Performing the piece despite mistakes

[faa2010]

I know that nobody is perfect, and in order to get the piece and the fingering you have to practice.

However, does someone continue making mistakes like playing the wrong note, a finger slipping over the keyboard by accident, or going faster or slower when it shouldn't despite all the effort and practice made before?

Of course, I am pretty sure that there would be less mistakes if you study and practice the piece.

[gyzzzmo]

If a performer doesnt technically control the piece, he wont be able to play it musically well either. Plus flaws are distracting.

[mad_max2024]

You always make mistakes, and the more you know about playing and music, the more mistakes you notice.
It's how you deal with those mistakes that is the key.

If you stop or go back everyone will notice you made them, if you keep going, most people won't even notice them. Even when they do, they're not sure if it was a mistake or if it was intended unless they know the piece very well.
Just act confident, smile and keep going.

When practicing, be as demanding as you can so you can perfect everything to the most.
When performing, just keep going and try to disguise the mistakes you make the best you can.

But you will always make them, no matter how good you are.  

[faa2010]

Thanks, and do you know, either by experience or not, another tricks in order to disguise the flaws?

[gyzzzmo]

Ofcourse it is almost impossible to perform a piece perfectly, but you should definitely try to get at least a good control of the notes, for the reason i stated before.

And IF you do make a mistake, dont try to cover it up or whatever, the less experienced players pretty much always make a bigger mess that way. Just continue playing and keep concentrating on the piece. So no funny faces or smiling(!) for the audience either.

[mad_max2024]

I meant disguise in the sense that you don't try to correct it. I think we're pretty much saying the same thing.
Just keep going, play whatever is next, act confident and hang on for dear life.

I find it helpful to have starting points throughout the music. Unless you have it all memorized extensively, you can set up points in the music where you can start playing without coming from behind. That way if things get really ugly, you can always start from the next starting point instead of just staring at the audience or going back and playing it all again. Does that make sense?

[mcdiddy1]

The truth in most people when they perform are not sitting in front of a room filled with pianist with score waiting to make the music. Mistakes do not have to destroy a performance. Beethoven who was considered one of the greatest pianist of his day, improviser and performer was known for playing often times erratically but with great emotion and intensity. He certinely did not play every single note correctly and likely neither did any other performer. We just have different degrees of mistakes. Many times when you play advance music you are playing for an audience who has either never heard it before or have heard it before and wouldnt notice if you made mistakes in it or not. Try not to focus on the mistakes and on the musical content instead. You dont want to make a mistake there

[pianist1976]

Don't worry too much: only disks are not wrong

[reiyza]

If you stop or go back everyone will notice you made them, if you keep going, most people won't even notice them. Even when they do, they're not sure if it was a mistake or if it was intended unless they know the piece very well.

When practicing, be as demanding as you can so you can perfect everything to the most.
When performing, just keep going and try to disguise the mistakes you make the best you can.

This can be very challenging!...