Additional Guidelines by Instrument

In addition to the general audition requirements, be prepared to play some bass lines in different styles—jazz two-feel, walking, pop-rock (straight eights), samba, bossa, funk—on standard chord progressions.

Audition Day Checklist

1. Your instrument (acoustic or electric bass)
2. Tuner
3. Instrument cable(s)
4. Any effects needed for your prepared piece

Bass amplifiers will be provided at in-person auditions.

In addition to the general audition requirements, be prepared to demonstrate your ability to play varying dynamic levels in different registers with good sound and intonation through typical practice routines including scales, arpeggios, and tone exercises.

Audition Day Checklist

1. Your instrument

Please review the EDI audition requirements.  

In addition to the audition expectations outlined, the prepared piece should showcase your ability to perform your primary chosen style (jazz, rock, metal, blues, funk, fusion, classical, fingerstyle, etc.).

Audition Day Checklist

1. Your instrument (acoustic or electric guitar)
2. Tuner
3. Extra strings
4. One-quarter inch instrument cables (if needed)
5. Effects/pedals for your prepared piece (if needed)
6. Extra battery (if needed)
7. Foot stool (if needed)
8. Nail care items (if needed)

Guitar amplifiers will be provided at the in-person audition.

Drum Set

Drum Set

In addition to the audition expectations outlined, you may also be asked to play selected examples from the following list of grooves:

• 4/4 swing
• 3/4 swing
• Jazz shuffle
• Funk
• Rock
• Bossa nova
• Mambo
• Calypso/soca
• Reggae

Audition Day Checklist

1. Full drum kit (for only online auditions)
2. Sticks
3. Drum key
4. Practice pad and stand (for warm-up)
5. Ride, hi-hat, and crash cymbals (if preferred)
6. Double bass drum pedal (if necessary)

A complete drum kit with snare, toms, bass drum, ride, hi-hat, crash, and throne will be provided for the audition at all in-person locations.

Hand Percussion

You may audition with hand percussion instruments such as congas, bongos, cajon, timbales, frame drum, or another primary instrument. In addition to the general audition requirements, be prepared to demonstrate the following:

• Specific, basic tone on the conga drum (closed tones, open tones, heel-toe, hand-rocking motion, slaps muted, and slaps open)
• Basic performance of timekeeping for cha-cha and mambo
• Congas: basic tumbao rhythm at a slow tempo—including some basic variations and improvisations
• Bongos: basic martillo rhythm at a slow tempo—including some basic variations and improvisations

You may also demonstrate any knowledge of basic Afro-Cuban and/or Brazilian accessory percussion instruments.

Audition Day Checklist

1. Primary instrument(s)

Marimba and Vibraphone

All marimba and vibraphone principals are required to audition on our campuses in Boston, Massachusetts, and Valencia, Spain, or online. You may choose to select a two- or four-mallet prepared piece that demonstrates your strengths on the instrument.

Audition Day Checklist

1. Instrument
2. Mallets

Steelpan

You may choose a composition for solo steelpan featuring two-, three-, or four-mallet technique. You may also perform a traditional or contemporary melody arranged for steelpan, which may be accompanied by a play-along recording.

Audition Day Checklist

1. Instrument
2. Mallets

Orchestral Percussion

All orchestral percussion principals are required to audition in Boston or online.

In addition to the general audition requirements, be prepared to demonstrate your technical facility via typical practice routines and exercises (scales, arpeggios, etc.), on either vibraphone or marimba, or to showcase rudiments on the snare drum.

You may perform your prepared piece, as a solo, on one of the following instruments:

• snare drum
• marimba
• timpani
• xylophone

Orchestral percussion principals study a wide range of instruments (timpani, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, etc.) that are typically associated with orchestra, chamber, and contemporary percussion, and theater idioms. Therefore, we will assess your proficiency on a variety of orchestral percussion instruments by asking applicants to perform on an orchestral instrument that was not utilized during their prepared piece performance as part of the reading, technique, and improvisation segments of the audition. 

Audition Day Checklist

1. Mallets
2. Sticks

The necessary instruments will be provided at in-person auditions.

In addition to the general audition requirements, be prepared to demonstrate your ability to perform major scales using both hands with appropriate fingering. You may be asked to play ascending and descending scales up to two octaves in various major keys.

Audition Day Checklist

1. Any necessary performance items

The warm-up room will either have an acoustic piano or a keyboard. Acoustic pianos will be provided for piano auditions. All Hammond organ applicants must audition online or in Boston.

Audition Day Checklist

1. Instrument
2. Tuner
3. Instrument cable(s)
4. Any effects needed for your prepared piece
5. Rosin, shoulder rest, spare string, rock top, or any other equipment you might need

Amplifiers for electric string instruments will be provided for the audition at all in-person locations, though you may choose to bring your own as long as it does not require extra setup time. 

We do not provide harps.

In addition to the above, please be sure to review the general audition requirements.

Berklee does not provide an accompanist at the audition. You are welcome to use a backing track or live accompaniment for your prepared piece. Alternatively, you may accompany yourself with another instrument (like guitar or piano), but keep in mind that you are auditioning as a voice principal and will solely be assessed based on your vocal abilities. You are not required to audition with a microphone, but you must provide your own if you prefer to use one for your prepared piece.

Audition Day Checklist

1. Microphone and XLR cable (if preferred)
2. Accompanist or backing track (not required)

In addition to the above, please be sure to review the general audition requirements.

In addition to the general audition requirements, you may also be asked to demonstrate your technical facility via scales, arpeggios, and tone exercises. This will showcase your ability to play varying dynamic levels in different registers and your use of different articulations.

Audition Day Checklist 

1. Instrument
2. Extra reeds