Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Need help being calm in front of teacher.

I was a self-taught piano student for five years before I took up with a teacher this past January. While in the course of my self-study I tried not to incur any bad habits, studied thru Alfred's method books and attained a level of proficiency to read music at a grade 3 level. I have also taken to the Faber Jazz Series by Pam Wedgewood and can play several of her tunes flawlessly, from memory, and with dynamics and in tempo.

I'm very happy (and lucky, so I read at PW) to have found a teacher who took this 63-year old beginner. She has me on Alfred's Basic Adult Book 2 from the onset.

Here's my problem: I cannot play my learned lessons correctly when in the practice room. I fumble with the keys, speed up, slow dow, go back, forget; terrible technique! Specific items she tells me to work on, even if I perfected them in my own practice sessions, I fail to demonstrate aptly. When I am home, I play fluidly, right on time, no errors.

At first it didn't bother me. I had never performed in front of others during my self-taught days and so it was natural to "feel watched". But its been four months now (lessons weekly)and I still fumble, forget, miss keys, etc. And it actually feels as though its getting worse as I get more frustrated about it.

My teacher is Very patient and understanding. She said at first it was normal. I not making the right mistakes in her presence, the ones where I really need help. Instead I'm being giving instruction on the errors I don't really make outside of the practice room.

Do you have any suggestions for me? Valium, perhaps?

Your call on the Valium--for me it would certainly cut down on the number of wrong notes played, because the total number of notes would go to zero because I would be sleeping!

Seriously though: take a few deep breaths, play slowly, and identify the places you want to work on. It also won't hurt anything to work on the places you mess up when you are nervous.

I have dealt with this issue during my 20 months of lessons, although not to the extent you are describing.

One thing that helps, is that my teacher knows me well, and gives me ample time to get a piece right at the lesson. This helps quite a bit. I also came to the conclusion that if I can't play a piece properly at a lesson after several attempts, I really haven't quite mastered it yet, even if everything seems to work at home.

Every student has some level of this issue I guess, and a really good teacher understands this. I think this will get better over time.

With students who have this occur I often step out of the studio room for a few minutes and let them warm up...They have traveled in from a busy day, are in a different room than their familiar home practice room, playing a different piano, having to perform "cold". All with the teacher looming...

Even professionals will warm up prior to their "on" performance, if only to play a very familiar piece to get acclimated.

It does help!

Another thing to try is to play something for starters with the teacher that is super-easy...and do it very slowly. Much harder to make a mistake then.

Another thought...If you are trying to play what you are just learning, then that is a recipe for disaster.

Going back to what professionals do, they rarely play for an audience music that they are just learning. Instead, they typically play music that is very solid...especially for the first few songs.

So try starting your lesson with a piece that is considerably below your level...you should be able to do it well, which will warm you up, and boost your confidence.

Do you sit differently when you're at the home vs. during the lesson? Are the pianos and stools very different? Small changes in my sitting and posture can make a big difference in how comfortably I can play.

It's difficult to know from your post whether you're getting performance anxiety, or whether you're not quite as prepared as you thought, as you said it 'didn't bother' you at first.

A quick way to know whether it's performance anxiety is to take a small dose propranolol before your next lesson, but obviously, if you have medical conditions (- ask your doctor: it's a prescription drug), you might not be able to. But definitely not Valium - it will just zonk you out.

Or even better, try out your pieces in front of an audience - even if it's just one close relative.

I certainly know from my current monthly recital that I play differently in front of an audience compared to playing at home for myself. Any little thing that's not totally secure in my practice sessions will be greatly magnified under scrutiny (self-scrutiny, in my case, as my audience have been carefully selected so they aren't familiar with what I play ), and a little hesitation will become a glaring memory lapse, or a hit-or-miss note will turn into a whole bunch of wrong notes, when playing for an audience.

