SEPTEMBER 2015 JAZZ AUDITION PACKET

DRUMS

Audition Checklist: oRHYTHMIC FEELS/KEEPING TIME: Swing & Straight Eighths Feel free to add another beat you know and like!

oLEAD SHEET/COMBO TUNE: “Red’s Good Groove” Play as a swing, with or without fills

oBIG BAND CHART: “Caravan” Play as written DETAILS ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PLAY A PIECE YOU’VE PREPARED WITH YOUR PRIVATE TEACHER!

Frequently Asked Questions Read these with your parents!

Why does everyone have to audition for jazz?

Jazz band is not only an extra time commitment, but also an extra musical commitment. Each student has to show that he or she is ready to play in this ensemble. You can show Miss Marino that you are ready for this musical and personal responsibility through preparing your jazz audition to the best of your ability. If you have questions over the summer, e-mail Miss Marino at marinos@fairhavenbe.org. Include your phone number – she’ll write back if it’s an easy question, or she’ll give you a call if it’s more complicated.

What is the difference between Jazz Big Band and Jazz Combo? And, which one am I auditioning for?

Jazz Big Band is a large ensemble that performs in the Winter, Tri-District, and Spring Concerts, and plays arrangements like the one included in this audition packet. There are many horns in Big Band (four to five of each instrument), and one of each rhythm section player (guitar, piano, bass, drums). The Big Band rehearses at lunch/recess on Fridays.

Jazz Combos are the smaller groups that perform in the Winter, Chamber Music, and Spring Concerts, and play lead sheets like the one included in this audition packet. Jazz combos focus on improvisation. Ideally, combos include a guitar or piano player, a bass player, a drum set player, and a flexible number of horns. Sometimes, to accommodate more students who audition well, a combo might have both a guitar and piano player, or even two piano players or drummers. In this situation, students who play piano or drums take turns, playing xylophone when they’re not playing their primary instruments. The Combos rehearse during a regular rotating lesson schedule on Fridays.

You can tell Miss Marino if you prefer one group over the other. If you have been in either one before, you may even get placed in both. Please know that Miss Marino takes both audition performances and grade levels into account; older students do get preference over younger ones. Ultimately, Miss Marino will decide which group is right for you, both with your input and after hearing your audition.

Why is it important for rhythm section members to take private lessons outside of school?

It is important that all rhythm section students (guitar, piano, bass, drums) keep up with their lessons outside of school. While good techniques are encouraged and supported in Combo and Big Band, they are not the primary focus (as they are in regular like-instrument band lessons). We rehearse in mixed-instrument groups for jazz ensembles, so ensemble technique, musical style and form, theory, and other ideas take precedence. Therefore, it is important that all rhythm section students continue to pursue individual study at home.

RHYTHMIC FEELS/KEEPING TIME: Swing & Straight Eighth Feel free to add another beat you know and like!

Prepare these rhythmic feels, by themselves or with a play-along track for “Bb” or “F Blues”. Your goal is to perform them at your audition with a steady beat in a variety of tempos. Extra credit! Play these two blues scales on piano, guitar, or xylophone. Use the scale sheet or the tab below.

LEAD SHEET/COMBO TUNE: “Red’s Good Groove” Play as a swing, with or without fills

Download the listening tracks from my web page and…listen! Then practice this tune by yourself, with the recording, or with any of the play-along tracks for “Bb Blues”. Your goal is to be able to perform it at your audition with a steady pulse.

This is an example of a “lead sheet”, which is the type of music you will get in Jazz Combo. It shows the melody and the chords. This particular tune is a 12-bar blues, one of the musical forms we study in Combo. We sometimes play 12-bar blues in Big Band, too, just not from a lead sheet. As a rhythm section player, a working knowledge of the 12-Bar Blues will serve you well in many playing situations.

Your first job as the drum set player is to support the other players by setting the style and providing a steady beat. Everyone in the band has their own job, such as playing the melody, chord changes, bass line, or rhythmic feel. Together, through playing and listening, it will come together! You don’t have your own band at home, of course, but you do have the mp3 play-along tracks. Please use them to practice!

Finally, when you get confident with the form and style of the tune, try adding fills or improvising your own solo. If you’ve been in Combo before, you know how to create small solo ideas and develop them into bigger ones. If not, ask your teacher for advice on where to start!

BIG BAND CHART:

“Caravan” Play as written

Follow this link for a recording: http://www.jwpepper.com/Caravan/10023039.item#.VY8WEOe05-U

Look at your part. Your goal is to be able to perform this piece at your audition with the correct style, accurate written rhythms/fills, and a steady beat!

This is an arrangement that we will play in Big Band in the fall. Some tips to help you tackle the job:

1. Play through the entire piece to get an overall idea of the work ahead of you. Then, break it into manageable pieces, focusing on practicing one piece at a time. You will find success and feel more confident if you master one section at a time, rather than if you try to gobble the whole thing up at once. That might prevent you from getting really good at any section!

2. Look for patterns – rhythms or ideas that appear multiple times within a section, or sections that repeat.

3. Follow articulations from the start. Accents and other markings go a long way towards helping you interpret the style of the piece.

4. Use what you already know when approaching a challenging rhythm. Your musical knowledge will help you figure it out! Some strategies you may recall from band class:

o BASIC RHYTHMS “How does this go?” Sing it; then play it. Hear yourself sing it in your head as you play. This is especially helpful for basic rhythms you’ve played many times – keep those solid!

o TIES “How long do I hold this note?” Play it without the tie. Then, put the tie back in and play it again. Listen to the smaller note values in your head as they come together to produce the longer sound.

o RESTS “How long is this rest?” “When do I come in?” Imagine the rest is a note of the same value. Sing it using “du” and “du-de”.