“That pressure makes what you play much more effective”: Marty Friedman says guitarists “must” play in front of other people to improve
When it comes to learning an instrument, they say practice makes perfect – but only if you have an audience, according to Marty Friedman. While many practice alone, the former Megadeth guitarist believes the pressure of public performance is important when learning your instrument.
“I always say you must create opportunities to play in front of other people,” he explains in conversation with Chinese YouTuber SKYline (via Blabbermouth). “When you play in front of people, your body says, ‘I must play my best because I don’t wanna mess up in front of people.’”
READ MORE: “There’s no bashing… there’s just truth” Marty Friedman will open up on his time in Megadeth in new book
Regardless of whether you’re a “beginner or super pro”, an audience will always make you more conscious of your performance. “It’s a pressure,” Friedman says. “That pressure makes what you play much more effective.”
“If you’re by yourself and you make a mistake or you play badly, there’s no pressure,” he continues. “No one cares, nothing happens… but when you’re playing in front of people, your body forces you to work harder.”
Friedman explains that “your own personal fear of looking like an idiot” will tighten up your playing, so you’ll perfect your technique in faster time.
If you don’t have a stadium crowd on standby to practice for, that’s not a problem. Any audience will do. “Practice in front of your sister, your brother, your family, your friends,” Friedman insists. “Even if you’re in a very ‘beginner’ band, try to make little shows. Play in the park or play at a small club or restaurant. That’s much better than playing in your room!”
The baptism of fire approach will help your playing “stick to your body,” Friedman goes on.
The guitarist has always insisted that emotional expression and personal style is more important than ‘perfect’ technique. Back in August, he said that aiming to impress listeners solely through technical skill is “low-hanging fruit”.
“Anyone can play; there’s millions of fantastic, great players,” he said. “That separates me, or any other person, from the others is the artistic world that they create and the feelings that the listener gets when they listen to it.”
Friedman is also set to release a biography this December. Dreaming Japanese will offer insight into “a lot of unanswered Megadeth questions,” the guitarist told the Talk Louder podcast.
“There’s absolutely no sourness related to Megadeth at all,” he explained. “There’s just truth. All the things are exactly from my eyes, how it happened, how I wrote it.”
Friedman’s biography, Dreaming Japanese, will be released on 3 December.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
