i get soooo nervous!! plz help urgently!

[wako_kato]

hey
when i perform i get so nervous, everytime i perform i mess it up, mess up the piece from memory or do stupid mistakes that i never do when i practise. taking deel breaths help but ive got like 5 huge concerts next week n i dont no what to do to avoid the nervousness!! HEELPP!!!! xxx

[henrah]

I get nervous pretty bad too, but I remember some advice that I previously read that I hope will help you.

Look at the audience before you play, and say to yourself "None of them can play like me, and I am better than them." Mostly a self-confidence issue really. And don't take into account any pianists in the audience, or think if any are there. To you, they are just normal people coming to enjoy your music. I don't really like using this method because it makes me feel egotistical, but sometimes it helps.

Come to the realisation that no one can be perfect, and mistakes are -  in the most case - unavoidable. Have you heard of Alfred Cortot? He was known for making many mistakes; but - to quote Koji - "I would rather hear Cortot's wrong notes than any other pianists right notes" shows that there is nothing wrong with mistakes, and audiences can always see past them to the true beauty and message of the music you are making.

As long as you can see past making mistakes, and the fact that they don't matter, you will do fine. Don't get nervous through the fact that you might make mistakes. If anything, become nervous through the scenario of not fully conveying the message you meant to convey through the music you played. This, Imho, is much more worse than making mistakes.
Henrah

[gruffalo]

ok, what people have to realise here is that there is only one route out of this problem. people keep giving advice what to do in the final moments, how to combat the mentality etc., but that doesnt work. the only way you are going to get over this is just by playing it out of this. and sure, you will probably say "i have had loads of concerts and still nervous" etc., but you just gotta do more and more and get better each time bit by bit. work on why you are nervous, in terms of the preparation of your pieces. are they solidly learned or not?, is your technique giving you nerves because you havent got a half decent one? if not, then go to another teacher and see if any improvements are made. the reason why you are nervous, is because you are not confident in your playing, and this is either because you dont believe in yourself enough, or your playing generally isnt good even just at home on the piano. if the first, then its you're just going to have to play your way through, and observe what the crowds think of your playing, and it will come. if the second, then get another teacher to help you out.

[wako_kato]

ok thanks, im completely fine with the piece and have played it in competitions and usually in them i dont make as many mistakes, in concerts however its worse n i feel like ive just got a block in my head against them. everything is in place and there is nothing i particually struggle with, but when there is an important audience in front of me, then thats when i usual am afraid i will mess it up, and when im playing, in the middle i will think 'ahh better not make a stupid mistake on the next bit' and i play the next bit, and huge mistake! x

[bella musica]

I understand your situation completely!  I played the Chopin Scherzo No. 1 in a competition recently, did great, won silver, came home and played it for a small concert and completely bombed it... 

The next concert I played, however, I told myself that it didn't matter if I made a mistake or two, as long as the message came through.  I figured that even if there was a wrong note here and there, the audience would still enjoy the piece, and I would have a much better time not worrying about being perfect.  The performance went much, much better!  When you try to be perfect, one little mistake seems like the end of the world, and then it all goes downhill.  I think that was my problem at the bad concert.

P.S.  Apparently eating a banana shortly before a performance helps too.

[gruffalo]

ok, so long as you know you can play it well, even if you dont under pressure, you have the basis that you can work on. the more you play concerts, what you will see happening is that you will get used to your nerves, and you will realise yourself how to work under the pressure and things will start to go your way. dont listen to people who produce all the psychological crap that "helps". the only advice you should take is the stuff about physical preparation, i.e. sleeping well, eating good meals, snacks before hand like banana milkshake. any psychological advice in the run up even 5 mins before the performance can be detremental. the reason why i know this is because i was in exactly the same situation as you (except i had awful technique and a bad teacher) and i went into concerts, not even being able to play the piece properly without pressure of audiences.

having five concerts should give you a good basis to move on, but you have to now know that this is how it works, and use each performance to its advantage. also, something you might want to try in the future, is performing in concerts that have people of mixed standards, so you can see people who make a lot of mistakes but give a good musical performance and then you will realise that mistakes happen and the audience just brushes it off, and most of the time not even noticing them.

