Importance of confidence

[rpjazzguitar]

I don't recall this being discussed.

My impression is that playing confidently is really important. That improving confidence might be, depending on the individual, one of the most effective things a player could do to improve rapidly.

Of course, it is certainly possible to play over-confidently and you don't want to go there.

Improving confidence can be accomplished with ample preparation and experience in performance over time. That is, practice the tunes you're going to play on gigs and then play them on gigs.

[Jimmy Smith]

I agree. And I've learned being able to play with confidence comes from building up your technical skills and spending a crap load of time on your tunes.

[AllanAllen]

Musical confidence to me is someone who can think of what they want to play and then hit it. King Curtis does this. I just transcribbled (copyright pending) his version of Jeeps Blues and I was surprised his solo was mostly cliche blues licks back to back. Only they were played with extreme confidence.

Transcribbling is when you play along with a solo, figuring out bits and pieces of it as it's playing. No writing and no analysis beyond what you can identify on the fly.

[pamosmusic]

Musical confidence to me is someone who can think of what they want to play and then hit it. King Curtis does this. I just transcribbled (copyright pending) his version of Jeeps Blues and I was surprised his solo was mostly cliche blues licks back to back. Only they were played with extreme confidence.

Transcribbling is when you play along with a solo, figuring out bits and pieces of it as it's playing. No writing and no analysis beyond what you can identify on the fly.

Interesting.

Transcrawling is when you try to work something out on scrap paper when you’re away from your instrument and supposed to be doing something else, then take it back to the guitar to find that it’s horribly horribly wrong

[Jimmy Smith]

Transcrawling is when I work on figuring stuff out for months on end..

[rpjazzguitar]

I agree. And I've learned being able to play with confidence comes from building up your technical skills and spending a crap load of time on your tunes.

Agreed.

I'd add that you don't necessarily have to master every last possible lesson in jazz guitar to sound good. But, you do have to play (whatever is in your bag) in an appealing way. So, something simple, played with authority, can sound fine. "Authority" is strong (even aggressive) time and time-feel, clear lines, good articulation and a general sense of intention.

I couldn't agree more with the notion of working really hard on the tunes you're going to perform.

[Peter C]

Learning to improvise good bebop takes 100s, 1,000s of hours of practice, but I'll have a bash at anything. It sometimes comes off, partly due to innate "confidence" (stupidity?).

[Jimmy Smith]

I'd add that you don't necessarily have to master every last possible lesson in jazz guitar to sound good. But, you do have to play (whatever is in your bag) in an appealing way. So, something simple, played with authority, can sound fine. "Authority" is strong (even aggressive) time and time-feel, clear lines, good articulation and a general sense of intention. I couldn't agree more with the notion of working really hard on the tunes you're going to perform.

Exactly

[DawgBone]

Confidence+relaxation on stage=winning performance.

If I'm not relaxed I fight the guitar too much and it doesn't sound as good. I've found that in a way you just have to not give a crap but at the same time be 110 percent invested in your performance. If you aren't confident you'll really fall apart when you hit a few clams. You just gotta be ready to move past it immediately.

[ragman1]

I don't think real confidence is much of a conscious thing. If someone's thinking 'I'm very confident' they're probably not.

[ruger9]

I don't think confidence only comes from the knowledge of a technique/tune well-practiced. I've been in plenty of situations (live) where confidence (and adrenaline probably), allowed me to play things I have a real hard time playing at home where it's "safe". Just having fun, and "going for it", and oftentimes making it, even tho it's a passage that routinely gives me problems. I guess you could call it "rock and roll attitude" too. Or perhaps "F it" lol