Getting used to playing in front of teacher

[b0mbtrack]

Ok I practice all week and I get a piece down nice and beutifully but when I sit down to play infront of my teacher my hands shake so I lose control and I play way too fast.  All the PP>FF that I've been working on start to not come out and it just becomes a blah of notes.  Has anyone had this problem, how do they handle it?

[simon_horsey]

Hi there

Don't worry - you are not alone. Quite a few of my students experience similar problems - they can play it perfectly at home but fall apart in lessons.

Two reasons I have found for this through talking to students and getting some students to video each practice session are that the student is under extra pressure when playing in the lesson and sometimes the ratio of playing something correctly to not correctly and our selective memory.

The first reason, extra pressure, means the students often find it hard to concentrate on anything except how important it is to get the notes right. Asking students what they think about when playing I found the phrase "I must get this right" to be common...as opposed to thinking about the music. This is due to the extra pressure of performance, which students haven't practised under. There are a couple of games you can play when practising that might help you. Try my Essential Music Practice website https://www.essential-music-practice.com/practice-performing.html - use the Ladder Game a couple of days before your lesson.

The second reason is often a misconception about their practice. They play through a new section five or six times, making mistakes on the first four or five times, but gradually getting fixing them until the phrase or section is correct, then move on once it is correct. In terms of repetition the phrase has been played correctly once or twice, and incorrectly three or four times. Multiply this over the course of the week and you can see how it is more likely you will play wrong in your lesson, the first couple of times at least. It is easy not to spot this though. Our minds tend to remember the positives (which is why astrologers and psychics get away with what they do) so all we remember is: I played it correctly at home I tell my students "The first time you play the phrase totally correctly is when you start practising it."

I hope this helps a little. Have you read The Inner Game of Music? It helps resolve problems such as this...I found it was a great help to my tennis as well!

Good luck! Keep practising...it will come. Talk to your teacher about the problem, try videoing your practice sessions, see if you can find the problem.

[b0mbtrack]

Thanks I've never heard of that before, I can see how getting to the sixth rung can get a bit nerve wracking.  Can't wait to try it out.  I haven't heard of The Inner Game of Music.

[chris08]

Hello, Simon
your practice tips are worth GOLD! Thank you so much! Everything you need to know is put down on a few pages, all sensible hints, very easy to click through. Thanks from very happy
Chris