The Scary Solo

Do you ever freak out or struggle with exposed solos when you perform?

Recently I had quite an exposed trumpet solo for a concert in my orchestra. Normally I don’t tend to get too many solo opportunities on 2nd trumpet, so when something like this comes around it certainly gets the heart pumping! This was probably the most exposed solo you’ll ever get in my position – 8 bars, completely alone! Yep, it was pretty scary, but I managed to play it well and enjoy the performance too 👍 

When preparing for instances such as this, I’ve often found that my performance level is in direct relationship with how thoroughly I prepare. Makes sense, right!?

So I thought I’d share my top 3 tips on how I prepared to play this solo and the reasons why these strategies work so well.

Strategy #1 - Practice Performing

Right from the first time I picked up the music, I was already picturing in my mind what the performance would look, sound, and feel like. This meant that every time I practised the solo, I had a clear idea of the environment that would be around me during the concert. This helped me stay clear, present and flexible because I had come up with potential distractions or challenges that might throw me off, well before the first rehearsal.

In my practice sessions, I divided my time between practising practice and practising performing. Firstly, I would work on the nuts and bolts of the piece, refining the technical and musical elements, and also cover other possible variations. This was when I was practising practice.

Then to test my skills and memory, I would practise performing by incorporating 1-off “performances” throughout my sessions. Every 10 to 15 minutes I would give myself just 1 shot to nail the solo, as it would be in the actual performance. Doing this helped to snap my focus onto the music as quickly as possible, and force me to be flexible and on the ball at a moment’s notice.

I also continued this “performance practice” at any time throughout the day. I would play the solo without a warm-up at the very start of the day. I might play it right at the end of the day when I was tired and feeling unfocused. I performed it for my students in their lesson. I played it in the concert hall before and after rehearsal. I played it in as many different circumstances as I could think of.

After a few days of this, I knew that I could perform it well under a whole range of situations, and at a moment’s notice. This meant that I could go on stage with confidence and certainty that I could play it as intended.

Strategy #2 – Using a Process Cue

Another strategy I use is called a “Process Cue”. This is a simple set of cue words that help to create the right mood and character in the music. It’s basically a few descriptive words that encapsulate all of the technical and musical ideas, simplifying them for performance. Using process cues helps prevent overthinking, yet gives you something clear to focus on which can guide your thought patterns.

For this short solo, I came up with the process cue “Military Fanfare”. For me, these two words brought forth pictures in my mind of a military procession, musket rifles and bayonets, strict marching soldiers, and a wind band playing a fanfare in the background. This was the type of character I was aiming for in the music, and creating this process cue helped to create this scene in my mind right before I started playing.

Strategy #3 - External Focus of Attention

Another simple, yet extremely powerful strategy I often use is maintaining a focus of attention that is OUTSIDE of my body when I play, especially during performance. In this instance, I focussed on what type of sound I wanted to create, its character, pitch, and colour, and where the sound would be going in the concert hall. In this piece, I was aiming for a brighter, stronger sound, much like a natural trumpet in the lower principale register. I chose to direct my sound to a specific seat in the back row of the lower section of the concert hall.

The reason why this technique works so well is that it directs your focus away from the internal mechanics of playing a musical instrument, and onto the effect that you want to create in the music. When under pressure your point of focus often turns inwards and onto internal body mechanics. You might try to micro-manage all of the tiny body movements required to play your instrument, however, this will often backfire, causing “paralysis by analysis”, and you start to perform worse!

Simply directing your focus to somewhere outside of your body will help you get out of your own way, and let go of the mechanical movements that you have been training in the practice room. By letting go, trusting that your practice will flow through to performance, and really going for it, you will give yourself the best chance of achieving a great result!

Try one of these tips next time you have a performance coming up, and I’m certain you’ll notice a significant difference in the results you get. Good luck!