What do you think is the biggest obstacle to performing at your best, beyond the musical or technical aspects?
Hello everyone,
My name is Jacopo, and as well as working as a tonebase Guitar coach, I also work as a coach with musicians, focusing on performance mindset, confidence, and performance anxiety.
I'm currently speaking with performers and teachers about how musicians experience performance anxiety, self-doubt, confidence, and what helps them perform at their best. I'm always curious to hear new perspectives, and I'd love to hear yours too.
In your experience, what do you think is the biggest obstacle to performing at your best, beyond the musical or technical aspects?
I'm also looking to have a few informal 20–30 minute Zoom conversations with musicians and teachers who would be happy to share their experiences. There's nothing to buy or sign up for, I'm simply exploring the patterns people notice across different performance experiences. Feel free to comment below or send me a message if you'd be interested.
Thank you,
Jacopo
23 replies
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My biggest problem is performance nerves. Maybe also a problem with preparation i.e. thinking I know something well enough to perform it and then losing focus just prior to the performance instead of using the last few weeks/days to really become fully at ease with the piece. I'd be happy to have a chat on zoom.
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My biggest issue is focus. It's definitely intensified if I'm playing for someone or recording, but even if I'm playing alone, I'll catch my mind drifting and get lost. It could be thinking about what I've just played or what I'm about to play or something as remote as "when did I let the dogs out last?" A lot of what I hear from better performers seems paradoxical to me since they'll say they forget about the music or get lost in it when they play, which makes things worse for me, not better. Any thoughts on maintaining focus and what I should actually be thinking about while playing would be greatly appreciated.
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Hi Jacopo, You are my teacher and you know this :-). Even recording my piece for you leave alone a performance for others makes me a bit nervous and that mild anxiety also affects my memory of the piece despite the practice that went into it. And if while recording I make a mistake then that also affects the rest of the piece as I still havent built teh resilience to forget and move forward with confidence. Of course recording for you gives me several takes but the actual performance will not give me that luxury. So if I can get past this first for your recrodings and then playing for friends&family and finally open mike to strangers; I would have come a long way. Best, Srinath
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I echo Shrinath's sentiments. I also get nervous even if it's a recording. Sometimes, my memory goes blank or starts to wander, especially if I'm playing in an open mic. My body would rather be somewhere else and my mind wants to get through to the end in a rushed way to find relief. It's almost like an evolutionary fight or flight response where flight wants to win over fight.
Let me put forward a few theories as to where my performance anxiety might come from.
First, personally for me, I've always had underlying anxiety about being judged by others, despite knowing that at the end of the day, it's just a hobby and I'm an amateur. Perhaps everyone deals with nerves to varying degrees while performing.
Second, I'm speculating that there's some connection with the kind of instrument we play and the music. The sounds of the classical guitar are so delicate and soft with a limited dynamics range. So, dynamics, tone colour, accents, not to speak of squeaks and buzzes are sometimes tricky issues, especially for amateurs like me. Of course, the repertoire we play and the techniques involved themselves are very difficult. So, one wrong note, one tricky chord transition or shift has the potential to derail the whole piece and there's no place to hide.
Third, classical guitar and its music is pretty niche, sometimes academic and there's an undertone of perfectionism in the field. There might be a perception that you need to be a 13 year old prodigy to be able to play it perfectly. While social media, especially youtube has given us the opportunity to watch and learn from the best in the field, it has also created this notion that one needs to achieve a particular level of excellence. Not everyone might share my views and perhaps I'm merely projecting my own.
The positive thing is, that despite the nerves and the anxiety, I'd never stop learning or stop wanting to play and perform. So, I take it one step at a time. I'd be very interested to know your views as well,
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My mental mindset is important particularly my level of confidence in what I am playing. Wanting to play well or putting too much importance on the performance is a recipe for disaster. I play with a flautist and have almost no nerves when I play wth them. Too much mental thought goes into listening to their phrasing and accompanying them effectively for me to have time to start thinking negative thoughts. Nerves are something I only need to manage in solo performing. I always tend to be more confident in my duo playing I know the success of the performance isn't just dependent on me.
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, thank you sharing that. What really stood out to me is that you described a time when performing didn't bring the same nerves, and that the experience has changed over the years. That's the first time someone has described the opposite experience, where performing used to feel comfortable and has become more challenging over time.
I also appreciate your comparison between wind instruments and classical guitar. Several people have mentioned how exposed classical guitar can feel, so it's interesting to hear your perspective on that as well.
I'd be curious to explore what you mentioned about feeling judged as someone who "should be more accomplished." If you're open to it, I'd be happy to send you a private message so we can arrange a Zoom conversation.