Audition Requirements by Instrument: 2021-2022 Season
In order to audition for CYSO, students must have a minimum of two years of experience. Violists who are switching from violin must have at least two years of combined experience on violin and viola. Please keep in mind that the majority of our members do have three or more years of experience.
The audition process involves the following:
1. Playing scales and arpeggios as specified below. All scales and arpeggios must be played from memory. Harpists do not need to play scales.
2. Playing the required excerpt(s) for your instrument. Please note that the excerpts are to be prepared ahead of time. This is not a sight-reading exercise. Excerpts may be downloaded from our Audition Excerpts web page.
3. Playing a short piece or excerpt that you have prepared (no more than 2 minutes long). It does not need to be memorized. If you have an extra copy of the sheet music, please bring it for the judge; otherwise, the judge can just look over your shoulder when you play. Percussionists do not need to prepare a piece.
4. Sight-reading an excerpt from an orchestral piece that is of the level expected of CYSO musicians.
Minimum requirements by instrument are listed below. Please note that these are only minimum requirements. If you are more advanced, please demonstrate your level of ability in your prepared piece. All members of CYSO must be able to tune his/her own instrument.
Violin: Must be able to shift into 5th position or higher. Play 2-octave scale up and down in E major, F major, and E natural minor, 4 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in E-flat major and F# major, 3 notes to a bow.
Viola: Must be able to shift into 3rd position or higher. Play 2-octave scale up and down in E major in 2nd position, 4 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major and C natural minor, 4 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in D major and E-flat major, 3 notes to a bow. Violists must be able to read both alto and treble clefs.
Cello: Must be able to shift into 7th position or higher. Play 3-octave scale up and down in D major, 4 notes to a bow. Play 3-octave arpeggios up and down in D major, 3 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major and E natural minor, 4 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and E minor, 3 notes to a bow. Cellists must be able to read both bass and tenor clefs. Additional ability to read treble clef is a plus.
String Bass: Play 1-octave scales up and down in F major, A major, and C major, 2 notes to a bow. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and A major.
Flute: Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major and G major, slurred and tongued. Play 2-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on C, slurred and tongued. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and G major, slurred and tongued.
Piccolo: Play two 2-octave scales up and down in keys of the student's choosing. Play 2-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on note of the student's choosing. Play two 1-octave arpeggios up and down in keys of the student's choosing.
Oboe: Play 2-octave scale up and down in C major and D major, slurred and tongued. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and G major, slurred and tongued. Play 1-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on F or G, slurred and tongued.
B-flat Clarinet and Bass Clarinet: Play 2-octave scale up and down in C major, G major, and D major. Play 2-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on low C, slurred.
Alto Sax: Play 1-octave scale up and down in C major, A major, and D major. Play 1-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on A, slurred.
Bassoon: Play a C major scale up and down beginning with the C that is two ledger lines below the staff and ending on middle C. Play an F major scale up and down beginning with the F at the bottom of the staff and going as high above middle C as you are able. Play a B-flat major scale up and down beginning with the second line from the bottom of the staff and going as high in the second octave as you are able. Bassoonists must be able to read both bass and tenor clefs.
Trumpet: Play 2-octave scale up and down in B-flat major, tongued and slurred. Play 1-octave scale up and down in E major, tongued and slurred. Play 1-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on C. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in A major, B major, and F minor. For double-tonguing demonstration, play 1-octave scale up and down in C major with each tone of the scale as 16th notes at a tempo of quarter note = 88.
Trombone: Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major and E harmonic minor. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and E minor. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in C major, G major, and B-flat major, tongued and slurred. Trombonists must be able to read both bass and tenor clefs.
French Horn: Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major, tongued and slurred. Play 1-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on C. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in C major and F major.
Tuba: Play 1-octave scales up and down in G major and E-flat major, tongued and slurred. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in G major and E-flat major, tongued and slurred.
Harp: Play one prepared piece. Harpists must play pedal harp, not lever harp.
Percussion: Must be able to play snare drum, timpani, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals, and tambourine. On snare drum, do long roll (slow to fast to slow), flam, drag, and four-stroke ruff. On timpani, know how to tune and do smooth roll. On suspended cymbal, do roll. On crash cymbals, do soft crashes as well as fast and loud crashes. On tambourine, do a thumb roll. If you are comfortable playing mallet percussion as well, please let us know.
Piano: Play 4-octave scales up and down in C major, E major, A harmonic minor, and C-sharp harmonic minor. Play 4-octave arpeggios up and down in C major, E major, A minor, and C-sharp minor.
