How To Practice Your Instrument For Real-Life Performance And Play Music On Stage Like A Pro
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If you want to become a professional musician and play music on stage like a pro...
... then this article about real-life performance practice and breaking into the music industry will show you how.
This crucial music career skill is vital for anyone looking to break into the music industry...
No matter what instrument you play...
Or your style...
Or even your skill level.
(Yes, real-life performance practice is relevant even to beginners.)
The best part is...
... learning to play music on stage like a pro is a lot easier than most people think.
EARN A LOT MORE MONEY
PLAYING LIVE
EMAIL TO GET ACCESS
By submitting your info, you agree to send it to Tom Hess Music Corporation who will process and use it according to their privacy policy.
Not only that – but it’s also quite fun.
All it takes is:
- knowing exactly what things to practice,
- understandinghow to practice them
- and then – actually practicing them.
Here are the 5 areas that go into your ability to play music on stage and put on a killer real-life performance:
Music Industry Tip #1: Practice Imitating Real-Life Conditions
Whether your “real-life performance” consists of playing on a world tour, a local club, jamming with your friends or simply playing for your family...
... The more you can imitate the things that will happen on stage during your performance – the better you will play during the show.
Here are some ways you can imitate real-life conditions as you practice to become a professional musician:
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- Play your songs while standing.
- Play your songs while walking around the room.
- Play under a strobe light.
- Practice playing in the dark.
- Play your instrument while talking (unless you are a singer or play a wind instrument).
- Play while your friends are listening and/or while the TV on.
- Play without looking at your instrument.
- Practice playing outside (if/when possible).
For more real-life performance condition imitation tips that will help your music career, check out this video:
Music Industry Tip #2: Practice Playing Through Mistakes
No matter how well you prepare for the performance – mistakes can and will happen. And the ability to play ‘through’ them like a pro is a skill in and of itself.
How are some simple examples of how you might play through mistakes if you are a guitar player practicing to play music in stage:
- When a mistake happens shortly before a string change, focus on getting to the first note on a new string in time (where you can reset your hand synchronization and keep playing).
- When a mistake happens while playing on a single string, focus on getting to the next downbeat in the music cleanly and in time..
- Get to the long/sustained note as a breather (and make it sound great with heavy/thick vibrato and emotional phrasing).
- Keep track of your timing (by tapping your foot or listening to the drummer) so you know where you are in the music. This way, no matter where you make the mistake, at least you can quickly regroup and pick up from the next logical place.
Music Industry Tip #3: Practice Stage Presence And Performance Logistics
Your stage presence is is every bit as important as your actual playing. If you lack in this area, few people will want to see you perform more than once.
Here are some ways to improve your stage presence:
- Practice the stage moves you intend to use during the performance (when you play music on stage). Yes, choreograph the movements if you have to. It may look a bit cheesy while you’re practicing, but it will look cool when you are performing.
- Plan and rehearse your personal logistics (pick up selection, pedals for each song/part of the song in the setlist, setting up amp channels, retuning between songs, guitar (or other instrument) changes, etc.)
- Plan and rehearse band performance logistics. (Things like: band member positioning on stage, the timing of pyro and other effects, entering and exiting the stage during the show, crowd and bandmate interactions, etc.)
All these details have to be both planned and practiced just like the playing of your musical parts. That is what it takes to play music on stage like a pro.
For more insights on how to master stage presence and become a professional musician faster, check out this eGuide that helps you to play music on stage like a pro.
Music Industry Tip #4: Make The Tune Harder To Play While Practicing
This gives you more reserve capacity that makes it easier to play accurately during the performance.
Here are some ways to do this during your real-life performance practice:
- make the tempo of the music faster. The challenge of this should be obvious.
- repeat the challenging parts several times when playing through the entire song or song. (This makes the music more fatiguing to play).
- play the tune (or the challenging part of it) in a higher key or lower key. (Depending on your instrument, it will likely make the notes much harder to play.)
If you are able to reach your 90% consistency goal with the harder variation of the music...
... it’s almost certain you’ll have a much easier time performing when it comes time to play music on stage.
Music Industry Tip #5: Deal With Stage Fright And Adrenaline
Just like anything – dealing with stage fright (and adrenaline) is a skill you can practice and get better at. The more you can keep it under control – the better you will play.
Here are some simple tips for helping you deal with this element of real-life performance:
- Feel the music in halftime.
- “Forgive” yourself in advance for any mistakes you’re about to make before you begin to play music on stage. Remember that you practiced for a 90% consistency goal during your real-life performance practice.
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Remember that you’re the one on stage – not the audience. You’re the one living your dream... and few people will ever get to play music on stage the way you do.
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Tell yourself that even ‘real-life performance’ is still a learning experience. As you play more shows, you’ll get better in your ability to play music on stage.
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Never advertise that you made a mistake when you play music on stage. Pretend that nobody noticed and fall back on your ability to play ‘through’ mistakes.
Now that you know how to play music on stage like a pro, the next step in your journey to become a professional musician is to learn how to ‘get’ more gigs, so you can break into the music industry and build your music career. I show you how in my free eGuide: How To Get More Gigs & Earn More Money Playing Live. Download it today and discover music industry secrets most musicians will never know.
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