Audition Information

Audition Information

Our courses have been designed to give flexibility to musicians wishing to study a number of areas in order to become multi-skilled music practitioners with a broad pallet of skills in order to prepare them for a career in the music industry.

Our auditions give us the opportunity to find out where you are in terms of your instrumental ability, knowledge and technique. They also give us the opportunity to find out where you want to be, and for us to give guidance on how we may be able to help you get there.

We understand the pressures of auditioning and view this more like a private lesson. It’s a chance for you to view our facilities, speak to staff and more importantly for us to get to know you.

HND Audition Info

Demonstrate basic fingerstyle technique.

Play the following scales in at least three keys, choose from the list (Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Minor Pentatonic or Major Pentatonic).

Demonstrate major and minor arpeggios.

Demonstrate dominant and diminished arpeggios.

Perform a 12 bar blues bassline.

Perform a basic slap bass technique through a prepared example.

Perform an example prepared by the assessor at varied tempos – 60bpm, 80bpm and 120bpm.

Read a bassline from basic bass clef notation.

Ear training – play back a basic riff as performed by the assessor.

Play the assessor a rehearsal piece of your choice.

If you are a singer song writer you will be asked to present some of your original material, this could be via links to online media from YouTube. Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud etc. You will also be asked to perform one of your songs either to a backing track, self-accompanied or with an accompanist. You will be asked questions about the song writing process and where necessary this could lead to technical questions with regard to music theory, musical styles, instrumental or vocal technique, chord progressions and arranging techniques.

Selection of drum Rudiments at a variation of tempos; (60bpm, 80, 100, 120), Rudiments to cover will be; single stroke roll, double stroke roll and paradiddles.

Grade 4 single line notation reading exercise as directed by the assessor.

Research basic Moeller technique through single stroke rolls, explain the basic principles to your audition tutor and demonstrate these.

Play an improvised 16 bar sequence in 4/4 (groove and fills) with a metronome between 90 – 110bpm in 8th note Rock Style.

Play an improvised 16 bar sequence in 12/8 (groove and fills) with a metronome between 65-90bpm in 8th note Rock Style.

Repeat exercise 4 but in a contrasting style (i.e. a style which is markedly different from 8th note Rock Style).

Groove recognition; Repeat a two-bar groove as demonstrated by the assessor.

Name five famous drummers.

Name five famous drum manufacturers.

Play the assessor a rehearsal piece of your choice.

Play a major scale over two octaves.

Play a major scale with a metronome between 80bpm – 110bpm in quarter and eighth notes.

Improvise using the blues scale.

Play a II V I chord sequence

Take turns with your tutor to improvise over the backing track at this link: Click here for backing track using as your starting point the main A Section licks from the notation attached. You can find a complete version of the tune here: Full version of track (view notation here).

2x “fill in the missing bars” exercise.

Who is your favourite guitarist and why?

Musical recall exercise as directed by your assessor.

Name notes on the fretboard as directed by your assessor.

Play the assessor a rehearsal piece of your choice. Your piece should be between 1.5 – 3 minutes in length.

Name 2 different styles of Hip Hop and their characteristics.

Name two famous Hip Hop producers.

Explain what ‘Sampling’ means from a Hip Hop perspective.

Explain what ‘Freestyle’ is from a Hip Hop perspective.

Name your top 3 Hip Hop Lyricists and why.

Name 3 of your Hip Hop influences and why.

What are your main goals as a Hip Hop artist?

Play the assessor a recording of your music (if you have one).

Vocal warm-up exercise as demonstrated by the assessor.

Sing in one breath a major scale, ascending and descending, using the syllable ‘la’ (across one octave) – Click to view notation.

Sing in one breath a major pentatonic scale, ascending and descending, using the syllable ‘la’ – Click to view notation.

Sing a major arpeggio using the syllable ‘la’ – Click to view notation.

Sing a major arpeggio with a dominant 7 using the syllable ‘la’ – Click to view notation.

Breath control exercise as directed by the assessor.

Sight-singing exercise as directed by the assessor.

Two-bar melodic recall exercise as directed by the assessor.

Improvise over 12 bar blues chord progression, the candidate may choose key.

Perform an original song that you have created.

Vocal warm-up exercise as demonstrated by the assessor.

Sing in one breath a major scale, ascending and descending, using the syllable ‘la’ (across one octave) – click to view notation.

Sing in one breath a major pentatonic scale, ascending and descending, using the syllable ‘la’ – click to view notation.

Sing a major arpeggio using the syllable ‘la’ – click to view notation.

Sing a major arpeggio with a dominant 7 using the syllable ‘la’ – click to view notation.

Breath control exercise as directed by the assessor.

Sight-singing exercise as directed by the assessor.

Two-bar melodic recall exercise as directed by the assessor.

Improvise over 12 bar blues chord progression, the candidate may choose key.

Play the assessor a rehearsal piece of your choice. Your piece should be between 1.5 – 3 minutes in length

RSL Audition

Demonstrate your ability to perform scales in major/minor and major/minor pentatonic in different positions.

Demonstrate technique in the following styles: finger style, slap, walking bass.

You may be asked to play an appropriate bass line under a 12-bar blues chord sequence

Play the assessor a rehearsal piece of your choice

Demonstrate technique in performing ruidements including: single stroke roll, double stroke roll and single paradiddle

Perform in the following styles: basic 8 beat rock style, 16 beat, jazz/swing beat and reggae/ska.

Play the assessor a rehearsal piece of your choice.

Demonstrate your ability to perform scales in major/minor and major/minor pentatonic in different positions.

Demonstrate your ability to perform chord shapes of major/minor chords plus some four note chords (e.g. ‘7’ ‘maj7’ ‘min7’.

Play the assessor a rehearsal piece of your choice.

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Demonstrate your technique showing how you prepare warming up your voice, ready for singing.

Demonstrate your technique singing major/minor scales and major/minor arpeggios.

Play the assessor a rehearsal piece of your choice.