Choice of song for rock/pop audition?

General Music Discussion
#15

Even if you don’t know who will be judging you, is there an existing curriculum you can research, or graduate showcases from prior years you could infer style preference from?

Unless the organization is conspicuously “pro metal”, I’d be wary of choosing an all-out shred like Technical Difficulties, especially if you only get one song. And even if it is a “pro metal” organization, the judges would probably be grateful to hear something other than Technical Difficulties for a change. :smiley:

I’d look for a song that has places where you can show off your shred, but also places where you can show off sense of time and dynamics. My first thought is “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits, but that may or may not be your bag, and younger judges might not be fully hip to it.

If you do want to go “full shred”, maybe picking something relatively recent from Animals as Leaders?

#16

I’d agree with this. I’d try research the curriculum and pick something suitable. Full on shred may not be the best choice in this case. Just my two cents

#17

There are some things that I wonder about:

  • What did prior winners do?
  • What will you wear?
  • Will you perform like a rock star or just stand there?

(Am I superficial? Yes, unapologetically so. :rofl:)

You seem to be unsure of the judges; playing Paul Gilbert stuff seems really risky.

If you want to melt their face off perhaps it should be something tasteful, like (say) one of my favorites, from Ludwig van Beethoven,

Or perhaps some Paganini,

Best of luck in whatever you choose!

#18

No idea what the previous prior applicants do, there’s no information on that avaiable online unfortunaly.I wasn’t planning on wearing anything specific, just ‘‘normal cloths’’. I’d probably sit due to it being a video performence and they have some specific requierments for shooting the video.

I’ve actually practiced that intro a bit some months ago. I found it very difficult to keep everything perfectly muted though and i want it to be close to flawless for an audition.

Paganini would be awesome but It’s too difficult for me since I don’t have that level of crosspicking

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#19

I don’t know why i didn’t make this clear in the original post, but we will get 2 obligatory songs to play aswell and then 1 song of our own choise.

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#20

Ah! In that case, then yeah if you can play Paul Gilbert or Jason Becker stuff under pressure, then go for it!

#21

You should definitely ask questions like this. You might be surprised by the response. I’ve worked in college and high school music education and have met many fine musicians and teachers. I’ve only ever met one person out of several dozen who might be able to play the tunes you have listed and I certainly couldn’t have! You must ask what the criteria is for the audition and inform your choices with this information. My guess (and I could be completely wrong here) is that the audition panel will want to hear some competent and engaging playing that demonstrates ability in mainstream music and that this will then be the focus of a short discussion between you and the panel. I think if you did go in with ambitious pieces which stumbled a bit it might not be a disaster if you demonstrated self awareness and were able to reflect on how you would improve and how you would help your future students to improve. But don’t ask me! Good luck and tell us how you get on!

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#22

I think the relevance of rhythm as (according to many pros) the most important element in pop music should be considered.

In my experience interacting with professional guitarists and musicians in general (not that I’m one of them. I’ve just talked with some), playing something like Get Lucky as it’s meant to be played can open more doors for you than any shred solo. Just my two cents.

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#23

Thanks for the reply!

I sent an email and they’re looking at:
1: Technical and artistic competence
2: Expressiveness
3: Communicative ability

I guess technical and artistic competence means technical ability, dynamics, phrasing & tone control. Expressiveness I’d interpret as how i use that technique and phrasing. Communicative ability i’m rather confused on what it means, maybe how i my technique and ‘‘expressiveness’’ to convey the messeage of the piece?
Does that sound reasonable as a interpretation?

#24

ChatGPT 4 thinks

When musical judges are looking for these specific criteria, they are generally evaluating both the technical and emotional aspects of a performance.

1.	Technical and Artistic Competence: This refers to the performer’s skill level in executing the piece. Technical aspects could involve intonation, timing, and skill in manipulating the instrument or voice. Artistic competence would involve interpretation, phrasing, and dynamics, essentially how the artist brings the piece to life beyond the mere notes on the page.
2.	Expressiveness: This is closely related to artistic competence but focuses more on the emotional depth that the performer brings to the piece. It’s about how well the artist can convey the intended emotion of the piece, or perhaps offer a novel emotional perspective that still respects the work’s integrity.
3.	Communicative Ability: This relates to the performer’s ability to connect with the audience. It’s not just about the music but also involves stage presence, eye contact, and other non-verbal cues. The performer should be able to draw the audience into the experience, creating a shared emotional journey.

Each criterion adds a different layer to the evaluation, from the technical execution to the emotional and communicative aspects, creating a comprehensive assessment of the performance.

#25

My 2 cents, without knowing anything about the school, unless it’s Musician’s Institute and you have a time machine that returns you to the 80’s:

Groove is everything. Shred is nothing. ‘Rock/pop’ is not what you call it if you’re looking for shred. There is not a huge demand in the music industry for shredders, and music schools are supposed to prepare musicians to thrive in the industry. My guess is the panel will not be impressed by extremely technical playing that doesn’t make them bob their heads. If you really want to impress them, bring the groove.

Nuno wasn’t wrong (even if he maybe shouldn’t have called out Slash or anyone else), playing in Rihanna’s band is almost certainly beyond the skills of most successful rock and metal guitar players, even (especially) those with massive technical chops. Shredders focus on technical skills that make them stand out from the crowd. Extremely successful pop players serve the song, not themselves. They do have massive technical chops, but they are not focused around shredding. (It turns out only shredders equate technical skills with shredding. Everyone else recognizes the importance of rhythm, timing, placement in the pocket, subtlety, composition, stylistic diversity, etc. Some of the absolute greatest guitar players I’m aware of are in the Modern R&B genre, and not just neo-soul instagram players, but the guys who play on the records and tours.) They also understand music, not just guitar. They know that they sometimes have to disappear into the groove of the song, adding just the right spice to make it sparkle, and not so much that anybody notices them in particular (the audience should usually be focused on the singer).

