Audition process pet peeve

[SixtyCycleHum]

I need a little insight with the audition process for joining a band. First, my general view and thought process:

I look at an audition the same way I look at an interview for a job: you have some ideas of what you are getting into (job description), you prepare some material (resume), you perform with the band (interviewer ask questions), then you socialize and see if your personality is cohesive enough with everyone else. This might be over more than one meeting, but you get the idea.

I pride myself on being prepared for auditions, and I generally learn everything by ear and notate it out, note for note. Later on after getting the feel for the song I might change things up and interprete it in my own way. I will learn the songs that are given to me for the audition, and that's that.

Now here is my pet peeve. Without fail, most auditions I've had and ones I've participated in when auditioning other musicians, inevitably leads to this scenario: we play the tunes, and it goes smoothly. After covering all the audition songs, the bandleader suggests "hey, let's do these tunes." Or, "hey, do you know these other tunes? No? Okay, well let's jam through them. You'll pick them up." Okay, guy. So, you asked me to learn songs for the audition, and now you just expect me to fumble my way through some tunes I don't know? Oh yeah, this is a great use of everyone's time.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm often inclined to respond with "why don't I just learn these other tunes at home on my own time [because I value people's time], come back and then play them? That way they sound better, and we don't waste anyone's time."

On the other hand, I understand maybe they want to see how someone does when they are put on the spot and are forced to improvise. I don't feel like this is as good of an approach when you are playing cover songs, since fumbling through something doesn't do the song justice. I really try to avoid the "jam" crowd of players that don't prepare for gigs and just show up thinking they can "play by ear" and just embrace mediocrity.

Am I in the minority in this situation? How many of you have experienced this, and what was your response?

I have to note that also, I have learned from this and have taken the initiative to learn 2 - 3 songs from the band's repertoire that they don't suggest for the audition, expecting this scenario above to occur.

I'm with you, completely. While I'll go ahead and learn a couple of their other songs to the best of my ability by ear, I generally just expect to be tested on my knowledge of the material provided. And also, maybe learn a couple of songs from their more obvious influences, as that is bound to make them warm to you faster.

 

[TheReceder]

I auditioned for a band, learned 50% of the setlist. Eventually they figured out that I could play and asked if I knew Mustang Sally. Un beleavibly I'd never actually played it, But told them I'd be happy to wing it. They started off a little up tempo so I decided I was going to add a lot of juice to it. They said they never played it, but were adding it to the setlist if we kept that feel.

That irritating song drew more smiles than anything else I did the whole night. It's always worth saying yes.

I'd auditioned for another country band, they asked me to wing a song that had a little meat to it, I told them it wouldn't be a problem learning it, but I'd hate to waste their time at practice, they said they had all the time in the world. I spent about 4-5 minutes, and pretty much had it.... they told me it took their last bass player 2 weeks of woodshedding to get where I was. Again... (regretfully) I was hired. (Into one of the most dysfunctional bands I'd ever been a member of. Not drugs... not alcohol, just a BL cheating on his phenomally hot wife with a lead singer that I'd score at about a 4.

 

[westrock]

I voted,
Yes, but I prefer not to.
I've been told that I can fake it with the best of them.

 

[pepj]

If the band throws in a few known numbers that arent on list that achieves 2 things.
They will know how quick you are to pick things up and whether you are playing by ear or whether you have to know it by constant run throughs.

If the former, they can trust you on gigs quicker and they don't have to schedule many rehearsals and cancel gigs waiting for you to be up to speed.
If you can make a song work by a chord chart and have nailed the drummer in the first bar, they won't have to babysit the bass player.
Nobody wants endless weekly rehearsals unnecessarily.

 

[Das Jugghead]

When I auditioned for American Bombshell they threw six songs at me and asked me to learn them. When I showed up at their rehearsal studio we ran the six songs and then dove right into new material. I made bass lines up on the spot for the new material. We even wrote a couple of songs from scratch. I don't mind additional material at auditions. As several others have pointed out here it could be the band determining how you deal with pressure, how you react on your feet to change or unexpected events, or to see how the mix plays out with a new member. It is fascinating to me how changing out one member can make a song take on a whole new life, direction, or feel.

