Beta Blockers and Stage Fright

[mtmartin71]

Watched a documentary called "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" which was a great look at steroids and some of the hype both ways around it. One of those docs that will keep me thinking for some time as I used them briefly when I thought it would extend my football career. Anyhow, they went into a number of areas where people take things to enhance performance in other ways that are not scrutinized or illegal like steroids. One I thought was interesting was concert musicians taking beta blockers to curb stage fright and nerves. They interviewed a few and they said that it definitely took that adrenaline/nerves thing away so they could just get up there and play. I've been playing on stage for a while but I get definite anxiety and nerves, to the point of being detrimental, when I get up on stage some times. Soooo...have you tried this, would you try it, downside?

Related to this, in the doc, the narrarator asks whether taking beta blockers is like cheating in sports with steriods. The guy says no because sports is a competition where someone can gain an unfair advantage. The narrarator then follows up with the question of whether beta blockers would give an unfair advantage during tryouts to make the orchestra/band to which the guy fumbled around and didn't have an answer. Nothing is black and white in America...

[trisonic]

Yes, I use Beta Blockers - Nadalol.
They do work fine and reduce anxiety - if you use them regularly you have to watch your weight, it's easy to put on a few pounds.
Best, Pete.

[mcgriff420]

Wow I could have used those 10yrs. ago when I first started playing live. I still get a touch of nerves at really big shows but I found fifteen or so jumping jacks gets rid of the rubber legs syndrome. Do a short vocal warm-up and I'm set:AOK

[devinb]

I never have, though when I was in school I knew plenty of people who went to the student health clinic to get a shot before juries, recitals and auditions. I never thought anything less of anyone who took them, audition situations aren't really the same as having a chair in an orchestra for most of the members.

As I understand it, a banana has some betablocking properties, although I don't know if it's just a wives' tale, or if the amount is significant to have a real impact.

[mitch236]

I don't think taking beta blockers gives any advantage. It mearly enables the performer to take some of the jitters out of the equation. They won't make you better, stronger or faster.

Many public speakers take beta blockers as well.

[therhodeo]

Are you guys really that scared of being in front of people?

[GCDEF]

Stage fright's just one of those things you have to learn to conquer. Some people need a drink, others I guess rely on beta blockers. At some point it becomes a crutch that you need to get up on stage. What do you do if that crutch isn't available for some reason. Most people get over it with experience. You just need to learn to refocus the nerves into a positive energy and put it into your performance. It's not really hard to learn to do.

[Mudder]

In the same vein, but illegal, a bunch of olympic athletes were smoking pot before events to calm their nerves. I'm not sure if they banned the use because its and advantage or if it's because pot is illegal.

[mtmartin71]

Are you guys really that scared of being in front of people?

I wish I wasn't, but yeah. Absolute and utter fear of failure and being judged. Part upbringing and part just how my brain is wired. That's probably why I've never been able to get comfortable with Sales and I can't stomach rejection. My beta blocker has always been a drink or two before getting up there, but that comes with some potential bad side effects if it's one drink too many. But, it has gotten better over time. I'm not sure I'd take them but there are still times where my brain goes to the "what if I screw up" moment as I play and then I tend to freeze up and just pray I don't have a solo.

[GCDEF]

there are still times where my brain goes to the "what if I screw up" moment as I play and then I tend to freeze up and just pray I don't have a solo.

You need to answer that question. The answer is the sun will still come up tomorrow, the world will go on spinning. Everybody who gets up on stage on a regular basis screws up royally from time to time. That's just part of the fun of live playing. You have to remember that the audience is on your side. Unless you're a classical virtuoso, they're there just to have fun and that comes from putting energy and excitement into your performance, even if that performance has a few warts.

I remember one time I had a big slide solo coming up and for whatever reason the singer was talking it up. I spun around to start my big solo and somehow inserted the headstock between my mic stand and mic cable. Half the solo spot was spent trying to dislodge it and the rest was trying to get my guitar back in tune. So much for the big buildup. You just have to shrug it off and laugh about it.

There are things you can do to help. Give yourself plenty of time to set up and relax for a while before you start. If you tend to be jittery, adrenaline and lactic acid don't help. Just hang out in the club as a patron for a while. Maybe talk to a few people. You'll realize the people are just regular old folks out for a beer and a good time. They're not there to judge you or hope you fail.

