Bass Audition

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Hi, I have applied for varying music programs for University, and I have auditions coming up in about a month. I have to be able to perform two different songs with varying styles and degrees of difficulty. I play the electric Bass, and have done so for three years now. I was just wondering if anybody had any suggestions on what songs I could play (I realize you don't know my skill level, but I'm good enough at playing [not jaco-like or anything] to do well at an audition). I may or may not (based on my choice) have a piano accompanyist hired at the audition. I don't know what my time limits are for my audition, but I will find out and post as soon as I can. anyway.... any general suggestions?

[Dyslexic Magician]

play something by jaco

[o b s]

throw down some hoppus.

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Any particular song suggestions? (no hoppus lol)

[Corkofski]

learn 3 complicated pieces, one jazz stylee, one rock stylee, one funk stylee

take in the auditioner, then play the one that suits them best

[M__]

cello suite, colleges always like to see classical. that or jazz standard, a bebop song would be good to show that you could play the melody and walk it. i wouldnt recommend funk or rock for a college audition

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cello suite, colleges always like to see classical. that or jazz standard, a bebop song would be good to show that you could play the melody and walk it. i wouldnt recommend funk or rock for a college audition

know of any particular bebop songs/artists I should take a look at?

[Brandon_S]

I'd Suggest a jazz peice lol. On Green Doplin Street,The Chicken are two very good peices,along with Donna Lee or Giant Steps.

For Classical you should learn some Cello Suites,Look at Bachs.

those are two things to reccomend,ask around on here a few of us go to college or school for music.

(I don't but plan to.)

[m-dirnt_fan101]

something by wooten, a classical piece, and just to be different, play longview-well:thumb:

[Brandon_S]

something by wooten, a classical piece, and just to be different, play longview-well:thumb:

No,Yes and No.

Dont play Classical Thump for a classical peice btw :P

Defiently not longview.

Stick to What I suggested hahaha.

[Brandon_S]

I love the bach cello suits btw, heres the link to the book (I dont have anything scanned or on the net)

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Mel-Bay-JS-Bach-for-Bass-Book?sku=940261

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Thanks for the help guy(s)

[HaVIC5]

Just a little OT, has anybody actually here played any of the movements from the suites besides the first movement of the one in G major?

[Brandon_S]

I wouldn't know,Ill tell you saturday (When I get the book :p)

[Left Shoe]

Just a little OT, has anybody actually here played any of the movements from the suites besides the first movement of the one in G major?

i played through them ,i havent performed them for anybody

[M__]

i played through them ,i havent performed them for anybody

ditto

[Brandon_S]

Hey Leftshoe what peice(s) did you play for Berklee Auditions?

[Aria.]

well sorry to break it to u but u have left it to late


although i ave heard almost all american music schools are complete joke and anyone can get in
so dont worry at all just play some crap and fork out the moneys and youll be fine

[Akira]

You have no idea how well he plays, so how can you know a month is not long enough. If you work hard enough you can get a lot done in a month.

[Left Shoe]

Hey Leftshoe what peice(s) did you play for Berklee Auditions?

first time around i played a composition i wrote with a 3 piece ensemble.

second time i played You Cant Hold No Groove - Wooten

[Aria.]

yeh i alreayd said amercan music schools are a joke

[Left Shoe]

just for my information, have you gone to a music school on bass?

[Akira]

just for my information, have you gone to a music school on bass?

He's way smarter than you are Phil. He plays guitar. You're just a bassist.

[Left Shoe]

i forgot all guitarists take a "what you should play for college auditions if you were hypothetically a bassist" lab

[FruscianteFan08]

As far as jazz standards go, i'd suggest any of these:

Giant Steps
Blue Trane
Blue Monk
Straight No Chaser
Impressions (or So What... they're basically the same except for the melody)
All Blues
Summertime
Fly Me to the Moon
On Green Dolphin Street
Any song with the word "Blues" at the end (I-IV-V Progression)

There's soo many more great ones, those are just the ones i can think of off the top of my head.

EDIT: Mr. PC!!!!

[Brandon_S]

i forgot all guitarists take a "what you should play for college auditions if you were hypothetically a bassist" lab

Let it go he's WAY to Meddle for you.

[Brandon_S]

As far as jazz standards go, i'd suggest any of these:

Giant Steps
Blue Trane
Blue Monk
Straight No Chaser
Impressions (or So What... they're basically the same except for the melody)
All Blues
Summertime
Fly Me to the Moon
On Green Dolphin Street
Any song with the word "Blues" at the end (I-IV-V Progression)

There's soo many more great ones, those are just the ones i can think of off the top of my head.