If you are even considering playing Technical Difficulties in your audition, you have enough chops for the gig. Focus on Artistic Competence rather than Technical Competence. You know what’s really expressive and communicative? A groove. Don’t try to blow the panel’s minds with your playing, make them feel something, and make them want to move their bodies. That’s what music is for, and that’s what audiences respond to.

Also, you are auditioning to become a teacher, not a band member. Communicative ability is extremely important in all teaching, not just music. Sell yourself as a teacher, not just a player, and really try to connect and communicate with the panel. Give them the experience of how you will eventually interact with your students. The panel probably wants to see that you have insight, empathy, and the ability to speak on your students’ level, not just chops.

If you really want to be a music teacher in the rock/pop orientation, this is something I’d consider focusing on. Shred is a very tiny corner of the rock/pop universe. Read that interview with Nuno. He says it better than me.

Best of luck.

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#26

These criteria could apply to just about any piece of music though, perhaps the judges expect you to research appropriate material. What styles do they teach? Who are the teachers? Can you demonstrate in your audition that you are a good fit for their teaching.

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#27

There are some artists like Bumblefoot that I think could jump in and play for Fenty. I suspect there are studio musicians in LA or Nashville that could do the same.

I think that Nuno is right that most popular metal artists are wed to metal and don’t have any interest (hence ability) to play outside their comfort zone. Nuno clearly loves funky music and sounds great, and even though he isn’t a ferocious shredder by modern standards, that’s all good in my book, he’s one of a kind.

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#28

Thank you so much for this reply!

Unfortunaly i do not have a time machine, i tried building one when i was 7 years old but it didn’t work for some reason :frowning: I don’t really know what they mean with pop/rock, does it range from anything like modern pop up to The Beatles or even as high as In Flames (I wouldn’t classify in flames as rock but hopefully you understand what i mean). I sent an email and asked them actually, waiting for a respons now.

At the moment I’m mostly considering Victory by Andy James (feat. Rick Graham) due to the variety of the different parts of the song. It has riffs, slower melodic parts with great phrasing (imo), and also faster shreddier parts, so if i could nail that song i feel like i do show a variety of techniques and expressions.

My ultimate goal is to become a private teacher full time. I don’t know how it is in other countries, but here in sweden we have organized facilities which one could go and take lessons from privately, and that’s where i eventually want to work. The university I’m going to apply to is mainly to become a music teacher in ‘‘regular school’’ but also qualifies the graduates to teach in these facilities. There’s a lot of jazz/classical type of schools here but not a single one with metal (my main focus) as main focus, pop/rock is the closest thing i could find, hence why i want to go to the pop/rock school.

#29

No idea what styles they teach besides the broad spectrum of pop/rock. I’ve tried googling who the teachers are but haven’t found anything.

#30

What is the list of pieces that you are given?

#31

It will be sent out when the auditioning starts which is in march next year, so quite a while until then :stuck_out_tongue:

#32

I agree with this, though I don’t see the audition piece of the application as where you “give them the experience of how you will eventually interact with your students.” Instead, I see it as demonstration of the ability to play a song technically accurate with feeling (and groove as also stated), and demonstrating enough chops so they know you can also handle advanced students. What I see the panel looking for, is the ability to motivate a student to learn a song because you you play/demonstrate it so well, make it look easy, and make it fun. Also, since you mentioned they (allow/require?) a backing track that suggests they want to hear your solo chops, and I’d guess how accurately you do the solo is important to them (I’m thinking they’re thinking: “Can this guy do the solo or does he just improvise, if he can’t do the solo he doesn’t know how to play.”. )

One thing is true about writing, speaking and performing: you do it for your audience. In your case (not knowing the school and what they offer and expect) it’s an audience of people who teach guitar teachers, looking to see if you have what it takes to be one. If I saw a guy come in with top professional playing chops, I’d wonder if they’d be satisfied teaching beginners and intermediates.

Last thought: are your songs representative of “pop/rock orientation”? I just listened to about 10 seconds of the first one, and it struck me as metal. Personally, I’d be impressed by someone who can play Clapton’s solos on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” which is definitely in the pop/rock orientation. Some of Duane Allman’s solos strike me as technical and awesome, definitely rock (blues based as is much rock and pop). Wikipedia lists Gilbert’s genres as “Instrumental rock, heavy metal, hard rock, blues rock, power pop, neoclassical metal, speed metal, progressive metal”.

Good luck!

While not a guitar teacher, nor have I taken any such education, as you said “I’m going to apply for an education to become a music teacher …”. My guess, is most teaching will be to beginner/intermediate students with a smaller subset seeking more advanced skills. You should know this ahead of time, is it what you really want to do? I bring it up because if you just want to deal with advanced students, your income may be limited by that, and will you be satisfied teaching beginners?

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#33

So I’ve emailed them about the choise of song to play and they responded, to sum up, that the most important thing is that you show your skills and strenghts and not to worry about the genre too much. For me that’s a relief.

The skill level of the students does not matter to me. I love playing guitar and to help people and making a living out of it would be awesome.

#34

Excellent work on contacting the school for what they’re looking for. I wish you the best of luck, because I’m very thankful for my friend who put his very nice Martin dreadnought in my hands 45 years ago and said “Let’s see if you can play a D chord” and got me started, and even listened to my beginner practice (hardly anything clean for some time). That’s bringing some of the happiness of playing music to others. Don’t forget to have fun when you’re doing your audition video - that’s what students want in learning guitar (secondary to skills, but if they’re not having fun, they may give up). That’s just my opinion.

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