[PosterBoy]

I've been playing and singing in front of people since I was a kid, I get excited rather than nervous about performing.

[frank62]

I get upset if there is no crowd. I would rather play live than eat and I love my groceries.

[JoeB63]

What Beta Blockers do is prevent your body from pumping adrenalin into your blood stream. It's the adrenalin that gives you the shakes. So beta blockers don't stop you from being nervous, and they don't stop stage fright, they just reduce or eliminate the physical symptoms that might cause you to screw up that big solo or flub your audition.

They work.

[rob2001]

After many years of gigging I still get a bit edgy before a show but I think it's a good thing. When the energy is coupled with control it's a good thing. Anyways, as soon as I hit the first chord, it goes away.

[mtmartin71]

I might have been overstating things a bit. While internally I feel the struggle, externally I keep it together pretty well and have my anxiety down to only the times where I have to do appregiated picking or solos...you know...stuff I could screw up on stage. Like I was saying in an earlier post, it's part how I was raised and part how my brain is wired. Everyone's different and I would love to have the brain chemistry and confidence of someone who doesn't give a sh!t what others think, but I don't so rather than let that contain me, I just figure methods to solve for it and get around it. I would consider Beta Blockers but I'd really want to understand the side effects better because it seems a bit extreme. I may just stick with beer-or-two method to take the edge off. BTW, apparently Eddie Van Halen suffered from severe stage fright so it's something that affects the pros too.

[ChickenLover]

This has come up in of all things...poker. Some people take certain drugs that allegedly help them concentrate...dunno if they are beta-blockers. But many people feel that it is a competitive advantage and as such think it's wrong...essentially cheating.

IMO, if it's a drug that enhances performance then it's a performance enhancing drug. You take the drug with the intention of it enhancing your performance. If you're a performer going on stage that's one thing but if it's a competition then imo you are cheating.

This is also related to issues such as that woman swimmer in the olympics...the older woman...can't remember her name. She had to use an inhaler because she had asthma...some thought it was an unfair advantage because inhalers have been banned long ago...because athletes were using them a lot to enhance performance. But since she had asthma they said it was OK for her to use...meanwhile her competitors can not (unless they get a similar waiver). She said it "gave her the same lung capacity as her competitors". IMO...we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Some swimmers start fast but end slow and some start slow but finish strong...some have a great swimmers body (like Phelps) and some don't. Some have enormous lung capacity and some don't. The whole point of these competitions is that you work with whatever strengths/weaknesses you have and become the best you can be. You got asthma? Tough toenails...deal with it just like the short, stocky guy has to deal with his build. You shouldn't be able to use a drug to cover up one of your weaknesses...imo.

[ChickenLover]

Or you could just use a KFC bucket and a Jason mask.:cool:

I think that'd make me more nervous!

[mtmartin71]

Or you could just use a KFC bucket and a Jason mask.:cool:

I think that'd make me more nervous!

:rotflmao

Nice! To your other post, that's why this documentary stuck with me. The subtitle is the "Side effects of Being American". Basically, America is a two-faced culture absolutely obsessed with winning at all costs...cheat, lie, steal...whatever it takes...but outwardly all of our leaders have to say the right things because it's all about the kids and the example we set. It is such a level of gray it's not even silly.

[trisonic]

I got the tip about Beta Blockers from a top cellist!
Listen the OP wanted to know if they worked, they do - they reduce that "knot in the stomach thing" - if you don't need to use them fine, who cares?

Last time I checked music was not a competitive sport.

Best, Pete.

[ChickenLover]

Last time I checked music was not a competitive sport.
Did someone say it was? Can't tell if you had misread my post and was responding or was responding to another post.

[prsnstrat]

Are you guys really that scared of being in front of people?

Some people are, yes. And it's not a trivial matter. I think I'm in this group. Enough to terrify us but not enough to keep us away from doing the thing(s) we love to do most.

[dewey decibel]

What Beta Blockers do is prevent your body from pumping adrenalin into your blood stream. It's the adrenalin that gives you the shakes. So beta blockers don't stop you from being nervous, and they don't stop stage fright, they just reduce or eliminate the physical symptoms that might cause you to screw up that big solo or flub your audition.

They work.


Good explination.

