Audition Tips

[george_menhorn]

Hello all. I will be auditioning for a band this coming weekend and was wondering if anyone can offer any tips. I received a demo CD of the band so I'm working on learning the 5 songs inside-out. I've never formally auditioned and am just wondering what else to expect. Thanks much for any advice.

[EricV]

Hmmm... ok, here are some things that worked for me.

- Obviously, you already talked to one of the guys in the band, since you already have the demo CD and a date set for the audition. One thing I did after I received the audio-material was:
I called up one of the guys in the band, and asked some specific questions, to i.e. figure out whether they want me to play the stuff just like on the CD ( i.e. the solos ) or whether they wanted me to improvise something else.

- Of course it´s cool to learn the songs. Even more important is: listen to them as much as possible so you´ll know them inside out. You can do so while doing other stuff. I once did filled in for a guitarist in some metal band. I prepared lead-sheets and learned all the riffs. Some of those tunes were like 7-8 minutes, and had several changes. One good way to learn them ( besides of course playing them ) is to listen to them as much as possible... you´ll know the songs inside out, and kinda get the "feel" of the song, so it might be easier to lock with the band and maybe improvise something appropiate.

- Try improvising on those tracks before the audition. You might get asked to do so, and it´s better if you tried it before

- Try to put in some of your own personality, without changing too much about the original parts. It depends on whether those guys are looking for a carbon-copy of their previous guitarist, or want someone new, with his own unique style. I always try to keep the balance between playing the original parts with my own tone ( pinch harmonics etc. )

- Make sure your gear is set up ( in case you´re bringing your own ), and you´re able to dial in the appropiate sounds quickly. It might make a bad impression if you need to crawl around on the floor for 15 minutes, wiring your pedals.
Actually try< to keep the setup simple... if you get the job, you can still bring in more stuff. When I go to an audition ( i.e. for "hired gun" jobs ) I usually bring one or two guitars, an amp or preamp, and maybe a delay and overdrive pedal, that´s it.
OF COURSE this does not apply to every situation... if the band you´re applying for specializes on covering U2-tunes, you might wanna bring more FX-units, if ya know what I mean :)

- Be at the meeting point in time. Set up quickly, don´t fiddle around too much while they set up. I learned that it isn´t always a good thing to try to show off your chops at every possible occasion. If you need to warm up, do so with the volume turned down, or ahead of the audition

- Of course, try to be yourself when you play. But don´t forget that often, people look for someone to interact with. So try to keep some eye-contact, don´t "curl up" and stare onto the fretboard too much. If you´re having fun playing with those guys, don´t hesitate to show it.

- This also applies to the talks in between. Try to be yourself, and try to be polite, friendly and calm. If you are TOO anxious, it´ll show. Bragging ain´t a good idea either, I think it´s best to convince with your playing.

- Even IF they decide you´re not the one ( well, it occasionally happens, so don´t erase that idea from your mind ) try to remain friendly and let them know that you enjoyed the audition anyway. This might make a good impression which you might profit from in the future.

- If the songs are tough, and you need lead-sheets at first, I don´t see a problem with bringing those. I often do that. It´s ok for most people if you have a folder with some lead sheets laying on the floor or on your amp... usually people remember that this stuff is new to them.

- When you play, try to relax. Try to sound natural ( well, great advice, huh ? ), try to lock with the rhythm section and groove.
Play with conviction, and don´t get angry or overly nervous if you make a mistake. Make sure you´re playing in the pocket, in time.

- If you play a solo, and you´re asked to improvise on ( i.e. if you get to jam on some tune with the guys ), try not to show all your stuff within the first few bars. Try to stay relaxed, and play that way, play something appropiate and slowly "raise the stake" a
bit...

- Try to figure out whether the band is right for YOU, too. Sure, it´s actually your audition, but make sure you like those guys and enjoy playing with them. If you notice that you don´t get along with one or a few of those guys, maybe it´s a good idea for YOU to deny THEIR offer...

I hope this was at least a bit helpful. I am sure you have thought of most of these things anyway, I was just trying to list things that might help other people here with their audition too.
Good luck, dude !
Eric

[EricV]

... and regarding what to expect... I´ve been through lots of auditions, and it never was quite the same.
Usually, there´s some talk in advance, or while setting up, then the band plays a few ( or all ) of the songs with you, and then there should be some conversation afterwards.

2 examples of auditions I went through:
1. I once auditioned for some rock band. I got there, and had some time with the drummer before the rest of the band came in. We talked a bit about general stuff, the history of the band, my biography, then we weeded through his CD-collection... fun.
The other guys came in, set up their gear. We agreed on 4 songs ( they had sent me a 6 song-CD, unfortunately it had arrived the day BEFORE the audition, so I had to heavily rely on the lead sheets I had prepared ).
It was agreed that I should improvise the leads, using my style.
Anyway, we played through those songs, talked a bit afterwards. The day after, the drummer called me up and told me I had the job, and gave me some tourdates... this was the rather relaxed version...

2. I auditioned for some pop-act over in CA once. I was sent a tape with no further documentation. I learned 5 songs.
I got to the audition... a big industry-style hall with a PA. The singer was not going to appear at the audition ( they did 7 auditions that day, he didn´t turn up to a single one of them ), so I was told to play the songs with the backing band, with the "manager" ( some very odd dude ) watching us. There even was a camera filming anything.
The band didn´t seem to be really in the mood, they seemed to be tired from the 4 auditions they had done before.
After the last chord of the last song, the "manager" dude came over, said "Great job", then yelled "OK, get the next one in here".
I had to get my stuff out of there pretty quickly.
What´s weird was that none of the guys got the job. There wasn´t that much guitar in those songs to begin with, and I heard that they used a sequencer for the guitar parts live.
I received a nice form letter ( you know, the typical ones... all xeroxed, with my name filled in with a felttip ) about a week after that, thanking me for the audition, but telling me that they had picked someone else... ( I wonder what the sequencer was wearing when he auditioned,... :) )
So, there´s no general rule for what the audition is gonna be like. Simply be prepared, act professional, remain calm, polite, be yourself, and do your best.
Eric

[george_menhorn]

Wow, I appreciate the amazing reply. Thanks a million Eric. I'll let you know how it goes.