[henrah]

any psychological advice in the run up even 5 mins before the performance can be detremental.

Can be, but you never know. It might just help him. Past experiences can never predict the future.

Wako, tis all down to you buddy.

[wako_kato]

thanks people. all the help is great!

[jam8086]

work on why you are nervous, in terms of the preparation of your pieces. are they solidly learned or not?

the reason why you are nervous, is because you are not confident in your playing, and this is either because you dont believe in yourself enough, or your playing generally isnt good even just at home on the piano.

I agree completely, and from personal experience.  I used to always get nervous too, until I realized that it was because my pieces were never thoroughly practiced.  Even if I played through the pieces a few times a day, I would still mess up during a recital.  However, simply playing through pieces really does not help, and is not "practicing."  What I do now is play through my pieces only once or twice a day, but SLOWLY and by PAYING ATTENTION.  Playing slowly is extremely effective...you would have no idea how much cleaner you could make your pieces until you do it EVERY DAY (I know i didn't).  I know saying "pay attention when you play" may seem obvious, but you really do have to listen to yourself through EVERY MEASURE of the piece when you're playing it through, and not just play it through just to work your fingers and not your mind.  If you only have the piece in your fingers, you WILL mess up in a recital.

So, once you have practiced every piece THOROUGHLY for a while, you will be confident in your playing and you will KNOW that you will not mess up because you know the piece so well.

[gruffalo]

I agree completely, and from personal experience.  I used to always get nervous too, until I realized that it was because my pieces were never thoroughly practiced.  Even if I played through the pieces a few times a day, I would still mess up during a recital.  However, simply playing through pieces really does not help, and is not "practicing."  What I do now is play through my pieces only once or twice a day, but SLOWLY and by PAYING ATTENTION.  Playing slowly is extremely effective...you would have no idea how much cleaner you could make your pieces until you do it EVERY DAY (I know i didn't).  I know saying "pay attention when you play" may seem obvious, but you really do have to listen to yourself through EVERY MEASURE of the piece when you're playing it through, and not just play it through just to work your fingers and not your mind.  If you only have the piece in your fingers, you WILL mess up in a recital.

So, once you have practiced every piece THOROUGHLY for a while, you will be confident in your playing and you will KNOW that you will not mess up because you know the piece so well.

yea, this is certainly good advice, and this is what i do too. but there is an endless list to how you can get pieces prepared, so people just have to find their own way themselves and through their teacher. however, this guy said that its not the preparation that is screwing him up. he just needs to build up his performing experience and confidence, and he will not lose the nerves, but get used to them, so they wont affect him as much.

[repeat]

Nerves and nervousness have undoubtedly wrecked many a career.  It takes a diverse talent to be a musician. A stable nervous system is one. They say it's all about building self confidence. But sometimes knowing your repertoire and managing to play well is not enough. Sometimes nerves start to affect you all the same and to live their own life, seemingly out of control and reason. Then you may have a serious problem. I think you should give it some time. Getting some routine may ease things a lot. But if the anxiety persists to a level which threatens your career, I would see a doctor for help. Research shows that a vast number of musicians share this problem to an extent that they have had to get help to be able to continue their careers. I myself am a wind player, and I used to have some awfull experiences in my orchestra when counting down for my entries and solos, when I would get so nervous that my heartbeat would get totally out of control, beating like a sledgehammer in my chest. Naturally this affected my playing, but it made me fear for my health as well. So I went to see my doctor. He gave me some pills to take before concerts, an voila... my troubles were over. No more steamhammer in my chest, no more shaking, and as long as I am well prepared there is no more anxiety, and I play my solos perfectly as I have prepared them. The feedback I get from my collegues proves that I am not just imagining playing well. I don't think this is cheating, the medicine only scares the nerves off and leaves me to deliver my best. Now, I will not recommend any aspiring young musician to start taking medicine against concert nerves before the problem has really grown to be uncontainable and has been diagnosed by a doctor as of sufficient proportions for medication. But if the problem persists to really threaten your career or your health it will be nice to know that there is help to get out there.

