practice, build up the coordination. Also, don't hold your fingers too far from the fret board. What I mean is, when you release a note, that is remove a finger from the fret board, make sure you're not lifting it up too high.

Overall, to play fast you have to learn to minimize the amount of energy you're expending for each note for both the picking hand and the fretting hand. Hands have a maximum amount of energy they can put out. You can increase that amount of energy with practice but for everybody there is a ceiling.

Also, check out this book: The Inner Game of Music. It will help you with execution. If you've been playing this long the hangups could be mental, that is, what your mindset is when you're playing. This book can help you find the right mindset.

u/808estate · 2 pointsr/piano

Coincidentally enough, I just ordered a copy of The Inner Game of Music which might help you out too

u/LocRas · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

As a professional musician and teacher, I've been (and seen my students) in that situation many, many times and learned the hard way...First of all, you need to really learn about this "nervousness" , since this is perhaps a manifestation of something happening internally (lack of preparation, personality trait, etc.). One of the things that you gotta know is that everyone--in the performing world-- (no exception) experiences nervousness (fear response) at some extent (regardless of what they tell you or you think). Mr. "he looks so relaxed when he plays" learned how to manage his nerves and embrace them as a positive force. I know it sounds esoteric but it's not....Once you accept is gonna happen, you need to define why it's happening. Does this situation mimicks your everyday personality? is it lack of preparation? are the stakes to high (competitions, job audition, etc.)? Are the odds against you? etc., so you can start looking at the real source of the problem and hopefully, finding some answers...Next, find (specifically) how this "nervousness" manifests. Is it physical? (Sweaty hands? dry mouth? shaky arms? stiff neck, etc.) or mental? (voices in your head, inability to stay focused, overreacting at small mistakes?. If it's physical, you might want to ask your doctor if he can prescribe you some propanolol, a beta-blocker used widely by performing artists (I'm not gonna tell you how it works, look it up) please talk to your doctor first (DON'T GET ONE FROM YOU FRIENDS!!), since he can evaluate your health and tell you if it's right for you. I know the musicians community is divided about using beta-blockers but I can tell you from my own experience that it helped me a lot with sweaty hands (I play a string instrument).
The mental aspect is a little bit more difficult to tackle but not impossible. Chances are that you are trying to micro-manage every aspect of your performance (don't mess up that fingering, exaggerate dynamics here, release the tension in your elbow to get a smoother legato) and this stuff gets in the way of artistry. Here is where you have to make a big difference between practicing and performing (two complete different things). Leave that micro-managing stuff for the practice room (but don't do it too much either, it will drive you nuts). Finally, performing is a skill that you need to practice!!! you need to put yourself into "performing mode" often so you can learn how to "embrace your fear". Play for your peers, friends, parents, bf/gf, etc. No one around? use your imagination. I have a colleague that used to put (he probably still does) a lettuce head with a baseball cap and glasses in front of him to simulate an audience. You need to practice performing so you get to understand your own fears and insecurities...
Some books that might help:

A soprano on her head: http://www.amazon.com/Soprano-Her-Head-Right-Side-Up-Performances/dp/0911226214

The inner game of music:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385231261/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0911226214&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0TG9NP8HF8RR8017J1J2

-Performance success (or anything by Don Greene): http://www.amazon.com/Performance-Success-Performing-Pressure-Theatre/dp/0878301224/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1278682151&sr=1-1

I could write a lot more about this topic, but I have rehearsal; pm if you have more questions.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

The Inner Game of Music is probably the one book that has improved all aspects of my music life the most.

u/CaduceusRex · 2 pointsr/violinist

The Inner Game of Music was recommended to me by my director way back when. Great for the mental aspect of things (e.g. nerves, concentration, etc.).

u/cratermoon · 1 pointr/classicalguitar

While that's mostly true, there are good reasons to add exercises that 'distract' the conscious attention from focusing on correcting and criticizing technique. Barry Green's book The Inner Game of Music discusses in depth how out thinking and judging attention can interfere with learning and suggests the kind of exercises that can overcome the interference.

u/RonPolyp · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I highly recommend a book called The Inner Game of Music. It's a short read but it has excellent methods for overcoming inner demons like self-doubt and exaggerated self-criticism. It's not "I'm okay, you're okay", either. It also helps with practicing, performance, composition, all sorts of things. And it can be applied to more than just music.

u/iaintnoporcupine · 1 pointr/classicalmusic

I haven't tried beta blockers due to other health problems, but The Inner Game of Music helped me greatly. It takes a few months to really work through all of it properly, but now I can use that kick of adrenaline to perform even better. It's worth a read, even if you still decide to use beta blockers.

u/aderra · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Many people find [THIS BOOK] (https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Music-Barry-Green/dp/0385231261) to be helpful when taming nerves at auditions.

u/gtani · 1 pointr/jazzguitar

Maybe you're just burned out a bit and need to take 1-3 days off. Happens: http://www.reddit.com/r/WeAreTheMusicMakers/comments/2axpoo/how_to_cope_with_music_burnout/

Maybe these books might give you a perspective, Werner and Galloway/Green. You might think Werner's really out there (practice long tones on piano?), but take his book as a source of questions to shape your thinking, rather than necessarily the right way to think about being a musician

http://kennywerner.com/effortless-mastery

http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Music-Barry-Green/dp/0385231261

u/BradAllenDrums · 1 pointr/drums

Your welcome! Glad it helped. The relaxation thing is something most drummers don't want to hear because it seemingly has nothing to do with music. It also makes people feel weird or self-conscious. But it absolutely works.
There are several books on the subject that really helped me. https://www.amazon.com/Psycho-Cybernetics-New-More-Living-Life/dp/0671700758

https://www.amazon.com/Effortless-Mastery-Liberating-Master-Musician/dp/156224003X

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Music-Barry-Green/dp/0385231261

One other thing I wanted to mention is the concept of dancing and drumming. There is a direct connection between the two. In Bob Moses book Drum Wisdom, he states that it behooves all drummer to dance. I tell tell students, if you're embarrassed about dancing in front of people go in your bedroom, shut the door, and dance. Again, this makes people feel weird, but it works. You don't have to be a good dancer. You just have to learn to relax and move with the music.

u/ownworstenemy38 · 1 pointr/Guitar

A piece of advice I had when I was younger and wondering how long it takes to get a piece right...

"A good musician practices until they get a piece right, a great musician practices until they can't get it wrong."

I suffer greatly from stage fright. That piece of advice helped more than any other as if you practice enough (and I mean just at the point you figure you're done practicing, go over the piece another half dozen times!) you can rely on muscle memory to get you through.

That meant that I could play pieces through despite my nerves and actually enjoy playing to the point that I could think more about performing the music rather than just playing it.

A great book on this topic is 'the Inner Game of Music' by Barry Green

https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Music-Barry-Green/dp/0385231261

That's a great read and fullof insight on this subject.

My girlfriend does ballet but doesn't perform. However, she was in a show shortly after we met and texting me about how nervous she was before she was going on stage. I simply said "Nerves are natural. Just remember, you have practiced - you know the moves and your body knows what to do." She said that immediately calmed her down and helped her focus.

Hope some of that is useful.