Guitar Audition Requirements for Guitar Majors
The McNally Smith College of Music Guitar Department wants each prospective student to
be as prepared as possible for his or her audition. The primary goal of the audition is to make
sure each freshman has the skills required to thrive at MSCM.
Prepare what is in this packet and present it at your audition, or make a video recording if
you are unable to audition at McNally Smith or at one of our off-site audition locations.
It is imperative that you practice and prepare with a metronome. Your ability to play in time
with the metronome is a major factor in the audition scoring. Speed is not important but
good solid timing is. The audition has six sections. Scales must be played with a metronome
at the audition (or on the video). Other sections of the audition will have recorded backing
tracks for you to play with.
Shape I
This fretboard shows the note
names on the 5th and 6th string.
Roots of scales, chords, and
arpeggios occur on these strings.
The notes can be found on other
strings using octave shapes.
Shape II
Shape III
All scales, chords, and apreggios
are built around the following 5
octave shapes, containing either 2
or 3 roots within a position.
Shape IV
Shape V
The chords and scales in sections 1 and 2 should be memorized.
The instructor will ask you to play each chord from a different root.*
Guitar Audition Requirements for Guitar Majors
Guitar Audition Requirements for Guitar Majors
Section 1 – Chord Knowledge
Section 2 – Scale Knowledge
Play the following scales ascending from the lowest to the highest note and then
descending from highest to lowest note. Use alternate picking (down, up, down, up etc.)
playing 8th notes with a metronome. Downbeats (down strokes) should coincide with the
“click” of the metronome and upbeats (upstrokes) should be “in between” the clicks of the
metronome. Practice these scales with the metronome set on 80 beats per minute (bpm).
Barre Chords -- Be able to play the following barre chords:
The tonic (name of the scale) for each scale is on the low E string. Practice in all keys.
The instructor will choose a different key for each scale.*
Open Chords -- Be able to play each of these “open string” chords:
Moveable 7th Chords -- Be able to play the following moveable 7th chords:
*(If this is a video audition, follow a checklist that will be provided).
Guitar Audition Requirements for Guitar Majors
Guitar Audition Requirements for Guitar Majors
Section 3 – Rhythm Guitar
Section 4 – Improvisation
There are five rhythm guitar examples written below representing different styles. Each
has two corresponding audio tracks; one with the example being played on guitar along
with the bass and drums and the other track with no guitar.
There are three improvisation chord progression examples written below representing
minor, major and blues tonalities. Each has a minus-one audio track to accompany you.
Play each example as much like the audio examples as possible. If some of the chords are
new to you, refer to the diagrams written above the staff.
Your goal should be to play clean solo phrases, in time, in the right key and be as musical
as possible demonstrating the articulation devices you know (bends, hammer-ons,
pull-offs, slides). You may use a clean or distorted sound.
Your solos do not need to be complex or technically impressive. We want to hear your
ability to invent phrases and play musically in time. It is acceptable to pre-plan solos if
you prefer. Keep your solos fairly short on the minor and major examples. Play two times
through the blues progression.
Guitar Audition Requirements for Guitar Majors
Section 5 - Sight Reading: S
ingle Line & Chord Chart
o not be intimidated by this section. Most guitarists don’t read well (or at all) at first. If you
D
are able to work the following examples out, it will indicate to us that you have the ability to
find written notes and chords on the guitar. If you are unable to play the following examples,
it will not prevent you from being accepted into the program. Your success here will not
determine your placement in reading classes. You will still need to take a sight reading exam
before the start of your first semester if you want to be placed in a class beyond level one.
You can prepare by buying any beginning reading book for guitar and working through as
much as you can in advance. A good book to work through is “Music Reading for Guitar” by
David Oakes published by Hal Leonard. It is available online.
n the following examples, tempo is not indicated, because the student must determine the
O
speed they are capable of reading each passage. Evenness of tempo is MUCH more important than speed.
Guitar Audition Requirements for Guitar Majors
Section 6 – Prepared Piece
Your prepared piece should demonstrate your musicality. You have two choices for this section:
1. P
repare a 2 to 3-minute solo guitar piece that you can perform for the audition instructor.
This could be a classical guitar piece, a jazz chord melody or a finger-style tune. It should
stand alone without accompaniment.
2. P
repare a 2 to 3-minute piece to perform with a backing track. This can be any genre. You
must provide the backing track and the audio device to play it on with a 1/8 inch stereo
output jack for the audition instructor to connect with our playback system.
ideo Auditions - pay attention to balance on this section and others with backing tracks.
V
We want to hear your instrument clearly, but still hear the “band” you are fronting.
1) An
example of what might be played toward the end of your first semester
(a key signature with two sharps, leaps/arpeggio figures, and a variety of rhythms - this
example can be played entirely in 2nd position, but you may play it wherever you can find
it, for now):
Typically an audition is 45 minutes long. There is time at the start for the audition instructor
and you to get acquainted and for you to get comfortable with your surroundings. Do not
bring extra equipment. All you need is your electric guitar and a chord. You may also bring an
acoustic or classical guitar for your prepared piece.
2) A
n example of a chord chart (many chord charts are little more than the rhythm guitar
examples above, in section 3; this example requires chord knowledge and has rhythmic
figures, with single notes mixed in):