Even though I don't really feel under pressure playing for my select audience (as I would if playing for a knowledgeable audience), I still get the adrenaline/epinephrine 'rush' coursing through me when I'm performing - I tend to play fast music faster, loud music louder, and generally with an edge, and a wider range of tempi and dynamics than what I'd do at home. Which of course, increases the risk of mistakes, but also makes it more exciting for the audience. But that's all part and parcel of performing - my audience aren't there to hear me practicing, after all.

So, if you think of playing in front of your teacher in that light, instead of getting frustrated, think in terms of giving her a 'performance' when you play your pieces for her. And practice like a professional. (Professionals practice so that they don't make mistakes; amateurs practice in order to reduce the number of mistakes...... ).

Someone else expressed the same thought a little differently here a while ago, and I found that one even more compelling: amateurs practice until they can do it right. Professionals practice until they can't do it wrong.

OP, your description of what happens when you play in front of your teacher sounds very, very familiar to me. Part of it is what bennevis said, I think: you may *believe* that you can play your pieces perfectly. But probably, there are still some tiny hesitations that you've learned to "skip over"at home (either literally, or you just don't hear them anymore), which then get magnified during your lesson, partly under the influence of adrenaline.

The other thing is: maybe it didn't bother you at first because you didn't care so much about what your teacher thought. And now that you've gotten to know her, you do (or more so than before).

I have no solution for you, except this: choose what you work on wisely. Don't try to reach beyond your grasp. If anything, reach a little below it. And yes, practice until you can't do it wrong.

You describe your playing in front of your teacher as "performing" "being watched". I think this is where your problems start. Playing for a teacher in a lesson is not a performance. I know that when you think highly of your teacher and their opinion is very important to you that it can feel like a performance. But it's not. The teacher is there specifically to help you in problem areas. In a performance, there are technically supposed to be no problem areas.

I wish I had advice as to how to switch how you mind perceives your lesson. But, try to begin to believe that it is truly not a performance.

As for "being watched". Well, it's hard to get around that one. The teacher IS there to watch your playing to see deficiencies and help you improve them. They can't exactly help your problem areas if they don't get to watch you play and see where the problems are.

But mostly, try to begin to change your own perception that your playing in a lesson is not a performance. Mistakes are natural. If you could play everything perfectly, you won't need your teacher at all.

My advice on taking meds is don't. Not for lessons. I'm not even sure I would to deal with real performance anxiety in recital. I've been told to eat a banana. It helps with stomach butterflies. I'm serious.

See that, I would also advise against (although I suppose it varies from person to person, and also depends on when, exactly you'd eat that banana). I tend to vomit when I'm really anxious. Only once in my life did I make the mistake of eating before a recital. I won't make that same mistake again.

Sometimes my teacher pretends not to be paying attention.
I find it charmingly ironic and amusing.

Have you considered video-taping your practice at home? It would serve a couple of purposes. You would be able to watch yourself afterwards, and maybe realize that some of your practice isn't all you think it is while playing (it's often that way). It would get you used to 'playing in front of somebody', and yes, it is very similar to having an audience, just watch what happens when the red dot comes on, or at least show up your week spots when 'performing', but at home during practice. Finally, it you really do put in a first rate performance at home, you can simply take that video with your to your teacher (or send her a link), to show her that you can in fact do this, which in turn might help your anxiety.

Rocket88, a lot of good ideas, and worth bumping. I especially appreciate you mentioning what professionals do, which shows the human limitations of all people - if this is where they are at, why should students beat themselves up?

Thank you, Keystring.

BTW, as for playing in public strong material that the musicians know very well, I recently read an article about Willie Nelson.

He travels with the same band, and the material they play for their first set (about 45 minutes) has been the same songs in the same order since the early 1970's.

