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Double Bass Berklee audition

M

Mr. Rittard

Jun 12, 2009
5
0
#1
Hey there,
I want to audition for Berklee college of music,
but I'm not sure what to play as they allow students to perform just about anything they want as long it shows themselves,
but that seems a little too naive to me.

what advice or thoughts do you have about auditioning for berklee,
or college freshmen auditions of any kind?
 
#3
Well,
I'm not strictly an orchestra player,
and I think it would be interesting to take contemporary styles of music and put them in an orchestra setting and Berklee, I feel, is great of that.
but opinions are opinions.

but what do you think I should try as an audition piece?
I'd love to do a blend of classical and contemporary,
maybe I should just arrange a piece.
 
#4
As a bass player, they want to hear you play a jazz tune. Walking bass, improvisation on a tune, play the head. They will also test you on sight reading. As for which tune to play, pick a jazz tune that you enjoy playing.
 
#7
You'll need to audition with a jazz piece for Berklee ...don't worry if its not 'you', you have your life to explore the personal side of music, but only one shot (a year... perhaps) at getting into a music school.

As for walking, pick a Parker blues of some description to walk on - just take the changes to Billy's Bounce or something like that. The other option might be a 'rhythm changes' piece like Anthropology. A bass player is judged greatly on how they perform on these two sets of changes. You'll want to memorise them.

If you only have one piece to play - go with a blues or rhythm changes tune. You can do one chorus of the melody, walk on one, and improv on one. Take a drummer and a pianist and it'll sound great.

If you have more than that to work with, and you can bow, perhaps go with a Francois Rabbath (if you're at that level), or maybe Rufus Reid piece (there are a few in the back of the Evolving Bassist).

ANOTHER option might be to pick a tune, bow the melody or the improv section - or both - and do a chorus of walking bass. That would you could show your arco and jazz chops. I think Christian McBride does this a bit...

BUT, don't feel as though you can't go to a 'traditional' classical school just because you're interested in contemporary music. If you like 'jazz' and 'contemporary popular', go to Berklee. I went to a 'classical music' conservatory and had ample opportunity to explore contemporary compositions and techniques, and improvisation. I'm glad I did; if I'd taken the jazz/pop pathway, I would have been playing nothing but walking bass and backing horns and vocalists for four years.
 
#9
I don't read these forums all that often but when I read this one I just had to weigh in. The suggestions that you must or should play a jazz tune, though well intentioned, are misguided.

I have been on the faculty at Berklee for 22 years and have participated in three kinds of auditions - application auditions, entering student placement auditions, and auditions to raise performance ratings.

Unfortunately, I have seen too many students make the mistake of following friends' advice that they must play a jazz tune to do well on the audition. A student walks into their audition with a chartreuse colored guitar shaped sort of like Cape Cod and counts off All The Things You Are. From the word go, every indication is that this player doesn't really play jazz and may never have listened to a jazz record in their life. If they are lucky they may be asked what kind of music they play with their friends and might respond, "I only play rock but I heard that I had to play jazz." "Oh...well, could you play a rock tune for us." At that point they sound pretty good and their playing shows musicality, expression, control of appropriate techniques, etc.

The decision about what tune to play on your audition is simple - Play a tune that HIGHLIGHTS YOUR STRENGTHS. If you are a jazz player play jazz. If you are strongest on funk, play funk; classical - play classical. I believe you are asked to play one blues tune too. It doesn't have to be a jazz blues. It can be Chicago style blues, bluegrass, Chuck Berry, fusion, you name it. Just go with the style that you are most comfortable with.

Three important points to be aware of are:
  1. The purpose of the entering audition is
    (a) To find out what you can do, not what you can't do. (Wouldn't it be nice if every audition did that.)​
    (b) To evaluate whether or not you have the right attitude and personal maturity that is required to succeed at Berklee.​
  2. Your prepared piece is the most important part of the audition. Make sure it shows your technique, musicality and creativity.
  3. Your prepared piece the only part of the audition you have control over. Give careful consideration to choosing and preparing that tune. When you are asked to sight-read something and play something by ear, you don't have the same luxury, so just do the best you can.

I hope this clears a few things up and helps. Good luck.

Dave Hollender
Professor
Berklee College of Music
 

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