Auditioning as a Jazz Bass Player

[Sharkabilly]

I'm going to apply to a 4 year soon for jazz. What did you play at your audition? What is required of you?

Edit: For Music Education, not performance.

[CamMcIntyre]

It will vary depending on the school.

I recommend contacting the school and asking what is required. What would be even better is to contact your potential teacher, schedule a lesson with them, and seek whatever advice they have. I came down with the flu the day before my trial lesson with the teacher.

Otherwise....

Prepare 3 tunes of contrasting styles. I'd go a blues, a bop tune, and either a ballad or a Latin tune. Be prepared to play the head, comp, and solo over each. Sight reading will be required, and they may ask for scales. 1-2 octave Major/Minor

When I auditioned into Roosevelt here's how it went-I played 1 tune on electric [The Chicken] and 1 tune on Upright [Jive Samba]. They had me walk a Blues in Bb & solo over it, sight read, and I think that's it. All of that with was with a faculty Piano player [killer cat who would later become a mentor to me]. There was going to be a faculty drummer, but they didn't have cymbals or something.

When I think about my audition, I think they must have saw my potential more than anything....I bombed the sight reading (got lost & finished before the pianist), took a poor solo & wasn't prepared to play the head on Jive Samba. It's 3-4 notes, I just had never done it before. The biggest thing that I did was played with confidence. I remember the department chair complimented the sound of my basses...and I said 'I know, that's why I brought em.' My train of thinking was to simply play what I could to the best of my ability.

all the best.

[Sharkabilly]

I got down the head of scrapple, and I got another semester. I know my scales 2 octaves and I have pretty decent sigh reading. I just need to figure out some heads, but my soloing over changes is where I really need the work.

[mattfong]

Usually the schools' websites will tell you what the requirements are, because it is usually different for every school.

Are there music ed programs in the States that let you study jazz? All the ed programs here are sort of part of the classical programs.

[nickmo007]

All schools have different specifics, but If you can walk a steady bass line at a variety of tempos with a decent swing feel and maintain the form, you should be able to get into about any jazz program. If you can blow over changes well they will love you, however, the ability to maintain the form and provide a steady beat is what you need.

[JavierBass]

Music ed programs will usually allow to focus your concentration towards jazz or classical but you check the school's websites or talk with the bass professor at the school for requirements. Some schools, mainly the conservatories, require a pre-screening recording before they invite to a live audition so that is also something to keep in mind. But the main thing they look for in auditions is potential, so if you can go in and walk changes, keeping a steady tempo then that would be good enough for most schools.

[ding_man]

All schools have slightly different auditions and sometimes you'll come in and they'll tell you to do something completely different. Good luck man.

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by Sharkabilly

sigh reading.

Ah yeah.... I know all about that...

[Treyzer]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Ah yeah.... I know all about that...

Don't you just hate that when those little dots on the paper make you do that! Typically when it's badly written

SIGH