[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1506778801' post='3381072']
It's not really about expectations. Sometimes I know for sure it's going to be a great gig, but I'm still not in the right mood to play
If I'm not in the mood I have to really try hard to concentrate and focus, I get annoyed by the slightest mistakes, I get too tense which can hurt physically etc. If I'm in the mood then everything is just easy, and even if I'm making small mistakes, they're just fleeting insignificant moments
I'm mainly gigging on drums by the way, can't remember if I got this on bass
[/quote]
I'm a drummer. After several years of 'pro' playing, I asked a friend, a drum teacher, if he could give me lessons. When we got down to it, and after auditioning my playing, he told me he didn't see much point in going over technical aspects, but instead set up a programme of breathing and relaxation/posture sessions instead. The difference astounded me; after a few weeks, I was much more able to get 'into the zone', simply by going through some elementary routines, not dissimilar to yoga, but without the meditation stuff. I should perhaps say that, from birth, I have had duff breathing (early tuberculosis...) and stamina issues (duff adrenal glands...), and these 'lessons' enabled me to make the most of what limited capacities I had in these matters. I'd suggest, therefore, seeing if there's something other than technique that you could look for in a good drum teacher, focusing on relaxation and posture rather than rudiments. Any mileage in such an approach..?
Hope this helps.