Instructions for BHS Jazz Auditions 2016 – RHYTHM
SECTION
Hello and welcome! Thank you for deciding to audition for the
BHS Jazz Lab II band and/or the BHS Jazz Ensemble for the
2016 – 2017 school year.
You can register for an audition slot right here at bhsjazz.org –
please make sure you do! You’ll find the link on our home page.
Your audition will take place in the “A” building at BHS, and
will take 10 - 12 minutes. Sometimes we get behind in our
schedule, so we ask for your patience ahead of time.
Please arrive 20 minutes early to warm up. The audition
schedule for this year is as follows: audition slots begin at 2:45
p.m. on May 24th for pianos, drums and vibes, and at 2:45 on
May 25th for basses and guitars
If you are wondering about your chances of landing a spot in
one of our groups, here is the final instrumentation the classes
can accommodate:
Jazz Ensemble: 5 trumpets, 4-5 trombones, 5-6 saxophones, 12 pianos, 1-2 guitars, 0-1 vibes players, 1-2 basses, 1-2
drummers, 1 percussionist
Jazz Lab II (2 sections): 4 – 6 trumpets, 4 – 5 trombones, 5 – 8
saxophones, 2 pianos, 2 guitars, 1 vibraphonist, 2 basses, 2
drummers, 1 percussionist EACH
Jazz Lab I (audition required for rhythm section players, high
school or middle school music teacher recommendation
required for brass and woodwinds players): 5 – 8 saxophones,
0 – 2 flutes, 0 – 2 violins/violas/cellos, 0 – 2 clarinets, 4 – 6
trumpets, 3 – 6 trombones, 2 pianos, 2 guitars, 2 basses, 0-2
vibes players, 2 drummers, 1 percussionist
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING FOR YOUR AUDITION
You’ll need to practice a few scales or grooves, work on the
piece provided, work on soloing, and get ready to sight read.
Instructions below.
SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING FOR YOUR AUDITION
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For scales: practice slowly and make sure you focus on
sound quality and intonation (OK not intonation for
pianos and vibes). Only when you can play with great
sound and intonation should you begin to practice at a
faster tempo! 
For the prepared piece: try for a great jazz feel, pay
attention to dynamics and articulation marks as you
prepare. In almost all cases the prepared piece is a swing
tune. You might consider listening to some great big
bands playing swing tunes (for example, the Count Basie
or Duke Ellington bands) and try to play your piece the
way you imagine they might play it. 
For sight reading: see if you can get your hands on some
music to sight read. If you are not good at reading
rhythms, find some music and go
s l o w l y until you are sure you are playing the rhythms
correctly. Make sure you pay close attention to the key
signature! Try to look through a tune before you start
playing it, to anticipate difficult spots. 
For soloing, practice playing along with the sound file
provided at bhsjazz.org. Listen to great jazz masters
playing solos on the same tune -- or over a blues in the
same key. Learn their solos, if you can! Not so you can
copy them note for note, but so that you learn some of the
jazz vocabulary they are using, and let them influence you
in some way. Ultimately, jazz musicians sound like a
mixture of all the musicians they have listened to very
closely – plus a little bit of their own magic mixed in. Use
this audition as an opportunity to get started on this
great, life-long project. 
WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR AUDITION 
Your audition will be heard by a friendly local
professional musician who plays your instrument. You
will start with scales or, for drummers, grooves, then play
the piece provided at this website for your to prepare.
You’ll move on to a short sight reading excerpt, and then
you’ll get a chance to solo with the same sound file
background you prepared with. Auditions can be nervous
making – it’s important to remember that your auditioner
wants you to play your best! Take a few deep breaths and
have confidence in yourself. If you’ve practiced
thoroughly, your skill and creativity will shine through.
AUDITION RESULTS
Audition results will be posted on our website at bhsjazz.org
on Saturday, June 11th
Good Luck! I know that auditions can be stressful. You can
avoid some of that stress by preparing thoroughly!
Sarah Cline
Jazz Program Director Berkeley High School
BHS Jazz 2016-2017 Rhythm Section Auditions
PIANOS
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SCALES
* 2 octaves concert Bb major BOTH HANDS in octaves
* 2 octaves ascending chromatic scale beginning on C
BOTH HANDS in octaves 
PREPARED PIECE
Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz
ensemble piano” or 
“jazz lab piano” depending on which group(s) you are
auditioning for. 
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SIGHT READING
the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be
provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both
written notes and chord changes. If you are auditioning
only for a jazz lab band, the sight reading excerpt
provided will be easier. 
IMPROVISATION
Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the
audition if you would like to show us you can solo: 
o Jordu
o Sandu
The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is
provided, as is a sound file for you to practice with. In the
audition you will play the head the first time through,
then solo for one or two choruses with the same sound
file.

