Random slips and notal errors, are they really that bad?

[mosis]

Let's say you have a passage mastered. For the most part, that is, nearly all the time, you can play it absolutely flawlessly. You may have the random slip, or the random wrong note, or the random performance error, inaudible or not. Is this something to be overly concerned about? On average, how much do pianists make mistakes, inaudible or not, whilst performing?

[donjuan]

If you are a true professional, you will be aware of the harmony and direction of phrasing, the rules of whatnot, so if they do mess up, the audience wouldnt know because they covered it up so well.  However, if you are an amateur, like me, you will probably stutter the music, go back, play the places again, mess it up even more, whsper "ah shit" under your breath..

personally, I dont think a missing note here or there really matters.  I think it bothers the performer more than the average audience member for the most part.  However, mistake after another can be very distracting from the music and the whole thing could fall apart..
donjuan

[Spatula]

whsper "ah shit" under your breath..

hehe you found a way to uncensorship the society of our lives..

good job! 

yeah same I say a curse word like Berlioz or something .... hehe   

[mound]

Also, get in the habit of playing through mistakes.. I was, and still am, so guilty of this. If I flub something, I'll laugh outloud and stop/start over. I'm guilty of it during practice and lessons at least, I'm pretty good at not doing this during performance, but I'm trying to elliminate this nasty habit from practice and lessons as well. If you mess up, make a mental note but do not stop and start over.

-Paul

[BoliverAllmon]

Don't practice to cover up mistakes. Practice to not make them. Also just work through them if you are working on performance time. If it isn't around your performance time, immediately stop, go back a measure or so and begin again. Do this a couple of times to get the feel of the  "right way to play"

boliver