Anyone have any tips on breaking the need for conscious control in playing a musical instrument?

Not to be joking in any way, a mild alcoholic beverage or three might take the edge off and shut your brain up so you can enjoy yourself until you realize you can actually do it.

I play all sorts of instruments including the harmonica and just play them without really thinking at all. I play to enjoy myself and to see if I can do something, not to be perfect.

I advise learning some songs really well then playing when you’re really tired/maybe a little drunk. Seriously, I notice that when I play music in these conditions I space out but my motor memory kicks in and my hands do the work. I’ve even forgotten what song I’m playing and wait for my hands to get to the chorus so I can recognize it. If you know songs well enough to not screw up your mind can go elsewhere without your play being interrupted.

Cool question, I’ve never really thought about it. Congrats on finding your instrument!

I will bet you that if you could sit in with a rock or country band, all your fears would go away. playing solo and just learning, to me, was the first step in having cold feet. i practiced my drums for many months. i depended on the radio and 45 rpm records to play to(with). i panicked after the music stopped. i thought i would never be good enough to form my own band and play in front of an audience. as the saying goes, “time heals all wounds”. time also healed my solo playing with records and albums. after that first song, after that first band rehearsal, eveything changed. i guess one of the band members brought me out of my “sticker shock” syndrome, when he stated. “damn, you’re great”. from that day forward, i closed the door on my past and only looked forward to my future in drumming. and, it didn’t turn out too bad, either.

This is my wish for you. you have found your knitch, so now find a band and blow all your fears away into that harmonica.

Maybe you want to ask somebody who isn’t an accomplished musician because someone who’s really skilled and natural at it may not be able to explain how he or she got that way. Likewise, a native speaker of a language may not be the best teacher of it because the learning process is so different for a formal student.

I reached a certain level of proficiency on both the piano and the guitar and got so I could play without having to consciously manage every move, but I never got beyond intermediate. I think the biggest factor in achieving the kind of natural ease you have in mind is practice. I’d liken it to driving a car: after some point you stop having to calculate every move and think about how to use the controls and what the rules are, and then it becomes like second nature, an extension of your body. I’d say time and experience count for the most.

But skill at improvisation, now, that’s a different thing. I think it takes being able to think in a certain way, to have a deep comprehension of structure and relationships and a natural feel for them, and to be able to anticipate the musical line as it develops. As one who can’t do that, I’m not sure it can be learned.

Practice scales particularly in octaves and do them until it is second nature. Scales do not require tab so you will get used to the automatic repetition. Do it for 2 weeks straight until you are jamming out of control style. I bet you break free in no time!

Time and practice are the only things that will help you to play better. Practice makes perfect. I promise that your mind will stop fighting with you in time.

I grew up a classical musician and the freedom of jamming just boggled my mind. Which notes do I choose?? Where do I want to go?? Will it sound good??
scales and getting down some riffs from your head…..slow down and be patient.

@SmashTheState Just suck and blow. Let it all just happen. Start with something simple and then just let RIP, not R.I.P. Music is about emotion, not science. Just play and play and play.

Alcohol works, but then your brain might feel that you’re not be able to jam when you’re sober.

Listen to a CD, the radio, music online, etc. Just try to play along with what the band is playing. It doesn’t matter if you mess up, because the prerecorded music isn’t going to think any less of you. Just keep doing this until you can feel out the intervals coming up without having to look down at what chord/note is coming up.

After that, you should start to improvise solos instead of just playing root notes, fifths, etc. The previous exercise of becoming confident with the intervals will help, because you will be able to form your solo around the chords that you can predict are coming up. I don’t play harmonica, but I hope this advice will still be helpful. If you don’t understand what I explained, send me a message and I’ll elaborate.

Listen to Blues Traveler.