Practise & Perform
Playing music is great fun; sharing it with others is the best. So whether you just want to play a few tunes to your friends or perform in a concert, here are seven tips.
- Choose well. Always perform music that is ‘under your fingers’ and note-perfect in practice.
- Relax. The more relaxed your fingers and breathing are, the better you will sound.
- Practise ‘right’. Many people practise their mistakes! So sort out the ‘tricky bits’ slowly. When you are happy with them, move steadily ‘up to speed’. Practise ‘right’ and stay relaxed; then perform.
- Keep going. Practise your whole piece without stopping. If something goes wrong in performance, just keep going to the end. Ignore any mistakes and your audience will as well!
- Look and sound good. A beautiful sound with a few wrong notes is better than a dull sound with all the right ones. Concentrate on looking and sounding your best and the notes will follow.
- Take it steady. The notes flash past more quickly in performance than in practice, so think ‘steady’ as you play, and don’t race.
- Enjoy. Enjoy playing and others will enjoy listening. Smile before and after each piece, even when you are nervous. Your audience will then relax and enjoy the performance even more.
The videos on the final four pages of this section show how you can practise (Ode to Joy, New World), perform from your garden or settee (One Girl Band), and give star performances at some of the world’s greatest concert halls and on TV (Video Gallery).