[henrah]

So, once you have practiced every piece THOROUGHLY for a while, you will be confident in your playing and you will KNOW that you will not mess up because you know the piece so well.

But that could be detrimental in knowing that you won't mess up, because what if you do? I think it's a lot worser to make a mistake when you knew you wouldn't and possibly be thinking about it from then onwards which could possibly ruin the rest of the recital than knowing you shouldn't make a mistake but willing to accept it if it does happen.

When you force yourself to not make a mistake, it's a lot worser when it actually happens than if you accept that it might happen, even though you try your best to not make a mistake.

[infectedmushroom]

I have the same problem too, when I perform for people, I get nervous. Even if I play for just some friends; I always get nervous and my hands gonna shake. The idea that everyone is focussed on me and watch my fingers give me this feeling I think.

I tried a lot of things to get this feeling away, but nothings works, I just have to live with it I guess.

Random fact: Rachmaninoff was always very nervous when he had to play in public. A few times, he even wanted to stop the concert he would play that day, just cause he was too nervous.

[gruffalo]

dear repeat, did you take the time to play through many performances? did you have stable technique? did you go through many performances knowing that the process would eventually devlope more confidence? if not, then please dont say that it could affect someone's career simply because of nerves. i was the same, and i am getting over it and each performance gets better. remember, many of the proffesionals suffered and still do, incredibly from nerves. you have failed to recognize that the process is not getting hold of nerves, it is about getting used to them, used to the feeling and learning to use it to your advantage.

[whynot]

It's Monday, I guess today is the beginning of the concert week?  Good luck, it's going to be great!  I, too, find the slow, detailed practice helpful at the last minute.  And there's something I really like about the advice to avoid psychological issues right before playing and just go out and play.  Some people do need to think through those things to address their nerves, but I think in your situation it's something else.  

You often think "better not make a stupid mistake" in the upcoming part, and then you make a huge mistake right there (I have done this!).  Have you ever seen someone who can't decide which way to walk?  Their movements get confused and jerky-- they don't just go different directions, their entire body becomes clumsy.  They bump into people, they drop things, because there's no master plan of "let's go over there".   The nerves are responding to the confusion in the brain of what to do next.  If our playing goals are non-specific or sidetracked and there's no clear plan coming from the top, the wrong impulses get set in motion and we "stutter" in our playing. Our hands do all kinds of strange things, and that's just our bodies accurately reflecting the conflict in the brain.  If we have specific playing goals, the brain will direct the nerves clearly and correctly, and usually we'll be able to do it.   If we think about the music as we want it to sound, and keep in mind the overall shape and character of the piece, clear messages are sent to the right nerves at the right time and it automatically stays coordinated.  This is pretty easy to try out, because we're thinking about the music and the sound part of the time already, so it's just a shift in the proportion of more of that and less of the other.

Whatever you try, please post between the concerts and tell us how it's going, and what you found helpful.  GOOD LUCK!!

[jam8086]

But that could be detrimental in knowing that you won't mess up, because what if you do? I think it's a lot worser to make a mistake when you knew you wouldn't and possibly be thinking about it from then onwards which could possibly ruin the rest of the recital than knowing you shouldn't make a mistake but willing to accept it if it does happen.

Well, yes, you should be willing to accept that you will make mistakes no matter what, but they will be much less common and you will be less worried about upcoming sections when your pieces are properly prepared, and you know that your pieces are solid.

[henrah]

Well, yes, you should be willing to accept that you will make mistakes no matter what, but they will be much less common and you will be less worried about upcoming sections when your pieces are properly prepared, and you know that your pieces are solid.