EDIT: Mr. PC!!!!

Giant Steps,Straight no Chaser,Summertime and On Green Dolphin Street are the 4 I am looking at ahh tought choice.

[Left Shoe]

you wont get in if you play giant steps at a berklee audition. they will laugh at you

[Aria.]

just for my information, have you gone to a music school on bass?

yes im currenlty enrolled in my third year whats your point

[Left Shoe]

just checking, i mean you are known as a guitar player around here, i wanted to know if you actually had some basis for what you were saying.

i will agree with you, there are alot of american music schools that are very subpar. berklee itself is going down in quality, it was in its high point back in the day when its student body consisted of 600 people who all knew what they were doing. the safe part about berklee is, you will get out of it what you put into it. taking that into consideration im not worried about not getting a good education there.

[White_Summer]

PLay a jazz standard, autumn leaves, oleo, black orpheus, etc, and a classical piece, written for bass or cello.

[Brandon_S]

you wont get in if you play giant steps at a berklee audition. they will laugh at you

Whys that? I thought it was one of the most complicated jazz peices?.

is it because it is over-played at auditions?

[Brandon_S]

PLay a jazz standard, autumn leaves, oleo, black orpheus, etc, and a classical piece, written for bass or cello.

Did you ever get into Humber?

[Left Shoe]

Whys that? I thought it was one of the most complicated jazz peices?.

is it because it is over-played at auditions?

because its over played, and most people fail horribly at it

[Brandon_S]

because its over played, and most people fail horribly at it

Im sorta not suprised,I dont know why I asked.

I saw a guy on Youtube play "Giant Steps" rather well on Upright,But other then that,I have yet to see and hear it by someone doing it well,I want to tackle it as a jazz peice but I want to work on the chicken and autmn leaves right now.

[White_Summer]

Did you ever get into Humber?

i ended up going to mohawk in hamilton, as they now have a degree program, and its alot cheaper and easier for me to go here, since i know people in town, and i am living with my bud for half rent like 150 bucks haha plus tuition its really not bad!

[Brandon_S]

YES!!!! I remember talking to you about my debates on weither going to mohawk or humber if I was accepted at both,and now Mohawk has the Degree Program yes!

If you meet a guy named Kevin Freer,Be Prepared he is a amazing bassist,youll love his playing its so rich and groovey,good guy too.

[Brandon_S]

i ended up going to mohawk in hamilton, as they now have a degree program, and its alot cheaper and easier for me to go here, since i know people in town, and i am living with my bud for half rent like 150 bucks haha plus tuition its really not bad!

But is the education good?

[White_Summer]

because its over played, and most people fail horribly at it

Blue Bossa, is overplayed, not giant steps, play footprints its cooler

[White_Summer]

YES!!!! I remember talking to you about my debates on weither going to mohawk or humber if I was accepted at both,and now Mohawk has the Degree Program yes!

If you meet a guy named Kevin Freer,Be Prepared he is a amazing bassist,youll love his playing its so rich and groovey,good guy too.

K UNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yeah man, kevin is awesome, jam with him all the time, its a decent school, there are a few guys from humber at mohawk and they say its really no different

[Brandon_S]

Blue Bossa, is overplayed, not giant steps, play footprints its cooler

Footprints by Wayne Shorter...<3.

My friend Mark sent that to me,ever since then I loved it,and thats when I became a Wayne Shorter fan.

[White_Summer]

Good, wayne shorter is awesome, specially the wayne shorter band with pattitucci, oh man they make some crazy good music!

[Brandon_S]

Good, wayne shorter is awesome, specially the wayne shorter band with pattitucci, oh man they make some crazy good music!

Oh la la, * runs to limewire * do they have any albums?

[White_Summer]

they should, couldnt remember the names for the life of me, also some good albums to check out, specially if your thinking about going to mohawk, 3 sisters(jeff yongue(sp?)) or the dave mc murdo jazz quartet? i think it is, those will be harder to find but they are good albums(both of those guys teach at mohawk). seriously for the auditino just learn like a jazz standard, and a classical piece, Pat(the bass auditioner, you will meet him if you go there) will make you play a blues(jazz) and then ask you to sight read then maybe ask you for a classical piece(have it prepared anyway). then the theory exam

[White_Summer]

Giant Steps,Straight no Chaser,Summertime and On Green Dolphin Street are the 4 I am looking at ahh tought choice.

out of those, i would say summertime or on green dolphin street, Pat would love those, not so much the other two

[Brandon_S]

K UNIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yeah man, kevin is awesome, jam with him all the time, its a decent school, there are a few guys from humber at mohawk and they say its really no different

Probally one of the nicest,and most positive musicians I have ever met,Amazing Musician and Bassist in my eyes.

