dubstep

You may have come across the ads in the paper, magazine, internet or even in a shop window; 'band seeks guitarist/vocalist', 'bass player', 'dancer', nowadays there are varied posts for many styles of music, musician's and artists that are advertised. Preparing for an audition is very important and key factors have to be considered while preparing for such a role.

I would first suggest to try and find out what type of band or group you would be auditioning for, it would be obvious that it would be a rock, reggae, soul or metal outfit but it would be better to break it down and find out if they specialised in original, revival, old school, tribute or cover songs, if you are calling on the phone do ask questions like how long they have been together? what the line up consists of? where are they based? type of songs they perform? and what role are you expected to take within the band.

If this is all comfortable with you then get the date, time and location of the audition. With all this information to hand practice any cover songs that were included in their set, if the band only work on original material they'd have to give you some guidance anyway so don't spend too much time worrying about it, if possible, if the band is gigging during this process by all means attend the gig and check them out and introduce yourself to the band members, by this stage you can have an idea if the band is for you or not.

If you do want to join the band you would still have to attend an audition, I know it can be nerve wracking but do try and relax beforehand, although I often repeat myself on this section over and over again but do be on time or even slightly earlier for your audition, be prepared with your equipment ( most auditions will provide backline and amplification for you to plug into and play which saves time on continuous setups in between auditionees) also be calm and alert, don't try to be too cocky or over confident, this could put a 'cold damper' on the mood of the band, don't worry about being a little nervous, this is normal and the band would understand this. If you are not familiar with certain songs, riffs, chords or keys, don't be afraid to ask but do keep a steady control of what you are doing without getting lost in any complexed arrangements.

Once the audition is over thank everyone for their time, you may be told on the spot whether youre accepted or not, but the band usually talk it through by themselves before a final agreement is made and they will call you as soon as possible, like a job interview, if you don't hear from them after a week just presume it's a no, don't let this put you down, there could be many reasons why you weren't chosen and it may not have anything to do with your playing or performance, do remember that there are a lot of bands out there to work with and if you stick to the right guidelines you shouldn't have any problems, to sum it all up I would say 'don't hang about, go ahead and get started'.

Professional guitarist, songwriter and musical director residing in Kent, United Kingdom, currently writes for magazines and ezines between tours and music workshops, music styles include jazz, soul, rock, blues, funk, latin and pop.