The Backroom to the Concert Hall

[steve jones]

Iv been playing piano now for about 18 months, and Im very happy with my progress. I feel that if I can keep progressing as I am, then I will achieve my current goals pretty soon.

One thing that has me freaked though - I have never been able to perform. I played guitar for years, and have never been able to play my best for people. Its weird, if people are in the other room say, and they are casually listening then Im fine. But if they are standing in front of me and Im on the spot, then I go to pieces. For example, at this rate I will never be able to perform for an exam or an audition.

Question is, how do I beat this?

Is it just a matter of gradually building up the pressure? Like, at first getting used to playing infront of friend and family, and so on?

Truth is, Im so bad that I cant even put a recording together without editing. As soon as I think about the fact that I cant make a mistake... zoom... I just made three!

HELP!!!

SJ

[bella musica]

Hey, even the great pianists of our time edit their recordings...

My advice to you is, take every possible chance to perform in front of people.  It doesn't matter if it's your baby brother or an audience of 10,000 (well, maybe it does a little).  The important thing is to perform for people.

Sometimes we get into the habit of thinking that practicing our piece until it's perfect is all we need to do in order to be able to perform it for someone.  But in reality, you have to practice performing as well, which my very knowledgeable teacher pointed out to me!  You can train your thoughts to be focused and your nerves to be calm in the same way that you can train your fingers to play intricate passages of music.

Take mental notes the next time you perform.  Do you tend to tighten up when you're coming to a hard part?  If you make one mistake, do you assume that the whole performance is a disaster and end up botching the rest of the piece as well?  How do you feel when you are playing sections of music that you are confident about?  Do you get more worried about impressing your audience than communicating the music?  (I've had that happen to me with disastrous results!)   Identify the problems, and then you can practice overcoming them in the same way you would practice a tricky phrase in your music.

Remember, the performance is all about the music.  Music is meant to be performed, kind of like a play is meant to be acted.  You could sit and read a score or a Shakespeare play, but when it is performed, then you hear it in the language the composer/author wanted it heard, albeit different performers may have different 'dialects'.  It doesn't matter if one or two notes are wrong as long as the music still comes through.  If you start getting distracted by the audience, IMMEDIATELY focus your thoughts back onto the music!  I hope these ideas helped, and good luck in future performances!

[e60m5]

Once you're in the backroom to the concert hall, the performance, in relation to your performance, has already begun.

[klick]

Well the only advise I can give is try to focus on the music. Before I perform, even to family friends or even my Grandmother (who is in the nursing home), I take a 5 second pause, and just clear my mind and only think about the music. Do not worry about a mistake, becuase more likely if you are worrying, then you will make one. Just focus on the music,, and if you do make a mistake, thats human life, we are not perfect.

I hope this helps.

[pianistimo]

agreed with everyone who's replied.  for some people who are shy - it is a great confidence booster to be able to play music in front of people but perhaps still be a terrible public speaker.  i get very tongue tied and embarrassed with public speaking - but playing the piano in public isn't as hard as it looks.  for one thing, if you are playing an upright (say for public school performances - which are great to do for free) - you are basically hiding behind the piano anyway.  noone can see who made the mistake.  now, it is a little harder on a stage with a grand piano.  i just remember that 'zone' that i had each time a successful performance was given.  i try to imitate everything and add to it.

one thing that helps my confidence is to have several spots on each page that i can quickly move to - should i need to.  this is like having a safety net under you - as an acrobat.  you know it's there - so you're less likely to fall.

audiences, piano's that are in-tune/out-of-tune, halls that have good sound/bad sound - are all factors that we sometimes have control over and other times not.  i try to ask ahead on as many factors as i can control.  for instance, if i played a piano that was out of tune the day before - i'd try to get a tuner ASAP.  there's nothing that messes me up more than a piano out of tune.  suprisingly, a really in-tune piano can do the same.  i am so in awe with the sound i am making - i forget where i was. 

after doing a bachelor's performance recital  (all stuffy like i thought it was supposed to be) - i'd definately talk to the audience more now.  basically, i would come out - play two -three pieces - bow - go back to the room - come out  - play more - etc.  but, the audience interaction when they clap loudly for some pieces - i think now - i would have taken advantage of.  maybe something like 'i'm glad you liked that.  now, i would like to play a completely different type of piece - (and explain a bit about it).  i've noticed the best 'performers' are ones that treat the audience as though they were in their livingroom.  if you imagine you're in your own livingroom, it's probably more relaxing.

[RealPianist]

thanks for the good idea about threat the audience in our own livingroom. I'll try it if I perform later on..

[lostinidlewonder]

When I read Backroom to the Concert hall I was thinking about something else for a moment

Who cares if I make a mistake, I dont care, no one else will care, no one will remember it in time to come, so there is nothing to lose.

Throughout my life I have watched music competitions and performances and have seen people botch it up all the time. But can I remember it? Do I remember their names? Do I think about their mistakes when I go home and for years on end? I have a lot more important things to dwell on and so do many people.

YOU might dwell on mistakes, I know I did for big stuff ups I have done in the past, but no one really cares, or gives a hoot. If I spent $40 for a ticket to your solo concert and you trip over yourself throughout the program it is a different story, but if I don't have to pay to listen to you what have I got to complain about?


Mental preparation is one thing but you can prove to yoruself through example that you can play without problems in front of people. I will set up recording instruments and imagine that they are an audience, I will force myself to feel the pressure that I cannot stop the recording if I make a mistake (just like in a real peformance). Play through what I need to play, and observe the results at the end.

If I have a big public event then I will do this countless times and hours weeks before the event every day. It will be almost an obsession to prove to myself that I can do this with 99.99% satisfaction. I also make sure I know how to recover from positions when I make mistakes, so through practice I might force an error and try to bring the music back, this just gives you more experience recovering from errors, so you don't do the dreaded STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MUSIC AND FORGET WHAT TO DO what to do mistake.

Do many smaller private concerts as a warm up. Whether that be in a retirement villiage, church, school, univeristy, etc.

When we do things we feel uncomfortable about this is where we grow the most in life. If we go through life comfortable and easy then we will die very disatisfied with our lives. TAKE RISKS!!! My favorite quote: The greatest risk in life is to take no risk at all!

[kaiwin]

Probably just a case of nervousness when you play...
How to cope with it:
-Play in front of people more, even just casually
-Breathe
-Relax your body
-Before you play in a performance take 3 BIIIIGGGG deep breaths, trust me, this helps

[RealPianist]

how about if we don't have too much opportunities to perform? is it means that we will always busy with nervous??

[firebolt145]

Horowitz (at least, I THINK it was Horowitz) once gave a masterclass to a confident young girl. After she performed, Horowitz asked, "Do you feel nervous?" The girl said no. Horowitz immediately stood up and said, "Then I cannot help you."

I feel being slightly nervous (only a little, mind) adds a little magic to your performance. I have sometimes had slight memory lapses while performing. I simply try to improvise till I reach a 'checkpoint' before I can continue. However, you need to know the piece well enough to have these 'checkpoints'. I don't think I'm clear here, I'm not sure how to explain - maybe someone else can if they understand?

Obviously, it helps to be well prepared. Keep practicing, and there'll be a lesser chance of you screwing up.

I once performed in Japan in front of about five thousand people. My co-performer (on an electone, similar to an organ) started the rhythm a bar early in the middle of the piece, which was simply impossible to adapt to. I waved at him to stopped, turned to the audience, apologised and said we'll start again.
I'm not even sure if they understood, I couldn't speak a word of Japanese.

Just relax most of the time. Even if you screw up, act as though nothing has happened and continue.