Warming Up Before Performance at Guitar Society

[Dartez82]

I am not a professional guitarist but I like to perform at my local classical guitar society meetings. One thing that has always bothered me is that I have had to always perform cold and inevitably do not play to my ability. Whenever I have taken time to warm up its awkward BC it is silent and everyone is watching like its a performance. Does anyone have advice on strategies to perform better in this environment?

[celestemcc]

In my local society, everyone just goes to another room shortly before they're up, and warms up a bit silently. Or we do that during the social hour beforehand.

[Argent]

I am not a professional guitarist but I like to perform at my local classical guitar society meetings. One thing that has always bothered me is that I have had to always perform cold and inevitably do not play to my ability. Whenever I have taken time to warm up its awkward BC it is silent and everyone is watching like its a performance. Does anyone have advice on strategies to perform better in this environment?

Could you go early and warm up ? Or warm up as people are chatting before the serious listening begins.

[Stephen Kenyon]

Yes this can be quite a thing. Of course its something all the other performing members have to deal with too. In many cases its not possible to go off and warm up somewhere. A couple of thoughts;
- you can get blood flowing in your fingers by gently stretching them, and extremely gently pulling the finger away from the hand. You can also wear gloves, even if its not actually cold as such. Or put them in your pockets.
- if possible play a really easy piece as a starter, then your main offering after that.

[Mike Atkinson]

I went to one local performance party.
Went to a quite room for a warm up before things began.
Then sat and listened as others played ... for so long, I might just have well not have warmed up at all.

Other than being rude, and walking out on other performers as my name approached on the queue ... I don't think there is a good solution.

If the schedule allows ... place a 'warm up' piece first on your choice of pieces. Perhaps something like Brouwer #6