Instructions for BHS Jazz Auditions 2016 – RHYTHM SECTION Hello

Instructions for BHS Jazz Auditions 2016 – RHYTHM SECTION

Hello and welcome! Thank you for deciding to audition for the BHS Jazz Lab II band and/or the BHS Jazz Ensemble for the 2016 – 2017 school year.

You can register for an audition slot right here at bhsjazz.org – please make sure you do! You’ll find the link on our home page.

Your audition will take place in the “A” building at BHS, and will take 10 - 12 minutes. Sometimes we get behind in our schedule, so we ask for your patience ahead of time.

Please arrive 20 minutes early to warm up. The audition schedule for this year is as follows: audition slots begin at 2:45 p.m. on May 24th for pianos, drums and vibes, and at 2:45 on May 25th for basses and guitars

If you are wondering about your chances of landing a spot in one of our groups, here is the final instrumentation the classes can accommodate:

Jazz Ensemble: 5 trumpets, 4-5 trombones, 5-6 saxophones, 1- 2 pianos, 1-2 guitars, 0-1 vibes players, 1-2 basses, 1-2 drummers, 1 percussionist

Jazz Lab II (2 sections): 4 – 6 trumpets, 4 – 5 trombones, 5 – 8 saxophones, 2 pianos, 2 guitars, 1 vibraphonist, 2 basses, 2 drummers, 1 percussionist EACH

Jazz Lab I (audition required for rhythm section players, high school or middle school music teacher recommendation required for brass and woodwinds players): 5 – 8 saxophones, 0 – 2 flutes, 0 – 2 violins/violas/cellos, 0 – 2 clarinets, 4 – 6 trumpets, 3 – 6 trombones, 2 pianos, 2 guitars, 2 basses, 0-2 vibes players, 2 drummers, 1 percussionist

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING FOR YOUR AUDITION

You’ll need to practice a few scales or grooves, work on the piece provided, work on soloing, and get ready to sight read. Instructions below.

SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING FOR YOUR AUDITION

 For scales: practice slowly and make sure you focus on sound quality and intonation (OK not intonation for pianos and vibes). Only when you can play with great sound and intonation should you begin to practice at a faster tempo!   For the prepared piece: try for a great jazz feel, pay attention to dynamics and articulation marks as you prepare. In almost all cases the prepared piece is a swing tune. You might consider listening to some great big bands playing swing tunes (for example, the Count Basie or Duke Ellington bands) and try to play your piece the way you imagine they might play it.   For sight reading: see if you can get your hands on some music to sight read. If you are not good at reading rhythms, find some music and go s l o w l y until you are sure you are playing the rhythms correctly. Make sure you pay close attention to the key signature! Try to look through a tune before you start playing it, to anticipate difficult spots.   For soloing, practice playing along with the sound file provided at bhsjazz.org. Listen to great jazz masters playing solos on the same tune -- or over a blues in the same key. Learn their solos, if you can! Not so you can copy them note for note, but so that you learn some of the jazz vocabulary they are using, and let them influence you in some way. Ultimately, jazz musicians sound like a mixture of all the musicians they have listened to very closely – plus a little bit of their own magic mixed in. Use this audition as an opportunity to get started on this great, life-long project. 

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR AUDITION 

Your audition will be heard by a friendly local professional musician who plays your instrument. You will start with scales or, for drummers, grooves, then play the piece provided at this website for your to prepare. You’ll move on to a short sight reading excerpt, and then you’ll get a chance to solo with the same sound file background you prepared with. Auditions can be nervous making – it’s important to remember that your auditioner wants you to play your best! Take a few deep breaths and have confidence in yourself. If you’ve practiced thoroughly, your skill and creativity will shine through.

AUDITION RESULTS

Audition results will be posted on our website at bhsjazz.org on Saturday, June 11th

Good Luck! I know that auditions can be stressful. You can avoid some of that stress by preparing thoroughly!

Sarah Cline Jazz Program Director Berkeley High School

BHS Jazz 2016-2017 Rhythm Section Auditions

PIANOS

 SCALES * 2 octaves concert Bb major BOTH HANDS in octaves * 2 octaves ascending chromatic scale beginning on C BOTH HANDS in octaves   PREPARED PIECE Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz ensemble piano” or 

“jazz lab piano” depending on which group(s) you are auditioning for. 

 SIGHT READING the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both written notes and chord changes. If you are auditioning only for a jazz lab band, the sight reading excerpt provided will be easier.   IMPROVISATION Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the audition if you would like to show us you can solo: 

o Jordu o Sandu

The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is provided, as is a sound file for you to practice with. In the audition you will play the head the first time through, then solo for one or two choruses with the same sound file. 

GUITAR

 SCALES * 2 octaves concert Bb major. Play in octaves if you can!   PREPARED PIECE Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz ensemble guitar” or 

“jazz lab guitar” depending on which group you are auditioning for. 

 SIGHT READING the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both written notes and chord changes. If you are auditioning only for jazz lab II, the sight reading excerpt provided will be easier.   IMPROVISATION Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the audition if you would like to show us you can solo: 

o Jordu o Sandu

VIBES 

 SCALES * 2 octaves concert Bb major. Play in octaves if you can!   PREPARED PIECE Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz ensemble/jazz lab vibes”   SIGHT READING the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both written notes and chord changes. If you are auditioning only for a jazz lab band, the sight reading excerpt provided will be easier.   IMPROVISATION 

Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the audition if you would like to show us you can solo: o Jordu o Sandu

BASS

SCALES o 2 octaves concert Bb major. o 2 octaves chromatic scale starting on C (this scale for upright bassists only)

 PREPARED PIECE Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz ensemble bass” or “jazz lab bass” depending on which groups you are auditioning for.   SIGHT READING the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both written notes and chord changes. If you are auditioning only for jazz lab II, the sight reading excerpt provided will be easier.   IMPROVISATION Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the audition if you would like to show us you can solo: 

o Jordu o Sandu

The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is provided, as is a sound file for you to practice with. In the audition you will play the head the first time through, then solo for an entire chorus. 

DRUMS

GROOVES You will begin your audition by playing 16 bars each of time in the following grooves: o Funk o swing o samba (if you are auditioning for jazz ensemble) o bossa nova (if you are auditioning for a jazz lab band)

 PREPARED PIECE Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz ensemble drums” or 

“jazz lab drums” depending on which group you are auditioning for. 

 SIGHT READING the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both written hits and time in a swing groove. If you are auditioning only for a jazz lab band, the sight reading excerpt provided will be easier.   IMPROVISATION Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the audition: 

o Jordu o Sandu

The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is provided, as is a sound file for you to practice with. In the audition you will play the head accompanying the recording the first time through, then take a solo for an entire chorus.

PERCUSSION

You will begin your audition by playing 16 bars of a Cuban son groove on congas and timbales. Next you will play 16 bars of a 6/8 clave on both congas and timbales. You will then demonstrate that you can play the guiro.

Next you will do a short sight reading exercise to show your auditioner you can read rhythms – choose whichever instrument you feel most comfortable with.

Finally you will solo over the tune “Manteca” – sound file provided here