Repertoire Jazz

Jazz Studies

The purpose of the live audition is to determine a student’s qualifications for placement as a jazz studies major.  The following information provides an outline of what is required during the audition.  All auditions are evaluated by jazz studies faculty members.

Review Ensemble Audition Information: Ensemble Placement Auditions

Jazz Audition requirements for entering freshmen who play brass instruments, woodwind instruments, guitar, bass or vibraphone

  1. Perform two pieces in contrasting tempos, keys and styles from the Freshman Repertoire List.
  2. Auditioning student will be expected to accurately perform the themes of the pieces he or she selects, and to improvise on those pieces.
  3. Sight read various excerpts from jazz band repertoire.
  4. Sight read and improvise over a set of chord changes.
  5. Perform major scales in all keys in eighth notes, (one and a half or two octaves as determined by instrument range), at a tempo of quarter note equals 100-120.


Jazz faculty will provide piano accompaniment.  Please have copies of your music in lead sheet form available for them in concert key.

Jazz Audition requirements for entering freshmen jazz pianists

  1. Perform two pieces in contrasting tempos, keys and styles from the Freshman Repertoire list.
  2. Auditioning student will be expected to accurately perform the themes of the pieces he or she selects, and to improvise on those pieces.
  3. Sight read various excerpts from jazz band repertoire.
  4. Sight read and improvise over a set of chord changes.
  5. Perform major scales in all keys in eighth notes, (one and a half or two octaves as determined by instrument range), at a tempo of quarter note equals 100-120.

Jazz faculty will provide bass line accompaniment in the bass register in the manner of a jazz bassist.  Please have copies of your music in lead sheet form available for them in concert key.

Jazz Audition requirements for freshman jazz drum kit players

Auditioning Drum kit players will be required to play a variety of rhythmic styles and will sight read excerpts from jazz band literature accompanied by jazz faculty. Drum kit players admitted to the SDSU Jazz Studies program as jazz studies performance majors will take private lessons on drum kit and a secondary harmonic and/or melodic instrument which could include vibraphone, guitar, piano or bass.

Jazz Audition requirements for Junior Level (Transfer) brass, woodwind, guitar, bass and vibraphone players

  • Prepare and perform two pieces in contrasting tempos, keys, and styles from the Junior Level Repertoire List.
  • Accurately perform the themes of the pieces he or she selects, and improvise on those pieces.
  • Sight read various excerpts from jazz band repertoire.
  • Sight read and improvise over a set of chord changes.
  • Perform the following scales in all keys, one and a half or two octaves (as determined by instrument range), in eight notes with the quarter note tempo at 100-120.
    1. a)  Melodic Minor Mode (jazz form)
    2. b)  Harmonic Minor Mode
    3. c)  Lydian Mode
    4. d)  Lydian Dominant Mode (a.k.a. Lydian flat 7)

Jazz faculty will provide piano accompaniment.  Please have copies of your music, in lead sheet form, available for them in concert key.

Jazz Audition requirements for Junior Level (Transfer) Pianists

  • Prepare and perform two pieces in contrasting tempos, keys, and styles from the Junior Level Repertoire List.
  • Auditioning student will be expected to accurately perform the themes of the pieces he or she selects, and to improvise on those pieces.
  • Sight read various excerpts from jazz band repertoire.
  • Sight read and improvise over a set of chord changes.
  • Perform the following scales in all keys, one and a half or two octaves (as determined by instrument range), in eight notes with the quarter note tempo at 100-120, hands together in parallel motion:
    1. Melodic Minor Mode (jazz form)
    2. Harmonic Minor Mode
    3. Lydian Mode
    4. Lydian Dominant Mode (a.k.a. Lydian flat 7)

Jazz faculty will provide bass line accompaniment in the bass register in the manner of a jazz bassist.  Please have copies of your music in lead sheet form available for them in concert key.

 

Jazz Audition requirements for Junior Level (Transfer) Drum Kit Players

Auditioning Drum kit players will be required to play a variety of rhythmic styles and will sight read excerpts from jazz band literature accompanied by jazz faculty. If the auditioning drum kit player has experience improvising jazz on secondary instruments including the vibraphone, guitar, piano or bass, he or she will perform two pieces in contrasting tempos, keys and styles from either the Freshman or Junior Level Repertoire Lists. Drum kit players admitted to the SDSU Jazz Studies program as jazz studies performance majors will take private lessons on drum kit and a secondary harmonic and/or melodic instrument which could include vibraphone, guitar, piano or bass.

 

Graduate Brass, Woodwind, Guitar, Bass and Vibraphone

  1. The auditioning student will perform two pieces in contrasting tempos, keys and styles from the Graduate Repertoire List.
  2. Jazz faculty will provide piano accompaniment. Please have copies of your music (in lead sheet form) available for them in concert key.
  3. The auditioning student will be expected to accurately perform the themes of the pieces he or she has chosen and improvise on those pieces.
  4. The auditioning student will sight read various excerpts from jazz band repertoire.
  5. The auditioning student will also sight read and improvise over a set of chord changes.
  6. The auditioning student will also be prepared to play the listed scales in all keys, one and a half or two octaves, in eighth notes (quarter note = 100-120), as is determined by individual instrument ranges:

        a) Melodic Minor (Jazz Form)
        b) Harmonic Minor
        c) Diminished Scale (dominant form)

Graduate Jazz Pianists

  1. The auditioning student will perform two pieces in contrasting tempos, keys and styles from the Graduate Repertoire List.  Jazz faculty will provide bass line accompaniment in the bass register of the piano in the manner of a jazz bassist.
  2. The auditioning student will be expected to accurately perform the themes of the pieces he or she has chosen and improvise on those pieces.
  3. The auditioning student will sight read various excerpts from jazz band repertoire.
  4. The auditioning student will also sight read and improvise over a set of chord changes.
  5. The auditioning student will also be prepared to play the following scales in all keys, two octaves, in eighth notes (quarter = 100-120), hands together in parallel motion:

        a) Melodic Minor (Jazz Form)
        b) Harmonic Minor
        c) Diminished Scale (dominant form)

Graduate Drum Kit Players

  1. The auditioning student will be required to play a number of different rhythmic styles accompanied by jazz faculty.
  2. The auditioning student will sight read various excerpts from jazz band repertoire accompanied by jazz faculty.
  3. If the auditioning drum kit player has experience improvising jazz on the vibraphone, guitar, piano or bass, prepare two pieces in contrasting tempos, keys and styles from either the Junior or Graduate Level Repertoire Lists.
  4. The auditioning drum kit player with secondary instrument experience will be required to play the following scales in all keys, two octaves, in eighth notes (quarter note = 100-120):

      a) Melodic Minor (Jazz Form)
      b) Harmonic Minor

Drum kit players admitted to the SDSU Jazz Studies program as jazz studies performance majors will take private lessons on drum kit and a secondary harmonic and/or melodic instrument which could include vibraphone, guitar, piano or bass.

 

Prebys stage

Join the Movement

ApplyVisitGet Info