I haven't played in cover bands for years but used to have a significant catalogue of songs in my corral - doubt I could play many of them now. I guess my perspective would be different in a cover band when songs are suggested that I am less than fond of. To each his own.

 

[micguy]

I play church gigs. I’ve had a worship leader launch into a 3/4 tune in 4/4, I’ve had tunes launched in unannounced keys (different than what we’d planned on). Arrangements get changed on the fly here and there. I’ve also done baptism services where the worship leader (due to more baptized than planned) launched into whatever tune came to him in whatever key felt best on the spot.

Flexibility and thinking on your feet is a key skill in my world. I think the tactic you’ve experienced makes perfect sense.

 

[landrybass]

It’s playing music. Not working music. It’s fun, PLAY it! Don’t make it “work”! That poopie makes stress lol

 

[lokikallas]

No thanks, let’s just play one that I practiced again.

 

[QweziRider]

How many of you have experienced this, and what was your response?

Often. And I actually like it.

There will come a time (if you're doing covers) that someone will invariably ask "Can you guys/gals play song "X"?" Rather than say no, if key members know it, I'd always rather take a whack at the song. Doing this in an audition lets the band know how I'll do in those situations, how flexible I will be and not say "Nope, not gonna do it at this time", and lets me know how well I can gel with the band members on the fly and how well we listen to each other.

 

[DWBass]

I'm not playing a song I don't know! You have a chart for it? I may try.

 

[brianrost]

When I started thinking about it, I realized that most of the bands I've joined were without any audition at all. I've gone through a few auditions but not many. I suppose that's the result of getting most of my gigs through word of mouth, where someone in the band already knows me and has played with me before.

 

[Snarf]

OP: If this band is a working band that plays the standard pop music rep, you should be familiar enough with everything to make it through basically anything. If you're not familiar with something, watch the guitar player's hands, or the keys player if he gives you some roots in the left hand (without being that keys player we all hate who pounds on the low end). If you're trying to make money with this band and this is something that freaks you out, you might be in the wrong place.

If they throw you a more obscure song with a bunch of key changes or unison stuff . . . then maybe they're being dicks. But if they're not, and you can't hang, then you can't hang. I would say that your attitude, if applied to a professional band setting, is a bad attitude and will get you fired in two seconds. If this is just something you want to do for fun, and either you don't want to be flexible or you don't have the ear to do the job, then I'd say move on unless you're open to an attitude adjustment. If, as you say, most auditions go this way, then you have to stop auditioning or do the work you need to do in order to succeed. Of course, maybe you're auditioning for crappy bands. In that case, my advice is . . . . . well, why?

I actually used to think similarly to the way you think now. I'd learn the bare minimum, and assume that was enough. IT'S NOT. Once I asked around for a bunch of set lists and saw how much music I really ought to know, I locked myself away and practiced/transcribed/memorized my ass off. And that led to a lot of (and increasingly better) opportunities.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Wow. This has never happened to me. Ever. They ask me to prepare maybe half a dozen songs, and I always play them. At which point they ask me if I can sing.

 

[fishdude101101]

My choice is not there in the poll. I would vote No but I'd give it me best shot.

This. I'll give it a shot. Most of the times in my experience they aren't calling out hard songs.

Also to the original poster. Lighten up. It might not be a test, but instead some guys just wanting to play some songs.

 

[smurfco]

If the band throws in a few known numbers that arent on list that achieves 2 things.
They will know how quick you are to pick things up and whether you are playing by ear or whether you have to know it by constant run throughs.

If the former, they can trust you on gigs quicker and they don't have to schedule many rehearsals and cancel gigs waiting for you to be up to speed.
If you can make a song work by a chord chart and have nailed the drummer in the first bar, they won't have to babysit the bass player.
Nobody wants endless weekly rehearsals unnecessarily.

