Stagefright

[fleah]

Hi all,

I'm playing in my teacher's student recital next Monday.

Can you all please give me the best tips to conquer stage fright--particularly shaking hands!!  My teacher just says you gotta' do it and it'll get better.

I'm playing Chopin's Nocturne in B major.  I'm practicing so much now (perhaps overpracticing?)  When I try to do a test run-through--as if I'm playing in the recital--the nerves start and the mistakes creep in!

Help with advice!

Blessings and thanks!

[xhunterjx]

my only advice to you is to make sure you know your piece inside and out.  Be able to start and stop at any measure.  Make sure this week you practice at slow speeds and medium speeds.  Only play it  at regular speed once or twice per day. 

nervousness comes from insecurity, and if your secure, you should feel way more confident.

[nightingale11]

mental play the piece-- visualize all the keys and play it för HS and then HT if You can do that you can play your piece. Don't play it to much slow either HT play most of the time HS. If you play it Ht and make some mistakes play it HS and then try again after som practice on that difficult small segment.

[gonzalo]

mental play the piece-- visualize all the keys and play it för HS and then HT if You can do that you can play your piece. Don't play it to much slow either HT play most of the time HS. If you play it Ht and make some mistakes play it HS and then try again after som practice on that difficult small segment.

Here:

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,8956.msg90799.html#msg90799
(Coping with nerves)


And playing a piece in your mind, for people who haven't done it before, it takes some preparation:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1894.msg14707.html#msg14707
(Mental preparation)

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2458.msg21365.html#msg21365
(Mental practice)

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,8491.msg86440.html#msg86440
(List of links)

[barnowl]

I used to do a lot of community theater, and on opening nights, maybe 5 minutes before curtain, I would earnestly, sometimes frenziedly ask myself "Why do I do this stuff?"

But just before I'd go on stage, I'd close my eyes and take 3 deep breaths, then step out there, and all was well with the world. I even got to the point where I enjoyed what I was doing in the real time I was on stage.

And that's what you should strive for. In the beginning you'll be so busy concentrating that you won't have any room for enjoyment — not until you're showered with applause. But I am dead certain, the pleasure of performing will be yours, once you have a few successes under your belt.

Take those three deep breaths, walk out there, look at the audience and in your mind say, "Folks, hold onto your heinies, because I'm gonna knock your friggin' socks off!"

Then sit down to the piano and do just that!!!