Performing on stage in front of a large crowd can be one of the most intimidating aspects of being a pianist, but it doesn’t have to be.
When playing in front of a large group of people or crowd, it’s easy to get intimidated, nervous and insecure about your performance skills. However, with preparation and practice, performing on stage can become a lot less stressful and more enjoyable.
Here are 3 tips to playing the piano in front of large crowds:
1) Performance Details Can Make All the Difference.
As pianists, oftentimes we are focused so strongly on just practicing the music we are performing, and overlook practicing the series of events that occur around the performance.
For example, when was the last time you practiced taking a bow?
Or tracked what food you ate prior to sitting down to play?
Or monitored how much water you drank in the hours leading up to your performance?
These might seem like silly questions to be asking yourself, but practicing the details can often make or break a performance.
To frame this correctly, it’s important to first understand that your performance as a pianist does not begin when you step on stage, but in the minutes and hours leading up to your performance.
2) Practice Makes Perfect…Or At Least Better!
When performing in front of large crowds, it’s not unusual for your hands to shake as you are playing due to anxiety. In some extreme cases, this can completely disrupt a pianist during a performance.
One way to offset some of the anxiety that is somewhat inevitable when stepping on stage is to practice performing in front of people on a more consistent basis.
The more you can play in front of people, the more comfortable you will feel in various performance situations.
For example, when providing piano lessons for beginners in our Aliso Viejo studio, KW Music Studios encourages students to perform in front of friends and family prior to any scheduled recitals.
This allows students to feel more comfortable in performance situations, and can make a big difference when they step foot on stage.
3) How Well Do You Really Know the Work / Song You’re Performing?
During a performance, there are always going to be moments where subtle lapses in concentration can occur. If that moment occurs during a challenging part of the work then there is a greater likelihood of a mistake.
These types of “mental lapse” mistakes can often be avoided however by focusing your practice routines on the most challenging areas of the work you are performing.
In your practice routines leading up to a performance, try to dedicate a portion of time specifically to the most difficult musical lines, and break down where any mistakes might be occurring.
Once you’ve found a challenging phrase, scale or chord, keep practicing it over and over until it becomes second nature to play and you’ve established the necessary muscle memory to perform it.
At KW Music Studios, we hold two recitals each year for piano students of all ages with one occurring in the spring and one in the fall. These recitals help both kids and adults who are taking piano lessons to develop their performance skills in front of a large crowd of people.
We also offer numerous studio classes, where students can perform for each other in a smaller performance environment in the Aliso Viejo studio. Students are also encouraged to play in community recitals and local festivals and competitions to give them more opportunities to play.
With the help of our piano teachers, we’ve been able to help students in studio and in their home develop their performance skills all over Orange County, CA.
- Genda Phool - May 27, 2020
- Qismat - May 27, 2020
- Naagin (Aashta Gill) - May 24, 2020
