Jazz Audition reject

[jacohead]

I have been playing for about 13 years and have real good technique and improv skill, not the best but better than average. I can basicaly play anything as long as someone sings hums or plays it on a piano. I auditioned for this jazz band and was rejected. I have been wanting to learn how to read music but havent, and dont even know where some of the notes are on the bass. I know how important it is to be able to read when playing in a jazz band, but would you reject that musician even though they are not limited to what they can play with their technique? Jazz players... any other hints or tips on how i can prevent from being rejected at another audition ? thanks guys

[tdogg]

learn to read man, im learning right now. ive been playing for 11 years and think im a decent player, but alot of gigs require reading. i was fortunate enough to get into the community jazz band and muddle my way through it. my sight reading skills are slowly getting better. good luck!

[elgecko]

You need to learn to read or you probably won't make it far in a jazz band. That or you can be content in a style where you don't have to read. Sorry.

[elgecko]

...I guess you could be in a jazz combo if you memorized the chords to every standard.

[Grantrudd]

Learn to read. its that simple. most jazz gigs wont give you a book beforehand, or you are expected to know or be able to read standards. None of the chops matter if you dont know the chart at all.

i would also ask for some feedback on what they didnt like about your playing. it might not be limited to your reading. it might be humbling, but if you want to improve, you have to know the areas where you are lacking in ability.

[Rockman]

Originally Posted by jacohead

I have been playing for about 13 years and have real good technique and improv skill, not the best but better than average. I can basicaly play anything as long as someone sings hums or plays it on a piano. I auditioned for this jazz band and was rejected. I have been wanting to learn how to read music but havent, and dont even know where some of the notes are on the bass. I know how important it is to be able to read when playing in a jazz band, but would you reject that musician even though they are not limited to what they can play with their technique? Jazz players... any other hints or tips on how i can prevent from being rejected at another audition ? thanks guys

Yes I would reject even if you had limitless technique. Learn to read music, what you said is your ok if you have someone teaching you the songs, but the bottom line is in jazz noone will know your part because noone plays your part. So learn to read. And play an upright if its a serious jazz band. (band or combo?)

[cnltb]

learn to read,it's really not very hard if you practice it. Know where all the notes are on your fingerboard.This is basic abc but will greatly help your reading. Learn relevant pieces.
Familiarize yourselve with the style and listen to it. Absorb as much of it as you can.
Everyone has good technique, so I wouldn't shout about that too much but playing the music , the right notes, the right feel, etc may just get you the next audition.. Be open to critique from others and work on your weaknesses.
Be honest with yourself in order to really progress IMHO

Good luck

[tdogg]

look at it this way, have you ever heard anyone say "man i wish i had never learned to read music" ?

[waleross]

The community jazz band concept is a good one. Usually you'll have more than one drummer and one bass player.You can find a lot of reading material on the Jamie Abersold Web site My early bass teacher used to have me sing out the rhythms before playing a note. If you can find a jazz class, that reads charts and everybody is at the same beginning level , it would help you a lot......

[CapnSev]

+1 on the learning to read. Not only notes, but keys, scales, and modes too.

An even bigger +1 on learning all the notes on your fingerboard. That should be step one for you. If somebody in the band calls out a note or chord, you have to know where that would be. This should be top priority.

Not knowing notes, scales, or keys in a jazz (or really any professional band) is going to leave you SOL. There's going to be a lot of situations where you won't be able to hear the song first, or have someone hum it to you.

[Akshat]

Originally Posted by elgecko

You need to learn to read or you probably won't make it far in a jazz band. That or you can be content in a style where you don't have to read. Sorry.

Ill have to disagree with you there.I read somewhere that Hadrien Feraud cant read sheet..but then again exceptions are always there

[elgecko]

Originally Posted by Akshat

Ill have to disagree with you there.I read somewhere that Hadrien Feraud cant read sheet..but then again exceptions are always there

Hence the use of the qualifier "probably".

Of course, none of this helps the OP short of giving him a glimmer of hope that reading isn't necessary in jazz.

[Jazzerbone]

I couldn't imagine a bass player getting a regular jazz band gig and not being able to read. I guess it could be "possible", but the Myans could be right about 2012 too.

[SBassman]

Should someone pursuing a career in music learn to read?
You better believe it.

But I tell ya - I have seen a zillion jazz bands in my region, and never, ever have I seen a bass player reading from a chart. The horn players - yes. The bass player - absolutely never.

There Are non-reading opportunities in jazz.

If you can play by ear well, I'd say there are at least Some bands who would find that much more desirable than playing from a chart.

[Badong]

If you want to hang with a traditional combo and not read, you're going to need to have a couple hundred essential standards memorized. You don't need to read to memorize tunes.

If it's a group that plays originals then you are probably going to need to read their tunes unless the composer is willing to teach you the charts.

It surprised me that no one took the position that it is not necessary to read to play jazz. I play with an awesome piano player every weekend. He sounds like a recording artist but can't read his way out of a paper bag. The trick is, he knows several hundred tunes that he learned from records. Remember, jazz was a folk music before it was accepted in academia.

I wish my ears were better. I get overly dependent on reading and thinking through scales and chords. I'm trying to get past all that and just play by ear.

[elavate7]

play gospel

[SBassman]

You don't even have to memorize the coupla hundred of standards.

Whatever happened to playing from a chord chart?

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Badong

It surprised me that no one took the position that it is not necessary to read to play jazz. I play with an awesome piano player every weekend. He sounds like a recording artist but can't read his way out of a paper bag. The trick is, he knows several hundred tunes that he learned from records. Remember, jazz was a folk music before it was accepted in academia.

No. Jazz is an opportunistic merging of folk and "legit" music. Many of the founding figures in jazz could read. Many of them eagerly studied classical music when they got a chance. Some of the styles that jazz emerged from, such as ragtime, had widespread published literature. Fats Waller published jazz tunes in the 1920's. Jazz had already evolved to the point where most jazz players could read, by the time that jazz gained acceptance in academia.

The OP didn't specify what kind of jazz band. The first thing that comes to mind when someone says "jazz band" is a big-band. I have played with roughly a dozen different big-bands over the years. Every single one of those bands had written charts. I could not have functioned in any of those bands without being able to sight-read. Big-band charts cover the gamut from chord charts to written-out bass parts with no chords, and mixtures of both formats within any given tune.

Most of the players in a big-band come from a school band training, where everybody learns to read as a point of departure. Many of them aren't even aware of the guitar-oriented world where people learn to play without reading.

Combo jazz is of course a different story -- players have varying levels of reading ability. You can get away without reading if you know tunes, have a killer ear, or can call which tunes are played. Players who are strong readers get a reputation for it, and get the calls where reading is required.

So I will agree that it's not necessary to read in order to play jazz, but at least in my locale, there are enough bass players who can read, to cover all of the gigs.

[Badong]

Well stated fdeck. I suppose I oversimplified my position.

[Pacman]

Originally Posted by Akshat

Ill have to disagree with you there.I read somewhere that Hadrien Feraud cant read sheet..but then again exceptions are always there

I *highly* doubt that.

But still, even if it were true, you're going to point to one guy in an industry and hang your hat on that?