Strings

• 1 scale
• 1 study
• 1 movement from a solo work by J. S. Bach
• 1 own-choice piece

Piano accompaniment is recommended but not required.

Audition via video recording

• Full body view
• No cuts
• With piano accompaniment

Concert videos with cuts are permitted.

Prepare a program lasting 15 to 20 minutes.

• Johann Sebastian Bach:
• Own-choice Prelude and Fugue (Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I or II) or
• Own-choice English Suite, French Suite or Partita (excerpts)

 

• French music:
• Louis Couperin, François Couperin, D’Anglebert, Rameau, Forqueray, Duphly, Royer or others (excerpts from a suite)

 

• One or more pieces excluding Johann Sebastian Bach and French music
• Examples: Frescobaldi, Rossi, Scarlatti, Byrd, Bull, Froberger, Purcell, Handel or others

 

       or

 

• Harpsichord piece from the repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries
• Examples: Martinu, Ligeti, Serge Arcuri, Jean Lesage, Daniel Pinkham or others

 

 

• 3 own-choice pieces in different styles

• 3 own-choice pieces in different styles for an audition of 15 to 20 minutes, including 2 pieces presented from memory

Snare drum

• Knowledge of the 26 drum rudiments, including the closed roll
• 3 own-choice studies illustrating basic technical skills on the instrument

Tympani

• Knowledge of basic technique
• 2 own-choice studies

Keyboards

• Major and minor scales and arpeggios over 2 octaves, with 2 sticks
• 2 own-choice pieces, including a transcription from the baroque or classical repertoire
• 1 own-choice vibraphone piece
• A sight reading test

Bachelor’s: prepare a program lasting about 20 minutes

• Johann Sebastian Bach:
• Own-choice Prelude and Fugue

 

       or

 

• 1 slow or fast movement from a trio sonata
• French music: François Couperin (Messe des Couvents or Messe des paroisses), De Grigny, Clérambault, Du Mage or others (1 or 2 excerpts)

• 1 or more own-choice pieces, excluding Johann Sebastian Bach and French music. The piece(s) presented may be selected from the following repertoire:
• Early (before Bach)
• examples: Frescobaldi, Buxtehude, Sweelinck, Lübeck or others
• romantic
• examples: Franck, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Widor or others
• 20th or 21st centuries
• examples: Langlais, Hindemith, Alain, Messiaen or others

 

 

• A work from the baroque repertoire or an Allegro movement from a classical sonata or an equivalent work from the same period
• A study or a virtuoso piece demonstrating technical skills
• A lyrical piece from the romantic repertoire

Concertos and chamber music are not permitted, and works must be performed from memory.

Recorder

A 20-minute repertoire demonstrating different styles of the recorder, including one of the preludes from L’Art de préluder by Hotteterre.

Other Wind Instruments

• Scales and arpeggios (woodwinds only):
  • Two major scales and arpeggios
  • Two minor scales and arpeggios

AND

• Two contrasting studies

AND

• Two pieces of choice

Piano accompaniment is recommended but not required.

Audition via video recording

• Cuts are permitted between pieces
• Full body recording
• Piano accompaniment is recommended but not required
• Scales and arpeggios (woodwinds only):
  • Two major scales and arpeggios
  • Two minor scales and arpeggios

Repertoire and improvisation

Make a video in which you play 3 pieces, including 2 jazz standards:

• Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is Thing Called Love,” “In You Own Sweet Way,” etc.

And/or

Bebop blues, funk or Latin (reference: Fake Book)

• Examples : “Au Privave,” “Straight No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.

You will need to play the theme, a walking bass chorus and a solo chorus for each piece. Preferably with an iReal Pro style accompaniment or other.

Technique

To be admitted, you must know the major scales, the minor scales (harmonic and melodic), and their modes, pentatonic, blues, diminished, and arpeggios. We ask you to play a few examples on the video.

Sight reading

Exceptionally, because of COVID-19 and the health measures in effect, sight reading tests are suspended.

