Playing Piano in Front of Other People
How should a pianist get used to playing music for other people?
In many ways, playing an instrument in front of other people is like public speaking. A speaker or a musician might have a great message or song to share, but the perceived pressure of performance frequently causes mistakes in the delivery. Over the time it took me to master how to teach piano to beginners, I picked up on what needed to happen to get piano students comfortable playing in front of others.
Start now, and with anyone who will listen.
I encouraged my students to play in front of others from the beginning. I referred to this as a “service assignment” because I truly believe that sharing music with others is an act of service. Offering rewards for students who play the piano for anyone outside of their usual household on top of regular practice is a great way to motivate your students. To take some of the performance pressure off, I encourage students to play the music that they have already mastered when they play for others. Some students reported playing for friends, neighbors, grandparents, school teachers, cousins, and more. The more pianists do this, the easier it gets with time. Soon that stagefright will be a thing of the past.
Take the pressure off by showing them how good they sound.
Pull out your phone and record the student playing their music by audio or video. So many people don’t do this simple trick that helps with so many areas of confidence-building. Some pianists are shy to play for others because they don’t realize how good they sound. Other applications of this trick include showing students where their songs need additional practice and polishing.
Repetition is key.
The more reps, the better. If an important performance is coming up, make sure that the first time a student plays their piece for others is not at that event. Invite grandparents or other supportive family and friends for mini-recitals. The more times this happens before the important performance, the better the performance will go. Try to plan a practice performance for anyone who will listen. Get some reps in on a piano that is different from their regular piano used for practice. Even better would be on the piano used for the big event!
Piano isn’t nearly as fun when it’s just for you.
Why learn to play the piano if you aren’t going to share your music with others? Music is a crucial ingredient in a happy home and a happy life. Getting used to playing piano in front of others is vital for every student’s success. If you want to learn how to teach piano to beginners, you need to also be prepared to help those students share the music you teach them. I have an online course for those interested in teaching piano on my website. My how to teach piano course combines the things I’ve learned over decades of teaching that will get a student of any aptitude off to a great start.
Get Started Teaching
If you or someone you know could use the life experiences that teaching piano can provide, you need to see my How to Teach Piano Course.
