First Audition

Beam Me Up Scotty

Silver Member
Hey all!
A couple nights ago, I was browsing my local Kijiji listings, and noticed someone had placed a "Drummer Wanted" ad in the actual percussion area of the site.
So I skipped on over to the musicians searching for musicians area, and quickly found a classic rock band in need of a drummer. After playing drums for almost 7 years, I had one of those "What the hell" moments. So I emailed the guy about auditioning.

He got back to me pretty quickly, letting me know that they do a few gigs here and there, and that they'd love to have me come and try out. Even better: they have their own practise space, with their own kit. He gave me the setlist from their last gig; Tom Petty, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, CCR, that type of music. The guy also seemed super-friendly, answering any questions I had, sending MP3s to make things easier, etc. Just an all-around friendly type of guy.

So I've got 6 more days to learn about 15 relatively simple songs, with rather similar structures, which makes my job easier. All in all, I plan on bringing my own pedals, cymbals, and snare, and having myself a good time. I know that they're also leaving songs somewhat open to interpretation, so I can at least have some fun here and there (keeping the music in mind, of course).

So basically, I'm pretty stoked, and really looking forward to finally putting myself out there as a musician. I've played a few gigs here and there, but only as one-offs, and never with an actual band. To put it simply, I'm really looking forward to this, and I hope like hell I get the part, as it would be great experience, and a load of fun!

My audition is at 7:30pm on Monday, so I am kind of nervous, being my first actual audition where I'm being judged, but hey, in the end, it's still experience!

Just wanted to share! If anyone has any advice, I'd be more than happy to accept it!

Cheers!
 
Hey all!
All in all, I plan on bringing my own pedals, cymbals, and snare, and having myself a good time.!

Bring your seat as well. You want to be comfortable.

You asked for advice:
1) Have fun.
2) Don't overplay.
3) Tempo fist, fills and crashes second.
4) Play from the heart, not from a record or note for note.
5) If you miss something, do not let it bother you. Every musician does it.
6) Don be afraid to say 'i dont know it but ill give it a shot' when asked to play a tune not on the list.
7) Have fun.

They will love you!

Good luck. And have fun (did i sat that already?) :)
 
Bring your seat as well. You want to be comfortable.

You asked for advice:
1) Have fun.
2) Don't overplay.
3) Tempo fist, fills and crashes second.
4) Play from the heart, not from a record or note for note.
5) If you miss something, do not let it bother you. Every musician does it.
6) Don be afraid to say 'i dont know it but ill give it a shot' when asked to play a tune not on the list.
7) Have fun.

They will love you!

Good luck. And have fun (did i sat that already?) :)

D'oh! Throne, see now that makes sense. Knew I was forgetting something...

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely hold to it.
 
Bring your seat as well. You want to be comfortable.

You asked for advice:
1) Have fun.
2) Don't overplay.
3) Tempo fist, fills and crashes second.
4) Play from the heart, not from a record or note for note.
5) If you miss something, do not let it bother you. Every musician does it.
6) Don be afraid to say 'i dont know it but ill give it a shot' when asked to play a tune not on the list.
7) Have fun.

They will love you!

Good luck. And have fun (did i sat that already?) :)

That's really solid advice.

Our band sort of organically developed so I haven't auditioned before either - and was wondering what was involved so thanks for sharing this.

Best of luck with the audition!
 
I am kind of nervous, being my first actual audition where I'm being judged

Judge is a pretty strong word, don't look at it that way. They are looking to see if you fit. Much better way to look at it. Also, you need to reciprocate that sentiment and make sure that they fit you, and are who you want to make music with.

The nerves will go away once you start playing. Just make sure you know the material and have a good time. Oh yeah, eat something healthy before you go. You don't want that crappy food sluggish feeling while you play.
 
I'd shoot for fewer songs to learn...like maybe 3 or 4. 15 seems like a lot to learn in 6 days even if they are similar. Maybe That's just me, though....i don't like feeling unprepared.

This!!!! I've messed up loads of auditions because I tried to learn too many songs in a short time. The result was that I mixed them up, got extra nervous which led me to speeding the songs up.

