Overcoming Stage Fright: Tips to Perform Your Best When it Counts!
Brandon Acker teaches guitarists how to beat stage fright. This video also applies to all musicians.
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Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:52 It’s normal to have stage fright
1:47 Embarrassing story #1
3:58 What exactly is stage fright?
5:23 Embarassing story #2
8:00 Classical Guitar Pro
8:33 Breathing
10:25 The banana trick
10:51 Mindfulness meditation
12:05 Avoiding distractions
14:20 Preparation
16:20 Book recommendations
16:50 Classical Guitar Pro
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Originally posted by UC-GiI_5U-WkPIKqsq056wvg at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU0dKUhgLn8
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I did…. How embarrrassing.! ????
Hi Brandon, some useful tips here. Both of the books you recommend seem to be unavailable (or costing hundreds). Any other recommendations? Thanks, Dominic
It's really useful, thanks ❤
Great advice! Thanks for the video
Time playing and practicing does help, as does a familiar routine. Solo recitals are definitely the most nerve wracking until you drop into the zone. The more you play, the quicker the nerves pass but you will have some horror stories, eventually. With woodwind I have had to fail publicly twice. A fit of coughing in both cases in the same week. The first hint of a nasty cold. What to do?? I simply cleared my throat, apologised and restarted. Terrifying until you realise the audience wasn’t getting aggressive or nasty. The clapping was genuine and the errors forgotten. In the after gig events it was wonderful how many people came to see me and asked if I was okay. Their kindness gave me courage in the future. They trust you to do your best, you show your respect for the audience by giving your best.
However, without question, most of any audience won’t hear an error you make as you play through your pieces. As we play we are definitely hypersensitive to every nuance of the music & instrument. A while ago I played bass guitar in a blues & rock band. We were sufficiently good to go on tour in Europe and earn money from festivals. On our way through France we had a couple of gigs near Lyon. I’d been fancying a five-string bass so went into town and traded my old bass for a very nice new five-string.
That evening we played our set, got called back on for a few encores and other songs we knew. Brilliant, everyone happy and bouncing. My new bass had felt wonderful to play. The drummer came up to me with a serious face and asked if I wouldn’t mind going back to four-string bass. I was baffled until he said “you were bang on rhythmically, we were really tight and you got everyone dancing to your grooves BUT you played the whole gig one string out of position. That fifth fat B-string messed you right up.” He was the only one to have noticed!
By lunchtime the next day I’d bought my old bass back, promising myself I’d practice that five-string until I was equally slick. I still have them both????
The shakes are the ABSOLUTE WORST! I remember when I was given my first flute solo and it was our first rehearsal of the piece. We had just gotten it the day of rehearsal and I was extremely rusty as I was returning from a playing hiatus. It was super exposed and the first 10 bars of the piece. I was so shakey and I couldn't control my breathing at all so I just could not perform and it was awful. Since then, I have played a flute solo and 2 piccolo solos! Was I nervous? Absolutely! I have just learned that if I'm tired, or have slightly tired myself out from being so anxious the day before, I got less nervous which is a wild prospect but it helped me focus. I also eat a banana beforehand since that's a tip you've mentioned to me before and idk if the science checks out but hey I'm fine with the placebo! Thank you for the free guitar tip! I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas!
Thank you Brandon. I have always suffered from stage fright and occasionally my hand would shake. Thankfully, this doesn't happen much lately because I tape myself and play informally for my students. The more I play in front of an audience, the easier it gets. Let me tell you about the time many years ago when I attended a guitar concert by a world-class guitarist/composer who had a memory slip during the playing of his own piece! Now, since he wrote it, most likely very few people in the audience even caught on… but even if they had, it certainly was not the end of the world. He went on with the concert and still performs to this day. I learned so much about resilience and tenacity by what would seem an embarrassing moment at the time. He lived through it and didn't allow this one memory slip to be more than it was! I respect that so much! Take care, Brandon and wishing you many successful performances in your future!
Thank you.
Oh Dear Brandon!
How I wish this video had come a couple of days earlier!
Bcuz I'd just screwed a public performance on Sunday!
Oh man, the aftermath was pretty embarrassing to myself! ????????
Anyways, many thanks for this very important tips and guidance! God bless you…????????
Great! Thanks for the tips!
Thank you!
Thank you – lovely video. Not worrying about what « they » might be thinking is the biggest stumbling block for me. As for the mistakes, I’ve learned long ago to just let them accumulate under my chair and forget them. And I loved your conclusions about just enjoying yourself
It is so true that most of the audience (if not all) doesn’t notice your mistakes, especially the slight ones.
Also most, (if not all), can’t do what you can do, as well as you can.
And most appreciate your effort and willingness to perform/play.
I attended a concert by the Assad Brothers many years ago. The concert was spectacular, but before they played the last piece one of them apologized to the audience for how poorly they had played. I have no idea if either of them had stage fright that night, but it does illustrate the point that the audience probably isn't going to notice any of the mistakes.
But does shaky hands equal better vibrato?
9:17 Oh wow, a diagram of my life…
Thanks, these are really helpful tips, now I just have to implement them.
I now only make music for the joy of it and there are no more performances planned, but I have to give speeches regularly and am always terribly nervous.
