I am trying to learn to sight read at piano and i have anxiety attacks. any advi

Question:my parents bought me lessons for a couple years when i was a kid, and those lessons served me well, but i cant afford formal training anymore. one thing i really want to learn is to sight read, which my teacher never taught me. it was all technique and studies and learning pieces that i eventually memorized, so i never really learned to sight music.

It's not only hard, but my stomach starts to churn, i feel a sense of rage... like i want to go break a few dishes and scream at the top of my lungs. i get flushed... sometimes shaky... and heartburn.

I've improved my sight reading substantially over the last year. however, i also have become unable to drink coffee on the same day as i play piano... or play piano without eating.

I feel like this sort of frustration is common. how do you deal with your frustration? how do you stay sane, yet still do the dirty work of improving your piano sight reading skills?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: my parents bought me lessons for a couple years when i was a kid, and those lessons served me well, but i cant afford formal training anymore. one thing i really want to learn is to sight read, which my teacher never taught me. it was all technique and studies and learning pieces that i eventually memorized, so i never really learned to sight music.

It's not only hard, but my stomach starts to churn, i feel a sense of rage... like i want to go break a few dishes and scream at the top of my lungs. i get flushed... sometimes shaky... and heartburn.

I've improved my sight reading substantially over the last year. however, i also have become unable to drink coffee on the same day as i play piano... or play piano without eating.

I feel like this sort of frustration is common. how do you deal with your frustration? how do you stay sane, yet still do the dirty work of improving your piano sight reading skills?

For sight reading, you need to find the hardest part of the song, and slow the tempo down, so you can play the hard part of the song. Check key/time signatures, and clef changes in songs before you play them. Just get a feel for the song, try and sing it in your head before you play. As far as your anger goes, you need to step away from your piano until you feel better. Playing while angry is not good and you're likely to make mistakes, which will make you more angry.

Just two suggestions:
1. Learn some relaxation techniques, lie on the floor, breathe deeply, concentrate on your breathing, then when your breathing is calm, tense and release you toes, then ankles, then lower leg, then thigh, then buttocks etc etc until your whole body is relaxed. This should calm the anxiety.
2. The only way is practice, practice and more practice.

Well done for persisting -even though it's making you anxious, - that's courage!!

Tai-Chi. Yoga and meditation. A good workout to release extra energy and ground you in the physical. If you do all three, do the workout first, lol.