Help with college audition!

Hey there folks! I am a student that is still in 10th grade but im thinking next yeay i will be auditioning for berklee college of music which has been my goal for about 4 years. So i was asking to see if anyone had experience with similar auditions or even this on. I am also looking for a piece to play for the audition. My focus is rock and blues, but i still love jazz and would me more than willing to play any jazz piece. Any help at all regarding this subject would be great. Thanks a lot.

I have no advice.... BUT.... Congratulations on following your dream, and best of luck to you!

That's a really high dollar way to study rock and blues.

Yes it is a high dollar. But i said i like blues and rock but its not espesificaly what i whant to learn.

You wanna learn jazz? Transcribe some Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, and Grant Green. If you wanna impress them, play an uptempo oleo, or eternal triangle, a rhythm changes tune. That'll show em you mean business.

Thanks a lot. That is very helpfull :)

You're welcome dude, don't give up. Practice slow until you know that you know that you know it well. We eat the apple one bite at a time.

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do a solo guitar arrangement (of your own) of this...

they'll pay you to go there.

if they ask you to play something else...

break this out and make them really wonder....

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You may/probably will have to prepare an audition video.
Web cam or Flip is fine.

What they'll want to see/hear:

Chord melody of a 'standard' jazz tune: All the Things you Are, Wave, Stella by Starlight, Embraceable You, etc.

Be able to 'solo' over: a jazz blues in a flat key (Bb Ab F etc.)
Be able to 'solo' over: Rhythm changes (Oleo, I Got Rhythm, Eternal Triangle, Dexterity, Lester Leaps In, etc.)
*If you record this you can do it with a band or a backing track (Jamey Abersold backing is preferred).

They 'may' want you to play a Be-Bop head (melody, preferably by Charlie Parker) like Billies Bounce, Confirmation, Anthropology, etc.

They'll want to know if you read music, both single lines and chord changes (chord symbols like Dbm7 or F#maj7b5, etc.).
If you don't, you can still get into Berklee.
If you do 'read' you'll get in A LOT easier!

Know your basic harmony: Triads, 7th chords, key signatures, intervals, major scales, harmonic and melodic minor scales.
*Extra credit - modes of the major scale.
**Double extra credit - modes of the melodic minor scale.
***Triple ex. cred - how to use all those modes.

Do you sing? If so, sing and play a song.
Do you play another instrument moderately competently (a double)? If so, tell them.

You may/probably will have to prepare an audition video.
Web cam or Flip is fine.

What they'll want to see/hear:

Chord melody of a 'standard' jazz tune: All the Things you Are, Wave, Stella by Starlight, Embraceable You, etc.

Be able to 'solo' over: a jazz blues in a flat key (Bb Ab F etc.)
Be able to 'solo' over: Rhythm changes (Oleo, I Got Rhythm, Eternal Triangle, Dexterity, Lester Leaps In, etc.)
*If you record this you can do it with a band or a backing track (Jamey Abersold backing is preferred).

They 'may' want you to play a Be-Bop head (melody, preferably by Charlie Parker) like Billies Bounce, Confirmation, Anthropology, etc.

They'll want to know if you read music, both single lines and chord changes (chord symbols like Dbm7 or F#maj7b5, etc.).
If you don't, you can still get into Berklee.
If you do 'read' you'll get in A LOT easier!

Know your basic harmony: Triads, 7th chords, key signatures, intervals, major scales, harmonic and melodic minor scales.
*Extra credit - modes of the major scale.
**Double extra credit - modes of the melodic minor scale.
***Triple ex. cred - how to use all those modes.

Do you sing? If so, sing and play a song.
Do you play another instrument moderately competently (a double)? If so, tell them.

Wooow thanks you for your very good responce, you are very kind. I will study all those topics with my teacher. No i unfourtunaly cant sing at all. But i am starting to play a litle piano. And i dont know if harmonica counts i doubt it. Thanks a lot :)

My pleasure!

