Self-confidence is hard to find.
Sometimes it feels like you’re chasing arrogance.
And that’s why people don’t normally want to build confidence in themselves.
But you need it to succeed in music.
So I want to share eight ways you can build confidence as a musician.
Know your plan. Find the confidence you need. Grab this FREE worksheet.
Table of Contents
What Is Self-Confidence?
It’s easy to confuse self-confidence with arrogance. But they’re very different.
Having self-confidence simply means to (pardon the cliche) believe in yourself.
It means you honestly believe you can do what you set out to do.
Confidence (or a lack of it) comes from our childhood upbringing, our lived experiences, and how we talk to ourselves (more on that later).
And confidence isn’t static.
It fluctuates depending on our mood, what the task is, and even who we’re around.
Some days, you’re just not feeling it. And that’s totally human.
But what causes low self-confidence? Here are some common causes:
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of others’ opinions of us
- Feeling unprepared
- Bad time management
- Lack of self-esteem (more on that below)
Now, too much self-confidence can become arrogance. So you need to keep the balance.
Be confident in yourself as a musician, but realize you will always have a lot to learn.
And too much self-confidence can lead to failure. If you think you won’t fail, that can blind you to your weaknesses.
Confidence vs. self-esteem
So how is confidence different from self-esteem?
Confidence is believing you can do something.
Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself.
It’s good to have both. But this post is about self-confidence.
How To Be Confident According to Other Smart People
Before I give you my tips on how to be confident, let’s look at what other successful people (fictional and real) have said.
“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”
– Vincent Van Gogh
“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.”
– Michael Jordan
“Always remember, you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
– Christopher Robin
“Doubt can motivate you, so don’t be afraid of it. Confidence and doubt are at two ends of the scale, and you need both. They balance each other out.”
– Barbra Streisand
“A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”
– Mark Twain
How To Build Confidence as a Musician: 8 Methods
Okay, now let’s get practical.
Here are eight things you can start doing that will build your confidence.
Prepare
Preparation is key to accomplishing something. And to believe you can accomplish a task, you need to know you’re prepared.
So before you record a song, finish writing it. Have an idea of the production in your head. Schedule your time.
In the words of Scar from The Lion King, “Be prepared.”
Know when you need help
Confidence comes from learning something new. It comes from overcoming an obstacle.
But you’ll never learn anything if you don’t ask for help.
You’ll never learn if you don’t accept the fact that you have more to learn.
So be confident in your current skills, but know when you need to ask for help.
It takes a confident and secure person to admit you need a little guidance.
Know your value
As you ask for help, know that you also have valuable skills.
Know your value and worth as a musician. Become familiar with the what you’re good at.
Be modest but don’t underestimate yourself.
Get feedback
Feedback is how you improve. It’s so easy to get too into your head and miss things.
Feedback gives you a more objective take on your music.
I always share my recorded songs with a friend or two for feedback. During the production and mixing stages.
And you want feedback from people who will tell it like it is.
If someone only gives you good feedback, that person isn’t trustworthy.
Be risky
Keeping with the idea of learning something new, you’ve got to take risks.
Be risky. Try something you don’t think you can do.
If it doesn’t work out, that’s fine.
You will have learned that that thing is not for you. Just move onto something else (or try again).
Encourage (don’t flatter) yourself
Ever compliment yourself to yourself?
It feels weird at first, but it can make a huge difference over time.
Here are some things you can say to yourself as a musician:
- “You just wrote a beautiful song, [insert your name].”
- “[Insert your name], you’ve gotten really good at producing music.”
- “I’m proud of you for learning how to mix music.”
The key is to compliment yourself with something specific, rather than just calling yourself “amazing” or “great” in general.
Set goals
Accomplishing a goal is so satisfying. But you won’t accomplish any goals if you don’t set any.
So set outcome-based goals that are smaller than you think they shold be.
Then when you accomplish them, it will be a little boost to your self-confidence.
Track your accomplishments
Not only do you need goals, you need to track when you reach them.
This is possibly the most encouraginig thing I do for my music career.
I can see a list of every goal I’ve accomplished for the year. It shows me how my career is moving forwrad.
To track my completed goals, I use something I made called the One-Thing-A-Day worksheet.
After you fill it out, you’ll know…
- Your long-term vision
- Goals that will get you there
- Tasks you can do today to move forward
- A list of every goal you’ve completed
Get this FREE worksheet. Boost your confidence.
Take The Self-Confidence Quiz
Here’s how this quiz works…
After you read each statement, choose A if it’s true most of the time, B if it’s true some of the time, and C if it’s not often true.
- I have a realistic sense of my strengths and weaknesses (A / B / C)
- I am willing to take risks for something I believe in (A / B / C)
- I plan and prepare for new experiences (A / B / C)
- I have ways to cope with fear and doubt (A / B / C)
- I take time to remember my past successes (A / B / C)
- I recognize failure as a part of life (A / B / C)
- I can cope with unexpected changes (A / B / C)
- I am comfortable asking for help and support (A / B / C)
- I know what I value in life (A / B / C)
- My actions generally line up with my values (A / B / C)
- I don’t give up easily (A / B / C)
- I realize not everyone will like or approve of me (A / B / C)
- I have a sense of my inherent worth (A / B / C)
- I understand setbacks are normal and to be expected (A / B / C)
- I don’t beat up on myself when I go through a rough time (A / B / C)
- My thoughts don’t paralyze me when I try something new (A / B / C)
And here’s how you know your confidence level…
Mostly A’s: Your confidence level is solid. You’re doing a good job of overcoming obstacles.
Mostly B’s: Sometimes you feel confident, sometimes you feel like a failure. You’re right in the middle.
Mostly C’s: Your confidence is pretty iffy. Granted, no one is confident all the time. But to boost your confidence, go easy on yourself. Use the tips I talked about in this post.
This quiz is via Psychology Today
Conclusion
Self-confidence is not arrogance.
It’s believing you can do what you set out to do.
And these eight tips will help you build confidence as a musician.