Nervousness at a piano recital...?

Question

Every six months, (today is one of them) my piano teacher schedules a piano recital for her students. I am one of the last people (3rd to last) to play a song, meaning that I am the third to the best (well, yay). Unfortunately, I ALWAYS get extremely nervous, and I shake a TON as I play, which messes me up. Actually, I am so nervous that I am shaking as I type this.

I am 14 and a half, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend ANY medicine AND/or things to do before I play (like breathing exercises). Thanks!

Answer 1

First of all - good for you, keep at it.
I am much older than you and only started piano 4 years ago. So far I have only done a few recitals and I was petrified at every one, so you are not the only one who gets "stage fright." There have actually been concert pianists whose careers have been cut short by stage fright.
I don't recommend medication, I think the only way to deal with it is:
a) Self confidence - really work hard on the piece you are going to play - I mean really know it.
b) Take deep breaths before you start, develop a routine to calm yourself.
c) Try to imagine you are alone and really concentrate on hearing what you are playing.
d) Have recitals at home as part of your practice. If you can play for Mom and Dad, make out like its a real concert. Try to make it into a real performance.

Look at the whole thing as a personal challenge. It will really help you as you get older, and challenges that you face in adulthood will be much easier to deal with because your mind has been forged in the fire of your piano recitals.

Try to enjoy it.

Answer 2

You've gotten a lot of good advice here. One thing that helps for me is to be sure to practice the end of the piece extra well. Some people tend to start at the beginning each time they practice, then stop when they reach a problem - and they wind up knowing the beginning of the piece better than the end. This is a recipe for anxiety, I think. It's better to be confident that the farther you go, the better you know it.

Also, is it an inflexible rule that you have to go third to last? I think all the waiting might make you more nervous.

Let me also repeat what others have said - DO NOT take drugs such as beta blockers without medical supervision. These are powerful drugs, and if you have certain conditions (such as asthma) you could suffer a life threatening reaction. Sometimes conservatory students pass these things around like candy, which is dangerous.

Answer 3

Just keep your focus on what you need to play for today. Relax, and practice as much as you can. Medications won't help, I'm afraid. If you know your piece well, play it over and over in your head, so it stays in your mind. That way you can focus on it, and it will come easily on your fingers.

One major thing when at the recitals. If you mess up in a section, don't go back or stop. Keep going. Try to make the piece as smooth as you can. If you need some time before playing, take no more than 2-5min to review the piece in your mind. Then when you are comfortable, start playing.

Good luck! I used to be like this yrs ago. Now it's quite enjoyable. ;-). Oh, and also, if you have a piano ensemble course, it makes things much easier, since you get to play with a partner. Piano Ensemble is exactly that...two people on one piano, or two people on two different pianos. ^-^.

The more you practice, the more recitals you attend, the easier it will be for you. I promise.

Answer 4

No medication! No No NO!

You have to do some guided imagery. What that means is wherever you practice, imagine it is the actual recital. Sit there a while and image the smell, sounds, etc. Then imagine yourself being called to play. Hear your teacher's voice calling you, or however it's done. Then , sit down at the piano, and convince yourself that all those people are REALLY present watching you. . Then start and play the piece, always trying to concentrate on making the music only.,



That means, so what if they are there? You have to learn that the only person you are playing for is yourself, to amuse yourself and to entertain yourself and make you feel good. You might shake, Good., Notice that it is all about not concentrating on the job at hand. Do the task. Doing the task means not thinking about the people sitting there. IT is strict disciplining yourself to do the tasks. After several run throughs this way, When the actual recital comes, do the same exact thing.

IT is not arrogant to not think about the audience. It is the performing artist's';s bible. They are there to witness you playing for you, not t them, believe it or not,. Play well, they';l;l be entertained.

Answer 5

Experience is the best remedy. I'm 17 and I've been playing the piano for 10 years. After awhile you just get used to playing in front of people. I do admit I get nervous too, but I just take a few deep breaths before I begin and give myself a confidence boost.

