I’ve been performing on tour with Circa Paleo for 20 weeks now, and have gotten waaay behind on answering emails and messages. I just got a Facebook message today with a juicy question that made me really miss interacting with all you fiddlers out there- it’s been so long that I’ve been on tour I can’t wait to get back to making videos!
Here’s the question from Michael Cannain that I can totally relate to:
“Hi Jenny. I have a question. What kind of advice do you have for those of us who play, but get nervous in front of crowds? Nervous up to and including shaking..sounds horrible on a violin…just wondering.”
And here’s what I said:
Dear Michael,
This is a great question!
I used to get nervous and shake as well. I know- it makes it completely impossible to play the dang thing.
There are a few personal tricks and warm ups that I could demonstrate better in a video. I will add this to my list of videos to make in the new year. But for now, I still wanted to share the three most basic helpful tips for managing nerves while playing in front of people:
1) Be Prepared.
It helps if you have practiced the tune a LOT on your own time. Try this confidence building exercise:
Give yourself a challenge to play the piece or sections of the piece 10 times in a row with no mistakes. If you make a mistake, play only that section 10 times in a row. Once you have the section down consistently, then go back to playing the whole piece. Once you’ve achieved the 10 times all the way through with no mistakes, celebrate and take a break.
2) Keep doing it!
Playing in front of people is a separate skill that has to be practiced. It’s sometimes difficult being a capable adult to accept that other people will watch us learn, or in other words… see us while we still suck at something.
Seek out every opportunity to play in front of people even though it’s scary. Start with one or two of your best most prepared tunes. Play for an individual friend, or small groups of family- just anyone you can get to listen. Tell them that playing in front of people makes you nervous, but that you are trying to overcome it. When you are ready you can step it up to playing for strangers. Many hospitals and nursing homes have programs for volunteer musicians, and you will find very appreciative small audiences.
3) Breathe
Holding your breath is a common unconscious reaction to playing in front of people, and it makes things infinitely worse. If you can remember to breath, you might find that helps your body stay more relaxed. Thinking about breathing also gives you something to distract you from the fact that there are people watching you. Try practicing at home with designated spots to breathe in rhythm with the tune.
And stay tuned on youtube, because I will be very interested to answer this in more depth when I get back to making videos next year.
Keep playing!
Jenny
If anyone else has a tip for Michael, or experience with getting over nerves, please leave your ideas in the comments section below!
Wonderful to reae some news from you Jenny after a long time 🙂
Michael,
I would like to provide some additional advice that may be helpful when it comes to dealing with your nerves and performing in front of an audience. The advice Jenny gave sounds great! Definitely try to be prepared. Just be careful not to try to over prepare either or become too obsessed with perfection, unless you’re playing for Juilliard or have entered into a major contest like “America’s Got Talent,” because seeking perfection can actually inflame your fears, especially if you have weeks ahead of time to dwell on it. Ironically, sometimes the harder one tries to play perfectly the easier one starts to fumble. When one is truly relaxed and even enjoying the moment, not so worried about negative consequences, one can draw closer and closer to perfection. But keep in mind, as you probably already well know, absolute perfection can never be achieved. So don’t stress over it too much. Don’t feel that the sky will come falling down if you don’t get every single note exactly just right all the way through, during a performance. Though do try to get every note just right during your more private practice sessions as a training exercise, as Jenny recommended. Allow yourself to be human, to make a mistake or two, and forgive yourself when you do. Chances are, most audience members won’t even notice. Also, try to have fun with it. Try to enjoy the moment. Don’t just play for the audience, play for yourself as well. And don’t expect to ever fully overcome your nerves, one hundred percent. It can’t be done. It’s natural to be a little tense, especially in the beginning of any and all performances. All of the top performers, past and present, deal with nerves on some level, to at least some degree. But some nerves can be a good thing when kept in check. Well managed nerves can help you focus and play well.
Good luck!
Guyus
Hi Mike,
I get nervous playing the violin, too! These tips are very helpful, and being prepared is a must. There’s one other thing that has helped me. I try not to even think of being nervous, mind over matter. I take a nice deep breath, think of playing, only, and before I know it, I’ve played my tunes, and played them quite well. I am trying to become a more relaxed person, aside from playing the violin. This, too, takes practice, but works when playing the violin. Rather I am playing for a crowd, or alone in my practice room, my goal is to one day play to the beat of my heart and to every breath I take. Life is beautiful, and so is doing what you love, with love. These are gifts from God!
Blessings,
Dyan
I don’t have any advice to add as I am with Michael on this one. I get very nervous too when I am playing solo in front of a crowd and sometimes even forget what I am playing. Thank you for posting this question and your answer. This list of advice IS helpful. I look forward to your video on this topic!
