How to overcome being nervous on stage

[chopinlover23]

I have another recital and its in a much larger venue...I'm a bit nervous, even if we are a group of recitalists. And I'm chosen as the final performer. I know I've practiced but I still feel nervous. HELP!!! Any suggestions to overcome this feeling?

[pianisten1989]

If you use the search function now and then, you'll find what you're looking for. Many times it's better than to start a whole new topic...

[dblomd]

Read the book The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green and W. Timothy Gallway. It was written  by a bass player but it transcends all instruments. It's great! I have always been nervous when performing but this book has helped me out so much.
Also eating a banana before a performance can help. Bananas lower stress.

[scott13]

Perform for people as much as possible. The more you perform the easier it becomes. I like to perform for other musicians and give them the score and a pencil and ask them to be over-critical. That way you learn exactly where in pieces you need to work further, plus an audience is never normally as critical of your playing (comps excluded here). Always remember that a lot of anxiety comes from the mental thought of being judged by an audience, so try to enjoy yourself while performing and focus on communicating musical ideas rather than technical perfection.

Good example of this is the 1983 (i think) performance of Chopin's Op 53 Polonaise by Horowitz in Japan (i think it was). So many wrong notes it wasn't funny, two major memory lapses, and yet it is one of my favourite recordings, and the standing ovation he received was unbelievable.

Bananas are great , Also avoid any caffeine for 2-3 days prior to performance, i drink herbal tea a week before major recitals, helps to lower stress as well. Yoga is a good one for the deep breathing you learn from it, makes controlling those moments before going on stage much easier.

[jimbo320]

Always play for yourself. Never mind the others. Feedback from others is fine, but not needed. Not only are you your worst critic, but your best. So enjoy!...

[danhuyle]

Your belief is what will overcome nervousness. When you play a piece, you have to know you deserve it. Also overcoming rejection.

[invictious]

Every performer has their own methods for defeating nervousness that naturally comes with performance. Performing frequently really does help curb that fear, and instead turns that feeling of nervousness into excitement and anticipation.

For me, I close my eyes and clear my thoughts before the performance. Bananas are great at calming nerves also.

There is also the classic method of imagining that the audience is wearing pyjamas!

[radmilaj]

Yes, I say play for yourself. Are you happy with how you have prepared your pieces?  Try to enjoy the moment and the wondrous sounds of the piano and keep in mind that many listeners cannot play what you are playing. They may not know the music as well and even if they do perhaps your interpretation is more appealing.

rada

[ionian_tinnear]

Advice I've given to young performer's:

"Remember, the audience is on your side.  They want you to do well, and play well, and to enjoy the performance.  People that might laugh at mistakes are not worth worrying about."

This helped me when I realized it.  Hopefully it has helped others as well.

Alas, I still can get nervous.  It depends on whether my father is in the audience.  Not sure why he makes me nervous!  What the above advice didn't help, time and experince did.

I'm sure you are thoroughly prepared.  You know the piece.  You'll be spectacular!

[m1469]

I have another recital and its in a much larger venue...I'm a bit nervous, even if we are a group of recitalists. And I'm chosen as the final performer. I know I've practiced but I still feel nervous. HELP!!! Any suggestions to overcome this feeling?

Something that I've just recently clued into is making a point to practice piano WHILE I'm very nervous about something else, to practice the same sorts of characteristics needed in dealing with those nerves in an environment where my piano performance isn't the hinging success.  There are some times when I'm really nervous about teaching or about doing a vocal performance or something like that, and normally I feel like I can't concentrate enough to practice piano, even if I have the time prior to this other event taking place.  Yesterday, however, is the first time I realized it was actually a wonderful opportunity to practice the same kind of focus-on-demand in the face of my system reacting to something with nerves.  I realized I could practice dealing with the symptoms themselves.

So, yesterday was only my second day to be teaching at the school I've just started teaching at, and even though I was prepared for the classes and had planned time to practice the piano before it, I was starting to get nervous and distracted about teaching and was experiencing all the symptoms of nerves.  At first I thought I'd just have to forfeit my practice time and yield to the nerves, but then I realized it was a perfect opportunity to practice dealing with and overcoming those nervous symptoms and to make music despite them in an actual practice circumstance and environment.  It was a really good experience and I'm going to purposely use times like this from now on, whenever possible (and I will even plan it when I can), to help build that muscle who needs to deal with those symptoms.    