Another tip that piano players do before a gig is practice a song in 70%-80% of the real tempo just before the gig. That makes the gig more passionate and filled with energy when playing faster. It also helps against speeeding up because you are into it and wanna give it your all.
 
I don't know if it's always like this, but I spent the better part of last summer auditioning for bands. Probably tried out for 6 or 7 before I finally stuck one. Here's some things I learned.

1. If the band says here's our set list, but just learn these 5 songs.
It's a trap!
If the audition is more than 20 minutes, you are going to burn through those 5 quickly. Then they are just going to start randomly picking songs from the list, so make sure you've listened to all of the songs on the list a couple times. I like to make a you tube playlist of the entire set list, and let it run in the background while I'm working on the computer.

One band I auditioned for, was for the customary 1 hour slot, but then the next drummer after me didn't show up, so we ended up playing pretty much 40 songs by the end of the night.

2. We have a kit.
It's a trap!
Bring your throne, sticks, pedal, cymbals and a snare drum, even if you leave them in the car. Sometimes it's an awesome kit, and you don't need anything but your sticks. Sometimes it's an old wooden chair for a throne, and a hacked up old drum set someone bought at a garage sale for 50 bucks with original heads from 1985. And the cymbals are all cracked and are old Pearl brand cymbals.

3. Be 10 minutes early at least for your time slot. You might catch the end of the drummer before you's audition, and you'll get time to survey the drums and what you need to run out to the car to grab.

4. Don't be 10 minutes late for your time slot. The band have rented the space, if it's a rehearsal studio, and time is money.

5. Don't be that guy who will only play his own drum kit, if they have one there, unless it's a disaster. Waiting for 10 minutes while you set yours up, will just annoy the guys while they are waiting. It also makes you look high maintenance. Swapping cymbals, a snare, and pedals, is ok. Also, the supplied kit might belong to one of the guys in the band, and if you sit there and bad mouth it, it could make you look bad.

6. Bring everything you could possibly need, just in case.

7. I tend to make little index cards for the songs we are going to do, with just little notes on them - song tempo, special notes, whatever. Sometimes I'll write down a song that has a very similar style and tempo, "sounds like Johnny B Goode".

8. Just be yourself. Your look and personality are being judged. Try to be as professional as you can be about it, and thank them at the end for the chance. Nobody wants a jerk or a diva in the band, cause you have to spend a lot of time with these people.

It feels like a lot of prep, but it'll make you a better drummer for having done it. And if you really want to be in the particular band, it gives you the absolute best chance to land it. It sucks to audition for a band, and you're not quite prepared, and when you sit in with them, they seem like a great band, and you miss your chance.

I hope this helps!
 
Some of what I posted above may seem unfair, but the reality is that bands thoughts about what the drummer does, are different that what is expected for a guitar player or other instrument. You'd never ask a guitar player to audition, and expect him to learn 40 songs just to try out for the band, but my experience is that is exactly what they expect of a drummer.

You don't need to play note for note, just know the tempo, any special breaks and how it starts and ends.

Again this is all based on my experiences trying out for Rock playing local bar bands consisting of older guys...30-50 yrs old.
If you are 15, most of this doesn't apply.
 
A couple of things that I always keep in mind....
1) Take the music seriously, but treat the audition like a "jam" - you're going there to hang out, play some music, and have some fun.
2) Connecting on a personal level is as important as being a good drummer.
3) YOU are auditioning THEM. This removes all of the pressure/nerves (for me, at least)
 
Thanks for the advice, everyone. There's definitely some stuff here I hadn't considered. I'll report back with the results come Monday!
 
Hey man! Congrats! I know that anxious feeling before an audition!
my tips are as follows

1)Bring you're own throne, and make sure you adjust the height right the first time. I can't believe how much this matters (to me anyways)

2) Be amiable! You sound like a down to earth guy! whats not to love?

3) Listen to the other musicians,they may not play the song perfectly as on the tracks.

4) If there's any ego-centric people in the band, be careful! If it doesn't work out with this band its ok to walk away. I've personally been in a situation where I got too deep with some crazy characters and was afraid to walk away.

5) Have fun! Don't text the whole time! haha
 
4) Play from the heart, not from a record or note for note.

