Audition Guidelines: What do you ask for and expect?

[Killing Floor]

If I send someone a mix tape (!!!) I’d expect the minimum preparation is learn the part as is at the skill level that’s on the cassette (!!!) or whatever.
And no sandals.

I think if there were requirements such as reading charts or some alternative tuning, I assume those “experience level” details would have been made clear before setting audition. Just meaning if I needed a sax player who could follow a specific style I wouldn’t waste their time by not telling them what I hoped for.

 

[someguyfromNC]

The more you interact with the world you start to realize the average person is pretty dumb. Musicians included. Just have to keep grinding along til you find a fit. That guy is probably on the same grind trying to find you. It’s amazing the amount of people out there that can’t do the bare minimum at anything.

 

[TheReceder]

The more you interact with the world you start to realize the average person is pretty dumb. Musicians included. Just have to keep grinding along til you find a fit. That guy is probably on the same grind trying to find you. It’s amazing the amount of people out there that can’t do the bare minimum at anything.

Judging from what you posted, you're far smarter than the average person. Me... I'm just slightly smarter than the average person... so I can just be plain dumb sometimes.

 

[pepj]

I expect the guys to show they can play and sound like they can fit. I'm not too worried if they haven't got parts down as long as they demonstrate they'll do so, given a short space of time.
If the band was in the style of whatever...then they'd need to have that down.
He would need to get good sounds out of his kit

 

[beaglesandbass]

We’re currently auditioning guitarists. We are giving them our last setlist and telling them 5 songs we want to hear, and then letting them choose 5 additional songs.

 

[Pocket Dave]

I'd start by asking for clips before wasting time auditioning someone.

With practically everyone and their dog pulling their phones out taking videos, selfies, etc., it's hard to imagine someone who doesn't have access to some kind of clips of themselves playing songs; Either in full band context or at home with clips/tracks.

I want to know how they place themselves within the song/music; mix, note placement, support parts vs solo, dynamics, etc. Clips can help shine a light on this and make for easy eliminations before moving forward evaluating the next candidate.

 

[DoctorZee]

The band needs to agree and discuss that ahead of time and clearly communicate it to the auditioners. Then, if someone doesn’t meet expectations, it’s a clear reason not to select them.

When we recently auditioned guitarists, we gave them all a list of the same five songs. We told them that they should learn three of them exact to the recording, for the fourth song we needed them to emulate the horn parts, and the fifth song they could stretch and add their own personality and style. And we were careful to copy/paste the same message to all of them, so they all had the exact same info to work from.

 

[ebo]

I expect some amount of homework to have been done. Personality and overall vibe is so important that I’ve chosen lesser musicians because of it.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I’m not a prig when it comes to someone’s ability to read music. I know dozens upon dozens of very talented and creative musicians who can’t read standard notation well, or even at all.

“Yep!”

 

[40Hz]

“Yep!”

View attachment 5430904

And he’s just one of many. I’ve been given to understand it was only George who had anything resembling an actual basic music education.

 

[Aussie Player]

Hello, my bass brethren. My originals prog band has recently been auditioning keyboardists (we currently have keys parts triggered by the drummer on his SPSX) and I'm finding it all a bit bizarre. The first guy showed up, did not know the songs (claiming that the mixes sent to him were not helpful for him to pick out his parts) and wanted to learn each song, bit by bit, at rehearsals. Nope.

The second guy (who we did send isolated keyboard tracks to) came out and almost, but not really, played along to the songs, but seemed more interested in soloing on organ (loudly) all night, like he was Jon Lord. No again.

What do you expect, if you are having somebody come out to try out for the band? I would never go to an audition not knowing the material that I was asked to learn. I mean, the minimum has to be to be able to play along to three songs that are sent out, doesn't it?

Unfortunatley, you are tapped into an Amateur market and it is an ocean compared to the pro segment.

The best experience comes from working with ex pro's who have played and toured with recording stars as they get it in one and all you will get is a smile during playing or a kind, complimentary remark, (don't expect more than that) if you are accepted. Pro's look for peer players so they can get on with it and progress, as there is so much additional to a good bands make up.

 

[bftbassman]

Got email to audition for a very good band 2 weeks ago,

Sent me songs, I learned them. But, i have had every single bass & amp in comparison while running the songs through my PA with bass way down to see what gear works the best. Have Marshall plexi & 4x12, keys, drummer to deal with in a normal set to kick drum live situation.. Taking SVT Pro 2, NV610 cab, 2 basses 1 w/flats & 1 with rounds & a tuner. Its my job to be the pro & show up & play not waste anybody's time

 

[sean_on_bass]

Pretty simple - they show up and play well with the band, playing the bands material. Only red flag i see in this situation is that the current keyboard parts don't seem fleshed out. I'm not quite sure how a drummer triggering keys is going to be akin to a real keyboardist writing/playing a part. IF that is true, then some leeway should be given for the new member to figure out their actual parts.

 

[Parzival]

The simplest answer here is the best.


Don’t get a keyboard player!

