LOL. I don't know the real name for that but whatever.

When I play infront of a lot of people that I don't really I get all nervous and my hands start shaking and getting sweaty and thien I screw up and get even more nervous and it is a cycle that lasts until the end of the song.

How can I get over this?

ah, it's really normal. I guess the only thing is to play infront of a crowd more oftenly. Think about as if your showing off, have confidence. Another thing is to master the piece your performing, because some of the nervousness has to do with your confidence in the piece. If you master it, then there's no nervousness of thinking "oh i think i'm gonna play wrong notes", so that takes away SOME of your nervousness. The other part of the nervousness is the audience, this...you just need to practice playing infront of the crowd.

Another thing that's important is, IF you made a mistake try to forget about it and move on. Like you said, if you made a mistake, then you think about that mistake while making other mistakes, then there's no way to continue. So let that all go, made mistakes? SO WHAT? just keep going (the audience won't know you made a mistake unless you STOP).

Thank you!

You could start off by playing in front of smaller crowds of people. Your family and friends perhaps? They'll be very supportive and understanding.

Yeah that sounds like a good idea

Play in Sam Ash or any other music store. ^_^

hm..i don't prefer playing in a music store. I don't know about your place, but music store here is deadly quiet. It's almost like a library, even places that sells piano. Staff will stop you from playing a piece in a music store because it's disturbing.

I imagined, on my first performance, is like practicing by my self. I blocked the sounds of the coughing, sniffing.^_^

I know exactly what you mean. My leg kind of twitches and things, but here's what I do to help myself.

Like posts before me, practice so you are totally confident in your playing. And if it's just nerves, then I relax myself this way: I don't care what they think. I don't. Why should I base my playing on what THEY think than playing for myself? Who cares. I'm playing for myself. If I mess up, it's because I wanted to. - Keep saying stuff like that to yourself, and you will be in control, and forget about the audience. Just works for me, I don't know about other people, though.

The last resort as if-you-already-messed-up scenario is kind of obvious, but: If it's people you don't know, but aren't really all that musical or anything, when you play a wrong note, act as if it was supposed to be there, so keep your face straight and don't wince or indicate any type of error on your part. If it's in front of people you don't know, but are really musical, do the same. That way, it's just like, "You just don't understand the piece." If it's people you do know, but aren't really all that musical, same, because you know them. If it's people you do know, and are musical, ... try not to mess up. >.<

O_o I have the same problem... I can play infront of my family but whenever my friends, or my sister's friends are around I can't play. I get so shaky, and can't stop thinking about the fact they're standing behind me, or are sitting somewhere listening o_O I might actually try the music shop thing... It'll give me a chance to mess around on the $1400 keyboard I want to buy XP lol

Eat a banana. It calms your nerves down.

Like posts before me, practice so you are totally confident in your playing. And if it's just nerves, then I relax myself this way: I don't care what they think. I don't. Why should I base my playing on what THEY think than playing for myself? Who cares. I'm playing for myself. If I mess up, it's because I wanted to. - Keep saying stuff like that to yourself, and you will be in control, and forget about the audience. Just works for me, I don't know about other people, though.

Yup yup, that stuff is good.

Ask yourself why you get nervous playing in front of people. It's probably because you're afraid of screwing up in front of a crowd.. or to be precise, you're probably afraid of how people will think of you.

Like dominate_ze_vorld said -- who cares what people think? What people think of you is none of your business.


One way to improve stage performance is... again what dominate_ze_vorld said, playing for yourself. Who cares about the audience? You're on stage playing.. for yourself. Just enjoy it! You know when you're just practising some piece you love? Yeah. Just have fun playing. Bring that mindset to the stage. Who cares about the audience? They're just.... there. If you're playing violin or some wind instrument.... try closing your eyes. I do that from time to time. ;)

Another way is... wanting to play for the audience.
Take me for example. The last couple of years on stage I've deliberately chose to play songs that nobody has ever heard before (well, locally). What I wanted to do was give the crowd a taste of this awesome music that they've never heard before, make the highlight of the concert and basically just have people enjoy it as much as they can. I'm there to give the best and most memorable performance they've ever experienced.


Remember: the crowd doesn't wanna be bored to death by the same old performer who's afraid of making a mistake. They wanna hear something good. They wanna hear someone who's passionate about their music.

