Craigslist ad: “Our Ronnie James Dio tribute act is almost complete, we just need our Ronnie James Dio.”
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Need tips on how to conduct auditions
- Thread starter Tex Bass
- Start date
Craigslist ad: “Our Ronnie James Dio tribute act is almost complete, we just need our Ronnie James Dio.”
+1. It's also easier for the band to focus on one prospect at a time.
So Anyway, since you've got 14 songs worked up, I'm going to assume you're not gigging yet. This needs to be made clear to whoever responds to your audition announcement. You might want to give each applicant a song list and have them pick the ones to play.
Besides musical ability don't forget 'The Hang'. How will they fit into the band?
Good Luck in your search.
Besides musical ability don't forget 'The Hang'. How will they fit into the band?
Good Luck in your search.
That whole post was great, but these two points stuck out for me. No time to elaborate, but, yeah, these two!
Interview their neighbours…
This might be a little excessive if it’s just a dad band/hobby band. Knowing what other bands they have on their resume is good but bottom line is can they play?
My last audition was learn & play 9 tunes.
Try tunes in different keys, tempos.
See if they show up on time.
As always Good Luck.
Try tunes in different keys, tempos.
See if they show up on time.
As always Good Luck.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
- 14,723
- 20,970
- Disclosures
- I suck, but nobody really notices
Have them all meet at the same time, play at the same time, record them all at the same time. Sort it out from there.
No, but you should definitely set your phone recording off to the side, and have it be one area to go off of. Because you'll forget how they rrally played.
But, I'd base the final decision off of who you'd want to hang out with most. Just have their playing be a small part of the decision.
Opinion from personal experience. Local cover bands should cater to the vocal range and style of the singer they have/can get, not make the singer cater to their song choices. At that level (local, non-professional), you're lucky if you can find a decent singer that's not an egomaniac. If you do, play the tunes they know and can sing well. Forcing a singer to sing songs because you already learned them rarely ends well for anyone.
I have a singer friend (a guy) that I've been playing guitar with for going on 15 years. Recently, I connected with a group that was looking for a singer and willing to audition us both for their new band (not yet gigging, no singer). They had a very specific style in mind along with a list of tunes they wanted to do. Ok, let's cross check our lists for tunes in common. There were a couple. Ok, let's schedule an audition. Then... oh by the way, here's a song that we're doing, it's non-negotiable, this is what the band sounds like, we're playing it just like the recorded version. Song has female lead singer, not in a male tenor range at all, very specific style. Umm, ok. I guess that's a no for us then, bud. Everyone on both sides are males in their 40s, mostly late 40s. Good luck finding a guy that age that can sing that high, sound good doing it, and is willing to join your as yet unbooked band.
I have a singer friend (a guy) that I've been playing guitar with for going on 15 years. Recently, I connected with a group that was looking for a singer and willing to audition us both for their new band (not yet gigging, no singer). They had a very specific style in mind along with a list of tunes they wanted to do. Ok, let's cross check our lists for tunes in common. There were a couple. Ok, let's schedule an audition. Then... oh by the way, here's a song that we're doing, it's non-negotiable, this is what the band sounds like, we're playing it just like the recorded version. Song has female lead singer, not in a male tenor range at all, very specific style. Umm, ok. I guess that's a no for us then, bud. Everyone on both sides are males in their 40s, mostly late 40s. Good luck finding a guy that age that can sing that high, sound good doing it, and is willing to join your as yet unbooked band.
Basically a start-up band with 14 songs...
Maybe things are different where I am, but me thinks that's asking a bit much.
You're not a huge band like Metallica (I'm assuming) So I would give everyone their own audition. Then you can feel them out personally as well as professionally.
I also think it's reasonable to say "learn these two, and pick two of the rest you like" from the rest of the setlist. for a total of four songs for the audition.
Who knows. Maybe they'll pull a Darryl Stuermer and show up knowing everything.
If you can get a drumset in there that will certainly help things. I showed up to the audition for my current band with my bass, and my pedalboard mainly for my tuner, but there was PA, bass amp, everything I needed to plug in and go.
I think one thing I appreciated a lot as a person auditioning was clarity. I got the job and didn't even know it, I had to ask to confirm. Let them know when you have made the call definitively.
I also think it's reasonable to say "learn these two, and pick two of the rest you like" from the rest of the setlist. for a total of four songs for the audition.
Who knows. Maybe they'll pull a Darryl Stuermer and show up knowing everything.
If you can get a drumset in there that will certainly help things. I showed up to the audition for my current band with my bass, and my pedalboard mainly for my tuner, but there was PA, bass amp, everything I needed to plug in and go.
I think one thing I appreciated a lot as a person auditioning was clarity. I got the job and didn't even know it, I had to ask to confirm. Let them know when you have made the call definitively.
It's certainly not something I would expect from a newish band. If you have it already, great, but that's a lot to do just for the audition.