GUITAR
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SCALES
* 2 octaves concert Bb major. Play in octaves if you can! 
PREPARED PIECE
Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz
ensemble guitar” or 
“jazz lab guitar” depending on which group you are
auditioning for. 


SIGHT READING
the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be
provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both
written notes and chord changes. If you are auditioning
only for jazz lab II, the sight reading excerpt provided will
be easier. 
IMPROVISATION
Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the
audition if you would like to show us you can solo: 
o Jordu
o Sandu
The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is
provided, as is a sound file for you to practice with. In the
audition you will play the head the first time through,
then solo for one or two choruses with the same sound
file. 
VIBES 

SCALES
* 2 octaves concert Bb major. Play in octaves if you can! 
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

PREPARED PIECE
Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz
ensemble/jazz lab vibes” 
SIGHT READING
the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be
provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both
written notes and chord changes. If you are auditioning
only for a jazz lab band, the sight reading excerpt
provided will be easier. 
IMPROVISATION 
Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the audition
if you would like to show us you can solo:
o Jordu
o Sandu
The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is provided, as
is a sound file for you to practice with. In the audition you will
play the head the first time through, then solo for one or two
choruses with the same sound file.
BASS
SCALES
o 2 octaves concert Bb major.
o 2 octaves chromatic scale starting on C (this scale for
upright bassists only)


PREPARED PIECE
Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz
ensemble bass” or “jazz lab bass” depending on which
groups you are auditioning for. 
SIGHT READING
the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be

provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both
written notes and chord changes. If you are auditioning
only for jazz lab II, the sight reading excerpt provided will
be easier. 
IMPROVISATION
Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the
audition if you would like to show us you can solo: 
o Jordu
o Sandu
The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is
provided, as is a sound file for you to practice with. In the
audition you will play the head the first time through,
then solo for an entire chorus. 
DRUMS
GROOVES
You will begin your audition by playing 16 bars each of time in
the following grooves:
o Funk
o swing
o samba (if you are auditioning for jazz ensemble) o bossa
nova (if you are auditioning for a jazz lab band)

PREPARED PIECE
Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz
ensemble drums” or 
“jazz lab drums” depending on which group you are
auditioning for. 

SIGHT READING
the sight reading excerpt for your instrument will be

provided at the audition. The excerpt will include both
written hits and time in a swing groove. If you are
auditioning only for a jazz lab band, the sight reading
excerpt provided will be easier. 
IMPROVISATION
Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the
audition: 
o Jordu
o Sandu
The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is
provided, as is a sound file for you to practice with. In the
audition you will play the head accompanying the
recording the first time through, then take a solo for an
entire chorus.
PERCUSSION
You will begin your audition by playing 16 bars of a
Cuban son groove on congas and timbales. Next you will
play 16 bars of a 6/8 clave on both congas and timbales.
You will then demonstrate that you can play the guiro.
Next you will do a short sight reading exercise to show
your auditioner you can read rhythms – choose
whichever instrument you feel most comfortable with.
Finally you will solo over the tune “Manteca” – sound file
provided here