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Freaking out over audition, post the hardest songs you know.

S

Swicked

May 6, 2010
541
5
Brisbane, Australia
#1
So in like two months I'm going to be at an audition trembling before a panel of people who will in short decide my future.

I am freaking out. I am self taught so I have been cramming theory down my throat and playing until my fingers are raw.

I have Portrait of Tracy down (Which I will not be performing because it's so predictable) and am working my way through Donna Lee currently.

Please post the hardest Jazz pieces you know or just in general (except slap) I figure if I can master whatever you guys throw at me then maybe I'll feel a little less like a failure.:(
 
#3
HankTX said:
I'm assuming by difficult, you are talking about the changes. I didn't formally study bass but I did guitar. The tunes they always through at us were Giant Steps and Stella by Starlight. 20 years later and I still find new things from those songs.
Click to expand...

Yes, good suggestions. I'll learn both of these, i've actually contemplated transposing Coltrane's solo to bass in Giant Steps but I'm not sure if that's a good idea
 
#9
Your question makes it sound like your intention is to "wow" the panel with a technically difficult piece of music, and if that's what is required for the audition, the go for it. But just about every legit music school that I can think of could care less about how "hard" the tune is that you're playing. What they want to hear you play is MUSIC. Most people don't consider a tune like "So What" technically difficult, but try playing it with the level of musicality that Miles or Trane did - that's the difficult part, and you can't master that by training your fingers to play lightning-fast 16th notes.

Instead of freaking out trying to learn new music, why not play pieces you already know, and concentrate on the things that will probably REALLY impress the panel - good sense of time, phrasing, note choices, melody, maturity in playing, etc...
 
#10
Armando's rhumba is a fun tune. play some Wayne shorter as his songs have some odd ball chord progressions.

some advice for auditions is work on your ear training/sight singing.
what ever you are playing, play it well. A well executed version of "in a mellowtone" beats a choppy version of "donna lee". you can always play something like "confirmation that works well at any speed and play based on how comfortable you are.

Playing bass is mostly about playing time and grooving so keep in mind time is more important then the right notes.
 
#14
Consider doing a great ballad like 'I Can't Get Started' and just nail the changes. I'd rather hear how someone navigates through that tune using great melodic lines and harmonic sensibility than anything else, if I was on a panel.

Edit: Listen to the way Ray Brown does it with Pres. Killer.
 
#15
Shakin-Slim said:
Consider doing a great ballad like 'I Can't Get Started' and just nail the changes. I'd rather hear how someone navigates through that tune using great melodic lines and harmonic sensibility than anything else, if I was on a panel.

Edit: Listen to the way Ray Brown does it with Pres. Killer.
Click to expand...


Oh yeah, I see what you mean. I have to say I'm leaning towards having Dona Lee as a wow piece and then the other three songs just showing my improv, timing and musicality.
 

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