Audition Information
for prospective FIU jazz guitar students:

Admission to the FIU jazz guitar program will be based on the instructor's assessment of the potential student's abilities and potential to be a successful student in the FIU jazz program. In order to be considered for admission to the jazz guitar program, prospective students should be able to do the following:

1. Demonstrate basic technical ability as a guitarist and fundamental musicality skills through the performance of some sort of pre-prepared scales, exercises, a transcribed solo, bebop head, or etude.

2. Demonstrate a rudimentary knowledge of the names of the notes on the entire guitar fingerboard.

3. Be able to demonstrate a rudimentary knowledge of music notation, including the notes on the music staff, basic rhythm reading, time signatures, key signatures, etc., and have some experience reading written music on the guitar, both notation and chord symbols.

4. Be able to perform the melody and chord changes of at least one standard or jazz tune. Ability to play an improvised solo on one or more of this type of tune is preferred as well.

Another factor that will be taken into consideration will be whether or not the student demonstrates some knowledge of, and an ability to play idiomatically in, the jazz style during the above items. Attention will be paid to tone, swing feel, articulation, and phrasing.

The following are not required for an audition, but it is strongly suggested that prospective jazz guitar students be able to demonstrate some or all of the items from the list below. Most of the items on the list are discussed at my website, www.tomlippincott.com, in the articles section:

1. Familiarity with shell voicings and ability to use them for comping.

2. Ability to play II V I chord progressions in all 12 major keys with shell voicings.

3. Ability to comp the chords from memory of an F and a Bb jazz style blues progression with shell voicings. There are many different variations of the jazz blues changes, so I have listed below the basic chord progression that I require my students to learn (in the key of Bb):

|| Bb7 | Eb7 | Bb7 | Fm7 Bb7 |

| Eb7 | Edim7 | Bb7 | G7 |

| Cm7 | F7 | Bb7 G7 | Cm7 F7 ||

Eight String FAQ / Advice to aspiring musicians / Augmented Scale
Dolphin Dance / Giant Steps / Learning Licks / Minor II V I / Polychords
Rhythm Changes / Shell Voicings / The Big Three Progressions / Gear / Technique / Articles contents