good ballad for an audition?

x18karatharmony · #1 06-03-2008, 05:23 PM

i have an audition coming up for a big band this monday, and im really not to experianced with ballads, is there any moderately easy ballads anyone might reccomend to me?

**Freddels** · #2 06-03-2008, 06:14 PM

My Ship is a very nice tune.

TroyK · #3 06-03-2008, 06:28 PM

I really like "What's New?"

and I just named my dog "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)"

You should find one that speaks to you, though. Download or otherwise find and listen to every copy of it you can and play something that you've connected with and internalized.

joel kelsey · #4 06-03-2008, 10:24 PM

I like Moonlight in Vermont. Body and Soul is a must know (check out Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton). In a Sentimental Mood and Misty are good too. Are you playing the melody or just a bassline?

salcott · #5 06-04-2008, 11:38 AM

"Polkadots and Moonbeams", "Skylark", "The Touch of Your Lips"-all great melodies.

reedo35 · #6 06-04-2008, 01:05 PM

My favorites are "round minight" "goodbye porkpie hat" and "my one and only love"

Chrix · #7 06-04-2008, 03:53 PM

I've been playing "The Very Thought of You" as of late. Forgot how great that tune is. Also remember that a lot of tunes that are currently played medium and faster began their lives as ballads ("Stella", "Love For Sale", "Falling In Love With Love", etc...). So there's a good chance that there are some tunes you know really well that could work as a ballad.

TroyK · #8 06-04-2008, 06:44 PM

Yep, listen and play the one that you connect with. Everyone's made good suggestions, but what is your favorite ballad? That's the one to play, especially with a ballad where it is all about telling the tale.

x18karatharmony · #9 06-04-2008, 07:59 PM

just a bass line, so im looking for something with farily easy changes

JohnDavisNYC · #10 06-05-2008, 06:51 AM

TroyK hit the nail on the head... it's gotta be a song that you dig!

how can you possibly play a ballad for an audition that you don't already know and enjoy? i don't necessarily mean know how to play it, but at least know it by ear. listen through all your records and find the ballad that speaks to you the most, and then learn it, melody and changes... if you do that and are feeling the music when you play, i'm sure the audition will go well.

while we're throwing out suggestions for ballads, some of my favourites are 'blue in green', 'peace', and 'stella by starlight'.

cheers,
john

jweiss · #11 06-05-2008, 08:26 AM

I was looking for a modern ballad for our combo to do and I came across Joshua Redman's version of "Tears in Heaven" (an Eric Clapton tune). It's on his album, "Wish". Pretty sweet. Yould could play the head and then improv over the changes.

Otherwise I like many of the previously suggested ballads (Round Midnight, Goodbye Porkpie Hat, Blue in Green, etc.).

Cheers,

Jeff

jumpinin · #12 06-05-2008, 09:11 AM

I'm sure most here have seen Dave Holland's YouTube video of Goodbye PorkPie Hat - http://youtube.com/watch?v=SHxqn1LlLcI

I'd second "My One and Only Love". I always like something that lends itself to using open string double stops and harmonics but then again you can always adjust the key to accomplish that.

txstatebass · #13 06-05-2008, 09:20 AM

I'm a big fan of "Some Other Time" by Bernstien. For some reason they took it out of the new legal books, but it's a great tune. Check out Scott LaFaro with the Bill Evans trio playing it. Beautiful!

jweiss · #14 06-05-2008, 09:31 AM

Jeff Berlin playing Tears in Heaven:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jw6oOXuq10

Thunderthumbs73 · #15 06-05-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by x18karatharmony

i have an audition coming up for a big band this monday, and im really not to experianced with ballads, is there any moderately easy ballads anyone might reccomend to me?

Ask the band you are auditioning for (if you can) for the names of a few ballads that they play. Find a few copies of those songs (iTunes, etc...) even if they aren't in the same key/tempo, and internalize them.

TroyK · #16 06-05-2008, 12:00 PM

Angel Eyes, lays really nice on bass in Cm. Lots of good opens string transitions.

But, I come back to...you should be listening to ballads and chosing the one you connect with.

dkziemann · #17 06-05-2008, 04:28 PM

Embraceable You

lhoward · #18 06-05-2008, 07:59 PM

Nat King Cole sang some great ballads.

Smile (co-written by Charlie Chaplan - the sad clown)
Candy
Unforgettable
A Blossom Fell
You'll Never Know
Let There Be Love
When I Fall In Love
For Sentimental Reasons

And some others I play that I really like:
Black Coffee (I love playing this. Its a little dark (pun intended), but a nice slow ballad)
I Get Along Without You Very Well
I'll Be Seeing You
Stars Fell On Alabama (One of my absolute favorites)

There are so many wonderful ballads out there, hopefully you'll be able to take some time to find one you feel comfortable with. I only listed ones that I think might not be too complicated, but nonetheless very nice tunes.

Lloyd Howard

Thunderthumbs73 · #19 06-06-2008, 08:33 AM

Ya'll are making me think of all these great tunes I need to get my hands on! I think Ballads (of approached correctly) can take just as much concentration as a slow song- for what it lacks in technique requiring speed, it makes up for it in need for great tone, consistent note length and connectedness.

Paul Warburton · #20 06-06-2008, 11:08 AM

[quote=jumpinin;5817885]I'm sure most here have seen Dave Holland's YouTube video of Goodbye PorkPie Hat - http://youtube.com/watch?v=SHxqn1LlLcI

Yeah man. Thanks for that! Soulful........