A performance can be a school assembly, a family gathering, an online concert or a graded exam. The preparation is much the same. Here is a calm plan that works for any of them.
Plan backwards from the day
Count the weeks until the performance, then divide them into three stages:
- Learn. Get every note, rhythm and fingering secure, slowly.
- Shape. Add the dynamics, phrasing and speed you want.
- Perform. Play the piece all the way through, as if it were the day.
If the performance is close, spend less time learning and more time performing. A piece you can play calmly from start to finish is better than a harder piece you have only half learned.
Practise the hard bits, then the whole piece
Most practice should go on the bars that still go wrong. Play them slowly, then a little faster, and join them to the bars on either side.
Then, every day, play the whole piece once without stopping, even if something slips. On the day you will not be able to stop and start again, so practise carrying on.
Rehearse the moment, not just the music
Performing is a skill of its own. Practise the parts around the music too:
- walking on, setting up and checking your instrument is in tune
- taking a breath and counting yourself in
- what you will do if you make a mistake (keep going, and pick up at the next bar)
- finishing, pausing and bowing or saying thank you
Play for an audience before the day
Play for family, friends or a recording on your phone. Each small audience makes the real one feel more familiar. For an online performance, rehearse on the device you will use, with the camera where it will be.
Nerves are normal
Most performers feel nervous, and it often means you care about doing well. A few things help:
- Breathe slowly before you start: in for four counts, out for six.
- Start at a steady speed. Nerves tend to make us rush.
- Focus on the music, not on the people listening.
- Remember the plan. You have practised carrying on after a slip.
The day itself
- Warm up gently. Do not try to learn anything new.
- Eat something light, and have water nearby.
- Arrive, or log in, early, so there is time to settle.
- Afterwards, notice what went well before you think about what to change.
Performing with Piedbells
We hold online performances, and we help students find chances to perform near them, in their schools and cities. Your tutor can build a performance plan around your pieces and your date, including graded exams with ABRSM, Trinity, Rockschool or MUSON.
Further reading
- How much should a beginner practise each week?: a simple weekly plan.
- Exam preparation and scholarship: ABRSM, Trinity, Rockschool and MUSON.
- BAPAM: managing performance anxiety: advice for performers from the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine.
- BAPAM: how performance psychology can help: simple exercises from a performance psychologist.
Have a performance coming up? Book a free 30-minute trial lesson.