[prsnstrat]

This has come up in of all things...poker. Some people take certain drugs that allegedly help them concentrate...dunno if they are beta-blockers. But many people feel that it is a competitive advantage and as such think it's wrong...essentially cheating.



Sounds just like the drug administered for severe cases of ADD/ADHD.

[roadfilm]

I used to have severe stage fright and all of a sudden it went away.
I have a cousin who is in the pharmaceutical biz and I was talking to him one day after being diagnosed with hypertension. He asked what drug(s) the doctor put me on and I told him. One of which was a beta blocker. He said, "Oh pro golfers take those to calm their nerves during tournaments". All of a sudden it hit me. Wow I bet that's what got rid of my stage fright. So, yes they do work.

[DejavuDave]

I get anxiety, too. Sometimes I'll have a glass of wine. I don't get drunk, I just have a glass --- or even less --- to take the edge off.

[katuna]

I don't blame people from taking it. I certainly drank a lot before playing in my youth (though, that was just what I did; not because I specifically felt like I had stage fright). I guess I feel a bit of stage fright before playing, but it goes away as soon as I have the guitar in my hand and am onstage (and I am one crudddddy player too!)

For those that do these things, I would encourage some experimentation with lesser amounts or going towards not taking them eventually as you gain comfort. I still drink for some gigs, but many of them I don't at all, or very sparingly. I find both ways are fun - they make for different gig experiences. But again, I'm just lucky in that I really don't care if people think I suck or not; I am totally there to have fun.

[funkycam]

Stage fright is just unfamiliarity with performing... more time on the substrate

[hb_nz]

Stage fright is just unfamiliarity with performing...

I'd have to disagree completely. I've been playing in bands for 25 years or so, from bars to stadiums and stage fright is something that I still have to deal with.

In my case I just don't like being on a stage...in front of anyone - small intimate crowds are the worst, especially if they're family or friends. Yet it's what I do for a living. I was on Prozac for a short time and it seemed to alleviate a lot of nerves but also squashed any other feelings too! The fact is that any substance that may help with nerves or stage fright will likely have other effects too that may not be so desirable. I guess it comes down to which of the two states is the easier to live with.

[frank62]

Back in the old days it was done with heroin, cocaine, and whiskey.

[gixxerrock]

In the same vein, but illegal, a bunch of olympic athletes were smoking pot before events to calm their nerves. I'm not sure if they banned the use because its and advantage or if it's because pot is illegal.
A famous Canadian snowboarder lost his gold medal when he tested positive for MJ. Apparently it is a performance enhancing drug.

[funkycam]

I'd have to disagree completely. I've been playing in bands for 25 years or so, from bars to stadiums and stage fright is something that I still have to deal with.
wow that's tough...
I kind of come off like an insensitive dick on this one, so maybe that explains why I don't get it!

If it makes you so uncomfortable, do you still enjoy performing? does it wear off as the gig goes on?

[hb_nz]

wow that's tough...
I kind of come off like an insensitive dick on this one, so maybe that explains why I don't get it!

If it makes you so uncomfortable, do you still enjoy performing? does it wear off as the gig goes on?


Wasn't meaning that as a dig, just explaining that it's different for everybody.

As to whether in my case I enjoy performing - not particularly! Never have really. Sounds crazy I know, but it's just something I presumed I had to do to play music when I started out and so I've been doing it since. Some nights it eases during the gig, others it actually gets worse as the night goes on - and on those nights no amount of drink or other things:rolleyes: will help.

[Jon C]

Stage fright is just unfamiliarity with performing... more time on the substrate

I don't agree either ... I've got years of playing in public under my belt and yet at times I will still get a bit edgy, more than normal. Not full out stage fright, but certainly not from unfamiliarity with performing. I enjoy doing it but at times, esp. if I'm a bit rusty, it brings out more anxiety, yet I still enjoy it when things get going.

[rob2001]

I recently saw a program on the discovery channel. It was about training navy seals in high stress situations. There was a new 4 step program they are employing to help them stay calm and rational in life/death situations. I'll see if I can find out the name of the show it was on. I know playing on stage isn't life or death but it certainly can help in managing any high stress situation. I'll see if I can google it.

[trisonic]

Did someone say it was? Can't tell if you had misread my post and was responding or was responding to another post.
No, it was coincidence, I just read your post and it was interesting.

