Jazz Guitar Audition Information
All undergraduate applicants must apply to the University of Colorado and complete a College of Music Admission Application. Applications may be obtained online through the Admissions section. Undergraduate auditions will not be scheduled until both applications have been received. Graduate students need only complete the graduate application.
For information on applying for our ensembles, visit the Ensembles section.
Audition requirements
In-person live: Students will be asked to play music meeting the repertoire听requirements listed below.听
- 12-bar blues:听Play the melody,听improvise over the form听and demonstrate comping (i.e., chords) over a jazz blues of your choice such as: Blues for Alice, Au Privave, Blues Walk, Now鈥檚 The Time
- Medium up-tempo swing:听Play the melody,听improvise over the form听and demonstrate comping听over a jazz tunes of your choice such as: Green Dolphin Street, All the Things You Are, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Lady Bird, Autumn Leaves, My Romance, Stella by Starlight, Days of Wine and Roses
- Bebop:听Play the melody,听improvise over the form听and demonstrate comping听on a bop tune such as Donna Lee, Confirmation, Ornithology, Oleo
- Latin/Bossa:听Play the chords to a Latin tune (or chord melody arrangement) of your choice such as: Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From Impanema, Triste, Wave
- Ballad:听Play a ballad of your choice in chord melody style, such as: In a Sentimental Mood, Body and Soul, What鈥檚 New?, My One and Only Love, Misty, My Foolish Heart
- Jazz waltz:听Play the melody,听improvise over the form and demonstrate comping听on a jazz waltz such as: Someday My Prince Will Come, Up Jumped Spring, All Blues, Bluesette
Recorded:
If you choose to submit a recorded audition,听then record at least 3 selections of your choice from the styles listed below. You can submit more than 3 if you like. You may submit separate recordings or a single continuous recording.
Note: For accompaniment on your recorded audition, students can record with a live band or use play-along tracks such as iReal Pro, Aebersold recordings听or 鈥淟earn Jazz Standards鈥 on YouTube.鈥
Virtual-live:
Students participating in virtual live jazz auditions can expect to use this as an opportunity to ask/answer questions; jazz auditions will be 15 minutes each. Additionally, students should prepare a jazz etude or transcription 3-5 minutes in length to perform. No accompaniment is needed.
Degree sheets
Jazz guitar studio 听 听 听
Graduate (MM) jazz applicant requirements
Options: Jazz bass, jazz drum set, jazz guitar, jazz piano, jazz saxophone, jazz trombone, jazz trumpet and听jazz voice.
Pre-screening recording
A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate jazz performance and pedagogy applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.
Pre-screening recording requirements
- Five different jazz tunes (applicant鈥檚 choice), representing five contrasting styles and tempos. Examples of styles include:听Latin jazz, Blues, Ballads, Bebop, Funk, ECM, Free Jazz, Jazz Standards (Monk, Ellington, Mingus, etc.) and Great American Songbook/Standards (Porter, Gershwin, etc.).听听
- For all instruments, you should record the melody followed by at least one chorus of improvisation. For rhythm section instruments, include an additional chorus of accompaniment (comping, walking bass, etc.).
- Vocalists may sing wordless vocals or compose their own lyrics for songs without lyrics.听
- Applicants can also upload and submit any additional materials (e.g. arrangements, compositions, copies of recitals or other recordings, written articles, etc.) along with their pre-screening recordings online.
Applicants are required to upload their additional materials along with their recordings to the 听产测 顿别肠.听1.听
Graduate degree sheets
Graduate (DMA) jazz applicant requirements
Options: Jazz bass, jazz drum set, jazz guitar, jazz piano, jazz saxophone, jazz trombone, jazz trumpet and听jazz voice.
Pre-screening recording
A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate听jazz studies applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.
Pre-screening recording requirements
- Five different jazz tunes (applicant鈥檚 choice), representing five contrasting styles and tempos.听 Examples of styles include:听 Latin jazz, Blues, Ballads, Bebop, Funk, ECM, Free Jazz, Jazz Standards (Monk, Ellington, Mingus, etc), Great American Songbook/Standards (Porter, Gershwin, etc.).听听
- For all instruments, you should record the melody followed by at least one chorus of improvisation. For rhythm section instruments, include an additional chorus of accompaniment (comping, walking bass, etc.).
- Vocalists may sing wordless vocals or compose their own lyrics for songs without lyrics.
- Applicants can also upload and submit any additional materials (e.g. arrangements, compositions, copies of recitals or other recordings, written articles, etc.) along with their pre-screening recordings online.
Applicants are required to upload their additional materials along with their recordings to the 听产测 顿别肠.听1.听