Peabody Institute - Johns Hopkins University

Voice Audition Information

GPD Audition Requirements

Applicants to Peabody’s graduate program in Jazz Studies must successfully complete a performance audition on his or her applied instrument and an entrance examination to assess proficiency in theory and aural skills.

All applicants

The audition comprises performances of:

Scales and Modes

Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (minor), Locrian, harmonic minor, melodic minor, altered (super Locrian), Lydian dominant, Locrian #2, blues, major and dominant bebop, major and minor pentatonic, diminished, inverted diminished, whole tone, augmented.

Arpeggios

Major 7, major 7, major 9, minor 7, minor 9, minor 7 (b5), minor 9/major 7, dominant 7, dominant 9, dominant 7(b9), dominant 7(#9) and diminished 7.

Solo Transcription

Perform a jazz solo transcription for specific instrument (minimum 32 bars).

Improvisation

A performance of three tunes (one of which must be a ballad) from the standard jazz repertoire

Applicants must provide their own accompaniment! Play-a-longs or good quality accompaniment tapes are acceptable. At the audition, a selection without accompaniment may be requested.

Sight-reading

• Demonstrate ability to sight-read chord progressions.
• Demonstrate proficiency at sight-reading.

Additional performance requirements

Guitar

• Demonstrate proficiency at comping in various styles.
• Perform a chord/melody arrangement of a tune from the standard repertoire.

Piano

• Demonstrate proficiency at comping in various styles.
• Perform a re-harmonized arrangement of a tune from the standard repertoire.

Bass

In addition to all departmental requirements and all of the undergraduate jazz bass requirements (at a level that is appropriate for someone applying to a graduate program in jazz studies!), all applicants for the GPD in jazz bass must:

• Demonstrate a solid knowledge of basic jazz harmony and bassline construction. You will be asked to play several basslines based on chord changes that will be given to you verbally. They will be in 4 or 8 bar structures, and will have chords moving in 2 beat, 1 bar, and two bar durations. For example, I may ask you to play a walking line on the following chord changes: 2 bars of Emi7, 1 bar of Fmi7, 1 bar of Bb7, 2 bars of EbMaj7, 1 bar of F#mi7b5, and 1 bar of B7#9, repeated.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of playing ‘broken’ time. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, you should become familiar with it before your audition date.
• Demonstrate a fundamental ability to play in odd meters, specifically 5/4, and 7/4. A standard tune form adapted for this purpose will be acceptable. The applicant should be able to sub-divide the bars of 5/4 as either 2+3 or 3+2, and the 7/4 as 4+3 or 3+4.
• Be prepared to play a short freely improvised solo. I’d like this to really be improvised, so practice this by improvising freely everyday.

Note to jazz bass applicants: We won’t have time to hear all of these during your audition, but you should be prepared to play an example of each one. They can be short examples, but in each case should demonstrate that you understand what it is that we’re asking you to do. If you’re unfamiliar with the styles, songs, or terminology that we’ve used here, please go to one of the thousands of jazz resources out there and look them up. Learning to be resourceful in your studies is an essential part of your jazz education, and you need to begin that process now, if you haven’t already. Good luck!

Drum Set

Drummers will be expected to demonstrate:

• Knowledge of percussion rudiments. Examples of the following drum styles using both sticks and brushes at various tempi; bebop, jazz waltz, bossa nova, samba, salsa or Afro-Cuban, funk, rock, R & B, shuffle, ballads.
• Solos of all lengths (4s, 8s, 12s, chorus) demonstrating improvisational fluency and knowledge of song form (all tempos and meters).

Drummers must also perform a jazz solo transcription for drums (minimum 32 bars).

Updated on 09/19/2018