Perfectionism in musical performance, does it ‘help’ or ‘hinder’?

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Sonia Ray
Patrícia Alonso

Abstract

Perfectionism is broadly defined in psychology as an aspect of human personality identified by the pursuit of perfection, encompassing all types of tasks, both simple and complex. Studies in the field of music psychology report that performers tend to exhibit aspects of perfectionism in their daily activities with little understanding of its potential. This text examines three types of perfectionism – self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially stablished – analyzing how each either stimulates or hinders the complex process of musical performance. Both concepts, Musical Performance (PM) and Elements of Musical Performance (EPM), are adopted as a reference for the proposed discussion. The main conclusion is that perfectionism, despite being frequently associated with negative situations, can also function as a stimulus for high-quality production.

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How to Cite
Ray, S., & Alonso, P. (2026). Perfectionism in musical performance, does it ‘help’ or ‘hinder’?. Claves, 14(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.22478/ufpb.1983-3709.2026.n1.78892
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Artigos

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