I can't play infront of people :( please help!

[ballade_1]

So here's the thing. I've been playing piano for about 6 years now and am 17, and like most people I always get a bit nervous before a performance. However, unlike other people, when I get up on stage, I really, really can't play anywhere near as well as I can when playing by myself (or infront of people I play infront of often, like my parents). I remember reading somebody on here say something along the lines of 'you'll always probably play better when in a concert, because you'll be concentrating much more'. I promise you that for me, this definetley isn't the case. I feel like I have almost no control over my hands whatsoever. For everyone else, no matter how nervous they get before hand, when they're up there, they're fine.

I'm asking for advice here now because it's gotten to a stage that it's really bothering me, and I'm almost at the point of saying no more concerts ever, which I don't want.  Most of the time it just makes me play really badly, and I get the piece over and done with and get over it. However, last year, around about aprilish, the worse case scenario I had always been dreading came true. I was playing two chopin preludes (22 and 26), at the request of my teacher, in the school's certificate evening (the town's mayor was there, the town's MP, oh yes, and all my teachers and about 500 students from my school). However, I was fairly comfortable with the pieces. However, when I started playing, I went wrong straight away and basically played the whole no.22 wrong. Most of it would have been pretty unrecognisable to anybody who knows it. I got to the second piece, tried to play a few bars, and my hands had just turned to gue, and I really couldn't play it. So I made some crappy attempt to make some kind of an ending by playing an Ab major chord (lol) and got up and walked off. ****.

So basically, am I the only person in the whole world that has this happen to him? Is there just something wrong with me and I should stop playing in concerts, or is there something I can do about it? I ask because, my teachers just asked me (well, told me) to play in a concert on the 30th of january at school. It'll only be a small concert infront of maybe 30 people, but that doesn't make a difference. I remember playing infront of 2 friends casually and being exactly the same. Serious. I can't really say no because he asked me to play something in the school's concert in december, and I didn't. The stupid thing is, I don't get *that* nervous. I don't always feel nervous, I just feel like my hands are floating and I have no control over them like I normally do. Please helllppp, does anybody know what I'm talking about or what I can do? 

[hwangs]

Hey Ballade_1,

Just remember everyone gets somewhat nervous before performances; and unless you're in front of a jury for an audition or competition, people aren't looking to criticize you. I perform best when I dont think about the audience at all, and just focus on the music, i.e. express yourself. After all, you're going to have to play in front of them anyway, so why worry what they'll think??

Good luck on your next performance!

[hwangs]

Oh-- are you sure its Chopin Prelude 26??

[gerryjay]

 hey ballade!
 first of all, stay cool man! i am taking for granted that you don't have any psychological issue (such as a fobia or something) that would require professional attention. if that's not the case, and i hope it is not, so the only possible solution to your problem is to play live. yes, as much as you can, in the most different situations, with a great variety of repertory.

 there are some articles up on the forum by a former member known as bernhard that deal with the question. if i find them i'll post the link.

 anyway, start from the beggining, so to speak. choose one or two pieces that you can play to perfection and that are easy regarding your actual level; choose some friends, or your family, or whoever you want, and play a little pocket recital to them. that's the first step (the last probably being a live-broadcast-cd-recording at the wigmore hall   ). try several times this way. when you feel confortable, ask more people and add more stuff. when you have about thirty minutes of confident repertory, schedule a recital in a low-profile, small venue.
 another important point is to play always. that conservatory way of playing twice a year (each exam and done) is a golden path to disaster. if you never practice playing live, you would never be able to do so whenever you want.

 good luck!
 

[ballade_1]

Hi, thanks for the replies! I'd thought the solution was gonna be to play often Sadly I don't get a lot of chance to play in concerts. I guess I could try and get my teachers to arrange some stuff, or like you said ask my friends.

