Dealing with nerves

[Meerkatdawg]

Ive been playing just over two months now and I couldnt be more in love with my Accordion, but I seem to be developing nerves at my lessons. My teacher couldnt be nicer and puts no pressure on me, but for some reason Ive started to go to bits when I get there. He thinks Im putting too much pressure on myself. I dont know. This was meant to be a hobby and its rapidly taking over !! :lol:

Anyway...I thought that I have to rectify this, but I cant replicate my nerves when I play at home. Or so I thought when I clicked record. It seems to be having the same effect anyway which is forcing me to actually get back to concentrating rather than worrying about mistakes...which there are a few here and one or two tempo wobbles. I was just amazed that I got to the end without throwing my Sonola at the dog.

 

[fjsys]

Nicely done.

Honestly I have no recommendation for getting over nerves. I struggle with them all the time.
The only suggestion that I have is more preparation. It seems the better prepared I am the less likely anyone will notice my nerves.

Ben

 

[Rebeka]

I've been playing for 22 years, and I still suffer from nerves. Not when I'm playing in the house, but when I'm out, I sometimes shake so badly I drop music and stuff. It doesn't affect my playing though.

Sorry, I know that's not particularly helpful, but you're not alone, and it's something that you'll overcome - eventually you'll either stop getting nervous, or your playing will sound fine despite it

 

[Meerkatdawg]

Its maybe the deer in the headlights look giving me away!

Nicely done.

Honestly I have no recommendation for getting over nerves. I struggle with them all the time.
The only suggestion that I have is more preparation. It seems the better prepared I am the less likely anyone will notice my nerves.

Ben

 

[Meerkatdawg]

I suppose so...its just annoying when all you can think about is being worried about thinking about being worried.

Ive been playing for 22 years, and I still suffer from nerves. Not when Im playing in the house, but when Im out, I sometimes shake so badly I drop music and stuff. It doesnt affect my playing though.

Sorry, I know thats not particularly helpful, but youre not alone, and its something that youll overcome - eventually youll either stop getting nervous, or your playing will sound fine despite it

 

[BobM]

Look for a friendly face in the crowd, and in your mind play to that person. And take comfort from that most people what to see you succeed, especially in a paying crowd.

BobM.

 

[Soulsaver]

I suppose so...its just annoying when all you can think about is being worried about thinking about being worried.

Yes - thats the negative circle that the psychologists say you have to break... the Cognitive Behavioural Therapists suggest you need to think/find positives to focus on/tell yourself in the lead up (from when you start worrying) to your performance.
Make sure youre well rehearsed, start (or even stay) with pieces you find the easiest that sound good, stick to the plan, at least til the nerves settle, and they WILL settle after a few mins; KNOW they will settle; DO NOT rush: Focus on your playing rather than your self view/how you feel, or mind reading - second guessing the audience(teacher) reaction (thinking about what they will think if you screw it up...etc)

Easier said than done... I know. Good luck.

 

[dunlustin]

Yes, to all the above.
I'm still amazed at how something so irrational can have such a strong effect.
It has become worse with time.
In the past I've found it useful to record pieces as for some reason it has a similar effect to an audience.
Also playing when you know someone else is around tho' not in the room.
Finally, "overprepare" - if you're going to lose 30% from worry then try to be 30% better before you start.

 

[Nonny Mouse]

This chap has some interesting stuff on his blog, not just about stage fright.

http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/

It is difficult with playing music, as people tend to judge the on the spot performance.

Ive now accepted that at some point I will have stage fright hit whilst playing in front of people, and strangely enough this has helped me deal with it. It doesnt seem to matter if its a new piece, or something Ive been playing for years. Ive learnt just to shrug and carry on if I can, and grin and do something else if I cant! Thats one of the nice things about being an amateur!

 

[acordiansam]

I had a player once tell me. Stop making that face when you mess up. It tells every one. Just smile and above all keep going. Anouther person told me that atleast 90% of the people don't know even if you do. 1st song is always the ice breaker for me. I have no problem playing for people I don't know. Put sum one I know is a player out there it's more presser. All in all you just have to go for it. As far as recording just let it run. Don't turn it on and off for each song.
It's all in fun!
Sam

 

[Soulsaver]

And playing it just a little slower than your top speed can help. The problem with nerves is tension in the arm/hand - the inbuilt sense of where the right keys are is affected by tension, making them more difficult to find. Don't even start on what it does to touch! Slowing it down a little should give you a better chance.

 

[Anyanka]

Nice recording! I play terribly when I try to record.
However, I got over the performance nerves (to a large extent) by playing in front of people again & again. It took over a year, but now I just enjoy it. Morris is a good practice, because you're drowned out by the bells and people watch the dancers; I also play for French dance and ceilidhs, and again - the dancers are busy and don't watch the band or listen to closely.

re making faces... Tweed told us to smile when we make a mistake. It's a very good trick because smiling makes you feel good, and there's a chance of fooling the audience into believing that it was a) deliberate and/or b) jazz.

