Dan Bell hit the nail on the head by summing up note errors to “lack of preparedness” and “lack of focus”. We talked about preparedness yesterday so let’s talk about focus. Research tells us that the human brain processes 400 billion bits of information each and every second. You can do the math yourself to calculate how many bits of information your brain is processing during a typical tune or selection of tunes. While all this information is bombarding your brain, you’re trying to stay on task with the music!

I think every piper has their own way of maintaining focus throughout a performance. It is generally accepted that the PM gets 100% of your attention. Just the act of fixing your eyes on him or her will get you into a rhythm and you will be less likely to toss out a clanker. It will also move other distractions out of the equation, narrowing your attention on the sound and music. My advice? Focus on the PM!

How important is confidence in all this? Hugely so! If you’re prepared, you’ll be confident. If you’re focused, you’ll be confident. This being the case there simply isn’t room for a note error.

So how many times must you play a tune before you’re confident and competent? As many as it takes. The standard you set for yourself will determine both your competence and confidence. If you (or your Pipe Major) accept note errors, then this will become the norm. You’ll get very good at making random mistakes, cutting in and out, and otherwise negating all the hard work your bandmates are doing to create a representative musical performance.

“Focus” is like everything else. You need to practice it. Developing a mental discipline is equally important to the technical and musical elements of being a performer. “Focus” really is a skill unto itself.

Lastly, it is never acceptable to make a note error. When is the last time you made a note error at practice or during a performance? How many note errors did you make? What were the circumstances? Try to understand why you made those note errors and work hard to eliminate them. Make it a goal at each practice that you will not make any note errors. In so doing, you will become a “conscious competent.”