Alabama All-State Jazz Band Audition Requirements 2021-2022
Middle School Band 
Bass
1. Scales (10 Points Total - 1 point for each Scale, 1 point for each Arpeggio)
Students should perform the following scalesand arpeggios as shown on the second page
of this document. These can also be found through the ABA website. Scales should be
played in a SWING STYLE in the order listed below. Each scale and arpeggio listed are
in CONCERT PITCH.
Bb Major Scale
Bb Major Arpeggio
Bb Blues Scale
Eb Major Scale
Eb Major Arpeggio
Eb Blues Scale
C Dorian Scale
C Dorian Arpeggio
F Blues Scale
F Minor Pentatonic Scale 
2. Etude (40 Points)
The Middle School Etude II is available on the third page of this document and through
the ABA website. A full ensemble recording with Finale midi instruments is available for
practice purposes through the ABA website, but the Finale midi recording should not be
used during the audition recording.
3. Play-A-Long (40 Points Total - 10 for Melody, 15 for Bass Line, 15 for
Improvisation)
Watermelon Man which can be found in: Volume 54: Maiden Voyage, Play-A-Long Book
and CD Set by Jamey Aebersold. New Albany, IN: Jamey Aebersold Jazz. ISBN:
978-1-56224-212-1. www.jazzbooks.com. This book contains the tunes for all
instruments and is not instrument specific. Students should use the Bass Clef section of
the book. Students should record themselves playing along with the accompaniment. This
track has stereo separation where the bass is only in the left channel. Turn the left channel
down when playing along with the recording so there is no interference. The back track is
available through purchase of this book. A pre-set backtrack for BASS is available
through the Google Drive folder with these requirements.
With the Backtrack for BASS, play three times: play the melody one time, construct and
perform a walking bass line for the second chorus, and improvise a solo for the third
chorus (1
st
time melody, 2
nd
time bass line, 3
rd
time improvisation). The improvisation on
Watermelon Man can be done using either the F blues scale (concert pitch) or the F minor
pentatonic scale (which is the F blues scale minus the 4
th
note) throughout. Students
should seek out recordings to listen for style and improvisation models. 
4. Tone Quality (10 Points)