Jazz Bass Entrance Requirements

If you are hoping to be a music major at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette and jazz bass is your instrument of choice, you must possess certain skills to pass the audition. If you have skills in some areas but lack others, you are still encouraged to audition and may be accepted provisionally. In this case, you will be re-evaluated after one semester of jazz bass lessons to determine whether you have chosen an appropriate field of study.

• Perform two jazz pieces in contrasting styles (for example, a medium swing tune and a ballad)
• For each tune, you'll be asked to do the following:
  1. Play the head (the melody)
  2. Walk a bass line
  3. Solo (improvise)
• Sight read in bass clef
• Play major scales
• Play minor scales

Theory

You must also take the theory placement test.

For more information contact the Jazz Studies coordinator Dr. Garth Alper by phone at 337-482-6016, or by email at garth@louisiana.edu.