I can only play at my best without anyone watching/recorder

[ranniks]

So basically I was playing a chopin piece today and I had it done almost perfectly to my taste up to 3 times. Then when I wanted to record it to show it on pianostreet audition section, I played horribly. I forgot notes, my rhythm went badways and everything.

I get very nervous/anxious. How can I solve this?

Here are three recordings of me. I'm mostly dissapointed with my chopin recording because when I played it without the recorder everything was really smooth.

And it's not only the piano. When a lot of people are around me, I just don't seem to be able to work properly.

[awesom_o]

Stop trying to get things 'perfect' for your own ears. That's a waste of your practice time.

Instead, use your practice time to rehearse the performance you are going to give in front of an audience.

Now you know what it feels like to play in front of an audience. You know it feels different. Practice with that feeling in mind! 

[ranniks]

Stop trying to get things 'perfect' for your own ears. That's a waste of your practice time.

Instead, use your practice time to rehearse the performance you are going to give in front of an audience.

Now you know what it feels like to play in front of an audience. You know it feels different. Practice with that feeling in mind! 

Thank you sir. I'll try to do just so.

[Bob]

More practice.  If the audio recorder can produce the effect in you, you're set.  Easy way to practice like that.  Until it wears off.

I've been able to trick my brain into getting nervous with an audio recorder.  You never know who will hear that recording in the future.... not for sure.... It's like anyone and everyone could be listening....

[outin]

So basically I was playing a chopin piece today and I had it done almost perfectly to my taste up to 3 times. Then when I wanted to record it to show it on pianostreet audition section, I played horribly. I forgot notes, my rhythm went badways and everything.

I get very nervous/anxious. How can I solve this?

It is quite common... Recording is difficult for me as well. I hate to get up and start the recording over so I try too hard not to mess up, ending up doing exactly that. And I always make the mistake to start recording after I feel like I played the pieces really well...It's quite hard for me to concentrate like that several times for the same piece. So it becomes forced, desperately trying to achieve what I just did. Never do...

The best thing would be to put on the recorder when you start your playing session and just forget about it. But I never remember to do so 

Playing for other is a bit like trying to type when someone is watching...

[quantum]

Turn on your recorder for the entire practice session.  Don't turn it off just to doodle or figure something out. 

Place the recorder on top of your closed piano lid when unused.  When you go to practice you need to pick up the recorder off the lid in order to open your piano.  That way you always remember to turn it on. 

Don't obsess on playing all the notes perfectly.  Rather focus on communicating something with the music regardless of what notes you do play. 

[bronnestam]

I have this virtual pianoware called Pianoteq, which I think is excellent. One of its better advantages is that it automatically records you (making a history list with the last 20 items or so) which means you can listen to your own practicing afterwards. It has definitely played down the recording situation. And if I just happen to make the play-through of my life just by accident, it has saved it even though I did not press the Rec button.

Conclusion: Do it a lot, get used to it!

I hate to perform because I get so nervous and I play so badly, but I try to play while people are listening, from time to time, and I think I'm making progress there as well. I also do a lot of mental training where I visualize myself sitting in front of a big audience, and playing really well, really ENJOYING the situation instead of feeling I'm facing the execution squad ... the strange thing is that this visualization exercise sometimes is very hard - I get incredibly nervous also in my imagination!

So I had to begin at the end and work myself back to the beginning. I leave the stage with a bunch of flowers and the audience is giving standing ovations behind me. (Why be modest??? It is just a visualization, for God's sake!) I bow to the audience and I get flowers, and then I leave the stage, happy and very content. I'm exhausted, but still very calm and relaxed inside.
I end the piece with a perfect, shivering chord, I rise and I bow ... and so on. I have managed to get to the beginning of the piece in this way, still confident and happy. I soon will be before my entrance, calm and warm hands, just happy to meet my friendly audience.

Another little trick that seems to work for me, is the sense that I'm not alone on stage. I want to see the piano as my partner, not my exposition tool. So I pretend we are going to perform together, me and Piano. We love each other, I want to show the audience what a lovely voice my friend has, so I hit the keys gently and with affection, and Piano starts to sing. I'm proud of presenting my friend to the audience.

You might think this is really silly and perhaps it is, but if it works, it works. Use whatever mental trick you can come up with that help you.

And, most of all, get used to the situation. When you have done it 100 times, it will not be that strange anymore.

(Or you can talk to yourself like the surgeon did to the patient: Don't worry, I've done this so many times, and some time it simply HAS to work.)

[gregh]

I have a theory, which I can't really verify because I don't perform musically.

My theory is that performing is performing, whether it's music, dance, or public speaking. I know from experience that public speaking gets better with practice. So, according to my theory, if you become comfortable with public speaking (e.g. become a teaching assistant) or any other type of performance, you will also become more comfortable with musical performances.

[outin]

I have a theory, which I can't really verify because I don't perform musically.

My theory is that performing is performing, whether it's music, dance, or public speaking. I know from experience that public speaking gets better with practice. So, according to my theory, if you become comfortable with public speaking (e.g. become a teaching assistant) or any other type of performance, you will also become more comfortable with musical performances.

As someone who is very comfortable with public speaking and can get away with anything (even not really knowing the subject that well) I do not think so. To be really comfortable you either need to be a very relaxed personality who doesn't care so much about how things go OR you need to know that you can survive any wreckages and preferably improvise when your mind goes blank... Don't think you can transfer such skills from anything else.

Of course if we are talking only about fear of people/crowds, that probably would be lessened by any type of performing.

[gregh]

As someone who is very comfortable with public speaking and can get away with anything (even not really knowing the subject that well) I do not think so. To be really comfortable you either need to be a very relaxed personality who doesn't care so much about how things go OR you need to know that you can survive any wreckages and preferably improvise when your mind goes blank... Don't think you can transfer such skills from anything else.

Of course if we are talking only about fear of people/crowds, that probably would be lessened by any type of performing.

Well, that's valuable input.

I became more confident as a public speaker as I learned that I can say stuff, even make mistakes, and it will be all right. Demonstrating things can be part of the speech. Demonstrating a musical instrument could be part of the speech. I don't perform in public, and I don't think my skills are at a point where anybody would want me to, so I don't know.

[bernadette60614]

Once a week, I hold a concert for my family and just play what I"m working on..even if it is rough. That way, I grow accustom to performing in front of a friendly audience and become more forgiving with my developmental errors.

I think like so many things...it is just practicing, and perhaps a process is:

perform as practice...not for perfection.

[dub_pianist]

Record your entire practice session, I suppose with the newest recorders it is fairly easy, at some stage you will get used to it.

Practice in front of people, use all occasions you got to do that, even if it's just one person. In the beginning it will be awful, a lot of mistakes, anxiety, etc; but, again, you will get used to it