Here are some advices that you can follow:1. Remember to breathe in deeply. Deep breathing will absorb oxygen and the adrenalin, secreted will help you deal with the fear brought on by doubts, which causes you to hold your breath. (Read More)
Do you sometimes feel anxious and have stage fright during your piano examination?
Every musician, from the amateur pianist to professional concert artiste has to deal with nerves in one form or another.
For example; have you ever had flawless performances during practice times only to break down in the middle when it comes to the crunch of an actual performance?
If you do, follow these 9 Tips in overcoming nerves during your piano examination
Here are some advices that you can follow:
1. Remember to breathe in deeply. Deep breathing will absorb oxygen and the adrenalin, secreted will help you deal with the fear brought on by doubts, which causes you to hold your breath. Deep breathing will help your brain work to capacity, and forcing the slower pace will quell the panic.
2. Make sure you are familiar with all aspects of what you are expected to do during the exams; scales, pieces, sight-reading and aural.
3. Make sure you know your pieces well, in the event that there is a slip or a breakdown, you can carry on, even if you are very nervous, your fingers will automatically carry on with only a minor hiccup.
4. Ensure that you have a few practice sessions on the piano prior to the date of your examinations. You can go to the examination venue and book the studio where you will be taking the exam. It is good to have a feel and be accustomed to the piano you will be examined on. Different pianos have different touch (eg, some piano keys are heavier to the touch than others, therefore you need to work on producing the right sound; some pianos are louder than others, some pedals work better than others; every studio has different acoustics), hence it is always good to have a sense of what to expect. It is also especially important to run through your scales and pieces during these practice sessions.
5. Always find opportunities to perform to get used to playing in front of others. This is especially important. One gets self conscious and nervous when playing in front of the public, so it is always good to have some exposure. You can start by playing in front of family and friends during family functions or events. This is a good platform to begin. Some teachers do organize a performance session for all their students once a month. This is another good avenue to practice.
6. Always stay positive and focus on the music. Do not let your mind wander off. Focus on the music and its expression, how you will emote a certain passage that best portrays the character of the music or how you will best bring out the story of the piece.
7. Do not do mindless practice. Example, practice from the beginning to the end. I know many students who are guilty of that. Always work on the passage that causes you to stumble. It is definitely not a slip if it happens every time you play that passage. Work on that measure itself, as it is probably due to unfamiliar notes or fingering issues. After working out the measure, take 2 measures before that and try connecting them together. You need to work on the minute details before playing the entire piece.
8. Close your eyes and let your fingers stop at any passage from the score, and try to start from that section; however awkward or inappropriate it might feel. This helps when a stumble occurs and it helps you to recover and pick up from where you stopped. Many students are unable to pick up from where they have stopped because they are used to going back to the beginning and starting over.
9. Do not over practice just before the exam as any mistakes or memory lapses will cause much anxiety and trigger more nerves during the actual performance as you will consciously worry about that passage that is coming up and will most likely stumble due to the built up of nerves.
These are some tips that I find useful in helping my students and is by no means over encompassing, but at least they are the fundamentals that help guide the students in the right direction.
Last but not least, the most important is to enjoy your performance and put a hundred percent in your playing. If you can't convince yourself, how will you be able to convince the examiner?