It's okay to make mistakes. Just laugh and move on. ^_^

Eat a banana. It calms your nerves down.

I never heard that one before. O_O Is it really effective?

Yes, it is.

Wow, I gotta try that then!

Another tip for all performers, before you begin a piece, take a deep breathe, immediately after you take a deep breathe all your nerve relaxes a bit. Trust me it works, before i thought it was just some bullshit that everyone talks about, but it's true. Try it when you practice a piece at home, pretend like it's performing, and take a deep breathe.

edit: hmm too lazy to look, but i don't think i said this, but being nervous is a good thing because it just shows that you really want to perform well so relax and have fun!

A banana works.

And I believe the term is agoraphobia =]

The best thing u can do is probably perform more and get more confident. I mean, I used 2 get really nervous singing in front of ppl 2 but afta a while, u get used 2 it. Like me now, I've been singing about 3 years. I still get a lil nervous b4 but think about it...Wat's a performance wifout nerves? Rememba: "It's the melody that keep you singing, the crowd that keeps you going and the nervous that gets you up there is da first place!" (It's weird but it's tru, I LOVE NERVES B4 A PERFORMANCE!)

Hey! bananas are my favorite fruit! XD

Offtopic: if anyone wants to see the phobia list, just for the fun of it, here you go :)

http://www.phobialist.com/

Edit: Also, does anyone know what anime my avatar is for? XD Thanks

Edit Again :heh: : for -> from

well good advice, if it does work. i have a piano competition coming up in the early spring. i don't know aht EXACTLY im going to play, but.. it might be Fur Elise or Beethoven Easy Sonata No. 2; Op. 49

if you can, you could play moonlight 3rd mov. Will probably amaze the audiece and the judges. Im starting it, and getting the hang of it. just chords over and over. its easier that it looks, trust me.

I just had a semi-performance yesterday. My teacher got a little "get-together" for my piano enemies and I to perform in front of each other to "get the nerves out".

Yea, if you have Noteworthy, it has a demo with the 3rd mov of Moonlight. it's crazed..

If you're doing a group recital, it always helps to perform before people who don't have as much experience as you... that way you can sort of syke yourself up that you get to "show off". Another thing that helps if you do group recitals... request to do a duet as well. I used to do a duet for every recital I was in when I took lessons... because I knew even if I messed up a bit on the recital piece, that I'd nail the duet and people would remember that more. If you play the piano, and have to perform somewhere where you haven't played before... try to get their earlier and play your song on that piano to get comfortable with it.

Thanks! This is all great help...Now I just have to wait until school starts again.

Eat a banana. It calms your nerves down.

umm........are you serious about that? :sweat: because i've never heard of......a banana calming your nerves down. :heh:

Join a debate team. Before I started debateing I was so nervous infront of crowds. (I mean really nervous. I broke out into tears multiple times when infront of people) Even if your not playing an instrument being in front of a crowd takes getting used to and in debating you are infront of a crowd alot. And also debating is fun because you get to argue with people.

umm........are you serious about that? :sweat: because i've never heard of......a banana calming your nerves down. :heh:

its true! people who have a hard time sleeping can eat bananas so they can relax and sleep. go bananas go:lol:

anyway, back to the topic. keep your mind a blank and just concentrate on your piece. it works for me anyway.;)

informal performances helps! like, playing to your friends, havving a bit of a laugh while playing...etc....get used to the atmosphere of playing to people...soon you wouldnt feel the difference between informal and formal performances! ^_~

If it's people you do know, and are musical, ... try not to mess up. >.<

lol. Been there, Done that. :\

I say do something that isn't Music(or is music. Could be anything) that puts you in a crowd-performer situation. I used to be scared outta my little mind about performing. Then I started doing Karaoke(trust me, it works), took Drama for GCSE and even apeared in the school play. Now I'm a veritable performing machine. But I still get nervous. I think everyone gets nervous, wether it be a case of "will they or wont they like me" or "I'm gonna fuck up I know it" it never changes.

Yeah. For example, my right leg shakes uncontrollably whenever I play the piano and there's more than 3 people around me, so then I end up messing up the pedaling. x_x

Heh, did my test for chair placement on Friday. practiced for an hour there. AN HOUR AFTER SCHOOL. Then i did sucky on the test. and it was only my band teacher and myself there. although, i was GREAT when i was practicing (like 30 people in the room)

thats why i hope i can clear my mind when i do WSMA piano solo comp in spring

Marlon wont sing infront of anyone either... LOL

sing?