My point of view is that each person is different and must be approached separately, what works for some will not work for others. People with what is commonly called "Stage Fright" sometimes have it forever and in fact the bigger the "Stage" the bigger the "Fright" can be - it's not much fun if you have to throw up everytime for decades...

Best, Pete.

[mtmartin71]

I don't agree either ... I've got years of playing in public under my belt and yet at times I will still get a bit edgy, more than normal. Not full out stage fright, but certainly not from unfamiliarity with performing. I enjoy doing it but at times, esp. if I'm a bit rusty, it brings out more anxiety, yet I still enjoy it when things get going.

You're exactly where I'm at on stage. Again, I credit this to on part brain chemistry and some other part conditioning. You can overcome the conditioning with other conditioning, but some of us are outgoing and possess little anxiety and others of us, no matter how much we train otherwise, are wired the opposite. Some take chemicals to to counteract that and some others just deal with it.

[Road Warrior]

You're exactly where I'm at on stage. Again, I credit this to on part brain chemistry and some other part conditioning. You can overcome the conditioning with other conditioning, but some of us are outgoing and possess little anxiety and others of us, no matter how much we train otherwise, are wired the opposite. Some take chemicals to to counteract that and some others just deal with it.

That's just interesting to me... All the years I've been playing and other than being too tired or something, I just enjoy playing in front of people. I like them to watch me play. I mean, I know I play better live than alone. Guess I feed off the crowd.

Most of the guys I've ever played with like to be watched too. You know "pay attention to ME". I can't remember any other band guys telling me they had stage fright.

I can sing harmonies all nite, but if I have to sing lead, I'm a dead duck.

Weird, eh?

[devnulljp]

Everyone I know used beta blockers before their masters or PhD vivas. I didn't, I just kinda zone in those situations and seem to get by OK, but a lot of people swear by them. Coffee is my drug of choice, which also has the distinct advantages of being easy to get and legal.

[rob2001]

That was just on today. Excellent program. It's on the History Channel and it's called 'The Brain'.

Ya, I think that was it. Cool show.

[tjmicsak]

I was in a band playing middle school dances in 9th grade- to young and stupid to think much about it but had an unbelievable great time. I was mainly focused on sounding good and playing good, but the other guys were hamming it up. In many ways I was lookng from the outside in rather than the other way around, kind of like putting myself out there with them to judge our performance. When I was older I was just accustomed to it, playing parties, clubs, and Saturday night big nights at the bars. We always had good sound and light rentals that used follow spots too- so that kind of washed away the view. Crazy thing is I never once gave it a second thought, but I only sang a few of the songs and we had a front man too. I was just focused on our progress more than thinking about the crowds. As a kid I was real shy, quiet and anxious, and forget anything to do with public speaking or being any subject of attention, but man just give me a guitar, a band and a song and it is like I am right at home. Go figure......
I can relate to EVH though. Imagine playing small LA clubs and then suddenly finding yourself in front of tens of thousands of people. The magnitude alone is enough to make you stop and think, hey what if I break a string?

[Ken Ho]

What Beta Blockers do is prevent your body from pumping adrenalin into your blood stream. It's the adrenalin that gives you the shakes. So beta blockers don't stop you from being nervous, and they don't stop stage fright, they just reduce or eliminate the physical symptoms that might cause you to screw up that big solo or flub your audition.

They work.

Close but no banananana. They block the action of adrenaline in the tissues. The Nervous feelign is mediated by adrenaline, as shakes are made worse, so yesm they do reduce subjective anxiety and dysphoria.
There is a common condition called benign familial tremor, where a fine handshake is present at rest , which becomes worse on intenetional movement, made MUCH worse by adrenaline and caffeine to a lesser extent. It gets worse as you get older.
My wife has it, and if she does a photo shoot, she takes beta-blocker before to settle her hands.
Some of you may have that, if you notice particularly shaky hands before a gig.

[rob2001]

Funny but I always feel more stress when the crowd is small. A big crowd seems like a large, faceless mob. With a small crowd I feel the individuals watching.

[Madison]

I have beta blockers in the house and sometimes, not always, have one before a gig. It does help me, my hands aren't clammy which will affect getting around the fretboard quickly, and I seem to hit the notes with more accuracy...more like I might do playing in my house with no one around. Last gig I didn't take one and my playing was off a bit. Coincidence?