Big audition coming up, any advice for taming nerves?

[jmaster]

The other thing to remember is that they are looking for potential, not the finished article. It doesn't have to be a note-perfect performance so long as you show them what you are capable of and what raw material they will have to work with

Yeah that's a good point, there'd be no point going there if I was already amazing

[clarky]

and remember the 5 D's

Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive.. and .. erm... Dodge

seriously.. these things are far more stressful than gigs...
I've done recital exams [in front of 3 people] and almost caved in [cos they're reading the score you're playing, whilst you're playing it - and they were stuff ol' classical types]

a little nerves is a good thing, but try not to let them get the better of you...
and as said above... prep is everything...
cos you can just go into auto-pilot and play..

best of luck

[clarky]

Booze and a stress relieving wank

I thought that telling you my gig prep secrets was just between us...
and now you just gone and told everyone..
I feel so cheated...

--- flounces off ---

[octatonic]

I have an audition to get on to a degree course in guitar at ICMP on saturday.

There's a theory paper and technical exercises like scales, arpeggios in the caged system etc. which I'm confident with and I have to play a piece of my choice which is the Martin Taylor arrangement of georgia on my mind which should be fine.

However there's one bit which is 'play rhythm guitar and solo to a backing track in a variety of common styles' where I just don't know what to expect! Also, when I'm nervous and someone is watching me closely (I'm fine with playing to an audience) I tend to forget everything I know and play like a bit of a spaz.

Any tips on how to prepare for something like this or just general dealing with nerves?

Thanks

If you can play a bit of rock, a bit of soul, a bit of funk and a bit of reggae then you will be ok.

The main one that trips people up is the aural test.
They will play you examples consisting of two intervals and you need to be able to pick out what is a major 3rd, a perfect 4th etc
A lot of people mess this up but you can always go back and do it again.

Also, how is your reading? (As in notation, not tab).

As someone else said they are looking to see where you are at.
Very few people get turned away and if you are low in one area or another then you can resit that element of the audition after having worked on it for a few weeks or months.

Dario Cortese teaches at ICMP- he is a great guitarist and a fantastic teacher.

[jmaster]

Yeah I reckon I could pull off those styles, I've learned a few licks from each style I can throw in if I get stuck

My aural is OK, I do A level music and have been practicing aural and theory a load so I'm quite confident about that.

My reading I'm worried about, I can read notation fine cause I play piano, but my sight reading is not great. I've been practicing that a shit tonne but I'm still not very confident with it, especially when there are big leaps.

That's good to know!

[octatonic]

If it makes any difference several people made it onto the degree with virtually no reading.
They had to work at it a lot though.

The first year reading can actually get quite tricky- in some ways it is harder than the second year.

Good luck- let us know how you go.

[jmaster]

Ok that's reassuring

Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how I get on

[ecc83]

Re booze:
I used to engage in a competitive* activity that had similar requirements. A relaxed state and muscular "precision", this was target air rifle shooting.

The advice from the top coaches was, a LITTLE alcohol is beneficial, a little too much is disatrous. Do avoid caffeine in any form for some hours before performing. The quantity that suited me was one pint of guiness which was sunk, slowly by the time I was "up". I then got one in and sipped it during my turn.

*Except that it wasn't. Like Golf or guitar, the "opposition" cannot influence your performance one iota. You shoot/play against yourself.

Dave.

[jmaster]

So I had the audition yesterday, went pretty well apart from messed up a bit on the sight reading and hesitated on a few things because of nerves. I should hear in a few weeks how I got on

[jmaster]

I got offered a place thanks to everyone for the advice