[Brandon_S]

out of those, i would say summertime or on green dolphin street, Pat would love those, not so much the other two

Im thinking summertime,Ive loved that peice since I can remember...:)

[White_Summer]

ya man very cool tune, Kevins drug stories are hilarious, he has tried everything and then some

[Brandon_S]

lol hes told me some of them I laughed.

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well sorry to break it to u but u have left it to late


although i ave heard almost all american music schools are complete joke and anyone can get in
so dont worry at all just play some crap and fork out the moneys and youll be fine



well, I never said I was American but w/e

[Brandon_S]

Hey White Summer do you have MSN?

[Brandon_S]

well, I never said I was American but w/e

You should Play "On green dolphin street" Learn it out of a realbook,thats a good song to play.

[HaVIC5]

Giant Steps isn't overplayed, really, but may god help you if you're a newbie and you want to play it. It really takes concentrated study in order to learn how to play it, otherwise it will sound like some crap.

[EADG]

My advice: Don't play something if you can't play it well.

Be honest with yourself. If something is obviously out of your playing level, don't bother with it.

[Duncster]

its a decent school, there are a few guys from humber at mohawk and they say its really no different
Really?! Thats great news for me, opens up my options a bit. I was sure to apply to Humber next year but now I can consider this "mohawk" you speak of. What did you audition with? Just out of curiosity.
Edit: Just to be 100% sure, they do accept electric bassists right? Gotta ask since they do not specify on the website and theres only a picture of an upright player.

[Brandon_S]

Really?! Thats great news for me, opens up my options a bit. I was sure to apply to Humber next year but now I can consider this "mohawk" you speak of. What did you audition with? Just out of curiosity.
Edit: Just to be 100% sure, they do accept electric bassists right? Gotta ask since they do not specify on the website and theres only a picture of an upright player.

Yes,They do.

You may want to get a little upright knowlage down,and rent one now because over time you take upright there.

[White_Summer]

Really?! Thats great news for me, opens up my options a bit. I was sure to apply to Humber next year but now I can consider this "mohawk" you speak of. What did you audition with? Just out of curiosity.
Edit: Just to be 100% sure, they do accept electric bassists right? Gotta ask since they do not specify on the website and theres only a picture of an upright player.

ALSO....just to whore some peolpe out, Will "willy J" Jarvis, teaches at humber part time, mohawk part time and Mac part time,hes an awesome teacher. Also Keiran Overs teaches at Mac and Mohawk also a great bass teacher. and its your choice whether or not you want to play upright first year. Pat will try to Convince you to play, and keiran will suggest it, will on the other hand wont unless you ask him to.

[Brandon_S]

I really want to go to Mohawk,makes me want to go more and more lol.

WS Do you have msn? mind me adding?

[White_Summer]

i do not have MSN, ad i dont actually own a computer, haha i had to sell it, thats why i am always on late,(using my roomates laptop), and its a mac and he doesnt want me downloading MSN

[Duncster]

They wont force it upon me first year... so this means I will have to learn it eventually while at the school? I don't know if I could go if I had to learn to become a very good upright player, as I don't feel I would want to put forth the time and effort into something I don't really want to learn. I mean I want to learn music because its a passion, I don't want to make it a chore.
I would probably go anyway actually >.<

[White_Summer]

They wont force it upon me first year... so this means I will have to learn it eventually while at the school? I don't know if I could go if I had to learn to become a very good upright player, as I don't feel I would want to put forth the time and effort into something I don't really want to learn. I mean I want to learn music because its a passion, I don't want to make it a chore.
I would probably go anyway actually >.<

no its completely your choice
they will always suggest it, but you never "HAVE" to play upright, you could graduate never touching one.
take my friend, who right now is in third year, and he doesnt play upright at all, infact he plays a warwick streamer jazzman, through an ampeg 115rb, this is for jazz, sure some people like the upright, but i got into the school without touching one,

[Duncster]

Oh ok, thanks for the help!