AUDITION GUIDELINES

There are two components to your audition: Repertoire and Technical.

Repertoire

Please prepare 2 pieces selected from the following 4 choices. The 2 selections must be from different categories:

• A piece of your choice in popular/contemporary style (rock, blues, country, pop, etc.) that demonstrates your technique, sense of feel, and musicality. Please play along to the original recording. Prepare about 2 minutes of the song.
• Prepare a jazz standard from the following list:
  • Autumn Leaves
  • Bye Bye Blackbird
  • Blue Monk
  • There is No Greater Love
  • Take the A Train
  • All of Me
  • Solar
  • Fly Me to the Moon
  • Oleo
  • Just Friends
  Be prepared to perform the melody, play a walking bass line through the chord changes, and improvise a simple solo over the chord changes. Play along to a backing track. Example: iRealPro, Band-in-a-Box, Jamie Aebersold, or a Youtube backing track.
• Perform a transcription (minimum of 24 bars) of a jazz bass solo. Play along to the original recording.
• Prepare and play a short classical study, etude, or piece. Example: Simandl, Bach Cello Suites, Back for Young Bassists, Harbe, or other similar resource. No backing track is required. Prepare approximately 20 to 40 bars.

Technical

1. Scales - played at a moderate, even tempo, ascending and descending
   • C and D major scales 1 octave
   • F and G major scales 2 octaves
   • A and Bb natural minor scales 1 octave
2. Arpeggios - played at a moderate, even tempo, ascending and descending
   • C and D major triad arpeggios 1 octave
   • F and G major triad arpeggios 2 octaves
   • A and Bb minor triad arpeggios 1 octave
   • C major 7, dominant 7, minor 7, minor 7(b5), and diminished 7 arpeggios 1 octave
3. Walking Bass Line – Play a walking bass line over the F, 12 bar blues, chord progression.
   Note choice, sound, feel, and time feel will be evaluated

There are two categories of requirements: Snare Drum and Drumset.

Snare Drum

1. Perform the following Rudiments from slow to fast:
   • Long roll,
   • 5, 7,9, and 13 stroke rolls,
   • single stroke roll,
   • ruffs,
   • single and double drag taps,
   • flams,
   • flam tap,
   • flam accent,
   • single, double and triple ratamacues
   • single, double and triple paradiddles.
2. Perform one prepared snare drum solo/etude that demonstrates your present level of technical ability.

Drumset

1. Perform the following time-feels displaying independence and stylistically suitable fills:
   • rock
   • 16th-note funk
   • Medium swing
   • Up-tempo swing
   • Shuffle
   • 12/8
   • jazz waltz
   • Bossa nova
2. Perform trading 4’s with sticks in a swing context.
3. Demonstrate the use of brushes in a swing context.

There are two components to your audition: Repertoire and Technical.

Repertoire

Perform three selections, as indicated below. These pieces should be well prepared, and should best demonstrate your technique, time and feel, and musicality. The three selections are:

1. A jazz, blues, or latin standard
   
   • This selection should be performed with a backing track. (The iReal Pro app is an excellent source for backing tracks. Backing tracks for many standards can also be found on YouTube).
   • Perform the melody of the song, an improvised solo of at least one chorus in length, and then the melody to end the piece.
   • You should be able to demonstrate some understanding of the sound, phrasing, and language of the style, your ability to follow the form, and your ability to play in time with accompaniment.
2. A piece of your choice in a contrasting jazz or popular/contemporary style (rock, pop, country, blues, funk, etc.), played with or without a backing track.
3. A solo guitar piece such as a jazz guitar chord solo, a classical guitar etude/study, or a folk guitar selection, preferably from a published source.

Technical

Prepare and perform the following technical requirements:

1. Scales -Play at a moderate, even tempo, up and down
   • G Major scale, two octaves, starting on the 6th string (low E string)
   • Bb Major scale, two octaves, starting on the 6th string (low E string)
   • E Major scale, one octave, starting on the 3rd string (G string)
   • A Natural Minor scale, two octaves, starting on the 6th string (low E string)
   • F Harmonic Minor scale, one octave, starting on the 5th string (A string)
2. 7th chords - Play two versions of each of the following chords:
   
   • F minor 7
   • B minor 7
   • Eb Major 7
   • A Major 7
   • C# minor 7(b5)
   • Ab Dominant 7
   • D Dominant 7
   • F# diminished 7
3. Arpeggios (see note below regarding arpeggios)
   
   • C Major triad arpeggio in root position, from the 3rd string (G string)
   • E minor arpeggio in root position, from the 5th string (A string)
   • B Diminished arpeggio in root position, from the 4th string (D string)

   Arpeggios should be played from root to fifth, up and down, as below:

   

There are two categories of requirements: Repertoire and Technical..

Repertoire

Prepare and perform three selections. You may use charts or other music scores at the audition, but the expectation is that your choices reflect the highest level of your technical ability and musicality.

1. Perform two pieces in contrasting styles. These may be selected from jazz, rock, pop and/or classical repertoires (no original pieces or improvisations please, but jazz pieces may include an improvised section). Classical pieces must be at the Grade VI Royal Conservatory (RCM) level or higher.
2. In addition, perform one 12-bar blues piece with an improvised section. The level of difficulty is the applicant’s choice. Play along with a backing track. Suitable suggestions for creating or finding backing tracks are iReal Pro, Jamie Aebersold, or Band-in-a-Box.

Technical

Prepare and perform the following technical requirements:

1. Scales: perform two octaves, hands together, at best tempo.
   • D and Bb major scales
   • C and A harmonic minor scales
   • F and B melodic minor scales
2. Triads (four types)
   • Perform each in root position and inversions using the hand specified (R.H. or L.H.).
   • Chords must be played solid, not arpeggiated.
     • R.H. Bb major triad
     • L.H. D major triad
       
       
     • R.H. C minor triad
     • L.H. B minor triad
       
       
     • R.H. G augmented triad
     • L.H. F augmented triad
       
       
     • R.H. A diminished triad
     • L.H. E diminished triad
3. Seventh-chords (the five basic 7^th-chords)
   • Perform each in root position and inversions using the hand specified (R.H. or L.H.).
   • Chords must be played solid, not arpeggiated.
     • Dominant 7
       R.H. D7
       L.H. C7
       
       
     • Minor7
       R.H. Gmin7
       L.H. Emin7
       
       
     • Major 7
       R.H. Ebmaj7
       L.H. Fmaj7
       
       
     • Half-diminished 7 (min7b5)
       R.H. Dmin7b5
       L.H. Cmin7b5
       
       
     • Full-diminished 7 (diminished 7)
       R.H. B diminished 7
       L.H. G diminished 7

There are two categories of requirements: Repertoire and Technical. You must prepare both sections.

Repertoire

Prepare to perform two pieces, each selected from the following two categories:

1. Perform one contemporary piece in a pop, rock, R&B or country style. (See Requirements below.)
2. Perform one contrasting contemporary piece, or a jazz or latin piece. (See Requirements below.)

Requirements:

• The two prepared repertoire selections must be contrasting styles and tempos.
• Vocalists are only permitted to self-accompany on one piece; however, self-accompanying is not required.
• Aside from self-accompaniment, vocalists must use backing tracks (with no recorded lead vocal present) as their accompaniment. The following are good sources for backing tracks:
  • iReal Pro
  • Band-in-a-Box
  • Jamie Aebersold
  • YouTube backing tracks (e.g., LearnJazzStandards, Karaoke backing tracks)
• A cappella submissions are not permitted.
• Vocalists are not required to use a microphone in the audition video.
• Vocalists are permitted to select one original composition as one of their repertoire selections; however, original compositions are not required.
• All selections must be performed from memory.