This (bolded emphasis mine) is it exactly. If I say to an auditioning bassist "let's try a few tunes" I'm not going to be a dick and start playing 21st Century Schizoid Man or anything but if it's a simple rock tune and they can't get the gist of it by the second verse that's a problem for me.

 

[LBS-bass]

This (bolded emphasis mine) is it exactly. If I say to an auditioning bassist "let's try a few tunes" I'm not going to be a dick and start playing 21st Century Schizoid Man or anything but if it's a simple rock tune and they can't get the gist of it by the second verse that's a problem for me.

I would be totally psyched if you started playing 21 Century Schizoid man.

 

[smurfco]

I would be totally psyched if you started playing 21 Century Schizoid man.

In my old Beatles tribute band the drummer and I (on bass) would launch into the beginning of it during down times at rehearsal for fun. "John" and "George" never joined in

 

[Evets1987]

It seems for me playing unfamiliar songs is part of the process of playing with other musicians. I’ll never forget when I joined my first show band. We practiced about 3 months before the first gig. When we got to the gig none of the songs we practiced were played. Doesn’t seem to be the most professional way to run a band but I’ve run into this a lot of the years.

 

[QweziRider]

When we got to the gig none of the songs we practiced were played. Doesn’t seem to be the most professional way to run a band but I’ve run into this a lot of the years.

Had a very similar two night gig (some kind of contemporary church revival thing) where we were given a disc of everything that would be done and told "Learn these exactly as they are". Simple enough. Day of the gig, the out-of-town people we were backing had an afternoon rehearsal with us. Someone got a bug up their rear that we had not learned anything properly. In an instant, they scrapped everything.

For two nights, all we had was to follow a keyboard player on songs none of us had ever heard (pretty basic worship type music). It ended up being a blast to totally wing it.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I need a little insight with the audition process for joining a band. First, my general view and thought process:

I look at an audition the same way I look at an interview for a job: you have some ideas of what you are getting into (job description), you prepare some material (resume), you perform with the band (interviewer ask questions), then you socialize and see if your personality is cohesive enough with everyone else. This might be over more than one meeting, but you get the idea.

I pride myself on being prepared for auditions, and I generally learn everything by ear and notate it out, note for note. Later on after getting the feel for the song I might change things up and interprete it in my own way. I will learn the songs that are given to me for the audition, and that's that.

Now here is my pet peeve. Without fail, most auditions I've had and ones I've participated in when auditioning other musicians, inevitably leads to this scenario: we play the tunes, and it goes smoothly. After covering all the audition songs, the bandleader suggests "hey, let's do these tunes." Or, "hey, do you know these other tunes? No? Okay, well let's jam through them. You'll pick them up." Okay, guy. So, you asked me to learn songs for the audition, and now you just expect me to fumble my way through some tunes I don't know? Oh yeah, this is a great use of everyone's time.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm often inclined to respond with "why don't I just learn these other tunes at home on my own time [because I value people's time], come back and then play them? That way they sound better, and we don't waste anyone's time."

On the other hand, I understand maybe they want to see how someone does when they are put on the spot and are forced to improvise. I don't feel like this is as good of an approach when you are playing cover songs, since fumbling through something doesn't do the song justice. I really try to avoid the "jam" crowd of players that don't prepare for gigs and just show up thinking they can "play by ear" and just embrace mediocrity.

Am I in the minority in this situation? How many of you have experienced this, and what was your response?

I have to note that also, I have learned from this and have taken the initiative to learn 2 - 3 songs from the band's repertoire that they don't suggest for the audition, expecting this scenario above to occur.

Two things I alway ask for to prepare for an audition: A song list with the intent to learn at least one more difficult songs on the list (something that will showcase my skills) and 2 or three really easy ones I don’t have to spend much time preparing, in addition to the required audition songs; the other is a recording of the band playing the songs I’ll be auditioning.

Re: Recordings

A band that does not record , or not wanting to share their recordings with me, speaks volumes as to their level of professionalism. Most ads I see for working bands looking for bassists now want recordings of your work before you get any further in the process. Some even want photos or even videos. But, if they want mine, they’d better have their’s available.