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Jazz Performance (Instrumental) & Jazz Vocal Audition Requirements

Jazz Performance is available in the areas of bass, brass, drums, guitar, piano, vibraphone and woodwind.
Candidates wishing to apply for Principal Study in Jazz Performance in any course in which it is offered should prepare the following audition program

General Requirements

  • The audition examines a range of musical skills and has a duration of approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
  • All applicants will be provided with conservatorium jazz staff accompaniment.
  • All applicants will also complete a Jazz Aptitude Test.
  • Drum kit, amplifiers, pianos and vibraphones are provided

Note: drummers should bring their own cymbals, and hi-hat clutch and bassists and guitarists should bring their own leads.

Jazz Vocal is available to students in the Bachelor of Music Studies and Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Music Studies.

Following are the audition requirements. Applicants for this Principal Study also complete a Jazz Aptitude Test.

The Jazz Aptitude Test is a general knowledge quiz that lasts for approximately 1 hour. The subjects covered include History, Aural, Knowledge of Harmony, etc.

Jazz Instrumental Audition Requirements (except drummers)

  1. A jazz standard from the list of songs below. You should perform the melody in a jazz style, and 1or 2 choruses of improvisation over the form of the tune. There is no need to play the melody again at the end of the tune. Bassists should be able to perform the melody and walk through the chord changes, as well as solo. Guitarists and pianists should be able to demonstrate accompanying skills, by playing behind a bass or piano solo as appropriate.
    Song List For Jazz Auditions
    Autumn Leaves (Kosma/Mercer)
    All The Things You Are (Jerome Kern)
    Stella By Starlight (Victor Young)
    Blue Bossa (Kenny Dorham)
    I Love You (Cole Porter)
    On Green Dolphin Street (B.Kaper)
    Take The A Train (Duke Ellington)
    In A Mellow Tone (Duke Ellington)
    It Could Happen To You ( J. Van Heusen)
    All Of Me (Simons/Marks)
    Someday My Prince Will Come (Frank Churchill)
    What Is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter)
    Corcavado (A.C. Jobim)
    Insensatez (A.C. Jobim)
     
  2. The 12 Bar Blues. A specific jazz blues melody is not required. You should solo in a jazz style for 3 choruses on the 12 bar blues with chord changes in three consecutive chromatic keys. For example, first chorus in C, modulating up a semitone to Db for the second chorus, modulating up a semitone to D for the third chorus. The keys chosen may not be C, Db, and D. You are strongly advised to know the blues in all 12 keys.
    Suggested 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression:
    | C7 | F7 | C7 | C7 |
    F7 | F7 | C7 F7 | E-7 A7 |
    D-7 | G7 | C7 | D-7 G7 |
    The above example is in C and needs to be transposed to other keys and the last bar needs to be raised by a semitone to transpose into a key centre a semi tone higher- as per the blues audition requirement. In the above example, the last bar should be Eb-7/Ab7 to arrive at Db7.
     
  3. An aural test consisting of:
    • Ten intervals up to and including a ninth.

    • Ten chords drawn from major, minor, augmented, diminished, and dominant chord families.

    • The applicant should attempt to identify all extensions and alterations as appropriate.

     
  4. Scales and arpeggios (technical exam)You will be asked to play the major scale, the melodic minor, and harmonic minor scale in any or all of the 12 keys and the arpeggios of the various chord types, drawn from the following:
    Major, Major 7, Dominant 7, Minor, Minor 7, Minor 7b5, Diminished, Diminished 7, augmented, in any or all of the 12 key tonalities.
     
  5. Sight reading. You will be asked to sight read the melody of a jazz standard, play it in an appropriate jazz style and then improvise a solo over the chord changes for one chorus to demonstrate the ability to read musical notation as well as follow and interpret a set of chord changes.

Jazz Drummer Audition Requirements



A Jazz Standard from Song List for Jazz Auditions
You will set the tempo of the tune and will perform in a trio setting (with bass and either
piano or guitar) with the following format:

  • One chorus of trio playing the melody
  • One chorus piano or guitar solo (bass and drums accompanying)
  • One chorus drum solo over the form of the tune. There is no need to play the melody again and the end of the tune.

You should demonstrate accompanying skills, good “time” and “feel” and ability to solo in a style appropriate to the chosen tune.

  1. The 12 Bar Blues
    A specific blues melody is not required. You will perform, in a trio setting, a 12 bar blues, the tempo of which will be set at the audition in the format of 4 choruses of trio playing, followed
    by 4 choruses of four bar exchanges, i.e., 4 bars piano, bass and
    drums, 4 bars drums etc. You will be assessed on time, feel and stylistic appropriateness.
     
  2. An Aural Test consisting of:
    • Ten intervals up to and including a ninth.

    • Ten chords drawn from major, minor, augmented, diminished, and dominant chord families.

    • You should identify all extensions and alterations as appropriate.

     
  3. Technical examination
    You will be asked to play the following rudiments, starting slowly, then gradually accelerating, then gradually decelerating:
    • Single stroke roll

    • Double

    • Paradiddle

    You will be assessed on your level of control, even-handedness, touch and tone production.
     
  4. Sight reading Test
    You will be asked to sight read a short drum chart, which will be played with the bass and piano or guitar. The chart will be in a typical big-band style with figures or “hits” above the stave etc. You will be assessed on accuracy, interpretation, dynamics and fluidity.
     
  5. Grooves/Styles
    You will be asked to play the following feels, at an appropriate tempo range:
    • Bossa Nova (brush/stick)

    • Afro-Cuban, Mambo

    • Ballad (Brushes)

    • Medium-up swing (brushes)

    • Medium-up swing (brushes)

    • Medium swing (sticks)

    • Fast swing (sticks)

You will be assessed on consistency of time and feel, dynamics and the authenticity of the various feels.

Jazz Vocal Audition Requirements

  1. Jazz Vocal Style
    You will sing two jazz standards, one swing or bossa nova and one jazz ballad from the lists below:
    Jazz Standards- Swing And Bossa Nova
    Autumn Leaves (Kosma/Mercer)
    All The Things You Are (Jerome Kern)
    Stella By Starlight (Victor Young)
    Our Love Is Here To Stay. (George Gershwin)
    I Love You (Cole Porter)
    On Green Dolphin Street (B.Kaper)
    Take The A Train (Duke Ellington)
    Satin Doll (Duke Ellington)
    It Could Happen To You (J. Van Heusen)
    All Of Me (Simons/Marks)
    Someday My Prince Will Come (Frank Churchill)
    What Is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter)
    Corcavado (A.C.Jobim)
    Wave (A.C.Jobim)

    Jazz Ballads
    My Funny Valentine (Rodgers And Hart)
    But Beautiful (J.Van Heusen)
    When I Fall In Love (V.Young)
    My Foolish Heart (V.Young)
    Skylark (H.Carmichael)
    Misty (E.Garner)
    Darn That Dream (J. Van Heusen)
     
  2. Scales
    You must be able to sing the following scales:
    • Major

    • Melodic minor

    • Harmonic minor

     
  3. Sight reading
    You must be able to accurately read a written melody which will be drawn from the Jazz standard repertoire, and will take into account the voice type.
     
  4. Aural test
    You will be asked to identify 5 intervals and 5 chords. The intervals will be no greater than one octave, and the chords will be drawn from major, minor, dominant and diminished chord families.
     
  5. Jazz Aptitude Test

Applicants for Guitar or Double Bass should bring their own leads for the audition. Drummers should bring their own sticks.

Contact Craig Scott, Chair of Jazz for further information on audition requirements. Email: