Preparing for Brass Auditions: Essential Tips and Tools

Auditioning for a brass position can be a rather overwhelming experience for both beginners and experienced brass players, regardless of whether they’re aiming for a position in an orchestra, a jazz band, or a conservatory. To secure a spot in the ensemble of your dreams it’s significant to prepare properly and strategically. Success comes to those who combine technical mastery and mental preparation. In this article, we will share some helpful tips for musicians on how to master the brass audition and perform their best when the judges’ eyes are on them.

1. Learn the Requirements

Knowing the requirements reduces the risk of unpleasant surprises you may not be prepared for. Double-check exactly what is expected of musicians aiming for a position in a specific ensemble. Do you need to perform pieces in certain genres? Do you need to be perfect at sight-reading? This knowledge will help you plan practice sessions to refine specific skills.

2. Select the Proper Warm-Up

Warm-ups are an essential part of a brass musician’s practices. You can practice breathing deeply and releasing air slowly, inhaling and exhaling at various speeds, buzzing into the mouthpiece alone, playing long notes and holding them as long as you can. Focus on how you breathe when you play, ensuring you don’t raise your shoulders and contract your belly with each breath. 

Practice diaphragmatic breathing to generate enough air pressure to perform sustained notes with minimal tension in your upper body. Practice lip slurs, scales, and tonguing exercises to improve your agility and precision. Ensure that you don’t apply excessive mouthpiece pressure on your lips. For more detail check out our article featuring exercises and techniques for improved breathing.

3. Practice with a Clear Goal in Your Mind 

Your success depends not only on the quantity of hours you’ve devoted to preparation, but rather on the quality of how you use that time. Study the pieces you’re going to perform, find the most challenging parts and start refining them first. Pay attention to how you play, whether you do it with the correct tempo. If these are rapid pieces, it’s better to start playing them at a slower tempo and then speed up as you refine your skills.

4. Practice in the Clothes You’re Wearing for the Audition 

It may be rather helpful to wear the same clothes you’ve chosen for your audition each time you start practicing at home. This tip benefits beginners who haven’t had many auditions in their career yet. And it's especially useful for everyone who's going to put on a new suit or dress for that special day. 

You should give yourself a trial time, as there’s always a risk of feeling awkward just because you aren’t used to wearing those clothes. Maybe your jacket feels tight in your belly or shoulders when you play your horn for an extended period, maybe the collar of your shirt restricts your breathing and prevents you from normal deep breaths. All these factors can lead to unpleasant situations if you overlook them. 

5. Record How You Play

This will help you have a vision from an audience’s perspective. By recording yourself, you can identify problematic areas that need improvement. You can evaluate your tone quality, intonation, and rhythmic accuracy. When listening to your recordings you see whether your phrasing, dynamics, and consistency are good enough. To record yourself, you may use your notebook, laptop, or just your phone.

6. Play in Front of Friends

This will simulate the presence of the audience and provide you with feedback on your technique and performance. Even if your audience is limited to a few friends it still helps you build confidence and prepare for the pressure of the actual audition. Try playing in rooms with different acoustics to adjust to various settings. 

7. Prepare Mentally 

This tip will help you cope with your anxiety and reduce stress before the audition. Practice visualization by imagining the actual audition, experiencing how you feel, what the smells and noises look and feel like. Imagine how you perfectly and confidently play the piece from the beginning to the end in front of the audience. 

8. Take Care of Your Brass Instrument 

A well-maintained instrument is part of your personal brand. Dirty instruments can never produce a good tone, so ensure your brass instrument undergoes regular maintenance. The valves and slides should function properly, and the mouthpiece should be free from debris inside. It’s better to have backup equipment on the day of the audition, such as extra mouthpieces and valve oil to resolve unpleasant issues. 

9. Prepare Everything the Day Before

It’s not the best idea to postpone your preparation to the actual day. Even if you wake up early to gather all your things, you may still experience the pressure of the audition coming closer. It’s better to do all your preparation the day before. 

Check whether you’ve put your mouthpiece in the pouch, wipe down your instrument with a cloth to remove fingerprints and create the best impression you can. Don’t forget about the sheet of music you’re going to play. To not forget something important, you may even make a checklist of things you need to take and prepare. Never rely solely on your memory. 

Being prepared on the actual morning can boost your confidence, help you focus on performing, and raise the chances of success.

10. Start the Audition Day Properly 

On the most important day, you should arrive at the pace of your destination early enough to have time for warm-up exercises. Take deep, controlled breaths to reduce anxiety. Get used to the surroundings and think positively about yourself as a person who can do it. You may even practice positive self-talk by replacing doubts with affirmations like “I am prepared and ready for today.” It’s also crucial to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine. 

What Tools and Devices to Use to Prepare for Your Next Audition 

Now let’s explore some helpful tools and devices that can elevate your technique and performance. 

1. Boosters 

These devices add mass to the mouthpieces helping stabilize vibration and making sound more centered and controlled. Literally boosters influence sound waves and how they travel through the brass instrument on their way to the bell. By practicing with a booster, you can improve your projection and resonance. There are many boosters to choose from. If you play classical repertoire, it’s better to use heavy boosters to achieve a fuller sound. If you play jazz pieces, start with light-weight boosters, which provide sharp attacks and bright sound.

2. Buzzmasters 

These devices allow brass musicians to buzz directly into their mouthpieces simulating the realistic playing experience. Buzzmasters help players train their muscles without the instrument by using the mouthpiece alone and yet creating resistance similar to that of the instrument. Practicing with buzzmasters, you can refine your tone, airflow and muscle strength. These devices also help you gain better control over your embouchure. One of their benefits is compact size allowing musicians to take them the road and use them as a part of warm-ups before auditions.

3. Optimizers 

These devices help build proper embouchure and resolve the issue of pressing the mouthpiece too tightly to the lips. Using optimizers, you learn to use your embouchure muscles effectively, which leads to better tones. You will also get rid of the habit of relying on pressure that may lead to fatigue and reduced playing sessions. Optimizers minimize the risk of blood wounds and injuries of your lips. By practicing with these devices, you improve air support and embouchure before the audition.

4. T.E.T. 

Properly trained lips and facial muscles are crucial for your successful audition. For this purpose, you can use Trumpet Embouchure Trainers (T.E.T.) or Trombone Embouchure Trainers (TB.E.T.), which are designed for effective buzzing exercises. These tools help you play with consistent tone, allowing your lips to vibrate naturally. By practicing with T.E.T, you can refine your airflow and adjust it in the way to produce proper tones. Such embouchure trainers are compact, which allows them to fit into the instrument bag.

Conclusion

Auditions are important parts of any musician’s journey. Mastering them takes step-by-step preparations. They can be stressful, but if you prepare for them properly in advance, you can turn them into opportunities for growth and success. By following our guide on brass audition, you will reduce stress, improve your performance technique, and increase the chances to fulfil your dreams.