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stage fright

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Started by

Chopinauer

Member

Chopinauer

Member

Opening post by Chopinauer

Posts
16
City
Roma

Can anyone give me some advice on how to reduce stage fright as much as possible, or at least how to control it?

My performances when playing in front of friends are significantly worse than when I play alone. I need to solve this problem because exams are approaching.

what to do? Have any great performers from the past (or present) left any advice regarding this?

i would like to know from those who do not have this problem, how they approach performance, and what they think just before playing.

Study everything by memory to gain maximum confidence in every passage?

Playing in public more often?

Hypnosis?

Meditation?

Recording oneself and watching it?

Concentration exercises (which ones?)

It goes without saying that while playing in front of an audience, at certain moments my mind wanders from the piece and thinks about the audience, but it is something that happens spontaneously.

The first effect of anxiety is the loss of weight and relaxation in the limbs (in particular the left one, which becomes stiffer and suspended); and partly a loss of control over the weight of individual fingers.

At home I can play a piece without mistakes, but in public it seems impossible for me.

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Anthos

Member

Reply 5 by Anthos

Posts
11
City
Milano

5 years ago I performed in public for the first time. On the day of the concert, also due to a series of... unpleasant romantic setbacks that I was involved in during that period, I was in a practically disastrous psycho-physical condition. It ended up that, when I found myself alone in front of the audience, I felt so bad that I couldn't play even a single note: my hands completely paralyzed!

It goes without saying that, after this first disastrous performance, my fear increased, and I faced other embarrassments, making my situation progressively worse.

But I did not give up. I read several books on piano technique, and I frequented various forums, both Italian and foreign. I didn't want my passion for music to remain something solitary; on the contrary, I wanted to prove to myself and to others that I was truly good at playing, and not just a talker.

I found an answer - the voice of reason: to play well in public, you must know the score by heart and be technically impeccable during practice sessions. If memory fails, it's the end; you won't survive two bars. If technique is lacking, perhaps you can manage to finish the piece, especially if you are used to performing and know how to play through mistakes without stopping, but you will not be able to convey all the emotion you have inside.

However, for a long time, no matter how prepared I was, both mnemonically and technically, I still couldn't play in public. Why is this?

And here comes the voice of the heart: for certain things, much maturity is needed. Self-confidence is required—or rather, self-acceptance, the ability to communicate with others, the ability to compromise, and the ability to manage the unexpected.

In recent months, I have attended a theater course and learned many of these things. It's a fantastic experience and it's what I recommend you do: even before "piano" study, seek out life experiences that can enrich you as a person and teach you how to interact with people.

How did my story end? A few weeks ago, I went to a music store to try out a new piano, and I managed to play beautifully in front of all the customers who were there: they even applauded!

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