How To Overcome Stage Fright When Playing Piano

What is Stage Fright?

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Understanding is the first step in determining what you should be addressing.

It’s human nature to avoid making a fool of oneself. People do not want to be social outcasts, and it is customary to go over worst-case scenarios in your mind before performing or speaking in public. 

This might result in you replaying horror scenarios in your thoughts. Some individuals become apprehensive even when just one other person hears them talk or perform, many alone hundreds.

Stage fear is just the portion of your brain that does not want you to be an outcast in society. It is the portion of your brain that restricts you, as well as the internal monologue that warns you that you will make a mistake and feel humiliated, neither of which you desire!

There is an internal conflict. It is not simple to overcome stage fright, which may take some time, but it is a war you can win by following our advice.

What causes stage fear and performance anxiety?

Understanding any fear is the first step toward conquering it, and stage fright is no exception. People have stage fright for a variety of reasons. In a variety of fields, from public speaking to acting to musicians, the prospect of performing in front of an audience may be terrifying.

Several reasons contribute to performance anxiety, including:

• Familiarity with the subject

• The audience’s size

• The length of the performance

• The significance of performance

• Performer experience

Why Should You Overcome Stage Fright?

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Stage fright is more than simply “feeling a little anxious.” Some of those researching how to overcome stage fear is dealing with some of the challenges that might accompany stage fright. The symptoms may be severe, and if you’re going to be a performer, you don’t want to have to deal with them every time you play in front of people.

• Increased pulse rate and difficulty breathing

• Mouth dryness

• Trembling in the hands, feet, and voice may be required while playing the piano.

• Sweaty palm

• Vision problems, nausea, and an overall sense of dread

If you experience any of these symptoms, your odds of performing to the best of your skills are virtually none. The thought of stage fears itself might contribute to poor performance. It’s easy to get into a negative downward cycle and stress out in this situation.

10 Tips to overcome stage fright when playing piano

Here are some suggestions for overcoming stage fear. If you can master them, you may be able to overcome your anxiety about performing live.

1. Look after yourself

Sleep the night correctly before your event and wake up to a nutritious meal on performance day. Keep hydrated and restrict your intake of coffee and sweets. Caffeine might make you uneasy, so avoid coffee and replace it with herbal tea. If you’re feeling worried, eat a banana; it’s a natural beta-blocker that may help reduce the short-term impacts of adrenaline caused by worry.

2. Exercise to increase endorphin levels

To ease anxiousness, go for a stroll, stretch, hop up and down, and relax your muscles. When you are nervous, your body will tense. Exercise is one of the finest methods to deal with worry, but do just what is necessary since you’ll need your energy to perform. A little mild exercise might help you relax and stay focused.

3. Unwind before your performance.

Learning how to relax is another effective method to overcome stage fear.

Take a few seconds before your performance to cleanse your mind. Before you meet your audience, take a big breath and enjoy some peaceful time. The relaxation will help you concentrate and lessen the tension of performing in front of an audience.

4. Practice, practice, and more practice

This crucial step would be missing from any list of overcoming stage anxiety. Practice is essential in the months, weeks or days leading up to a live performance. 

The more you practice, the more muscle memory you’ll have, and you won’t get lost trying to recall your next set of notes. You’ll feel secure knowing you’re ready to play in front of an audience if you practice and prepare properly in the days preceding your performance.

5. Learn how to recover from errors.

When playing live, even the most proficient pianists make errors. Your success might be determined by how you manage errors. Music should be learned and practiced in portions. 

If you forget your notes during the performance, you may quickly switch to another area and resume playing. If you make a mistake, most people will not notice. Recognize that if you make a mistake, nothing awful will happen, and you’ll be well on learning how to overcome stage fear.

6. Perform for friends and family.

Enlist your friends and family to be your audience while you prepare your performance ahead of time. Do you want to push yourself? Request that your pals clear their throats, rustle papers, or make a few strange sounds. Attempt to remain concentrated in the face of distractions. The more you practice in front of people you know, the more at ease you’ll be in front of an audience of strangers.

7. Record yourself performing

Having difficulties seeing yourself on stage in front of an audience? Set up your smartphone or video camera and videotape yourself performing. You’ll be able to view yourself on stage and how others see you. Identifying your talents can help you feel more confident about your forthcoming event. When it comes to how to overcome stage fright, confidence is essential.

8. Prepare your space ahead of time

Are you playing on stage in a place you’ve never visited before? If feasible, inspect the event venue ahead of time. 

Determine how long it will take to get there and when you should depart to allow yourself enough time to relax before the performance. Are you performing your recital remotely with Zoom? Set up your computer ahead of time, so you can avoid dealing with it just before you play. Is everything connected? Is the battery charged? Take care of all the specifics ahead of time, so you don’t have to worry about last-minute issues.

9. Concentrate on the good

Visualize your accomplishment. Visualize yourself performing flawlessly in front of an audience. Instead of focusing on your worries, convince yourself that your preparation, practice, abilities, and ability will result in a fantastic performance. This advice also applies to parents. 

Young musical artists’ parents are sometimes more apprehensive than their children. Encourage your youngster while keeping your nerves to yourself. Showing your youngster your support and confidence can help them overcome their self-doubt.

10.  Take pleasure in the now.

The third piece of advice for overcoming stage fear is to concentrate on your music rather than your inner critic. Don’t get caught up with how you appear, how you feel, or what the audience thinks. Concentrate on the music and take pleasure in your performance. Look out into the crowd and grin. They are, after all, there to see you, support you, and cheer you on. So please take advantage of your opportunity; you’ve earned it.

When you see that you are becoming concerned about your performance

With a steady, deep breath, try to stay calm and focused. Continue to breathe gently for a few minutes to help relieve tension and anxiety. Concentrate only on your performance and leave all other thoughts at the door.

Consume some water or fresh juice. However, please don’t overdo it since a full bladder might make you feel even more uncomfortable on stage.

Extend your muscles. Stress causes your muscles to stiffen and your arms to twitch. Extend your neck, hands, and body with enhanced blood flow to recover attention.

FAQs

1. Can stage fright be corrected?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to stage fear. It is feasible to overcome the majority of the dread and learn to perform without excessive worry. People may learn to be more comfortable in social settings and confident during presentations with the correct mentality and abilities.

2. Is stage fright a mental disorder?

There is no such thing as stage fear. It is, nevertheless, a typical response to a stressful environment. Most people have some level of anxiety before a performance, but some people have severe anxiety that interferes with their ability to perform at all.

3. What stage fright feels like?

Symptoms may appear at various levels: Sweating, irregular heartbeat, headache, upset stomach, chills, and nausea are all physiological symptoms. Cognitive: brain congestion and disorientation, fear of failure and ridicule. Behavioral symptoms include the desire to flee the situation, stuttering, and frequent or extended silences.

Conclusion

Here are 10 tips to learn how to Overcome Stage Fright When Playing Piano. The tips above may not completely overcome this fear, but if you practice hard and prepare well, you will overcome it and perform flawlessly. Perfect!