The audition process involves the following:
1. Playing scales and arpeggios as specified below. All scales and arpeggios must be played from memory. Harpists do not need to play scales.
2. Playing the required excerpt(s) for your instrument. Please note that the excerpts are to be prepared ahead of time. This is not a sight-reading exercise. Excerpts may be downloaded from our Audition Excerpts web page.
3. Playing a short piece or excerpt that you have prepared (no more than 2 minutes long). It does not need to be memorized. If you have an extra copy of the sheet music, please bring it for the judge; otherwise, the judge can just look over your shoulder when you play. Percussionists do not need to prepare a piece.
4. Sight-reading an excerpt from an orchestral piece that is of the level expected of CYSO musicians.
Minimum requirements by instrument are listed below. Please note that these are only minimum requirements. If you are more advanced, please demonstrate your level of ability in your prepared piece. All members of CYSO must be able to tune his/her own instrument.
Violin: Must be able to shift into 5th position or higher. Play 2-octave scale up and down in E major, F major, and E natural minor, 4 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in E-flat major and F# major, 3 notes to a bow.
Viola: Must be able to shift into 3rd position or higher. Play 2-octave scale up and down in E major in 2nd position, 4 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major and C natural minor, 4 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in D major and E-flat major, 3 notes to a bow. Violists must be able to read both alto and treble clefs.
Cello: Must be able to shift into 7th position or higher. Play 3-octave scale up and down in D major, 4 notes to a bow. Play 3-octave arpeggios up and down in D major, 3 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major and E natural minor, 4 notes to a bow. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and E minor, 3 notes to a bow. Cellists must be able to read both bass and tenor clefs. Additional ability to read treble clef is a plus.
String Bass: Play 1-octave scales up and down in F major, A major, and C major, 2 notes to a bow. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and A major.
Flute: Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major and G major, slurred and tongued. Play 2-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on C, slurred and tongued. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and G major, slurred and tongued.
Piccolo: Play two 2-octave scales up and down in keys of the student's choosing. Play 2-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on note of the student's choosing. Play two 1-octave arpeggios up and down in keys of the student's choosing.
Oboe: Play 2-octave scale up and down in C major and D major, slurred and tongued. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and G major, slurred and tongued. Play 1-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on F or G, slurred and tongued.
B-flat Clarinet and Bass Clarinet: Play 2-octave scale up and down in C major, G major, and D major. Play 2-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on low C, slurred.
Alto Sax: Play 1-octave scale up and down in C major, A major, and D major. Play 1-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on A, slurred.
Bassoon: Play a C major scale up and down beginning with the C that is two ledger lines below the staff and ending on middle C. Play an F major scale up and down beginning with the F at the bottom of the staff and going as high above middle C as you are able. Play a B-flat major scale up and down beginning with the second line from the bottom of the staff and going as high in the second octave as you are able. Bassoonists must be able to read both bass and tenor clefs.
Trumpet: Play 2-octave scale up and down in B-flat major, tongued and slurred. Play 1-octave scale up and down in E major, tongued and slurred. Play 1-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on C. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in A major, B major, and F minor. For double-tonguing demonstration, play 1-octave scale up and down in C major with each tone of the scale as 16th notes at a tempo of quarter note = 88.
Trombone: Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major and E harmonic minor. Play 2-octave arpeggios up and down in F major and E minor. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in C major, G major, and B-flat major, tongued and slurred. Trombonists must be able to read both bass and tenor clefs.
French Horn: Play 2-octave scale up and down in F major, tongued and slurred. Play 1-octave chromatic scale up and down, starting on C. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in C major and F major.
Tuba: Play 1-octave scales up and down in G major and E-flat major, tongued and slurred. Play 1-octave arpeggios up and down in G major and E-flat major, tongued and slurred.
Harp: Play one prepared piece. Harpists must play pedal harp, not lever harp.
Percussion: Must be able to play snare drum, timpani, suspended cymbal, crash cymbals, and tambourine. On snare drum, do long roll (slow to fast to slow), flam, drag, and four-stroke ruff. On timpani, know how to tune and do smooth roll. On suspended cymbal, do roll. On crash cymbals, do soft crashes as well as fast and loud crashes. On tambourine, do a thumb roll. If you are comfortable playing mallet percussion as well, please let us know.
Piano: Play 4-octave scales up and down in C major, E major, A harmonic minor, and C-sharp harmonic minor. Play 4-octave arpeggios up and down in C major, E major, A minor, and C-sharp minor.