At this time the School of Music is only accepting online auditions. Please see our Online Audition page for more information.
A Note About the Jazz Auditions
An audition is not required for entrance into the Jazz/World Music Bachelor of Arts degree program
If you have further questions about the specifics of your audition, please contact the area coordinators listed below.
- World Music - Hafez Mdirzadeh (hafezmo@sfsu.edu)
- Jazz - Andrew Speight (speight@sfsu.edu)
Jazz Audition Requirements Only
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All instrumentalists should demonstrate major scales and arpeggios in four keys of your choice. Drum set players and vocalists should be able to demonstrate this on the piano.
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All instrumentalists and vocalists (except drum set players) should play 2 standards or jazz tunes from the “Jazz Audition Tune List” below as well as a 12 bar blues. In each song, please play the melody and a chorus of improvised or transcribed solo.
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Chordal Players (Keyboards and Guitar) should also demonstrate a chorus of “comping” for each of the songs.
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Bass players should also demonstrate “walking bass” lines through at least one standard and the “blues” selection.
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Drumset players should be able to demonstrate various “grooves” (ex: swing, bossa nova, rock, 3/4, funk, etc) at slow, medium and fast tempos, as well as playing over the form of at least one standard from the “Jazz Audition Tune List" below and one blues selection. Please prepare a chorus of the melody, a chorus of time, and a chorus of solo followed by an ending chorus of melody for the standard and the “blues”.
Jazz Audition Tune List
Standards
- There Is No Greater Love - B flat
- There Will Never Be Another You - E flat
- What Is This Thing Called Love - C
- On Green Dolphin Street - C or E flat
- I'll Remember April - G
- Autumn Leaves - B flat major
- Yesterdays - D minor
- Alone Together –D minor
- All the Things You Are - A flat
- How High The Moon - G
- Invitation - C minor
- Bye Bye Blackbird - F
- What's New - C
- Body and Soul - D flat
- Embraceable You - E flat
- Summertime It Could Happen To You - E flat
- Just Friends – F or B flat
- Lover Man – D minor
- If I Were a Bell – F
- Lover Come Back To Me – A flat
- Wave - D minor
- Trieste – B flat
- Theme From "Black Orpheus" - A minor
Jazz Tunes:
- Confirmation - F
- Nica's Dream - B flat
- Recordame - A minor
- Impressions/So What - D minor
- All Blues - G
- Joy Spring - F
- Moment's Notice Blue Bossa - C minor
- Up Jumped Spring - B flat
- Scrapple from the Apple - F
- Perdido - B flat
- Caravan - F minor
- Donna Lee - A flat
- Well You Needn't - F
- A Night in Tunisia - D minor
- I Mean You – F
- Yardbird Suite – C
- Woody n' You – D flat
- Watermelon Man – F
- Cantaloupe Island – F
- Stompin At The Savoy – D flat
- Take The A Train – C
- In a Mellow Tone – A flat
- Sonny – A minor
- Anthropology
- Moose The Mooche
- Eternal Triangle
Blues:
- Now's the Time
- Bag's Groove
- Mr PC
- Things Aint What They Used to Be
- Blues By 5
- Straight No Chaser
- Sonny Moon For Two