Clarinet chair placement here.

i can only sing an acompianment.. i have like the deepest voice for a 14 yr old. and i look 20+

Yo. So here's something messed up. 1/4 judges said that I leaned too much and I should sit straight. ... Is there such thing? The other 3 judges commented that I had a good stage performance, but seriously, I think they should fire that Polish dude. ... -.- He gave me some other ridiculous comments like that.

Lol, thats retarded...

when i need to kill time on campus there's a piano that is placed in a big hall with hallways going in all directions. the sound is so loud i get kind of nervous and sometimes forget where i was in the song :/

I was just wondering (since I can't seem to get myself to play well in front of others) How you all deal with stagefright.

I'd practice a peice for a long time, finally get it down, then not be able to remember any of it when someone walks in. :( It's quite sad really.

Any advice or funny stories or anything like that?



[oh and so sorry if this is a repeated thread. I tried to find if there was one already but couldn't find one... :\ ]

(I don't think there was really ever a 'thread' about this topic, so as afar as I know, you're good.)

Ah, stagefright! Yes, it's actually quite common, even with professionals. Now, I haven't had any 'debut' recitals, but I've played in public before and have only gotten stagefright or actually become very nervous right when I sit down, and my hands are shaking out of control when they're laid on the keys.

Mainly what I try to do, beforehand, is to meditate through prayer and then try to find your center and 'well-being' in the piece you're about to perform. Once you become one with the piece it's becoming one with music (If your soloing with an orchestra or band try to become one with the other performers as well).

And also, try to 'lose' yourself in the music when you play. You may start to also 'physically' express yourself, but you should also become a lot less uptight when you finally give in to your emotions.. which you should. :heh:

But if your just randomly playing a piece and someone stops in the room to hear, just keep on playing. I know I sort of blush when I can see people in the corner of my eye walk in my schools Choir Room when I'm playing some piece (or improvising) and they'll smiling and staring at me or my hands. Sure, at the beginning of the year I got pretty nervous, but as time went on, I started to actually get more comfortable by not dropping into my emotions and swaying.. This year I'm gonna work on loosing myself in my emotions at school.. I'm starting to become EVEN MORE cofrtable with myself anyway. :heh:

Good luck, Reina. Hoep this helps.. You'll probably also want to ask the member Thorn, as he's a really good pianist, and has probably performed quite a few times himself.

Thanks that helps ^_^

It's so bad for me I just can't seem to even play for my parents. I begin to forget huge chuncks of the song T_T

Yeah. Just try not to think about it. Confidens with yourself is the key.

I was playing in a Honors Concert, and my legs were shaking like crazy. The thing is, I was the only one in that concert who memorized their solo piece(s), so all I had was a bunch of complements about it. I learned a lot from this experience. ^_^

Being an oboist, stagefright can seriously interrupt my performance. For example, when your fingers start to sweat, your fingers start to slip off keys (and this won't happen much to, say, clarinet, since they have holes to cover as opposed to keys or bassoon since they have keys surrounding almost every finger). Secondly, stagefright affects embouchures which leads to tuning problems and fatigue... So yeah, if you're a pianist, consider yourself lucky, winds have more to worry about.

Merged with old thread.

Just checked my old post - still have the same philosophy.

Basically, I think about two things on stage: I love playing music... and I want more people to hear it.
I get more excited than nervous actually since I enjoy it so much.

Being an oboist, stagefright can seriously interrupt my performance. For example, when your fingers start to sweat, your fingers start to slip off keys (and this won't happen much to, say, clarinet, since they have holes to cover as opposed to keys or bassoon since they have keys surrounding almost every finger). Secondly, stagefright affects embouchures which leads to tuning problems and fatigue... So yeah, if you're a pianist, consider yourself lucky, winds have more to worry about.

True. Especially with the embouchure on the oboe :/ .

*listens to recording of < playing in the Honors Concert*

I really overdid it on the last crescendo -_-.

I don't know why, but I've never been nervous performing in front of a lot of people. I like the attention, actually.