 

[Meerkatdawg]

Noooo....that would make it worse, surely?

Look for a friendly face in the crowd, and in your mind play to that person. And take comfort from that most people what to see you succeed, especially in a paying crowd.

BobM.

 

[james_from_stoke]

I have a bit of a problem where my body gets nervous but I don't. I often begin to play (for others) feeling very optimistic and calm, only to look down at my hands and find that I'm shaking like a leaf in a gale. This now makes me nervous - I don't worry about playing. I worry about shaking so much I can't hit the notes. People think I'm really scared, but I'm not.
Oh well...
It will, perhaps, get better with time. And it stops once I have been playing for a while for the same people.
I think for this, it just takes more performance.

Oddly, when I busk I'm fine

 

[JIM D.]

This might help you and might not. -- Some 60 years ago at 9 years old, and have been taking accordion lessons for two years, was invited to bring my accordion with me on one of my weekly visits to my Grandfathers home. The 2 tunes I played were "O Sole Mio and Cielito Lindo that I had learned a played quite well. I was quite nervous as in these weekly visits the house was filled with aunts and uncles. I played the tunes while sitting in a chair and although played them well was very nervous and did not smile. When I finished the comments were "you play quite well" and "with more practice you will become another Dick Contino. After this performance my uncle Tom (who also played the accordion) took me aside and said, you played the tunes perfectly but you must improve on how you present yourself. His advice was to go home and play the same tunes in front of a mirror will standing and smiling. I brought the accordion on the next weeks visit, played the same 2 tunes this time standing and smiling, and the comments were "see what some practice will do" and "100% better". To this day I will occasionally play in front of a mirror for confidence before a performance.

 

[morenito]

It often happens when you get close to the accordion . It seems a simple tool ; you are passionate about and you want to then immediately forge ahead . But the nerves ( the nervous system ) has its time . Good luck! :b

 

[Panya37]

As a player of one week's experience, I'd like to say how encouraging I found your lovely little recording. I like the tune so much I might try to play it myself! If you can do that when you are feeling nervous I look forward to hearing what you play when you're relaxed.

Others here have given great suggestions about overcoming nerves; I can only maybe add from my experience (at the risk of stating the obvious): make sure you keep breathing. I had to develop a way of calming nerves as my work required me to do a lot of public speaking, sometimes to large gatherings. I am normally a fairly extrovert person but when I started giving talks my body had other ideas. I had a series of harrowing 'freeze-ups' where I could barely remember my own name, never mind give a decent talk! The situation got worse and worse, until I finally realised that a simple physical act - breathing properly - could really help me keep a handle on the nerves and from that moment on the situation started to turn around. In the end I rarely experienced much in the way of anxiety any more.

I am sure you know we tend to constrict or hold our breath if we are tense; but with awareness we can use this relationship between breath and tension to literally breathe out our nerves. A little bit of practice at a time when you are NOT stressed will go a long way to helping you remember to breathe and relax at the tricky moments. Gentle breathing using the diaphragm (meaning, breathing down into the belly, NOT hunching up your shoulders or puffing out your chest) and making sure you don't hold your breath at all after the in-breath or out-breath, can work wonders. Choose a trigger word to remind yourself to relax and breathe consciously and see if that helps?

 

[Meerkatdawg]

Very true...but also...when someone gives a a compliment after playing, say thank you...dont tear yourself to bits or say that was dire etc. Makes their compliment seem unimportant and pointless.

I had a player once tell me. Stop making that face when you mess up. It tells every one. Just smile and above all keep going. Anouther person told me that atleast 90% of the people dont know even if you do. 1st song is always the ice breaker for me. I have no problem playing for people I dont know. Put sum one I know is a player out there its more presser. All in all you just have to go for it. As far as recording just let it run. Dont turn it on and off for each song.
Its all in fun!
Sam

 

[Meerkatdawg]

Thats a great site. Im definitely going to be looking a lot more in depth at that.

This chap has some interesting stuff on his blog, not just about stage fright.

http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/

It is difficult with playing music, as people tend to judge the on the spot performance.

Ive now accepted that at some point I will have stage fright hit whilst playing in front of people, and strangely enough this has helped me deal with it. It doesnt seem to matter if its a new piece, or something Ive been playing for years. Ive learnt just to shrug and carry on if I can, and grin and do something else if I cant! Thats one of the nice things about being an amateur!

 

[Meerkatdawg]

Very true...its the easiest thing to start too fast and then just get faster and faster...

And playing it just a little slower than your top speed can help. The problem with nerves is tension in the arm/hand - the inbuilt sense of where the right keys are is affected by tension, making them more difficult to find. Dont even start on what it does to touch! Slowing it down a little should give you a better chance.