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hello, my bass brethren. My originals prog band has recently been auditioning keyboardists (we currently have keys parts triggered by the drummer on his SPSX) and I'm finding it all a bit bizarre. The first guy showed up, did not know the songs (claiming that the mixes sent to him were not helpful for him to pick out his parts) and wanted to learn each song, bit by bit, at rehearsals. Nope.

The second guy (who we did send isolated keyboard tracks to) came out and almost, but not really, played along to the songs, but seemed more interested in soloing on organ (loudly) all night, like he was Jon Lord. No again.

What do you expect, if you are having somebody come out to try out for the band? I would never go to an audition not knowing the material that I was asked to learn. I mean, the minimum has to be to be able to play along to three songs that are sent out, doesn't it?

‘We we don’t play original music, let alone progressive music where conventional musical convention doesn’t exist much. For some, it’s going to take an inordinate amount of time to digest as in Auditoner #1’s case. If you can’t understand it, you certainly can’t play it.

So I don’t know if this will be helpful. We send out DVD of our live performances that have the arrangements they need to prepare. They are told you are required at a minimum to make those chords as is and the changes on time. You also need to play beginnings and endings cleanly. If there are identifiable “keyboard licks and or patches you need to have these as spot on as you can get them.

As for audition # 2, I would have stop the piece and said, you’re too loud. Please turn down. Ask him show you an acceptable level. Then I would say that this is an audition, not a jam session. You are being judged by how well you work with our material and how well you learned what we sent you. What you are showing us is you weren’t ready for this audition. Two things, you’ve taken control of the audition, and you’ve set expectations on what you expect out of him.

Then, I’d ask if they’re one of the tunes he’d feel more prepared to try? In a nicer tone of voice of course.

Or if there was something with this guy to work with, I’d say something like “We heard some things that you did well. You have talent and we’d like give you some more time to work on our material. We understand it’s difficult and we want to fair with you”. The ball at that point is in his court and you’re not the bad guy.

 

[Pings Bass]

For a paying gig, I would give them the written parts and expect them to be able to play them at the audition.

For a hobby band, you get what you get.

In either case, PDFs of the parts along with the demo recordings for sure. If it's sequenced, you can print out the notes. Most keyboard players can read, IME, and it's not always easy to pick out parts from recordings, depending on the mix.

 

[el murdoque]

It's simple. Delusional people will be ... themselves. They will show up and waste your time. We recently tried out a singer. He was 70, but said he takes very good care of his body and looks like a fit 50 year old.
Told us he had a classical singer's education, sang in choirs all his life and fronted bands before.
When he showed up he did look fit and fifty. But he could not carry a tune in a bucket.
If his life depended on singing on pitch, he would have been dead before the first chorus.

We did not take him, but our input was nothing that would keep him from trying out with other bands.

Last audition I showed up to, I learned three songs and played them, then they showed me their originals and they were pleased with how fast I picked them up, they asked me if I wanted to come back and I said yes.
Unless the band plays pretty standard material, I think three songs is a good compromise. You get to play for a bit and see what the band does and they see what you do.

 

[Neil Folkard]

Most keyboard players can read, IME, and it's not always easy to pick out parts from recordings, depending on the mix.

This is the impression that I'm starting to get, as well.

Neil

 

[Fynn]

I've never had people audition for me, but I've played with a bunch of different musicians in the same roles before. Generally, you need to make clear to the potential candidates what you're expecting. People complain about musicians not being up to their standards all the time, but unless you make clear what you want, you don't really have any grounds for complaining in my opinion.
So you (the band as a whole maybe) should probalby start to think about how to make it most accuaretly clear what you're looking for. That will make it very easy to avoid a lot of people who might not take it as seriously as you guys, or who might not work up to the standard that you guys do.
So essentially, tell them they should have the songs rehearsed. Don't just send them tracks, but instead send them tracks, AND tell them they should be able to play these songs to the standard that you want them to. And then give them some sort of indication about how much artistic freedom they have. Make clear what their role in the band is, as in, tell them they should focus 95% of their effort to just follow the original song, and not come up with anything crazy along the way.

Of course you don't need to put too much effort into it, but when you realize that people keep coming and messing up for the same reasons, then maybe you're not making it clear enough what you're looking for. At the very least you can openly be mad at them, when they don't do the things that you clearly communicated beforehand they should be doing!


As to more specifically an originals band, you should probably make sure that the songs are not too complicated to learn in such a short time frame. There's plenty of great classical musicians, who can sightread just about anything you put infront of them, but they can barely play something that they just listened to. Other way around, there is plenty of great musicians who can't read anything, but immediately play something they heard once. If it's a requirement for the keys to be able to learn the songs solely by ear, then fine, but I would probably at least provide them with some sort of chord chart if you're expecting them to play all of the songs at first rehearsal with minimum mistakes.

 

[Five or Six]

I've always given perspective people 2 weeks and 3 songs to know at the end of their 2 week learning period. I just give them song names and artist. No charts, no recordings.

I want to see their work ethic. Find the songs on their own, and "practice " same. Come prepared! About the time I hear, "well, I really didn't have time to get to one of the 3", see ya! Auditions are not time for B.S. Bring your "A" game or stay home!