Yes, well- I speak from my experience. For the OP's start-up, I suppose he can afford to waste his time with players of unknown skills. In the past, I've had way too many players show up who don't have the experience or chops to perform the material. I'll stick with asking for media before I use valuable audition time.
The OP would potentially miss out on a lot of qualified-enough players because of imo unreasonable requirements. Possibly the best fit.
OP has two differing opinions, he can decide what to do.
Last edited:
As has been already eluded to, unless this is a high-end band (I'm guessing not), I'd also seriously consider personality, mentality, vision, stuff like that.
Of course he has to be qualified musically, but unless y'all can get along well, you end up back to doing auditions.
Of course he has to be qualified musically, but unless y'all can get along well, you end up back to doing auditions.
Last edited:
The OP would potentially miss out on a lot of qualified-enough players because of imo unreasonable requirements. Possibly the best fit.
OP has two differing opinions, he can decide what to do.
Asking for media from someone interested in auditioning is certainly by no means an "unreasonable request".
Conversely, I always send our demo tracks & video to a player who piques our interest to make sure it's a 2-way street.
If the OP is a straight-up beginner, with an amateur /hobby project he's trying to start, I guess it doesn't matter who shows. Maybe he'll get lucky; maybe the standards are low, as in beginner level. That's cool- for him.
Again- My reply to audition protocols, from our experience, is that if you have no performance samples to show- We don't bother moving forward. That's a lesson learned from experience.
Not unreasonable at all given today’s technology. A cell phone video recorded at home would suffice.
As for your "experience", I'm gonna take a wild guess that it's been quite some time since you've experienced being in your first, start-up band, with 14 songs, looking for a member.
I'm not going to argue (past this post, lol) but it's my opinion (that will not change) that it's unreasonable.
It's up to the OP to decide, we can argue all night. Peace out.
Don’t waste your time with people who can’t provide a clip of themselves playing, even if it’s just a cell phone video of playing along to YouTube.
When I'm putting people together, I've got a very good idea of the end sound and therefore which style fits it.
So, drummer first.
He needs good feel, he needs good kit or more importantly how to tune it, and then he needs good time and be musical.
No shed builders and nothing else.
Give him a spread of tunes in the style you expect to cover.
Definitely a slow track because thats the money.
And then give him a showy track where he solos 16 or 32 measures whilst the band plays the sequence. This show his chops and time.
Allow an hr for this, depending on who supplies the kit.
Singers...hmmm.
1 hr.
Does he know what notes he can't hit and how does he handle that. Does he request you re-key ...
if he doesnt, untick.
Tone or timbre is pretty critical, imv, as you can't add it. Its better to have this over range of keys but ideally you have both.
Take a lot of time on this because I can count decent singers around here on two hands max...thats likely 1 in 10.
Bare in mind that the singer is your focal.point and you are going to have to pick songs he can sing well.
This means this criteria trumps all else songwise.
Book studio, be set up. Allow chat time to interact, and any nerves to settle.
Outline how you want to do things.
Know what collectively want and are all on the same page.
So, drummer first.
He needs good feel, he needs good kit or more importantly how to tune it, and then he needs good time and be musical.
No shed builders and nothing else.
Give him a spread of tunes in the style you expect to cover.
Definitely a slow track because thats the money.
And then give him a showy track where he solos 16 or 32 measures whilst the band plays the sequence. This show his chops and time.
Allow an hr for this, depending on who supplies the kit.
Singers...hmmm.
1 hr.
Does he know what notes he can't hit and how does he handle that. Does he request you re-key ...
if he doesnt, untick.
Tone or timbre is pretty critical, imv, as you can't add it. Its better to have this over range of keys but ideally you have both.
Take a lot of time on this because I can count decent singers around here on two hands max...thats likely 1 in 10.
Bare in mind that the singer is your focal.point and you are going to have to pick songs he can sing well.
This means this criteria trumps all else songwise.
Book studio, be set up. Allow chat time to interact, and any nerves to settle.
Outline how you want to do things.
Know what collectively want and are all on the same page.
As for your "experience", I'm gonna take a wild guess that it's been quite some time since you've experienced being in your first, start-up band, with 14 songs, looking for a member.
I'm not going to argue (past this post, lol) but it's my opinion (that will not change) that it's unreasonable.
It's up to the OP to decide, we can argue all night. Peace out.
That's a good wild guess, no we're not a start-up band; & we have a few more than 14 songs.
When we hire sidemen, its usually from a group of players we've worked with before, or by referral. We haven't auditioned players in some time, we hire them. They're professionals. But they all have media as well, as they are quite active.
As far as the OP's decision-I've been in start-ups in the past, and have had the bad experience of players coming in, with no skills, no feel for the material; a total waste of time- All of which could have been avoided if we had heard them perform 1st.
Anybody can record a track or video at home, it doesn't need to be highly produced.
That's my .02 for him, take it FWIW.
Now, are you SURE you're done?
