We all know the “don’t be late and turn off your phone” rule when attending a concert. But we don’t hear enough of the other concert etiquettes. They all seem to be natural behaviors, yet so many people are still breaking those rules, especially during small recitals, such as school ones.
Here are 21 fundamental etiquette rules that everyone need to be aware of during a concert.
RULE #1: Don’t be late.
We will never underline this concert rule enough. Doors are usually open about an hour before the beginning of the concert (be it a concert hall, an amphitheatre, a school community hall or a church) and will close 5 to 15 min before the due hour. Make your arrangements and take in account the traffic. Once the doors are closed, at best, they won’t open again before the next section if not at all during the whole concert, and it would be too bad for you to miss half the concert, especially if the tickets were expensive. Or if your child is in the show. Or both.
RULE #2: Turn off your phone.
It takes a huge concentration to perform in public. Be it about remembering the songs by heart and the one hundred advices from your music teacher, not only to tell the stress it creates and the heat on stage created by the lights. We need pure and perfect silence, so please, turn off your phone. Don’t even put it on vibrating mode. Many mobile devices nowadays are loudly vibrating. And if you choose to turn on the plane mode instead, be aware that it doesn’t deactivate your alarm clock. Nobody wants to hear Nicki Minaj on top of Debussy’s cathedral engloutie.
If you choose to turn on the plane mode, be aware that it doesn’t deactivate your alarm clock.
RULE #3: Don’t clap in between movements.
This one is not easy to figure out unless you know well the song or you have made some researches and listened to the whole piece to be prepared. Most of the time, it will be written on the program note or the performer might let you know before playing if he is going to play several movements in a row. The best way is still to listen to the piece beforehand. It will not only help you figure out the “real” end of the work, but will also give you something to relate to when appreciating the performer’s work. No interpretation will ever be exactly the same. The more performance variations you listened to, the more you will be able to truly enjoy the concert.
RULE #4: Don’t talk with your neighbor
Even if it is about the show, and even if you are whispering. People are paying their tickets to enjoy the concert, not to hear your comments. You will have enough time to talk about it on your way home.
RULE #5: Don’t hum the song
Even if you know it, even if it is your favorite one, and even if it is Handel’s Halleluia and the whole audience knows it by heart. Once again, people came for the ones on stage, not to hear you singing along. Keep that for your morning shower routines.
RULE #6: Refrain from taking pictures or record the show.
Most of the time (especially during professional concerts), there are already specific persons they assigned to record the concert and take pictures so that the performers can sell and distribute them later on. Don’t kill our business! Another issue to this kind of behavior is that the light your screen produces distract the audience from the show, and of course, you might even end up hiding those behind you with your acrobatic positions to have a better angle. Plus, your camera flashlights are not helping the performers to focus on the music. I don’t even need to make comments about photographers standing in front line like totems. Wait for the end of the concert to take photos if allowed.
There are already specific persons assigned to record the concert and take pictures so that the performers can sell and distribute them later on. Don’t kill our business!
RULE #7: Don’t eat.
But who does eat during a concert by the way? You might not eat a full ham-and-cheese-burger, but even chewing gums and candies are annoying. Keep in mind that the slightest noise you make with those wraps can spoil the whole experience both of the audience and the performers. And by the way, concerts are no movies theater! Exit the popcorn.
RULE #8: Don’t sleep.
Please. What’s the point of buying an expensive concert ticket or making the distance for that show if you end up sleeping? Take twelve cups of coffee if you’re really feeling tired or don’t come! It feels frustrating for the performers to see that their audience is bored when they have put their best into preparing this performance.
RULE #9: Take your child out as soon as they start crying.
You might not bring your toddler at one of the Berliner Philharmoniker concerts, but you might during a school or a church concert. The rule still applies. Have enough respect for those on performance to calm down your child outside and spare the rest of us the annoyance.
RULE #10: Stay until the end.
This rule applies especially during a non-professional concert, such as school recitals. People tend to leave as soon as their child or their friends or family are done with their part. Try to imagine the feeling of the last performers seeing an almost empty room. Every single performer had a hard time preparing this concert FOR YOU, show you acknowledge them by staying until the end. What if that last performer where your child? Or yourself? “You should not do to others what you would not want them to do to you”
RULE #11: Dress in consequence.
Dress codes are not only for fancy diners. According to the kind of concert you are attending to, your clothes should reflect the same ambient. You don’t go to a rock concert dressed in tutu, nor should you come to a classical concert in shorts and tongs. This can be a great opportunity for you to take out your beautiful clothes without a wedding invitation!
RULE #12: Don’t go out in the middle of the concert.
Go to the bathroom beforehand and smoke your entire pack in advance, should you feel the need. But once the concert begins, glue yourself to the chair. It is not only disturbing your neighbors to let you move out of the range, but it will also disturb those behind you if you start standing in front of them. Most concerts are only 1-2 hours length. We know you can hold back.
RULE #13: Applause.
What? Can anyone really “forget” to applause during a concert? Yep. You might not like our version of the piece or you might have not liked the work itself, but applauding means you acknowledge our efforts and hard work behind the scene of that single performance. Keep in mind that we need to practice each repertoire for months before performing it in front of you, and it will not take you more than 10s to applaud us.
You might not like our version of the piece or you might have not liked the work itself, but applauding means you acknowledge our efforts and hard work behind the scene of that single performance.
RULE #14: Standing innovation.
I remember the first time I went to a classical concert with my father and he liked so much the performance (a men quatuor) that he stood at the end of the concert, and I felt embarrassed since I didn’t knew it was something to do. Good news for you: YES, you can stand up after the very final performance to let them know you enjoyed the concert, and performers love standing innovations.
RULE #15: Don’t meddle about the concert, or the performers.
Music is really about personal taste. Some might like it, some might not. Don’t say that the performers were not good just because you didn’t liked their interpretation of the work, unless you are an international competition judge and you know what you are talking about. Or if you are the composer. It hurts us to hear that you don’t estimate our hundred hours of hard work.
And if you’re still hungry of rules, down below are a list of unordinary and funny concert etiquette rules that my intermediate and middle school students listed as a reflective work!
RULE #16: Don’t yell “freebird”. Actually, don’t yell anything at all.
RULE #17: Don’t whistle because you are not a barbarian.
RULE #18: Don’t fight for the best places.
RULE #19: Don’t snort, it disturbs the performer.
RULE #20: Don’t fart even if it doesn’t make a sound because it will smell.
RULE #21: Take a shower before you go to the concert because if you stink it will disturb the others.
What other good concert etiquette rules should appear in this article according to you? I will be glad to hear about your opinion in the comment below!