Technique

• An own-choice snare drum study demonstrating sound knowledge of the basics
  Examples : Benjamin Podemski, Jacques Delécluse, Charley Wilcoxon, etc.

Repertoire

• 1 piece in the standard genre
  Examples : “Stella by Starlight,” ” Autumn Leaves,” ” What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc.

Improvisation

• Demonstrate improvising skills in a bebop blues, funk or Latin structure
  Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.

Sight reading

• A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style
  It’s essential to have a sound knowledge of the principal styles (bebop swing, Latin, fusion, samba, etc.).

Jazz Singing

For on-site auditions, a trio (piano or guitar, bass, and drums) composed of students from the Faculty of Music will be present to accompany you.

You must bring the sheet music (3 copies) with you on the day of the audition.

Optional: Present one of your compositions as a replacement for the ballad or swing.

Jazz Percussions

1st Cycle on Jazz Vibraphone

Technique

• Major, minor, diminished, and whole-tone scales across two octaves, executed in 16th notes at a tempo of 120 beats per minute.
• Major7, minor7, minor7b5, and diminished7 arpeggios across two octaves.
• Major and minor II-V-I progressions across all tonalities using Drop 2 voicings and all inversions.

Repertoire

• A choro piece played with two mallets.
• A 64-measure jazz solo written (usually transcribed by the candidate) by a recognized jazz vibraphonist.
• A classical or jazz study or piece for four mallets by composers such as Bill Molenhof, Ed Saidon, Ney Rosauro, Emmanuel Sejourné, David Friedman, John Mark Piper, and Mark Glentworth.

Improvisation

• Demonstrate improvisational skills in a moderate-tempo "standard" (with live or pre-recorded accompaniment).
  Examples: "Stella by Starlight," "Autumn Leaves," "What Is This Thing Called Love," "In Your Own Sweet Way," etc.
• A traditional blues (with live or pre-recorded accompaniment).
• A Latin jazz piece (with live or pre-recorded accompaniment).
  Examples: "Alvorada," "Triste," "Corcovado," "Chega de Saudade."
• The above "standard" pieces must be performed in the following structure: theme, improvisation, accompaniment ("comping"), and theme.

Sight Reading
A sight-reading test in swing and/or bebop and/or jazz fusion styles will be required during the audition.

• 2 standards
• 1 blues
• 1 study either classical or transcription of a jazz solo

Technique

• Scales: major, minor (harmonic and melodic), bebop, pentatonic, blues, diminished and by tones over 2 octaves, execution in sixteenth notes at a tempo of quarter note = 120 bpm
• Arpeggios: major, minor, major7, minor, dominant7, minor7b5, diminished7 and augmented over two octaves, execution in sixteenth notes at a tempo of quarter note = 120 bpm

Dubbing

• 1 64-bar written jazz solo (dubbing done by the candidate) played simultaneously with the original recording of one of the following guitarists: Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Pat Martino, Emily Remler, Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney, Grant Green or Tal Farlow

Improvisation

• Demonstrate improvising skills on two memorized jazz standards
  Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc.
• Demonstrate improvising skills on the following progressions and following chord types in all keys:
• Circle of fifths: C7, F7, Bb7, Eb7, Ab7, etc.
• Major progressions: Dm7, G7, Cmaj7, etc.
• Minor progressions: Dm7b5, G7alt, Cm7, etc.
• Altered chords: G7#9#5, C7#9#5, F7#9#5, etc.
• Minor7b5 chords: Cm7b5, Fm7b5, etc.
• A sight improvisation test on the progressions and chords mentioned above taken from the Jamey Aebersold recordings, volumes 3 and 21

Sight reading

• A sight reading test in the bebop swing or fusion style

Technique

• Major and minor scales, Mixolydian modes with chromatic passing note, diminished and by tones over 4 octaves, execution in sixteenth notes at a tempo of quarter note = 120 bpm
• These arpeggios: major7, minor7, minor7b5 and diminished7
• All the qualities of closed 3- and 4-note chords, as well as the 4-, 5- and 6-note open chords, must also be executed in the way mentioned above

