To ask about how to handle performance nerves?

[Acapulco12]

I’ve started learning the piano as an adult and have been playing for a couple of years now.

My teacher holds informal concerts each term or so, so the students - adults and kids - get an opportunity to perform in front of an audience, which is a really good idea. The concerts are very relaxed and have a lovely atmosphere, like a workshop, with no formality or expectations, and my teacher is always very chilled and reassuring, both in our lessons and during the concerts.

I’ve now performed at two of the concerts and, in the latest one last week, I got so nervous while I was playing, which I found difficult to deal with. I got through my pieces, but made a few mistakes, despite having practised quite a lot beforehand.

I learned another instrument as a kid, and would get nervous before playing - especially for solos and stuff, and before music exams - but I think it felt more manageable. I could be misremembering though 😂

Can anyone offer any advice for handling performance nerves please? Is it just a question of regular practice (e.g daily) and finding lots of opportunities to play in front of an audience/other people? I just would love the audience to see at my best. Thanks!

Anyone?

I don't know either, I always had terrible performance nerves and still do if I have to give a talk or anything.

Hi there, professional singer turned music coach for piano voice and violin.

The best way in my experience and opinion is to expose yourself to that feeling in increments.

Ask friends or family to watch you, until you stop making nerve based mistakes in front of them. Gradually increase the amount of people you invite to watch you. Bribe them with wine and snacks if you need to haha!

Try a live stream on insta or FB

Take every opportunity to play in front of people, easy pieces then get more tricky

Busking piano
Open mic
Restaurant

Any way you can gently expose yourself, and you'll soon lose that feeling altogether

Good luck and well done for treating yourself to the lessons!

Beta blockers. They're great, I've used them for years for public speaking.

Beta Blockers.

Surgeons apparently use them too!

Propranolol

I sympathise as I suffer from nerves with another sport. I looked at nurosym but it is quite pricey however I found a newspaper article about Ian Stott(Stott methods) who has developed ways of putting you into parasympathetic mode rather than sympathetic. Unfortunately my husband thinks it is a con but he does have lots of people with rave reviews and Aberdeen medical school seem to rate him. I’m tempted just to try a few online sessions as it has to be cheaper than Nurosym.

Bananas have a calming effect if you don't want medication

Keep trying

Keeping singing the tune in your head as you play - it drives out other thoughts

Practise in different ways - playing it a bit fast, playing along with a version. On YouTube, try looking around and distracting yourself whilst playing

Watch the other performers carefully - you will start to notice the tell tale signs that they have made a mistake - a grimace or slight smile - and you don't notice the music going wrong ? So as long as you just keep going you know that others don't notice the mistakes ( or if they do they don't care )

Play with other people - this is the best for me

I think you just get used to it and it stops being about the performance or the audience, and becomes about the music you are channeling....

Are there any churches, old folks homes, day centres or the like that you can ask if they have a piano you can both practice on and entertain people at the same time? Very low stress but helps you get used to an audience.

Also, try to reframe the nerves as excitement - both produce exactly the same physical sensations but the thoughts are positive rather than negative.

How do those who recommend beta blockers get them? Would drs prescribe them for public speaking etc

Thanks so much everyone for your advice. I agree that the main solution is just to keep finding opportunities to practise and perform in front of people. There are a few public pianos near me, so I might have a go on one of those. I really likw @midgetastic’s tip to keep having the tune I’m playing running through my head as I play, to drown out that pesky internal voice that’s telling me I’ll mess up!

Practice, practice practice and practice some more. But unfortunately I found the only way to get past this sort of thing is to do it more. The more you do it the less nervous you are.