Performing

[ed24dyt]

I need help, i am going to perform 1 or 2 pieces, and i am not technically ready to play them but the recital is in 3 weeks and i am scared shitless as i know i am going to mess up, i can practice more and more but my biggest concern isnt the piece but me messing up or making a mistake in the middle of me performing and i wouldn't know what to do since this is my first ever recital that i have played in in my entire life. any tips?

[brogers70]

There's good news here. You are nervous because you are not well prepared. That's an easy fix. Next time, prepare well. It's really easier to fix than nerves that come even though you are totally prepared - those are a difficult psychological problem you have to work on over time.

So just take it for granted that you are going to mess up. The world won't end. Your friends won't abandon you. If you are in the middle of the piece and you fall apart, skip forward to something you remember (don't skip back or you'll just get stuck at the same trouble spot). If you really can't do anything else, just remember what key the piece is in and play a simple dominant-tonic cadence in that key, stand up and bow, and try not to let it show if you're upset. Really, it will be OK.

[rmchenry]

I need help, i am going to perform 1 or 2 pieces, and i am not technically ready to play them but the recital is in 3 weeks and i am scared shitless as i know i am going to mess up,

The question here is two fold.  Are you technically not ready to play or psychologically not ready to play because if the former the latter is inevitable.

What are the pieces and what level are you at?

But the psychology is important.  As an example I have played the Chopin waltz Op 64 no 2 since my early teens, it is well within my technical capabilities.
But, in my early days I could play it repeatedly near perfectly at home, but whenever I played it in public I would fluff the run at bars 45-48.
I now have no hesitation playing it in public but what I overcame was the psychology of failure , not the failure of technique. Self belief.
keep practising and remember that a few wrong notes won't ruin a performance that otherwise shows your passion for the music.

[dogperson]

Practice performing!
Walk into your piano, turn to your imaginary audience, bow, sit down to play.  Take a few deep breaths and remember to BREAThE.  I’m really not kidding about the breathing— as it is easy to hold your breath when you are nervous.  Wrong note?  Keto playing!  I can assure you that your audience will not notice.  Think about the music, not yourself:  what do you love? What do you want to share?

Perform at home for friends, if you can.  Street piano? Play it.

The joy of performing is not the lack of wrong notes but sharing the music you love.  Make that your focus.

[timothy42b]

Practice performing!

Yes but "reframe" it.

A performance is a special treat, not a punishment to be suffered through and survived.

Remember,

no pharmaceutical product could ever equal the rush you get when the band hits that groove; the people are dancin', and shoutin', and swayin'; and the house is rockin'! 

  (Blues Brothers)

There is a caveat - if you are a working performer, you have to remember every gig is also an audition. 

Anyway, keep telling yourself you are looking forward to this rather than dreading it.

[quantum]

Perform for a recording.  Use your phone, tablet, computer or whatever you have available.

Listen critically to the recording afterwards.  Make notes on things you can improve. Then practice recording again, listen again, record again, listen again, and so on. 

When performing do not aim for perfection, aim for an engaging and communicative musical performance.  You are presenting art, not a score with a bunch of notes. 

Practice intentionally messing up and recovering in various parts of the music.  Don't forget to practice the obviously easier parts of the music too, it is far too easy to neglect these parts and only practice the difficult sections. 

Practice music starting at random points in the piece.  Avoid always starting practice at the beginning.  As much as possible, avoid developing a dependency to start at a a specific part of the music in order to get the fingers moving.  Develop the ability to start playing the piece from any point, that includes uncomfortable start points. 

If you mess up at some part of the piece, be musical and creative about it.  Keep going, or if needed cadence gracefully and resume at the next phrase.  Look forward to the next part of the music, do not dwell on a mistake you just made. 

[gipsypiano]

hello, what helped me most was that i learned to play a little instrument (flute)
and then I sit down in all kinds of public places playing it without asking money.
so you quickly get rid of these fears of playing in public but one thing:
playing for money is (for me) infinitely more difficult (even in the street) than playing for free, the energy of money doesnt mix too well with music (in my case) and kills most of my creativity as soon as I place a hat in front of me instead of playing for free.

good luck

[lelle]

* It's totally fine to mess up. The risk of making mistakes is part of the game. I'd say people who think badly of you for messing up are people with an unhealthy relationship to perfectionism themselves.

* Plan some spots where you can easily resume the piece, should you mess up. Practice not just starting from the beginning and playing to the end, but to be able to start from any bar, should you need to.

* Practice in front of family/friends (preferably people who you feel safe playing in front of even if you mess up) to see how you react. The information you get from practice performances is very valuable - you can often get ideas or new insights on what you need to work on to handle the piece during a performance. We all have probably experienced things that were fine in the practice room but not so fine when others listened - knowing where those spots are and how you react during them is very helpful because you can fix them with practice.

[quantum]

The information you get from practice performances is very valuable - you can often get ideas or new insights on what you need to work on to handle the piece during a performance. We all have probably experienced things that were fine in the practice room but not so fine when others listened - knowing where those spots are and how you react during them is very helpful because you can fix them with practice.

Often times, one can pick up such things just by listening back to a practice recording of the piece.  Putting oneself in the listener perspective can allow one to hear the piece in a new light. 

[anacrusis]

Perform for a recording.  Use your phone, tablet, computer or whatever you have available.

Listen critically to the recording afterwards.  Make notes on things you can improve. Then practice recording again, listen again, record again, listen again, and so on. 

When performing do not aim for perfection, aim for an engaging and communicative musical performance.  You are presenting art, not a score with a bunch of notes. 

Practice intentionally messing up and recovering in various parts of the music.  Don't forget to practice the obviously easier parts of the music too, it is far too easy to neglect these parts and only practice the difficult sections. 

Practice music starting at random points in the piece.  Avoid always starting practice at the beginning.  As much as possible, avoid developing a dependency to start at a a specific part of the music in order to get the fingers moving.  Develop the ability to start playing the piece from any point, that includes uncomfortable start points. 

If you mess up at some part of the piece, be musical and creative about it.  Keep going, or if needed cadence gracefully and resume at the next phrase.  Look forward to the next part of the music, do not dwell on a mistake you just made.

Good advice! I sometimes get almost as nervous and self-conscious when I try to record as I can get in front of an audience/teacher.