How would you feel if someone asked to play piano in front of a huge audience? The very idea may get your hands to tremble and have cold sweat running down your spine. But rest assured it is pretty normal and you are not alone. It just shows that you are human and keep in mind that all musicians go through this phase. But remember, performance anxiety is good and can be used to improve performance. Although you may not have planned to play in front of an audience ever, keep in mind that the greatest joy of playing the piano is in front of an audience. The key lies in managing the anxiety rather than allowing it to overcome your performance. Here are some tips.
1. Be prepared and practice the repertoire often
You need to know your piece or song well and practice playing it regularly leading to improvement all the time. Also, practice properly and develop good practicing habits. One of the more significant things to remember while preparing to play piano in front of an audience is being aware of the more difficult passages and spend a great deal of time getting comfortable with the tricky part. You need to know the piece from back to front. Play it fast, slow, and then normal. If you fail to prepare you should be prepared to fail.
2. Select the right piece
If you select a piece that is out of your capability or skill level you will be asking for trouble. Select a composition you are comfortable playing and are confident with. It will show off your talents without having to stress too much. When you are required to play multiple pieces, it will be a good idea, to begin with, the easiest one. This will allow you to master the composition and let you feel more confident about the remaining performance. As you progress further as a pianist, your repertoire will raise and you can add more compositions to the list of alternatives for performance.
3. Practice the performance
You should simulate the performance atmosphere within your living quarters. Settle yourself on a bench by the piano, open the pages of your scorebook, take in a deep breath, and play out the full piece till its end. In case you make mistakes try to complete the piece and then try to imagine being in front of an audience even though you are trying to play piano all by yourself. Repeat these simulations often and with the time you are going to get more confidence. After a while, you will realize that you can save a performance even after a mistake and the error is not the end of the world. Even if you fail to save it the loved ones are unlikely to leave the house if you played an E rather than a D for the note.
4. First test in front of a small audience
In case your first performance is at the Carnegie Hall, it is understandable that you have a great deal of anxiety. But, if this first performance is in front of a small audience at home who adore you anyway such as neighbors, family, and friends there is a good chance that you will be able to pull it off well. Sometimes people have anxiety about other people. In such cases, you can play in front of your dog to consider him as the first audience. Although it sounds ridiculous there is nothing wrong with practicing the performance this way.
After following these tips you will gradually start to enjoy your performances and then you can add people to the audience. Later, performing at the birthday party of your friend may seem like a routine. If you are looking to learn to play piano from home in the Tampa, FL area, get in touch with Tampa Piano Tuning for the piano servicing requirements.
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