When I audition for something, however...

Uck! I hate bananas!.....lol .....is there anything else that would have the same effect as a banana or am I just going to have to deal with it?:unsure:

Ooh, I used to have that at the beginning of this school year. :lol: But I lost it after a few performances because I realized I'm not getting to Juilliard (or any music school, for that matter) if I was the "closet cellist". XD (A stupid nickname my parents gave me, since I still don't like when people stand outside my door to listen or barge in my room when I'm practicing. T_T)

So yeah, if you're a pianist, consider yourself lucky, winds have more to worry about.

Just to start an off-topic type brawl..

I can agree that stagefright can affect the playing for winds, and in your case, Oboe. Now, don't say that I'm not saying that your instrument is 'easy' when it comes to stagefright on your intstrument, but since Piano is *generally* a solo instrument, memorizing is one of the keys to becomg a well-known pianist. When you produce ANY stagefright you tend to 'forget' where you are, and you own your own. (And I know from expierence being in band) Earlier this year on trombone (yeah, that's pretty hard when you get nervous, you start to notice your teeth hurt when you have to play really high double forte sections, or LOW parts when your head explodes.) we played and I got a little nervous, and I didn't know where I was. I tend to just memorize the music, but I spaced out keeping up with the conductor (since everyone else doesn't really know how to play music in Varsity Band) and kinda lost myself, luckily I knew exactly where to jump in; the Sheet Music.

Also, this is just one thing that sucks for pianists is memorizing. Don't even get me started on sweaty hands, or when sweaty hands+ fast moving chords come into play. x_x I hate it, but I love the challenge.

Lol, I might do next year, but I challenge any ensemble players to not even bring their music on stage for a concert. I might try this, just to test myself. :lol:

The more you do it the more you get used to it.

I hate performing, especially memorized music. Thankfully half of my problems are gone because I can use music, but with the performing business, don't even think about the audience. There's a good chance that you're never going to see them again.

Lol, I might do next year, but I challenge any ensemble players to not even bring their music on stage for a concert. I might try this, just to test myself. :lol:

Yes, it's very easy to memorize music after a while :heh:. It's also helped my sightreading skills. A lot.

Just don't end like me. No music, and legs shaking like crazy :/ .

Is there any little tricks anyone might know that helps?


EDIT... Sorry about making the new thread.. I did see this one.. I even look it up in Search. Anyways, this will do, Thanks!

I usually imagine it's just like a practice. I go on stage, do my thing, and leave. Don't worry about the audience, they usually clap whatever happens.

Relaxation techniques? if you know you can play it correctly the piece without problems then start to think positively that you will do it good, and that all will go good, that is a way to lose at least a bit of fright. I once was listening to music of my mp3 before the concert and it was a bit loud and that was making ppl nervous n_n;;;

I remember one of my friends once was playing piano in his graduation and he did a mistake in front of all the public then he stand up fast saying stop everything wait!! I did a mistake, I will start again!!!

Ignore the audience and perform for yourself: imagine that no one is watching you play and play like you usually do where people aren't looking at you. In other words, mind your music rather than the people. xD

EDIT: Exactly was PFK said.

Me, my reflex is that the idea of performing sends me bouncing off the roof, because it's either be incredibly hyperactive, or be incredibly nervous. Now, I've been performing on stage on and off for as long as I can remember, so, about 15 years. And I STILL get incredibly nervous. But you've got to go out with a positive attitude, because if you get yourself convinced you're going to make a mistake, you're going to make a mistake. You've probably played what you're performing loads of times and know it in and out, anyway - it's just hard to remember that when there are people staring at you!

I don't recomment my hyperactivity though XD I tend to get told to sit down, stay still, and shut up if I'm at it too long before we go on.

Thats kinda hard when you feel sick before you even see the people. I usaully listen to music on my head phones. It helps a little.

Oh, I had to perform two Fridays-in-a-row at the Steinway Gallery. I was so shaky and nervous before I was going on, both today and last week. But, my teacher gave me some really good words which calmed my mind down a little, "It's good that your nervous, that means you care about what you're doing; if you aren't nervous, then that--obviously--means you shoudln't be up there." Also, he told me stories on how Horowitz would, literally, get physically sick and throw-up before he was to perform. At his big return concert he was getting shaky, and said to his manager (something like this), "Well, not today, sir." His manager then pushed him out on stage enough for the people across the way could see backstage. . . the crowd just started to clap, so he HAD to go out, no matter what.

