Audition Requirements | Mason Gross School of the Arts

Jazz Studies Audition Information

Jazz Studies (MM)

**Piano/Guitar, Bass and Drum accompanists will be provided at live auditions. Pre-recorded backing tracks are not needed or permitted**

The following requirements apply to all instruments. See below for specific instrument details:

PART I
 •Scales, in twelve keys, two octaves as possible
 •Major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales
 •Chromatic scale, full range
 •Diminished scales, WH and HW
 •Whole-tone scales
 •Arpeggios, all in root position, in twelve keys, two octaves as possible
 •Major, minor, augmented, and dimished triads
 •Major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, minor 7th b5, and dimished 7th chords.
 •Major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scale-modes, in twelve keys, two octaves as possible
 •Aural recognition of 4-note chords, intervals, and modes, based on the above

Jazz Saxophone(in addition to above)
 •  One Etude from Ferling 48 studies

Jazz Bass(in addition to above):
 • Acoustic Upright and Electric Bass applicants may audition.
 • Acoustic players may be asked to demonstrate some requirements arco.

Jazz Drums and Percussion(supersedes above requirements)
   -Perform the following time feels:
   -Swing in 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, and 7/8 (slow, medium, and up-tempo with sticks and brushes)
   -Afro-Cuban 6/8
   -Bossa Nova
   - Samba
 •Interchange time feels with solos as requested: four bars time, four bars solo. Eight bars time, eight bars solo, etc.
 •Sight read charts and/or lead sheets, outline melodic content and hits while keeping time
 •Sight read rudiment exercise(s)

Jazz Piano Requirements:

 •Major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales in twelve keys and one or more octaves
 •Major scale-modes, twelve keys and one or more octaves (Ionian to Locrian)
 •Aural recognition and performance of chords and intervals
 •Triads: major, minor, augmented and diminished
 •4-note chords: major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, minor 7th b5, and diminished 7th

PART II:

Prepare two songs, one each from lists A and B below, both memorized (melody and chords). Play the melody (acoustic bass players must play melody arco), comp one chorus (guitar and piano only), walk one chorus (bass only), improvise one chorus, and play the melody again. Drummers must outline melodic content and hits while keeping time.

Updated on 10/13/2018