[sucom]

When facing having to play in front of a large audience, I used to imagine that I would be playing to each person of the audience individually, which is much less scary.  And then I would say to myself, all I'm doing is playing to them all at the same time. No difference!  Well, that's what I used to tell myself, and it DID help.

[keyboardkat]

You should not just go from your practice room to the stage.   All major pianists play new repertoire for each other as much as possible.  Play your new pieces for friends, relatives, groups you get together just to hear you , etc.   You should have at least two tryouts, maybe three before the "big one."  That will help give you confidence.

Are you playing from memory?   Use mental practice, especially on those tough places where you always forget.  Sit on a chair with the score and practice each hand separately up in the air!   (I did this in the summer of 1968 on a tough spot in Schubert's Wanderer Fantasie, sitting on a swing, the same swing Richard Burton sat in for a scene in the movie "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf."   People went by and thought I was a lunatic, making these hand motions in the air, but it really worked.

One more little thing...it is a well-known dirty little secret among performers that there are doctors who will prescribe Inderal (Propanolol) for performance anxiety.   My own teacher, the late David Bradshaw, said it's actually assinine not to take it.   Inderal is a beta blocker prescribed for cardiac patients.  It blocks the action of adrenaline on the central nervous system and leaves you feeling perfectly calm and, contrary to rumors, it will NOT block your emotional response to the music.   Don't take it if you have low blood pressure because it might kill you.  But otherwise, I will tell you from experience that it makes a very, very big difference in how you feel walking out on the stage.  Speak to a doctor about this, preferably one who is interested in the performing arts (in my case the doctor's wife is a pianist).

[sunshine_keys]

I'm sure everyone is going to say this, but. Breathe and relax! At my first recital I was freakin out right when it came up to my turn to play, but I just reminded myself to breathe and relax. And then I actually enjoyed it!

[pianowolfi]

@keyboardcat: I wouldn't take such medications that have an influence on your whole brain and hormonal balance. Why not try something homeopathical or otherwise alternative? I have a great homeopathical medication, and I'm even trying to more and more leave it away. I think it's most important to take advantage of the whole power of adrenaline in a positive way.

[stevenpn]

To add my own two cents:

Do run-throughs of your program in front of anyone and everyone, on different pianos, and at different venues and times.  Playing in front of others is like working out at the gym; it really does build a kind of a strength, although unlike weightlifting, the strength is internal.  Also like exercise, you need to keep it up in order to continuing reaping the rewards of your efforts.  Performing once a year is comparable to exercising once a year.  If possible, try to perform for people several times per week.  Invite your neighbors, friends, family, strangers, in short anyone who will listen, and play for them as often as you can.  Before long you'll be a first-rate performing athlete.  How you play is another topic, but your nerves should be under control. 

Many of us on this thread have brought up bananas.  Keep in mind the active ingredient of bananas is Potassium. That is what relaxes us.  I don't do this any more because I don't feel the need, but it was very helpful to me when I got terribly nervous to buy some salt substitute, which is Potassium chloride and dissolve about a half a teaspoon in some water.  That was a larger dosage of potassium than in bananas, and calmed me down even more.  It really does work to calm nerves without impairing motor dexterity.  I just wouldn't take more than half a teaspoon, which is already two servings. 

Another approach which has also helped me a great deal is visualizing.  For several days before your recital, visualize yourself playing your pieces in front of the audience for about 5 minutes at a time (or longer if you wish).  Imagine it going well.  When it comes time to cross the stage and play, you'll feel much more ready for it than you otherwise would. 

Lastly, if you find yourself preoccupied by nervousness, take that as a cue to concentrate more on your music and piano playing.  Whenever your mind wonders towards your nervousness and fear, just resume concentrating on your piano playing.  Meditation can help with that as well. 

Good luck dealing with this common problem!

Steven P. Niles
DMA, Piano Performance, USC Thornton School of Music
Instructor of Music, Los Angeles Mission College
Instructor of Class Piano, Rio Hondo Community College