The Steel Guitar Forum

I will have a good weekend playing steel & the next time not so good . my fingers are very jetery I have talked to my doctor. but of no help. enyone else have had this been playing 51 years eny help would be great thanks Dana

What is "jetery"?
Erv

jittery I think Erv

Mark,
I'm not too sure, it might be a term native to West Virginia.
Erv

Dana, according to Lyle Lovett, you might have redneckness, ("You catch it on your fingers and it just crawls right up your sleeves".)

Does this happen at home too or just at a gig? Are you comfortable with the songs and the band? I've never had this but a muscle cramp in my hand or leg has happened with a slight panic of trying to finish respectfully.

I try to remember to breathe normally and relax, no matter how crappily I just played my favorite song. If your doctor says you’re okay, then the jitters are just plain nervousness. As Yogi Berra said, half this game is 90 percent mental.

Dana,
Ask your Doc for some low dose Ativan.... works wonders but only take it an hour or so before you play..... AND (importantly) DO NOT drink alcohol with it. It won't get you high but it will get rid of those tremors.
As old as I am, my nervous system is shot and occasionally acts up. I use it before solo (jazz guitar) gigs occasionally and it has really helped me. If you need more info PM me.
Gary

I remember the 1st time I played in public.
I was using a foot volume control and my foot was bouncing up and down so bad I had to take my foot off of it.
Erv

I do this for a living yet I still get 'performance anxiety' on odd occasions. Maybe a certain intro will trip me up and then, next time it's due, I'll find myself remembering 'This is the one you messed up last night...' and it'll happen again.

I haven't found the solution. Thankfully it's rare. In my case what starts as a physical hurdle then becomes a mental issue.

It proves it's 'live', anyway!

I've had the same problem for a few years. Mine is a medical problem called essential tremors. And it gets worse when nervous. There is no cure and no medicine that I've been prescribed helps, but if you live in a State where medical marijuana is legal, problem solved.

A couple months ago my Doctor prescribed some steroids to help me heal some injuries. As a side effect I found that they improved my ability to hit the strings I aim for. Before that my playing had gone downhill as my hands no longer worked like they used too.

I can’t help but think there are drugs that could help our hands as we age but there have probably never been any studies done on how to help old musicians.

Apparently, a lot of opera singers and others use beta blockers. I don't and I'm not recommending them, I'm just sayin'.

I'm sorry about the jitters, Dana. But thank you for a great topic.

I have a tremor. It's usually not a big issue, but it can go wild when I'm anxious.

Like others have suggested, I got a prescription for a beta-blocker. It works.

But there's something else that works for me too: Addressing my anxiety.

I do this by:
* Making sure my breathing is slow and regular. That helps calm me down.
* Meditation. Especially meditating on the idea that I love myself no matter how I play.

Meditating takes some time. Say, 20 minutes twice a day.

But when I do both of these things, I'm good. I'm able to focus on relaxing and enjoying the music. And I don't shake.

I hope this helps, Dana. All the best, and thanks again.

I use beer. Is beer a Beta blocker?

Yes. In fact the word "beer" is short for
BE[ta block]ER. (See what I did there? )

Thanks Jim, you're my hero!

Jim to the Rescue

Aw, shucks, guys. Just doing my bit to help the community...

They have been brewing some stuff up here in the mountains that calms the jitters and also makes your guitar sound better, no need for high priced equipment! Butch in NC

I don’t have an answer for you, Dana, but hang in there!

I've been using CDB oil and cream on my hands they're not as sore and stiff. It's only bee a short while that I've used it so we'll see if it continues to help.

I hope you can get it worked out Dana.

Years ago, I was getting the jitters(hands and fingers shaking) on a gig when I drank caffeinated beverages before a show. Cut them out and all is well now. Might not be the cause of your issue but hope you find a fix.