So, although I don't like to be nervous, I still know how to relax myself: Close my eyes after I sit at the piano, take three deep breaths, and all that while thinking of the first few bars of the music you're going to play (to know what you want to make).

I also don't think you "can't" be nervous, it's just how comfortable you are when you're nervous. Just an idea.

On January 14, I supposedly have a performance of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto coming up, and I'm wondering if I should practice in front of the band first, for (as mentioned above) the last time I performed, my knees would not stop shaking, mainly because of the reason of me being nervous. And the performances will be measured according to Wisconsin's standards of scoring performers. >.< (Which means that the judges will be looking for every single mistake I make, from how I play (embouchure, etc...) to whether I have good expression.)

Ah, stage fright. Gotta love it.

As a kid, I did recitals, school performances, contests, you name it. All without a second thought. Mostly because my teachers always told me to just pretend nobody was watching. Then they'd complain when I didn't bow or anything. Why bow if nobody is looking? :P

These days it takes everything I've got just to play something for my own mother. No matter how much I pretend she's not there, she just won't go away. ^_^

I totally have that. It is something I really need to get over.

A few weeks ago I had a piano recital (it was a trio with two other people.) it was like the easiest piece in the world, and I screwed up in the middle of it.:heh: Fortunately I only screwed up that one part, and apparently I didn't sound that bad.

That was also my first time performing in such a small ensemble.

I won't even practice any of my instruments with my family around... I'm that self conscience of my playing skills. I think I played my bassoon for my parents once, and the only way I practice with them around is air playing.

Ergh, I don't practice with anyone around - except my band friends. I was pretty mortified when I saw my next door neighbour for the first time since getting home from overseas a fw weeks ago and he said 'we didn't even know you were home until we heard you practicing!' Apparently the sound travels pretty well from my room afterall XD

I won't even practice any of my instruments with my family around... I'm that self conscience of my playing skills. I think I played my bassoon for my parents once, and the only way I practice with them around is air playing.

Same here. :lol: My family thinks that I am really weird because of that (apparently), and something bad is going to happen or something. -_-

I used to have stage fright until last year. I got my first solo at a concert, and I played as if the whole band was playing.

When im playing with others, im pretty confident and i really enjoy playing...but when it comes to solo performances i get quite nervous, i feel weird in the stomach, my hands start to sweat and gets really weak and my legs shake a bit. But it's better now after all of the performances and exams i've done... but the way people watch you while you get ready to perform and the silence they give you kind of scares me a bit.
Also, this is kind of off the topic but i just want to mention,
i feel weird when i play on another intsrument (of the same kind). For example, when i play on a piano im not familiar with, it's like as if i dont know where each note is and i dont know where to play... I have to look at the piano for a while to be familiar with it. :unsure:

I think thats pretty normal, The trick to that is to play on more pianos. ;)

Today I played a few Christmas songs in front of my family... I was really nervous all day, and then I started playing and I felt better. I dont like it when im playing for about 5 minutes into a song and my hands start shaking.

When I get really nervous performing, I delay playing if I can. Otherwise, my leg starts getting jittery and taps on its own. I mess up no matter how well-prepared I am though, so I guess I'm used to it.

Last week, on Thursday, I had a high school winter concert to play in, and to kick off the concert, I was in the very first group playing, a brass quintet. This was the one time in my life I wasn't really nervous preforming, but when I actually do start playing, I realize that a chunk of cork came off of my spit valve. I sounded horrible for the entire song, and everyone thought that I was insane. It was even worse because I was playing the bass trombone part, so a major piece of the song was missing. It was fixed before I played again, but from now on, I'll be paranoid about my spit valve, and playing in an exposed group.

Try playing in a small, mixed crowd. Likesay, some of your friends, and a few people you don't know. And in a comfortable setting, like a campfire.

I should talk though. I can't even stand to practice if I think someone can hear me.

tell me about it!!!
although i find that strangers are better for me and playing in large crowds....i dunno maybe it's me...
i find that i feel a little less discriminated(i think thats the word)'cause i can't hear their thoughts....maybe thats bad 'cause you can't get constructive critisism...