Repertoire

• 1 written 64-bar jazz solo (transcription generally made by the candidate) of one of the following pianists: Bud Powell, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, Bill Evans
• 1 classical study or piece (C. Czerny, a prelude and fugue by J. S. Bach, etc.) or a piece from the classical, romantic or contemporary repertoire or an equivalent written jazz piece (the jazz notebooks of Bill Evans or Oscar Peterson)

Improvisation

• Demonstrate improvising skills in a standard played at moderate tempo
  Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc.
• 1 bebop blues
  Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.
• 1 piece in the Latin jazz genre
  Examples: “Blue Bossa,” “Black Orpheus,” “On Fire,” “Recorda-Me,” “Armando’s Rhumba,” etc.
• 1 piece in the harmonized jazz ballad genre
  Examples: “Darn That Dream,” “I Can’t Get Started,” “’Round Midnight,” etc.

The above standards must be performed according to the following structure : theme, improvisation, accompaniment (“comping”) and theme. 

Sight reading

• A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style

Technique

• Major, minor (harmonic and melodic) and blues scales in the 12 keys
• These arpeggios: major7, minor7, dominant7 and diminished7, in the 12 keys

Repertoire

• 1 classical study
  Example: Franz Wilhelm Ferling, etc. 
• 1 transcribed jazz solo
  Examples: Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, etc.
• 1 “standard” piece
  Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc.

Improvisation

• Demonstrate improvising skills in a bebop blues structure
  Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.

Sight reading

A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style

Technique

• Major, minor (harmonic and melodic) and blues scales in the 12 keys
• Major7, minor7, dominant7 and diminished7 arpeggios in the 12 keys

Repertoire

• 2 classical studies: a study by Rochut or one of the Studies in Legato by Fink and 1 study by Arban, by Kopprasch, by Hering or by Bleger
• A “standard” piece
  Examples : “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You,” “Body and Soul,” “Sophisticated Lady,” etc.
• A transcribed jazz solo by Jay Jay Johnson, by Kai Winding, by Urbie Green or by Bill Watrous

Improvisation

• Demonstrate improvising skills in a blues bebop structure
  Examples: “Georgia on My Mind,” “Blue Monk,” etc.

Sight reading

• A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style

Technique

• Major, minor (harmonic and melodic) scales and blues in the 12 keys
• Major7, minor7, dominant7 and dimished7 arpeggios in the 12 keys

Repertoire

• 1 classical study (a “Characteristic Study” by Arban or by Saint-Jacome)
• 1 transcribed jazz solo
  Examples: Modern Jazz Trumpet Solos by Ken Slone, by Clifford Brown, by Chet Baker, etc.
• 1 “standard” piece
  Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” etc.

Improvisation

• Demonstrate improvising skills in a bebop blues structure
  Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.

Sight reading

• A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style

Technique

• Major, minor (harmonic and melodic) and blues scales over 2 octaves in the 12 keys
• Major7, minor7, dominant7 and dimished7 arpeggios over 3 octaves in the 12 keys

Dubbing

• 1 64-bar written jazz solo (dubbing done by the candidate) played simultaneously with the original recording

This may come from jazz violinists like Didier Lockwood, Jean-Luc Ponty, Christian Howes or other jazz instrumentalists.

Improvisation

• Demonstrate improvising skills in a standard played at moderate tempo
  Examples: “Stella by Starlight,” “Autumn Leaves,” “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “All of Me,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” etc.
• 1 bebop blues
  Examples: “Au Privave,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “No Blues,” etc.
• 1 piece in the Latin jazz genre
  Examples: “Blue Bossa,” “Black Orpheus,” “Armando’s Rhumba,” etc.
• 1 piece in the harmonized jazz ballad genre
  Examples: “Misty,” “I Can’t Get Started,” “’Round Midnight,” etc.

Sight reading

A sight reading test in the bebop swing and/or fusion style