Performance Anxiety, Flow, and the Classical Guitarist’s Mind

We've all been there. What can help?

If you've played guitar long enough—especially classical guitar—you've probably met the old nemesis: performance anxiety. Whether it shows up as shaky hands, wandering thoughts, or just that pit in your stomach before walking on stage, it's more common than we (especially I) often admit (Savage, 2009).

Anxiety isn't just a nuisance—it can be a serious ro…