Yes, there's nothing like knowing that you know the pieces inside out. The feeling is just like when you know everything before going into an exam.
Henrah

[repeat]

dear Gruffalo, yes, stage fright is normal and yours is of course the ideal solution to beating the problem for any normally robust person. What I do is point out that lots of people are too fragile to cope with their stage fright even through hard work, and that even for those unfortunate people a career in music is possible today.  I am speaking from life long experience, and I know that nerves and stage fright can even come later in life, also as a symptom of other emotional problems.  I think it is only fair to give these people an option to quitting their careers.  It is no secret that nerves and stage fright have also affected the careers of lots of great musicians through the years. Even the great Horowitz knew all about this, as is summarised in his cunning answer to why so many fine artists turned to conducting instead of pursuing their careers as instrumental soloists: " there are no wrong notes coming out of the stick, you know".

[gruffalo]

  I think it is only fair to give these people an option to quitting their careers.

yes, but i think this is not for you to point out and should be between pupil and teacher. likewise i think very carefully about what advice i give on this topic e.g. telling someone to drink coffee or tea for a bit of caffeine high before the performance, is not the kind of advice that should be given (i dont do this anyway, it was just mentioned by someone in a similar nerves thread). basically, we are all different, and yes i guess some people are just not cut out to be proffesionals due to nerves, but you made this statement without knowing much about this person and why he is suffering from this nerves. to a person on the edge with this problem, what you said can seem like the easy way out and should only be brought up when this person has done everything he can, and the only person that can and should advise this is his/her teacher.

[repeat]

Gruffalo,
Just one final comment on this topic. You have made your point very clear, but if you read my first post on this string carefully you will see that I never recommended Wako-Kato to medicate himself to soothe his nerves before concerts. I merely offered him my experience. If you think that is wrong I disagree. I think one should be open about these things. Nerves and mental problems should not be hush-hush. Now, to your argument that getting used to nerves is part of the game and that endurement of the pain will eventually lead to the building of confidence. I am not convinced that this is neccessarily so, and in any case not in general.  On the contrary, nerves too often produce failure, and failure may produce trauma, and trauma produce all sorts of mental problems that can spiral into real trouble.  I am far from convinced that there is a way out of that spiral leading back to confidence for all.  I have seen too many examples to the contrary.  On the other hand, there is nothing to boost confidence like success. So why not offer help to those who need it most, before failure and trauma hits them. What good is there in leting talent cripple from fear and anxiety?
Finally, you want all advice concerning the student, not only musical ones, but also matters like nerves and stage fright to ble left solely with the teacher. I think you put too much responiblilty on this person who may be a good teacher, but who is not neccessarily cut out to be a psycologist as well.  I think the students should be free to seek advice wherever they find it worthwhile.

[ramseytheii]

I am sorry I can't find the exact quote, but I remember Rubinstein wrote that at every performance, he tried to make eyes with one person in the audience who he felt was sympathetic towards him, (of course in his case a woman), and then played the whole concert as if he was playing for that one person.  Maybe that will help you!

Walter Ramsey

[annie5]

 Read this... a wonderful post by "Arensky" :


  Re: How do YOU conquer nerves??
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2005, 06:06:21 AM »   

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have answered this before but I don't remember where, so I will repeat myself.

I don't think we can "conquer" nerves. The thing that makes us afraid is a sort of demon, the collected manifestation of our self-doubts, feelings of unworthiness, fear of what others may think if we do badly, etc. . This stuff is insidious, it thrives on anger, self-doubt  and our determination to subjugate them. The demon is very powerful. It thrives on any sort of emotion it can relate to, i.e. the ones I've just mentioned, and also if you're performing and you think, "gee this is going great!" and then splat you fall down. Because that very feeling of self-elation or patting yourself on the back is hubris, and it is a negative and false emotion. Up comes the demon. He's a sneaky one.