Note for note, no, but don't abandon the parts that make the song worth doing in the first place. Catch all signature fills and pushes, and specific beats (ie; don't try to straighten-out "In My Life" or make "Running Down A Dream" more interesting with syncopated kick or snare.) You will never be chastised for playing close to the original parts, and if they want something different, they'll ask. But if you play something that doesn't clearly help the song, they'll just thank you and say "next". I've played with dozens of cover bands in the last 37 years, and I can assure you, it pays to capture as many of the original parts as your memory can handle.

There's only one time I deliberately play a song noticeably different than the original part, and that's "I Saw Her Standing There." I play the later McCartney live version, which has a little more kick action, but I keep the bridge and choruses the same. The fact is, Ringo played that beat on many other Beatles songs anyway, so at least I come by the variation honestly. No other drummers have mentioned it to me though, which does say something about how well they know the song. :)

Seriously, the closer you get to the original parts, the more impressed they will be. Even if you're allowed to stray, stick to the script and let them stretch out. They'll love you for it.

Bermuda
 
If I can add one thing...if it doesn't work out don't take it personally. It doesn't mean that you are a bad drummer at all. Sometimes style and more so, personalities are the deciding factors. Sometimes you are very different people who happen to have similar tastes in music. I've seen guys turned away for not "looking the rockstar part" even though they were great musicians. Just don't get down on yourself if it doesn't work out, it may have little or nothing to do with your performance. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
Well, I just got back from the audition.

I'll start off by saying that yes, I got the gig :D
They auditioned a couple of other drummers, but apparently I was the best fit both personality and music-wise. All said and done, there are 7 people in the band, ranging from 19 to 52 years old, so there's a bit of a spectrum going on. 2 guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, saxophone and now me.

I gotta say, I'm super stoked they decided to let me in. They're all really friendly people, and our personalities gelled really well too.

The audition itself ran for about 2 1/2 hours, although very quickly I sensed that they were no longer auditioning me, so much as actually practicing with me. So that was a huge confidence boost. As soon as I started playing, all the nervous feelings abated, and I had a great time. they made it clear their primary goal is to have fun, and so they told me to definitely open up and play more than just the record. I obliged, and we all had a fantastic time. Definitely very happy with this outcome.

So thanks all to whomever offered advice, I greatly appreciated it, and it seems to have paid off.

Cheers :)
 
Well, I just got back from the audition.

I'll start off by saying that yes, I got the gig :D... I sensed that they were no longer auditioning me, so much as actually practicing with me

Congrats! Sounds like it will be great for you!

Note that they were rehearsing with you, not practicing with you. :) You practice at home. ;-)
 
Well, I just got back from the audition.

I'll start off by saying that yes, I got the gig :D
They auditioned a couple of other drummers, but apparently I was the best fit both personality and music-wise. All said and done, there are 7 people in the band, ranging from 19 to 52 years old, so there's a bit of a spectrum going on. 2 guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, saxophone and now me.

Congrats, man! That sounds excellent :D
Keep us posted on what you get up to with the new band!
 
Well, I just got back from the audition.

I'll start off by saying that yes, I got the gig :D
They auditioned a couple of other drummers, but apparently I was the best fit both personality and music-wise. All said and done, there are 7 people in the band, ranging from 19 to 52 years old, so there's a bit of a spectrum going on. 2 guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, saxophone and now me.

I gotta say, I'm super stoked they decided to let me in. They're all really friendly people, and our personalities gelled really well too.

The audition itself ran for about 2 1/2 hours, although very quickly I sensed that they were no longer auditioning me, so much as actually practicing with me. So that was a huge confidence boost. As soon as I started playing, all the nervous feelings abated, and I had a great time. they made it clear their primary goal is to have fun, and so they told me to definitely open up and play more than just the record. I obliged, and we all had a fantastic time. Definitely very happy with this outcome.

So thanks all to whomever offered advice, I greatly appreciated it, and it seems to have paid off.

Cheers :)

That's absolutely ace.

Your story brought memories of the one audition I had for a covers band which went a similar direction.

Delighted for you.
 
Congrats! Sounds like it will be great for you!

Note that they were rehearsing with you, not practicing with you. :) You practice at home. ;-)

Yes, that is what I meant :)

Thanks for the support guys, I appreciate it!
 
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