Rhythm help?

[pianorahrah]

so....this is actually a very basic problem.....but I tend to rush a LOT. It's fine when I practice at home, but I start panicking on stage. Can someone help me?

[marijn1999]

Try practicing with a metronome. It is a very common problem. I used to experience it, but for me it wore off over the last three years. When playing in concert just try to relax keep the tempo you begin with.

Also, panicking is a result of adrenaline which, in turn, helps you play better even at faster tempos, so...

BW,
Marijn

[adodd81802]

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[quantum]

Agree with adodd81802. 

Pick something to focus on.  It could be counting, phrasing, tone production, etc. or a combination of these things.  Whatever it is you choose, it needs to be related to music making.  You need to devote intense focus on it, so much so that the anxiety gets shut out because there is just no room for it in your space.  Work to form a mindset where music making is at the forefront, and any presumptions of what the audience may be thinking about you are pushed aside. 

When it comes to mistakes in performance, forget easily.  Similar techniques are used by athletes in sports.  The middle of the performance is not the place to be analyzing what went wrong and how to fix it - leave that till later.  When a mistake happens in performance, let it go because there is nothing you can do to change the past.  You can however take charge in how you react (or don't react) to things that happen in performance.  Set yourself the expectation to make music, as opposed to making perfection.

[pianorahrah]

This sounds like an issue with stage performing not rhythm that us simply a result of your nerves. Practising in front of audiences is the main remedy the more you do the more you start to realise you can get away with and you could stop ten times still going to get a clap at the end our worst fear is getting boo'd confidence builds as you realise that will never happen

I have big performances literally every 3 days...sometimes the problem is bigger and sometimes smaller

[pianorahrah]

Try practicing with a metronome. It is a very common problem. I used to experience it, but for me it wore off over the last three years. When playing in concert just try to relax keep the tempo you begin with.

Also, panicking is a result of adrenaline which, in turn, helps you play better even at faster tempos, so...

BW,
Marijn

I use a metronome for EVERYTHING, and it's fine when I run through pieces at home.

[pianorahrah]

Agree with adodd81802. 

Pick something to focus on.  It could be counting, phrasing, tone production, etc. or a combination of these things.  Whatever it is you choose, it needs to be related to music making.  You need to devote intense focus on it, so much so that the anxiety gets shut out because there is just no room for it in your space.  Work to form a mindset where music making is at the forefront, and any presumptions of what the audience may be thinking about you are pushed aside. 

When it comes to mistakes in performance, forget easily.  Similar techniques are used by athletes in sports.  The middle of the performance is not the place to be analyzing what went wrong and how to fix it - leave that till later.  When a mistake happens in performance, let it go because there is nothing you can do to change the past.  You can however take charge in how you react (or don't react) to things that happen in performance.  Set yourself the expectation to make music, as opposed to making perfection.

Yes I've been working on musical performance and not just technical problems😊

[quantum]

I use a metronome for EVERYTHING, and it's fine when I run through pieces at home.

So what happens when you do not use the metronome at home? 

Using the metronome for everything is something I would strongly discourage, as it can develop into metronome dependence.  If you suddenly take the metronome away after habitually using it for practice, you could potentially find yourself lost as to maintain pulse.  Use the metronome sparingly, for select sections and with specific purpose.  Never leave it on as a background ticking device.