Excellent Brandon. This has plagued me for ever. I feel I am a pretty good player…. but the performance part has evaded me. This has motivated me to try to over come this condition. Thanks
it's so true, I had a lot of evenings where I basically thought, damn my playing sucks today, and I got positive feedback. because you want every nuance perfect, you have the idea in your head how it should be, you think the others will have that same idea, but they don't. and another tip: don't drink alcohol, you get over confident, and less precise, and therefore your playing sucks kinf of diametral to your confidence
Thank you, Brandon! ???? This was uploaded right after a bad performance, I really needed it!
Here’s mine! When I finally had the opportunity to meet you for the first time last April when you came to Indy for the wonderful baroque concert I was so nervous when you handed me an instrument that the only songs I could remember are the classical guitars equivalent of stairway to heaven (Romanza and Lagrima)! My biggest problem when I play for anyone is that I forget the music if it’s not in front of me. It’s been the source of some embarrassment a hand full of times..
Two things, thank you so much for sharing this-it’s probably my favorite content you’ve ever released, especially sharing your own vulnerable moments. And a big thanks for giving people the opportunity to meet you after your performances! I had no idea you’d make yourself available and we were all so grateful for it. They say never meet your heros, I guess the only thing I learned that day was never play an instrument in front of your hero (especially if they are God on all plucked instruments!)????
Thanks! This is such a big help. When you brought up your shaky hands in particular I felt so much less embarrassed about my own experience with that problem. I can talk just fine, and I feel like I can play well, but when I get up there it's like my hands won't let me perform as normal! It's so disappointing not to be able to play anywhere near my usual level when it counts, and it feels like a nightmare just as you said even when the audience enjoys the performance.
By using strategies like the ones you suggested here, I'll at least be able to reduce the impact of nerves on my playing going forward. Resources like this are greatly appreciated.
I know it's not healthy at all, but my dad (whos the one who taught me to play guitar) said that the only thing he did for stage fright was 2-4 shots of whatever alcohol lol
"Nothing gets over stage fright better than a couple shots of liquid confidence"
As a Tango dancer und also a bassist in two bands, I can say that there is a difference between being part of a bigger picture or being the virtuoso.
As a dancer, nothing exists except my dancing partner and the music. And I am familiar to both.
As a bassist I don't play for the audience. I play for my band. I support them.
I play the classical guitar, but haven't played solo for an audience, yet. And I know, that this will be very hard for me. Thank you Brandon – this will help me in the future.
Thanks Brandon for sharing your stories!!
My teacher actually taught me all that, including the breathing. But he added a little thing: try not to make faces. If you grimace at your mistakes, the audience will know that something is wrong.
Nicely done video Brandon. It’s a good presentation of what causes stage fright and some solutions. Never tried the banana trick but it’s definitely worth a try. Breathing helps and one tip from my teacher is to just share and not put yourself on a higher level of being a “performer.” Staying in the moment with each note and phrase also helps me. It was enlightening for me when I noticed I can be just as distracted by having played something good as having played something bad. Both take me out of the present moment. Btw not everyone gets stage fright (my teacher VL) but they must be the exception! Also, nice shout out to SH waking up meditation app. I think it’s the best!
Thank you!
A very important videos for playing music or…
Just live our life!
Great video – worth noting that many professional classical performers suffering from stage fright take a small dose of beta blocker which almost completely removes the symptoms. For those who suffer from debilitating stage fright (much worse than you describe and too difficult to manage using your methods ) this may be an option worth trying, at least temporarily . This allows the performer to experience what it’s like to play without the symptoms, gain confidence and gradually replace the meds with natural methods of relaxation.
Love your honesty and willing to share your experience about this sensitive topic
0:59 that shirt is from Iron Maiden's A Matter of Life and Death .
Perfect timing because my grandma is making me play in front of my whole family on Christmas Eve haha. Thanks for the tips
The majority of the audience probably doesn't even know the song, much less what the right notes are supposed to be. Most of them are also not musicians. So what you absolutely know to be a mistake won't even register with them. If I get a buzzy or dead note, I don't let it bother me. I keep going. You know what has never happened? No audience memeber has ever mentioned to me, "Boy, that one chord in that song was really wrong," or, "You really missed that barre chord in the second chorus of the 5th song." If anyone even notices it, they don't care. What does happen is people coming up to me saying things like, "That was so amazing."
Before a show, when the butterflies set in and my hands start shaking, instead of being aftaid of it, I lean into it. I soak it up and try to be present and aware of it. It makes me feel alive. I get giddy and smile and laugh a lot. It's almost like a natural high. I'm so nervous and I love it!
Not sure why I'm watching this. I'm too oblivious to get stage fright.
Great advice! Thanks!
I don’t think I’ve ever been more reassured by a YouTube video. Thanks
I’ve never seen anyone address this subject so openly like this before. Perhaps I may be living under a rock but I think stage fright is considered a sign of weakness and most people are uncomfortable discussing it. I have paralyzing stage fright . As you say, it can’t make it where you can no longer perform. BTDTGTT-shirt. Thank you, this has been some of the best info I’ve seen on this subject. Thanks Brandon
I have heard an interview with John Williams not long after he recorded a CD where he said that he was quite pleased with it as he only made four mistakes. This from one of the most acknowledged technical masters of the guitar.
Great stuff, love the honesty, red wine (just w little )and not taking myself too seriously helps me, of course its worse when other professional musicians are staring at your hands but hey! Terrible advice I know
Very true points‼️
Loved the stories????????????