keeping your nerves for auditions/tryouts?

Question

i play saxophone, and everytime i go into a tryout i always get really nervous and mess up the tryout, any tips on how to control my nerves so i can play the best that i can?

Answer 1

I would recommend only using pills and scripts as a last resort. The "good" nerves that help give your performance that special energy and zing are also depressed and stilted by the pills, as well as the "bad" nerves. So I think you will be happier in yourself, if you can learn to channel your nerves without relying on precriptions, and I think your music will benefit as well!

Okay, the biggest thing you can do for your nerves is be solid on your preperation. I know some of the things I am going to suggest may seem terribly redundant and boring (although the more you do it, the less boring it will become) however they will make sure that you are completely secure with what you are playing, and thus your nerves will be greatly calmed. I am a pianist, and piano is one of the most difficult instruments because not only do we have to be performer, conductor, accompanist, and soloist all in one, we also have to do all of that memorized. So please trust me on some of these things.

Now, as both a flutist and a pianist, I have to admit that when I hear most instrumentalists (not pianists or violinists) practicing, I hear them doing so in a very innefectual manner. they practice whole long sections over and over and expect them to "just" get better. It doesn't work that way.

Now, it sounds like you have an audition coming up, and I fully recommend that you try some of these things with difficult passages that you have, but you will not see the full effects of this practicing method until you start a piece from the beginning this way.

Drilling/ practicing methods

1) Add on tecnique starting from the end! THIS is a BIGGIE. This practice technique has saved my bacon on so many pieces. This is the grandaddy of them all. Whether you start at the end of the piece, the last note of a difficult run or phrase...play that last note. Play it with a metronome, in time. Even if you have to take the metronome down to a very slow tempo Play it six times. and six times more. Then, add on JUST the note before the last note, and play both of them together. Then play this a dozen times, at least. And then, when you've got that so natural under your fingers that you could play it with your eyes closed, under water, without your horn, and with your hands tied behind your back, add on the next...and so on and so forth. Continue in this manner. If you ever notice tension creeping in, unfamiliarity, and discomfort, than simply take yourself back a few notes and redo them in this manner.

If you start practicing runs from the beginning, you will be pretty solid with the beginnign of the run, but as it goes on, you will get less confident. Starting from the end gives you a secure and certain knowledge of where you are going that just starting from teh

Also, make yourself a map of the piece. Important themes, keys, high points, low points, for Sonatas, mark the PT, ST etc. and do a thorough analysis of the piece. The earlier you have this map, the easier it will become to learn.

Also. Another important practice technique is to slow everything down, till you are playing every note as a whole note. Being sure that you have impeccable tone, vibrato, crescendi, decrescendi etc. That will help you eliminate the "noise" between notes.

Another important thing to be able to do, is to practice difficult passages mentally, without your horn in your hands.

Another technique, is to practice from beat to beat.Just one beat, to the next. Stop on it. Then, only when you are ready, and more than confident and secure, move onto the next beat. Again, this has to be with a metronome. After a while, the metronome will put you into a zone-like "flow" state that is very meditation-like. If you don't use one in this way much already, you will discover just how much time, even in really fast measures, that you really have between each beat.

Also, find important melodic outline notes, because they will give you a map to fit the technically difficult passages around.

Also, think through your piece with a metronome. Then, sing as much as you can of it. This will really help with phrase and line shaping.

Another thing to do, is to "finger" (but not play) along with a recording by a good performer of your piece.

Also, tape record yourself, so that you can hear yourself objectively.

Also these books will really help.

The Inner Game of Music -- Barry Green
The Ten Pathways (barry Green-- title approximate)
The Art of Practicing -- Madeliene Bruser


These things should give you a much more secure base that should greatly ease your nerves. Read up as much as you can on practice techniques, and sit down and talk to a good piano prof and ask them to tell you about how they practice.

Answer 2

I know the feeling. In my opinion an audition, like any other type of exam or test of skills for a job is important enough to take it very seriously and therefore take special measures and preparations.

Since an audition might be the passport for your professional development and success you should consider it a must win situation, yet you should be relaxed and have a clear mind and senses to perform well.

Therefore I recommend you to go to a doctor to get an ansiolitic prescription. An ansiolitic is a type of medicine which soothes the nervous system and gets rid of any anxieties or other negative feelings produced by stress. They do not get you high, so you do not loose mental or physical sensibility while they relax you enough so you can feel "normal" and not stressed.

If pills or medicines are to much for you, drink a large cup of Lemon blossom tee with Valerian infusion, and this will definitively help.

Good luck
SF

Answer 3

I play flute and act so I know exactly what you are going through. What helps me the best before an audition is to reassure myself. My acting coach said that the main cause of nerves is low self confidence. You know your skills...you know you can play...so believe it! That helps me. Another thing that helps is to take ten minutes before the audition and collect yourself. Deep breathing calms the nerves and tension. Inhale through your nose and fill your lungs, hold for a few seconds and then exhale. Listen to your body: deep breathing slows the heart rate making it easier to calm down.

I don't know if this helps you but it sure helps me! :)

Answer 4

If you go in and know you are prepared and will do a great job, that cna help a lot with any nervousness.

Answer 5

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