So, welcome to the club. Some of us get nervous, some of us don't. I can turn into a basket case with my teacher, but not always. I was taking lessons from two Artists over a period of 4 years; it was a set-up for those of us with nerves. I was nervous before every lesson. After several years, I finally calmed down a bit. I am told that part of the problem is ego. I believe it. Also, I am told that it's part being hyper-self-critical. Either way, the results are the same, and being told to relax is just plain bovine excrement. Not that it will help you any, but even very great artists, such as Artur Rubinstein, often got so nervous before a performance, that he would vomit. The only useful advice I can offer is try to focus totally on the music; if your focus is off of you and instead on the music, you may find your problems over.

Part of my anxiety stems around the fact that I'm not very enamored with the music in Alfred's 2. Actually we had started with Fundamental Keys, a book I purchased and brought to my first class. Teacher decided to go with it even though she was unfamiliar with it. I really enjoyed learning the pieces however and truly felt that I was moving towards a study in classical music, however remedial. But then about six weeks into our lessons she said we were changing to Alfred's 2. Its a book she has used for years and she felt I would derive more technique from it. I didn't balk because anything that moves me along the learning path is okay by me. But the pieces have been challenging both to my ear and good taste. I find it difficult to practice them as I need to play them scores of times and I just don't like the music. I will say now that one of the reasons I chose self study in the beginning was to avoid the remedial folk tune/public domain course of study. I wanted to choose tunes that appealed to my ear and heart. I taught myself to sight read very well and worked up to playing tunes from the Pam Wedgewood Jazz series as well as pop piano pieces by David Nevue and Yurima. Folk just doesn't do it for me. (I know, children are so much easier-now I know why Adult students are challenge!)

Another thing that throws me off is the instrument in the music room. Now I don't own an acoustic but do have a decent digital piano; the Yamaha P-155 (which I love!). The keys in the practice room is a lesser Casio model with a more "electronic" sound. The "C" throws me off every time.

Maybe one of the reasons I feel calm at home is that I'm knocking down a few brews while I play. Maybe I should try this strategy at lesson time.

A quick question based on this:

What have you been taught about the nature of practice? If you are playing something scores of times, that is not how practising works, and this could be the root of some of your problems. Can you describe a typical thing you are being asked to aim toward, and how you go about it in practising?

We're on Light & Blue. I know the piece by heart but at the lesson my fingers occasionally tripped on some of the patterns (around measure 9) so it is these that I practice over the week to the next lesson. After playing these passages about 50 times I believe I got it down pat for the lesson. The lesson comes and I fumble and miss keys I didn't do in practice.

Still working on Tumbialalaika as well in getting the 'Extended Position' line down. I know it. I can do it. I even practice it with my eyes closed and can do it. But at lesson time...can't do it, eyes open.

Frankly I just chuckle to myself telling myself "here I go again. I know I know it I just can't do it here." I'm still finding value in the instruction.

I'm not sure if this was in answer to my question.

Hi teelions, first of all you are not alone, we all get nerves and "new mistakes" when playing a piece in front of other listeners for the first time.

It is actually helpful to make mistakes in front of your teacher. Being both a teacher and a student I know how embarrassing and frustrating this can be (particularly if it is not a frequent mistake at home). But the teacher is most useful when helping the student improve. So in front of the teacher is the best place for problems to occur. A teacher just applauding for a good performance is less useful, except to point out certain things you did well that you should keep doing.

Random difficulties will occur in a piece if you are playing much faster than usual. So maybe be sure that you aren't suddenly zooming along when you play for your teacher.

And most of all do not worry. You are definitely not the only one making mistakes on that piano. As I tell my students, the teacher's piano has mistakes made all over it all day long, many of them my own

Perhaps you need a ritual every time before you play the first note...

Before you play...
1. Make a smile (even if it's just acting)
2. Breathe with focus slowly 3 times
Then...
3. Go slowly (play very very slowly, not a performance speed, this should help you focus/concentrate on the shapes, touch, note order and timing.

4. It's about acceptance, you need to dismiss your ego, wrong notes happen, be mature enough not to react emotionally to errors.