I don't think I've got any serious physchcological problems lol. Well, I've got tourettes syndrome I think, but I don't think that that should affect my performance much. I guess I have to hold the tics in cause I know that everybody is watching me, and that makes you feelquite tense and stiff which is unpleasant. But I don't think that that's the root of the problem.

I think I could probably try and play something a bit easier. I wasn't going to play that certain Chopin Ballade that I've been learning for ages that I'm in love with but I was thinking of something like the first movement of Beethoven's Pathetique. I have played it in a concert last year, but it didn't go too well - apart from the fact I can't play anything smooth when nervous, I was playing on an electric piano, and when I crossed my hands over the one time I caught a button and a drum beat and all these chords came on I went back to start of the section though and picked it up suprisingly well for me. I think maybe something quite a bit easier than that is in order. It's annoying, because I'll be playing on an electric piano, so I won't be able to play a slow piece and then try and play it really musically well because, well, it's an electric piano.

And yup, I mean the 26th prelude. He wrote 24 as part of op.28, then 25 in C sharp minor and 26 in A-flat major, both posthumous, as far as I know. 26 is a quite fast one with pretty much perpetual momentum the whole way through, which made it kinda difficult given my state at the time!

I was a bit worried though, because I thought that it might be something more than just nerves. Like I mentioned, everybody gets nervous, but it doesn't seem to affect their performance. Is it just that I've got 'em worse or something else? One worry for me is that next year I'll be off to uni (to study physics), and I won't have much chance to play piano, and probably next to no chance to play in front of people. Oh well!

[hwangs]

I think I could probably try and play something a bit easier. I wasn't going to play that certain Chopin Ballade that I've been learning for ages that I'm in love with but I was thinking of something like the first movement of Beethoven's Pathetique. I have played it in a concert last year, but it didn't go too well - apart from the fact I can't play anything smooth when nervous, I was playing on an electric piano, and when I crossed my hands over the one time I caught a button and a drum beat and all these chords came on I went back to start of the section though and picked it up suprisingly well for me. I think maybe something quite a bit easier than that is in order. It's annoying, because I'll be playing on an electric piano, so I won't be able to play a slow piece and then try and play it really musically well because, well, it's an electric piano.

Hahah-- thats a pretty funny story! Well, when you go off to college, you can always take piano lessons there with some faculty, even if you're not majoring in music or anything. It clearly seems like you have a big interest in piano, since you're posting on this forum after all!

As for being nervous, I dont think you have it worse than anybody else. It's most likely something you can control probably by your mindset when you play... for instance, do you play thinking, "oh, I'm gonna screw this up" or "omg, the thousands of audience is gonna see me mess up"?? Because every time a thought like that comes up in my head, I mess up terribly, lol. Instead, if you have the attitude that you've grown as a musician and you're gonna show the audience what you're capable of, then naturally, without worrying too much, you'll do well. I dont know... that's been the case for me.

And lastly, NO dont play Chopin Ballade No. 1 on an electric piano!! Maybe, play a Mozart sonata or something of that sort?? Schubert Impromptu??

[dmc]

The thing you're struggling with is having confidence when being in front of an audience.  If there's any section of the Chopin Ballade that you feel even remotely shaky with, leave it out because when the time comes for a recital, it will only compound your anxiety.   I would stick to performing pieces that you know so well that you can play them in your sleep (i.e. pieces that are "performance-ready").  It removes one more thing to fret about when performing.  By playing pieces that are performance-ready, you will acquire confidence in yourself and achieve a comfort level in a public setting.  This in turn will enable you to tackle more complex works for performing.