Just think "I am freaking awesome and no matter what happens, I tried my best." Also, just remember the people in the audience are just people and not scary monsters who will critize you if you mess up or BOO you off stage. Eat bananas too. It might sound stupid, but some performers eat them to calm themselves down. I tried it and it helped, but there wasn't a huge difference.

Basically it's a mental thing for you right now. You will have to overcome it so your true talent can outweigh your anxiety. Don't take any medicine though because that could make it worse and make you lose focus. Get plenty of rest before you play so you aren't fatigued either. TRUST ME! It will get better. You'll do great!

Answer 6

I have recitals, piano competition auditions, and competition winners recitals to play in, so I know what you mean. It's easy to worry about a future performance, and I've found that the best thing you can possibly do is PRACTICE NONE STOP. Nothing works better than knowing your piece inside out! Really, nervousness occurs because you are probably afraid you will make a mistake playing your piece, and practice helps completely eradicate this problem! The more practice, the better...trust me, I know! I've had a lot of success in my recitals because of how much I've practiced. By the way, even more practice makes you a better pianist.

Good luck!

Answer 7

I am a pianist too, and I used to get very nervous too... Now, I still feel nervous but not as much as I did before.
First of all - nervousness can cause you to make a mistake during the concert, so you have to do something about it. Although my teacher told me that the performers should get a bit nervous - that helps (but do not ge hyper!!)
I know a very good way of doing it - one week before the concert you can (if you want to) make a list of the pieces you are playing, and when you practice them, tick the names of the pieces in your timetable - this will make you feel more confident.
And then.. before the concert, think about the worst thing that could happen - it would be making a mistake and stopping, won't it?? And try to convince yourself that it won't be the end of your life, and that everything will be alright, you'll just carry on playing, and that's it!
good luck with your concert.
BTW, I am 13

Answer 8

Well although I do not play piano (well) I do happen to shake and become extremely nervous whenever I play in a guitar concert. Try breathing slowly. I don't know why but that always seems to work. And ALWAYS while playing LIVE say to yourself over and over how great you are and how great you are playing (even if you mess up). Don't worry about the audience and don't even look up at your teacher (it makes it alot worse). Even pros get nervous! Just say to yourself how many 14 year olds can play as well as you can! :) Good luck!

Answer 9

Hey, you are not alone. Every artist has the "nervous jitters" before a performance. I was fine once I got out there and sat down at the piano. My jitters went away. I was concentrating on hearing my own music and trying to feel what I played. It's tough.

Most of the audience are wanting you to do well, so think of them as friends. Anyway, a lot of the audience will not know how the play the piano. They are just there to hear their kids play. Beat them. Play better. Inspire them.

I still get nervous when I have to sing in church. My chest gets tight, so I take deep breaths and let it out slowly. Try doing that.

You go, you rule.

Answer 10

Real confidence in performance, whether musical or athletic, comes from preparation. The most important kind of preparation, after the practicing you've already done to get technically and musically comfortable with the music, is to practice performing. One way to do that is to imagine performing, without actually playing. Think of you walking out onto the stage or hall, and picture yourself starting to play with the audience/judges there. You can even imagine playing the whole piece, if you have it memorized, or follow along in the music. You'll get the physical symptoms of nervousness, but you can in your imagination conquer them. Mental visualization like this is a great way to overcome your fear of messing up badly. Another way to practice performing is to play for people. Play for your fellow students. Play for your Mom. Play for your dog. Try a piece out in a master class. Imagine that they are your ultimate / final audience, and, again, you will be able to practice overcoming your fears. Being nervous is not something you want to simply eliminate. I find that it is a very real source of energy and focus and can make the performance better than any rehearsal. The trick is to have enough of a center before you start spinning out of focus that the extra energy just adds to your focus. Some people use Beta blockers. In extreme cases they are necessary but for the above reason I don't recommend them.