[Methos1979]

Interesting discussion. Like many, I seem to have the most difficulty remaining focused when I'm trying to record something that I want to be really good so it can be used later for posting to our Facebook Group duo page or YouTube for the express purpose of being a demo for future bookings. It can be very frustrating to record something over and over again trying to get a perfect.

Conversely, when we're recording something for fun and posting to the same places or even just posting a live FB show as it's happening, I'm much more relaxed (often with the help of some adult libations) and tend to make less mistakes. Or maybe I make the same amount of mistakes and just really don't care as much since I know that live performances will have mistakes. That's what makes it live. It also helps since it's a free show and not something I'm getting paid to do, unlike a paying gig.

What we've done more recently is instead of trying to get perfect recordings for demo's is to just use those live recording - warts and all - as our duo demos. Just recently we recorded ourselves playing a bunch of new songs for our assisted living seniors setlist. We made it through about 8 songs before I totally crashed and burned on a song I knew like the back of my hand. So I stopped recording and trimmed that last song off and then posted it as is. It wasn't as long as we'd hoped but people looking at it for booking are most like going to just jump around anyway.

Another, similar, issue I often encounter is keeping my focus while playing actual live shows. Oddly enough, I find the biggest issue I encounter is with songs that I know cold. Because I know them so well, my mind is prone to wandering and the littlest thing can cause it to completely disengage from the performance - a car going by a window, a waitress dropping a credit card - things like that. All the sudden I have no idea where I am. Sometimes I'm saved by muscle memory, sometimes not!

Guitar playing, and specifically performing, is as much about the mental game and staying focused on what you're doing and remaining relaxed at the same time. Maintaining that connection with the crowd your playing to. It can be a challenge. At least for me. While the pro's are better at it I'm sure just from all those hours, I'm also sure they suffer the same challenges in remaining focused as well. They just make it look easy which is why they are professional entertainers!