Technical

Prepare and perform the following technical requirements. Give yourself a starting pitch and sing each requirement acapella:

1. Scales and intervals
   
   • Sing a major scale, with note names, one octave, ascending and descending (prepare D, E and Bb major scales).
   • Sing a harmonic minor scale with note names, one octave ascending and descending, in the key of A.
   • Sing a major 3rd, a perfect 5th and an Octave Interval up, vocalized on a ‘vee’ syllable, selecting a different starting note for each. Sing both the starting and pitch and the interval.
2. Triads - vocalized on a ‘vee’ syllable
   • Sing a major triad, ascending and descending, starting on A or D.
   • Sing a minor triad, ascending and descending, starting on B or E.
   • Sing an augmented triad, ascending and descending, starting on C or F.
   • Sing a diminished triad, ascending and descending, starting on G or Bb.
3. Perform the melody below on an ‘ooh’ vowel in an octave of your choice:
   Please note that you will be evaluated on pitch accuracy, tone, time and technique.
   

There are two categories of requirements: Repertoire and Technical.

Repertoire

Prepare to perform three pieces, one from each of the following three categories:

1. Perform a jazz standard chosen from the following list:
   
   • All the Things You Are
   • Au Privave
   • Autumn Leaves
   • Billie’s Bounce
   • Blue Bossa
   • Doxy
   • Fly Me to the Moon
   • Just Friends
   • Now’s the Time
   • Oleo
   • On Green Dolphin Street
   • Recordame
   • Solar
   • Straight No Chaser
   • Summertime
   • Take the A Train
   • Tenor Madness
   For this selection, perform the MELODY and a simple IMPROVISED SOLO. Play along to a backing track. The following are good sources for backing tracks:
   • iReal Pro
   • Band-in-a-Box
   • Jamie Aebersold
   • YouTube backing track (e.g., LearnJazzStandards)
2. Perform a classical etude or study
   
   • (Remember to identify the piece at the beginning of the performance).
3. Perform a solo transcription of a jazz standard
   
   • The transcription should be a minimum of 24 bars in length.
   • Memorization of the transcription is encouraged.
   • Play along with the original recording.

Technical

Prepare and perform the following technical requirements:

1. Major scales, one octave, ascending and descending (eighth notes at m.m. = 100), in the following keys:
   
   • F, G, B flat, D, E flat, A, A flat, E
2. Harmonic minor scales, one octave, ascending and descending, (eighth notes at m.m. = 100), in the following keys:
   
   • A, D, E, B, G
3. Major, minor and dominant seventh-chord arpeggios, ascending and descending, one octave (eighth notes at m.m. = 100):
   
   • C, F, G, B flat, D

If you choose to submit your audition online, review the following information:

• In all instances, “recording” or “record” means video recording (audio/visual recording)
• Place the video recorder/phone at a fixed position approximately 6 – 10 feet away from the performer. Absolutely no panning or zooming.
• If you are in a reverberant space (a church, large room, etc.), you might consider moving the recorder closer to the sound source, to clarify the sound of the instrument and reduce interference of primary sound reflections.
• Generally, the recording device should be 1/3 as close to the instrument as it is to reflecting surfaces, such as walls, ceiling, floor. Obviously this isn't possible if recording in a small room, but try to find a balance.
• Always do test recordings. Listen through each track, especially for segments of louder dynamics, to ensure that they clear and are not distorted at peak levels (move the recorder and adjust gain accordingly).
• If required to use backing-tracks, be sure to check balance.
• Listen to/watch your recordings on a variety of player devices, listen with headphones in a quiet space, send it to your TV for additional quality check.
• Ultimately, you want to sound good, so taking care of a few essential technical considerations will allow us to hear you at your best.
• When you are ready to record:
  • Online submission selections should be an unedited performance and recorded in one take. Recorded selections must not be edited or manipulated in any way.
  • At the start of your recording, briefly introduce yourself (clearly state your name).
  • At the beginning of each track, state the name of the piece or technical requirement.
  • Please submit two video files: one for the repertoire requirements; and one for the technical requirements.
  • Your files must be named in the following format:
    Yourname_performance_YYYY_your instrument, and
    Yourname_technical_YYYY_your instrument
  • Note that some files may take time to upload, so check the progress bar and be patient.

Once you have recorded your audition videos, you will fill out the form below by answering a few background questions and loading your audition videos.

If you have any technical difficulties or have any other questions around the audition process and the requirements, please contact the Department of Music for advice.