Jenny….just finished watching all 8 videos on Last of The Mohicans theme…thought they were great…..very, very useful….wouldn’t change anything…I’m just starting out with the violin, so have a long way to go, but I think you’re making my journey a lot easier…..thanks!
Er…you left out: Throw down two or three beers before stepping out there. Hey, it used to work in rock & roll, where all we did was make noise in time to the drum! Okay, that’s not for everyone. Mebbe it works for Keith Richards…But the breathing thing is really serious. It’s awfully easy to not breathe, even during practice. There’s an old anti-stage-fright thing that actually might help. Imagine your audience is all in their underwear. It makes you feel superior, and you can then play in a more relaxed manner. Best wishes to you, Jenny, always, and thanks for putting up with me.
Haha! You’re right there could have been a whole part about drinks in the article… For me personally, more than 1.5 drinks and I should not be behind the wheel of a violin. I’ll have to try the ol’ underwear trick again sometime!! That’s a good one! This also brings up an awesome point kind of the opposite of yours that I forgot to mention in the article. If I drink caffeine, I get super nervous and can’t play violin. I learned this on some coffee shop gigs early on in my career. I found a correlation to caffein and my nerves so I no longer drink coffee on show days. It was very sad not to be able to order the double mocha mint cappuccino before the show, especially when that was the only way we were being paid!
I would like to say that all three of those helpful tricks will help for any kind of activity where one finds themselves in front of an audience. When I was in college, I had to give a presentation (at least once a month) in front of the class.
Being prepared and knowing the material definitely helps. I also found that, as I kept giving presentations, I became a little more comfortable in front of a a room full of my peers. And, yes. Breathe. It’s a little difficult to do anything after you’ve turned blue and passed out due to oxygen deprivation. 😉
I think the most important tool in the arsenal of anti-nervousness is attitude. Once you have the proper attitude, or frame of mind, you’ll find that your nervousness isn’t all that debilitating. It will still be there. But, you’ll be able to work around, over, and through it.
Unfortunately, I can’t really tell you how to reach that frame of mind. I can only tell you what would work for me. And I’m not sure how helpful that would be for others. By the way, my way of reaching that state of mind is by pretending that I am not, but a more experienced person doing whatever it is I am supposed to be doing. Basically, a form of role-playing.
I think I will stop rambling and go listen to some more music.
Night all.
I am going to steal a quote here from my vocal coach: “A wrong note sung tentatively is a mistake. A wrong note sung with confidence is an interpretation.” And as Jenny said in her second comment, take advantage of every opportunity you have to play in front of people. Relax, and remember, that your audience doesn’t expect perfection at this stage of your playing.
“remember, that your audience doesn’t expect perfection at this stage of your playing.” – Michael Prevost. This helped me a lot. I am about to do my first solo and I couldn’t stop thinking about my flaws. Once I viewed this I seemed to stop shaking. Thank you.
That’s awesome. Have a great show! I used to shake all the time. I remember my hands shaking so much I could barely finish the piece once but the listers still treated me nicely.
I recently played in an assisted living community. It was the first recital in 8 years. I am used to playing in front of family but not in front of others. I thought I did terribly, but everyone said I was great. All I could think about was how shaky I was, and there were a few times when I messed the notes up pretty badly.
At that point I would go back and try to fix the flubbed notes(don’t know why,) I guess was trying to make it sound intentional. This article will definitely help me manage the ‘excitement,’ better in the future. I’m not going to quit because of that experience.
Good advice. I will try it. Last night I was beating myself up over a rushed nervous solo (first one). I was so nervous and shakey that I raced through the tune at warp speed half way through, which was not good. Wasn’t enjoying myself but pushed to the end. No one at our jam could attempt to accompany. I had a Coke beforehand. Will eliminate caffeine and try again next time using all the tips. Glad I am not the only one. I agree that playing in front of a crowd is equal to learning a completely new skill. I am 42 and only just started to play in front of and with others in the past few months. I have learned my timing sucks as well.
Thanks for your candor Cat. I hope you’ll keep us posted.
Another tip about playing the violin in front of an audience and trying to overcome your nervousness is, if it’s an option, play along with someone else a few times until you feel comfortable. This really, really helps. My brother has played the violin for many years and plays everywhere. I have played a few times in public along with my brother, and eventually played without him. It made all the difference!
Hang in there, all you hard working violinists. It’s a beautiful gift to even have the desire to play the violin. Don’t ever give up on any part of the endeavor. The rewards are huge with every hurdle you climb. Violinists are far and few. Be proud of every step you take, good or not so good. It’s not easy learning to play the violin. Your audience marvels over anything you can do, A FOR EFFORT! Violinists are rare, for a reason!
BLESSINGS,
Dyan
I love this Dyan. Thanks so much for the great tips and encouraging words for everyone. You are so right!