Focus on one phrase at a time. Don’t play through the whole piece from beginning to end. Repeat difficult passages over and over until they become easy. These are just some of the ideas that work well for practicing on a day-to-day basis, but practicing for a performance is different. How so? In short, the focus changes. Instead of learning notes and techniques, improving difficult passages, or exploring ideas for a musical interpretation, the goal is now to solidify what we have learned and prepare ourselves to perform the music we have spent so much time practicing. Here are a few ideas that I have found to be useful when preparing for upcoming performances:
Keep previously learned repertoire in a rotation: I like to play through 1-2 previously learned pieces each time I practice, typically after warming up the right and left hands with scales and arpeggios and before beginning work on current repertoire projects. This way, when a performance is on the horizon (especially if this happens on relatively short notice), there are at least a few previously learned pieces that I have recently played through and could likely be performance-ready with some practice.
Plan ahead: When is the performance? Which pieces will you be performing? Are there any rehearsals to be aware of in addition to the performance? Will you be performing solo, as part of a duo or trio, with a group, or in an ensemble? Will the music be memorized, or will you perform from the music? With this information, you can then make an approximate timeline for when each piece needs to be ready for performance, get started playing through each entire piece, and then play through the pieces in the order in which they will be performed.
Play through larger sections of each piece: Gradually transition from granular practice of specific, short passages to playing through larger sections of each piece, ideally repeatedly playing through each entire piece without stopping in the weeks leading up to a performance. As you do so, notice how you feel as you play through each piece. Are there moments when you feel more tense, or are there repetitive passages where you tend to zone out or feel bored when practicing? Note these passages and find a way to reduce the tension (by playing the entire piece slightly slower, for example) or make them more musically interesting (perhaps there are some dynamic changes, individual voices to bring out, or different timbres to explore). If you make a mistake, keep going. Strive for a sense of active relaxation, where there is no excess tension, yet both hands are also ready to execute complex maneuvers at a moment’s notice. Finding this balance can be tricky to achieve at first, though it becomes easier with practice.
Visualization: Practicing without your instrument by reading the score and imagining yourself playing the piece, or visualizing this in your mind’s eye, imagining each detail, one after the next, and envisioning how the music sounds as every individual note or group of notes is played and each detail is completed.
Practice performing: Do several run-throughs of your entire set, as well as with any logistical factors that will be present in the performance (for example, greeting the audience, sitting or standing to perform, amplification, any remarks or commentary planned for before the performance, bowing after the performance is complete, etc.) If you can, see if you can play through the entire set of pieces for an audience before the performance, however small (this can be for family, friends, or even your pet!)
Finally, give yourself more time than you think you need, and don’t forget to enjoy the music you are performing!
Resources:
Garcia, Leonardo. “Category: Practice Performing.” Six String Journal. https://sixstringjournal.com/category/practice-performing/.
Powis, Simon. “Practicing for a Performance.” Classical Guitar Corner. https://www.classicalguitarcorner.com/practicing-for-a-performance/.
Small, Mark. “Guitar Recitals: Bill Kanengiser, Martha Masters, and Stephen Robinson Talk About the Art of Practice and Preparation.” Classical Guitar Magazine, Summer 2016. https://classicalguitarmagazine.com/guitar-recitals-bill-kanengiser-martha-masters-and-stephen-robinson-talk-about-the-art-of-practice-and-preparation/.
Hi ben, Alexa here. I really enjoyed your post, I think it´s very helpful for those who starts playing in public. Last year I have some kind of panic attack on stage, and I was looking for help from people who shares this kind of tension like me. Thanks for sharing.