Playing Under Pressure

Have you performed a piece well at home only to fall apart at your lesson?

I know how you feel! I had to take Class Piano when I went back to college, and even though I could play well at home, when I had to play for the teacher it seemed almost impossible. Since then, I've narrowed down the causes and the solutions.

• Confidence: The pressure mounts immediately when you lack confidence. Knowing your teacher or the person listening will be critical, you try extra hard to play well. Just another case of stage fright even though there's no stage. How to solve the problem? Record yourself, play for friends and family, go to open mic night, play in jam sessions. All of these are confidence builders. The more you do it, the more relaxed you become.
• Positive Thinking: I can't tell you how many times during the week my students preface their playing with telling me "I always mess this part up," "I'll probably screw this up even though I played it perfectly at home," and many similar comments. Two words: self-fulfilling prophecy. 
• Knowing, Understanding and Liking the Song: For a beginning guitar student it's difficult at the start because you probably don't have the skills to play like you want to. That doesn't mean you can't like the song and practice it until you know it well. I record assigned songs for my guitar students and tell them not to go too long without listening to it. They'll think they have it memorized only to be shocked when I point out that they've learned it wrong. 

So get out of your comfort zone, play in public if you can, or if you can't at least find someone to play for. Negative thinking only makes it worse, so make a game of learning the song. Parts that give you trouble need to be isolated and worked on. See how many times you can play that section without making a mistake. Play slowly so you don't make mistakes and that builds muscle memory as well as confidence. I always tell my students to please tell me if they don't like a song. There are usually many more available that teach the same concepts. Don't be too hard on yourself. Learning guitar takes time, so don't be discouraged if you think you need to move faster.