The only way to beat him is to welcome him in, sincerely invite him to make himself at home. "Coffee? Cigarette? Tea? Scones? Healthy vegetarian appetizer? Pop Tart? " You see if you fight him, he will thrive on that. If you make friends, he will get bored and go away, because he cannot accomplish anything with you. Accept that you are only human, and may make a mistake in this complex and difficult activity we call playing the piano for others. It's OK; will it matter if dolcejen or arensky or Cziffra or anyone screwed up in a piano performance in one thousand years? No, it will not. Will it matter (for us anyway, Cziffra has gone on) in a week? Maybe to us, but ONLY IF WE LET IT. This is the demon.

Easier said than done, believe me I know. Sometimes (not always) I used to be terrified to go onstage, panic attacks, can't breathe, all that. But not recently. About four years ago, this was happening backstage, and I just said to myself, "well, this is part of the deal." The fear did not vanish, but the resignation and acceptance of it set in, so I walked out, sat down, and was kind of shaky for the first piece, but then settled in and actually felt comfortable, and played very well. Usually when I had been that frightened before, things did not go well. I still get NERVOUS, but I haven't been FRIGHTENED since that concert. The demon has been neutralized. Nervous is ok, in fact I think it's normal for many great performers. Fear is bad; it is a false emotion, there is nothing to really be afraid of. And it lets that demon in. So if you can accept the nerves, you will not be afraid of them.

And while you are playing, do not judge yourself or what is happening IN ANY WAY, good or bad. This interferes with the process of making music. You may feel emotion, but not to the point where you ARE the emotion; your job is to CONVEY the emotion, not wallow in it. Excessive emotion can let the demon in. Just be there, doing what you do, pulling the strings.

This may require practice, might not work out the first few times. But let the demon in, accept him. It's a paradox, but it's the only way he'll ever go away, IMO.

[whynot]

So, how did the concerts go? 

[wako_kato]

thanks everyone, sorry i took so long to reply, had so much practise. right wel the first concert was a biggy but my teacher had told me if i got messed up to jump to the last page that is really good. so i used all your help then went out and started good then got bad thoughts in my head and lost it but jumped str8 to the last bit since it was only 6 lines away anyway, everyone was impressed including my teacher (which is a 1st!) and people said that it was superb and to forget the mistakes. then the next 3 concerts improved slightly time by time but i still had to jump to the end, but each time i got closer and closer to getting it right. but i wasnt that satisfied with any of them, i could find many faults. i had my last competition for a while earlier today, and i was so pleased with how i played. i only missed out a bar or two, and it wasnt that obvious. i just relaxed since i new the competition was really stiff and i was just competiting for experience. i didnt come 1st, 2nd or 3rd but it didnt matter because i was pleased with my performance. thanks for everyones advice ur all great!

[lindas333]

I was so happy to see your post.  I just did my second recital this past weekend.  Needless to say, in my eyes it was a bust...but from my friends and family they thought I was "great!"  I truly beat myself up about my performance; but it was those NERVES and my SHAKING HANDS that I tried very hard to control that threw me off a few times.  I have only been taking piano lessons since September 2005.  I played Morning Mood, Pathetique (an intermediate version), and Moonlight Sonata (the masterpiece) and I knew all my pieces well.  The night after the recital I tossed and turned and just had to get out of my bed around 3:00 a.m., well you know where I headed...my piano (the place of my utmost comfort and a place of my recital distress).  I decided that I would continue piano lessons but give up recitaling...but after working out those 13 measures from hell of Fur Elise...I was once again revived.  As I can see from your post here and all the replies...what I am going through is "normal."  But the stress....sheesh...if my doctor had taken my blood pressure as I sat on that piano stool; she would have probably hospitalized me!  I love playing the piano...I love it here at pianostreet...and I enjoy the pertinent information I get from here as I start my piano playing career!

Much love to all of you and let's just keep on doing what other folk think is "magical!"

[RealPianist]

hey i'm happy too that you made improvement in every of your recital. 

btw, if all of you here say your recital, is it means that you play for solo recital or you are part of the recital?

how about thinking that you will dedicate this recital to someone?

[wako_kato]

when i say recital i mean part of another one. i did dedicate a piece once to someone very close 2 me, bt i messed it up n felt like i let them down, so im not doing that again!