How to get over Stage Fright

[snowicle]

I'm currently taking a piano lab course in that basically teaches someone how to play the piano.
Today was the "testing" day and all of us had to play a song that we were practicing, but when it was my turn to play I was really nervous and my hands kept shaking :noway: and I kept messing up :omg:

I was just wondering if anybody had any advice so that I could perform without being so nervous.

Thanks in advance.

[takasuryuuji]

Just think that your playing the piano alone in well lighted room... Just don't mind other people... just be your self....

[Rasen Oh]

Here are somethings that have helped me in things like this:
Spend sometime before calming down or getting it out of you.
Start to ignore the things going around you and focus on doing what you have to do.
Slap/hit yourself

I'm serious about this but, eat a banana (I'm serious)
I actually don't know if this helps or not. As far as I know, it could be just a placebo told to me when I was nervous. But if it does actually work or if it is just a placebo, it might have/will work for you. The reason this is in a spoiler tag is to prevent you from knowing that there is a chance that it is a placebo (I don't even know).
DON"T read the spoiler until after you've done what you need to do.

[kyoyahostluv]

Do not look at the audience and focus on the piano.
Only look at the audience after your done and bow of course! :D

[BrokenAngel]

I'm pretty bad with crowds as well... I usually try to forget there are other people in the room, you could also try the old school "imagine the audience is in their underwear" thing :P

[musikalles]

This is very important!
Getting over stage fright is about turning the anxious, nervous energy you might feel into a positive adrenaline boost. When people notice they're shaking and demand themselves to calm down, that unrealistic demand only makes it worse. Allow yourself to feel whatever emotion is natural for you but channel that negative tension and pump yourself up for success with it! :)

Also remember that the people who are watchig you aren't doing so to frown down on you. They have zero intention of making you feel bad and want you to do well for yourself, or frankly are impartial no matter what happens. They do not change you. They do not want to threaten you or want you to feel threatened. So just be-- and just do your job. The more experience you make yourself get, the easier it is to do too.

[awnaman123]

Imagine that u're the only one playing and there's nobody around u ...

and just calm down ....

u can overcome it .... :>

[rasendori700]

the thing that i do to overcome stage fright is just be myself whenever I'm performing in front of a crowd. whenever i do that, my confidence always boost up and i perform without messing up.

[Viletomb2010]

I have a stage fright too. When I am speaking in front of a large crowd I eat my own words but I currently overcoming it. Just do your best. You can calm yourself down before performing.

[eliemusica]

Idk if this is appropriate to mention or not but usually if I want to overcome the stage fright I just believe in myself that my singing voice is on par with andrea bocelli ;P
and I also deluded myself that everyone else is really bad than me ;P

[snowicle]

Thanks for all the help guys, much appreciated ^^ The next performance/testing will be in a week so i have this week to practice getting over my stage fright.
@Rasen Oh: I have lunch right before piano lab so i can try eating a banana XD
@BrokenAngel: More than half the class is girls so imagining them in underwear is... @.@ but ill try that anyway
@eliemusica: Andrea Bocelli is an amazing singer(so you must be too ^^) so i guess i can delude myself into thinking im as good as kyle landry
Again, thanks for all the advice.

[qwertyuiop10]

Me too!

Im alway nervous and my hand were cold as a ice

specially when i didnt do my best while practicing but

IF you do yourbest
Dont worry it will flow according to your plan

[Kobowo]

just think that there arent people there that are watching....

alternatively this works for me... think that the person you love the most is watching you and you want to impress him/her :D

[darkpoetry]

Fake it till you make it
Pretend your not nervous and act like you've don't care what other people think because you know what you are doing

I did some volunteer work teaching for 6 months when I was 18, and I was teaching 17 and 16 year olds.
I was nervous as hell being their new English and Math teacher for the next 6 months. The first few days were pretty nerve racking but you really do get used to it.
What I was most scared of was that the kids wouldn't listen to me and be disrespectful. I was after all, only 1 or 2 years older. But it was really the opposite, they were really good students.
A couple of death glares + "I'm sorry, what did you say?" at the punks got them quiet.
Likewise, your biggest fear is probably being ridiculed for your playing.
But if you really think about it, no one is cruel enough to do that.

When performing, its really helpful when you have something you know in the crowd.
Someone who knows how you really play and know that when you mess up, they know you are actually better.
Focus on them.

You are not the strange newbie object of attention.
When you are playing, you are on your stage and they are in your room.
Own it, you got full control and they can't say anything.

It honestly won't work the first time, but by the third time you will be feeling a lot better.

[Snoozy19]

I did hear of a method of just looking at one specific place. Like keep your glance at the keys and the piano itself.
Things start to slowly fade until you know, all your doing is paying the piano.

I guess its like a form of blocking things from your subconscious but it takes a while before you can do it without knowing that your doing... *you know what I mean??

[jalex]

I use to have that problem when I joined the debate team, I kept stuttering. But what I did was calm myself beforehand slow breathing exercises to slowdown my heartbeat and my shaking hands, and also you should practice playing in front of people maybe not a whole room but maybe one or two people it'll be help for you to get use to playing around a crowd.

[Bindu1000]

I have never played anything in front of a crowd, but I have done professional stage drama. At first I was a wreck, but then I realised something.

You have to get to the point where you are full of your own awesomeness :1: So what if you make a mistake? So what if some there dont like your playing? The fact is - less than 1% in the whole world can play a piano and play it so well, you can play it in front of others and you are one of that less than 1% so whatever you play - its gonna be good. To hell with what the other people think. You are playing for your own pleasure and joy... so play.

Good luck for your next performance :3:

[lemonsquare]

Hmmm. You'll overcome it eventually, don't worry. :)

It's just your first time to perform in front of many people, hmmm. You just need to have more self confidence.

[lolkaitlin]

Keep putting yourself in situations that make you feel anxious. I used to be the same - always terrified to stand up in front of a crowd, heart racing when my name was called to talk in front of the class. Honestly, all you need to do is force yourself into really anxiety-causing situations and let it die out while you're still in that situation.

For me, I had to do a presentation in front of my class that lasted almost an hour long? Not that long but being up there for so long inevitably caused me to get really anxious but over time, I realized it's not that bad, haha.

[7DeadlySins]

I had that same kind of problem when i was young...
Now I got rid of it

My suggestion:
You could just accept the errors and tell them its just a joke/your just making fun of them. Then when time comes you will eventually improve and would be able to distinguish what is a practice and what is a joke.(thats my courage enhacement technique >:) . And by that time you will say a joke is a joke and a real performance is a real performance.

to make things short....
learn from your fears and use it to overcome them.... sounds weird huh? try it :)

[Roxyyy3]

I have the same problem. What i do is i pretend i'm by myself or just look at yourself playing the keyboard and of the song you will be playing and try to get into the music. When your done take a bow cause obviously your amazing and then go out for cake :D

[Sora Kasugano]

getting over Stage Fright?

hmmm, I guess you need to believe in your self and be confident as always, and never give up. Getting over stage fright is about turning the anxious, nervous energy you might feel into a positive adrenaline boost. So I would normally practice it with my friends XD