*Harmonica counts if you play it well ;)

Harmonica players suck and blow.

OP, definitely take in everything Ken told you...

When you say rock and blues isn't all you want to do...what is the other direction you want to go in?

If it's jazz, start listening ravenously now.

Don't try to learn jazz now just for an audition, it's way too big of a style to do just to 'get into a school.' Plus Berklee seems to have such a huge range of things to do there that you probably don't even need to play jazz to get in.

That said, if you love jazz and want to pursue it go for it! It's a great and rewarding style and one that can set you up for other styles and ways to play the guitar. The advice above is great, along with that I would say get with the best jazz player in your region and take lessons for the next two years.

The things that apply across the board for colleges-no matter the style:
-Reading-notes and chord charts
-basic harmony-scales, chord theory, progressions
-ability to improvise-blues, rock, jazz whatev
-preparing and playing something impressive

I really want to stress though that if you're thing is really blues and rock, stay with that. You can learn some of the elements of jazz as you go, but don't try to turn into something you don't want to be for an audition. Those guys can hear people hacking through jazz so easily. So really dive in if you want to, but focus on YOUR THING if you're not all that into playing jazz.

Yeah, you don't want to 'hack' through anything.

But you're only in 10th grade. I've watched kids go from only heavy metal shredding with zero knowledge of even the most basic barre chords to not only being able to competently play jazz but also loving it. That's the beauty of being 16 - you can change and adapt like the direction of the wind. Embrace that.

Many of the students that I've coached at an 'arts' high school over the years have gone to Berklee (as well as the New School, NYU, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman, USC, UCLA, CSUN, etc.).
Reading, a large chord vocabulary, music 'fundamentals' and confidence with whatever you play is what they want to see/hear.

V. Good advice from Sam and Klasaine. I've been sitting on panels for auditions for years - and while the vast majority of auditionees are young rock and blues players - you can hear an auditionees potential - to play jazz, fusion or ; as is becoming more common, a whole mix of styles really well , by their commitment to sound and time - i.e,whatever you play, play as clearly and accurately as you can.

Not sure how it works over there but I always request players to play effect -free - no grunge, chorus or delay for at least one tune, because I like to hear (and see) how the player hits the string cleanly.
Aural peception and fundamental theory knowledge plays a big part too.

One more piece of advice - do as many auditions as possible - play for your mates, family anyone you can coerce into sitting and listening to you for long enough to get some serious (and constructive) feedback on your playing. Many young auditionees get nervous because they feel 'under the microscope' - get used to it! Good luck.

Woow. Thank everyone that took the time to reply. Tele players Are indeed the mos helpfull ;) hahaha. Im actualy taking a little of everyones advice. Im working hard on my chord vocab and im going to listen to a lot of jazz. Til i find the song i fall in love with and make a chord melody arangement. Preaty shure that will be ok for the auditon. Thank you to all.

Slowpinky is right on. The commitment to timing and sound is BY FAR #1 when evaluating players. Really if those two things are in place the rest can be taught, pretty easily.

I'm sure we'd all be up for critiquing an audition piece so post it on YouTube once you get one ready!

Don't forget the ear. Work on dictation/transcribing and singing. You don't have to sing beautifully, but you should be able to sight sing at some point in your education. Also, any piano playing is a boost, but certainly not a priority.

One highly valuable thing about a place like Berklee is that is puts you in contact with people in your profession. People hire people they know, or who are recommended by people they know.

HUGE +1 for Larry's comment on the networking value of Berklee. Instant cred!

Don Lappin's 2 handed tapping.

He's a Berklee prof who I saw with Petrucci near Berklee a few years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNDq0BMfSBA

I'd do this on top of all the other advice......

Hey thanks to all. I know this is an old post but i finaly decided and prepered it. Here is a link to a video http://www.tdpri.com/forum/music-your-ears/378997-calling-all-critics.html