For example, during practicing, you can move alot and interact nicely with the crowd making it a memorable and interesting performance . But then when you get on stage , suddenly your stiff/standing in one spot and forgot everything you rehearsed making your performance mundane and forgettable. What are the ways to overcome this?

well it's pretty common.most people have this called a "stage fright".but the thing is,don't worry of what people think how you play.let the music move you.just concentrate on the music

let the music move you. the crowd came to watch u perform so have fun doing it

woah.. thats exactly what my friend told me.. however when practice i really do move alot and have alot of fun.. but then suddenly infront of the audience.. all the choreography and movements I practiced just vanished.. haiz..

hmm.. that may be a problem for me.. If i concentrate too much , i can play the song perfectly as practiced . however people will complain that i am to stiff and boring to watch.. but then when i try to move 1. i will tend to make mistakes 2. infront of a crowd my movements will seem unnatural and forced..

I have pretty bad stage fright too. I manage it by imagining / simulating the stage situation in my mind when I practice. I only do this after I've got the techniques down.

So stuff I think about when I do my simulated performance:
1. The walk-in, and imagine being a nervous wreck.
2. Not thinking about the music. Which simulates a blank out.
3. After starting to play, start looking around the stage and the audience.
4. Think of all the self-conscious thoughts I would have. And sometimes randomly imagine someone shouting or suddenly an plane crashing in (the latter was described by my guitar lecturer: "If a plane crash into the hall will you still be able to keep playing???" ...haha...)

If you can keep playing and not stop, then you'll realize that you're more free to groove to the music. That's when you can start practicing the moves you like to show in front of the mirror while you do your simulation.

p.s. Not everyone is a nervous wreck like me, judging from your descriptions you have far more concentration then I have. So you may want to go light on the simulation part.

lol interesting .. i may try that out , thanks

Check out this dude called MC ride on youtube.


Perform like he does. Just go into the zone and go bonkers. You're not playing at a church are you?

no in a band lol

There are bands in church too

But ok, you're not in a band. Then all you have to do is start strong. Provide that initial burst and your crowd will respond with and even bigger burst. And from there on you basically feed off each others' energies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlF9wKiKLtU

Well, its probably not the type of music you play, but shit man, look at that energy

lol , not bad

practice in front of the mirror alot

ya thats what i did alot before, but then on stage in front of many people, it gets completely different and u forget everything u did infront of the mirror

I think everyone experiences stage fright to a certain degree. Some less, some more - but everybody did at one point or another. What I can assure you will help, is to get your performance material down to perfection. Even Oli Herbert from All That Remains used to practice his songs all the way from insanely low BPMs up to over 20% higher than what it's supposed to be played at - for hours on end!

Once you're completely comfortable with what you're playing, and muscle memory kicks in, it gets easier - trust me. You'll feel more free to do a lot more on stage, like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

if you've already got that down and it's still happening, sometimes only time and experience helps. The more used you get to performing live, the more comfortable you'll be.

Just a question though, what instrument are you playing? Or are you a vocalist?

i see , thanks, i play a few kinds of instruments, but mostly perform with the guitar

a tip got from adam sandler movie big daddy - wear a sunglass

Have the same problem here sometimes. Here is how I solved mine.
1. Close your eyes & Dance when you're playing.
2. Practice all your songs are half speed and double speed using a metronome. Helps you keep cool if the song suddenly changes speed for one reason or another (singer don't always sing at the same tempo).
3. Play with more people, jam sessions are a good place to meet & play with other musicians. Most of the veteran musicians are very accommodating. & give a lot of good advice if you'd just talk to them.

how? do more live performance. experience will teach you well

just close your eyes... and shake your booty