As for nerves, everyone struggles with them.  You can't change the fact that you get nervous but you can control what you do with it.  The most successful performers are those that have found ways to relax and the best performances are those where the performer is relaxed.   This might seem obvious but I'm pointing it out so that you can focus on relaxing rather than sweating over a show.  One place to start with is your breathing.   If nerves are affecting your performances I'd bet you aren't breathing correctly.  Diaphragmatic breathing (i.e. breathing into your belly which causes the diaphragm to expand) is a huge stress reliever and has benefits beyond piano performance.  Its a principal technique for yoga practioners.  Have you ever noticed how an infant's belly will rise & fall with each breath when it cries ?  Singers use this to project & sustain notes.  Its actually the most natural & efficient way to breathe but most people don't do it.  We all know how to do this from the day we are born but over time, we develop bad habits which get us away from it.  If you can incorporate this as second nature into your playing, you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish and you'll go from dreading a performance to not being able to wait for the next one.  Google diaphragmatic breathing  and you'll find numerous resources on it. 

Good luck !

[lostinidlewonder]

I would really suggest that you do a lot more little concerts. You can do these at social clubs, churches, retirement homes etc, even gather a gruop of people together yourself to perform for. To go from playing in your home to playing in front of 500+ people is a big step. You simply must remove your performance anxiety by constantly playing in smaller public gatherings, then you will eventually realise that the number of people watching does not really change anything, it is the same as if one person was watching you.

Secondly you have to break the bad habit of caring what other people think about your playing. This is a source for anxiety and will torture you while you play in public. This mind set is difficult to change and it really comes from how you look at life on a whole not just piano performance.

[point of grace]

 However, when I started playing, I went wrong straight away and basically played the whole no.22 wrong. Most of it would have been pretty unrecognisable to anybody who knows it.

The stupid thing is, I don't get *that* nervous. I don't always feel nervous, I just feel like my hands are floating and I have no control over them like I normally do. Please helllppp, does anybody know what I'm talking about or what I can do? 

oh please, beleive that i know EXACTLY what you feel, even the example with 22th chopin´s prelude!!!!!!! oh my gosh... maybe it is also eviiiiil, but let me tell you that in an exam where i was sooooo concentrate playing my pieces and i myself was very surprise that my hands were responding well! but.. that was not the case of my right leg!!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? it started like beating and i made a mess with that preludee!!!
and i was not nervous!!!!

believe me, i could have never describe this sooooo good as you did

I just feel like my hands are floating and I have no control over them like I normally do.

keep in touch... we´re in the sameeeeeeeeeeee

[coolpianoman]

There is a very simple answer to this problem which I solve once a month in my house!  It is the piano Club or Circle.  Either join one or indeed get a few piano playing friends round and start one. 

My wife makes lovely cakes we have a nearly new Steinway Model B and we regularly get about 15 players varying in standard from early grades to professional pianists and teachers.  There is no charge but a contribution to charity (RNLI) is always appreciated.  We have been doing this successfully for 2 years and have recently had to run 2 sessions (AM and PM) during the day due to popularity.

OK so how does this help with nerves?  Playing the piano is a very solitary hobby and if you don't have a teacher even more so.  It can be soulless and most importantly goalless.  The piano club gives our players an aim point for practising and performing pieces.  It is also interesting how this format has motivated many of our retired pianists who are returning to the piano to take up lessons again too!

Everyone has performance nerves, sometimes to the extent that they are trembling so much they cant find the keys. 

If you want to get over performance nerves or at least reduce them then perform in front of others as often as you can.  The piano Club creates that opportunity in front of a sympathetic and supportive audience.

I am always interested to hear from those who run Piano Clubs or advise those who are thinking of setting one up.

Chris 

 

[bosendorfer1989]

I have found going to your local nursing homes and playing helps a lot. I had the exact same problem as you. The nursing home is a great place to play. There is people there that will be truly thankful you stopped by. That itself will make you feel good inside. You may even make it a habit to stop by every week and play. Take requests for the following week, which will give you a week to work on them to take some of the nervousness away.
 Good luck,

[coolpianoman]

I think this is an excellent idea and I am sure it would be appreciated

The only thing which makes my heart sink is the amount of red tape involved in getting agreement to this especially if you are in the UK.  But hopefully possible