- 15 programs
- Fall 2027 entry
- Checked 8 Oct 2026
You’ve picked three tunes for a prescreen video. Then you read the fine print. One school wants Billie’s Bounce at a quarter note of 145 to 160, another wants two of your melodies played with the bow, and a third won’t hear electric bass at all.
We read the jazz bass audition pages of 15 colleges and conservatories on 8 October 2026 and pulled out what each one asks a bass player to play for Fall 2027 entry: the prescreen, the live audition, upright or electric, and the deadlines. Every line on the cards below comes from the school’s own page, linked on each card. Where a page doesn’t say something, we tell you that instead of guessing.
Better Bass Lessons has no connection to any of these schools or their admissions offices. Requirements change from year to year (Eastman’s page says its requirements are updated each summer and generally won’t change after September 1), so open the school’s page before you record anything.
Quick answer
Most of these 15 programs hear a recording before they hear you live, and at many US schools it’s due December 1. Bass players get asked for the same three things again and again: the melody, a walking line and a solo. Confirmation is named at five schools. Oberlin, Purchase and Eastman hear acoustic bass only, while Manhattan School of Music and Berklee take electric too. Sight-reading comes up at 10 of the 15.
At a glance: 15 programs
Upright or electric, what the prescreen looks like, which tunes are named for bassists, and the first deadline. The full requirements are on each school’s card further down.
| School | Prescreen | Upright or electric | Tunes named for bass | Fall 2027 dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juilliard | Video, Dec 1 | Listed as Jazz Double Bass | Four lists, incl. Confirmation, Sweet Georgia Brown, Waters of March | Dec 1 |
| Berklee | None; live audition | Acoustic or electric | Your choice; lines in six named styles | Nov 1 (EA) or Jan 15 |
| NEC | Video, Dec 1 | Not stated | A blues or standard, plus your choice | Dec 1 |
| Manhattan | Video, Dec 1 | Acoustic or electric | Billie’s Bounce (BM); Confirmation, Skylark (MM) | Dec 1 |
| New School | None listed; audition or recording | Not stated | A standard, plus two of your choice | Jan 15 (priority) |
| North Texas | Screening video | Upright oriented | Five styles of your choice; Confirmation (MM) | Nov 1 or Dec 1 (preference) |
| Miami Frost | Video | Not stated (BM); either (MM) | Swing, Latin, rock feel, a classical piece | Nov 1 (EA) or Dec 1 |
| Eastman | Recording, Dec 1 | Acoustic only | A bebop melody such as Donna Lee or Confirmation | Dec 1 |
| Indiana | None (Early Action only) | Not stated | One from a list incl. Confirmation, Joy Spring, Four | Dec 1 (final) |
| USC Thornton | Video, Dec 1 | Not stated (scales include arco) | Well You Needn’t, Chi-Chi | Dec 1 |
| Oberlin | Video | Acoustic only | A blues, Body and Soul, Ladybird, rhythm changes | Nov 1 (ED) or Dec 4 |
| Purchase | Video | Acoustic only | Live: Body and Soul, All the Things You Are and more | Jan 1 and Jan 8, 2027 |
| Royal Academy | Video (Round One) | Not stated | Two lists incl. Airegin, Darn That Dream | 1 Oct (passed) |
| Amsterdam | Recording | Separate double bass and bass guitar programs | Three of your choice, incl. a blues or “rhythm scheme” | 15 Jan 2027 |
| The Hague | Video | Double bass or electric, same list | Three standards of your choice, plus a free choice | 25 Feb |
School by school
US schools first, then three in Europe. Each card is the undergraduate program unless it says otherwise, with a line on the master’s where the school posts it on the same or a linked page.
Juilliard
The Juilliard School
Jazz Studies, Bachelor of Music (listed as Jazz Double Bass) · New York
- Prescreen
- Video, due December 1. Pick one tune from each of the four Fall 2027 lists below. Play at least the melody and one chorus of improvising on each, four minutes max per tune, with a band or a metronome clicking half notes. Tunes that aren’t on the lists aren’t accepted.
- Hymns and Folksongs: Wade in the Water, Amazing Grace, Crazy
- Early Jazz and Swing Era American Songbook: I’m Coming Virginia, This Time the Dream’s On Me, Sweet Georgia Brown
- Jazz Standards: Dance to the Lady, Confirmation, Four in One
- The “Spanish” Tinge (Brazilian Music): Dos Gardenias, Waters of March, Son de La Loma
- Live audition
- In person in New York: a musicianship assessment, then a first round. You play your four tunes from memory with a rhythm section of Juilliard Jazz alumni, any other Category II tune the panel asks for, big band excerpts they send you ahead of time, and Simandl’s Etude No. 21 in F minor (bring two copies). Callbacks happen the same day, and instrumentalists may be asked to sight-read and improvise on a new composition. Invited applicants also send a creative project and a list of the tunes they know, with composer and key.
- Upright or electric
- The program is listed as Jazz Double Bass. The page doesn’t mention electric bass.
- Deadlines
- Application and prescreen: December 1. Prescreen results by mid-January.
- Master’s
- Master of Music: the same four lists and the same etude, and the panel can ask for any tune in Categories II and III.
- Good to know
- The page says the BM accepts approximately 7 to 9 jazz instrumentalists a year.
From the page“For two of the four selections, perform the melody using both plucked and bowed techniques.”
Source: Jazz Double Bass, Bachelor of Music · Jazz Double Bass, Master of Music · checked 8 Oct 2026
Berklee
Berklee College of Music
Bachelor of Music (one audition for all BM majors) · Boston
- Prescreen
- No prescreen. You pick audition locations in the application, then do a live audition and interview, in person or online. