performing anxiety

[chopincrazy23]

Hello,
I have noticed that whenever I perform I start shaking a lot. I am not too afraid of making mistakes, but I just get really excited/nervous and can't stop shaking! Does anyone know any techniques I can use to chill out?

[dima_76557]

You may want to read this topic, which is IMHO the best discussion I have ever read on the Internet about this problem:
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=49677.0

[hfmadopter]

It comes with confidence, not so much that you will totally chill but that you are in control of your performance and confident about it enough to not shake. Performing also becomes familiar territory where at first it is not.

Also, it helps to play what you really really know well and not the top fanciest and most difficult level piece that you just barely gained some control over. Horowitz could play anything he wanted to play but often you will hear level 6 and 7 pieces mixed in there. To me that's a go ahead to do the same at my own level !

[4greatkeyboards]

How much have you done this? I find that playing live is the easiest thing to do. Far easier than recording.

If you are not being recorded then your audience will respond mainly to your overall performance and especially the ending of each piece.

Like Rubenstein said, play each piece TO someone in the audience. Send them a message, a chapter!

[hardy_practice]

It's adrenaline - it'll dissipate after a few minutes.

[muleski]

I'm afraid I suffer exactly the same.  I've never performed in front of an actual audience & am not going through exams etc. 

I find it difficult to play in front of friends & family, in my own house. A recent episode was some friends (a married couple) popped in for a cup of tea.  I know them through my partner & am good friends with them, but ordinarily they don't come to my house.  So they were eager to hear me play (one is a musician himself - a guitarist) & so they encouraged me to play for them.  I knew they wouldn't be negative toward me or critical in any way as that's the kind of people they are, yet I started physically shaking.  My left leg was almost violently shaking & my hands were also shaking.  Needless to say the performance was dreadful!  Head in hands I cringed openly at how awful it was, yet they said it was good and acknowledged performance nerves (the guitarist who is in a band also is highly self concious). 

I've posted on here in the past about not being able to perform..  and as much as I know in my logical mind that people wouldn't hate me or think I'm rubbish (even if I played a duff note), yet the physical effect of nerves is totally overwhelming.  Another thing I do when my partner watches me play, is dumb down any physical mannerisms (which when on my own help me relax).  I stiffen up & my playing becomes jerky, stunted & peppered with mistakes.  It makes me feel very sad that I don't seem to be able to get over this & show people how I can actually play.  So I have total sympathy for you & whilst this response is no help to you whatsoever, I suppose I'm just saying you're not alone. 

So I am dreadfully sorry to be of no use, but I hope you (and I) can find some resolution to this extremely frustrating state of affairs!!

[outin]

Another thing I do when my partner watches me play, is dumb down any physical mannerisms (which when on my own help me relax).  I stiffen up & my playing becomes jerky, stunted & peppered with mistakes. 

I have this problem on my lessons. I become far too body conscious, trying not to do all these little things that my teacher has commented on before. I would actually need them to be able to play properly. At home I stop doing them after a while and my playing becomes calmer, so they obviously are not so much bad habits but something I need to get my body and muscles into the right playing state. Probably should do some physical acitivity before sitting on the piano, maybe that would help...

[muleski]

Same here, I have lessons and stiffen up just the same in front of my tutor, though not because my tutor has said they're bad habits - I've never done them in front of her anyway, I'm just automatically self concious!  But inclusion of these mannerisms (which are not ridiculous or affected even) is something I need to properly relax & actually play well.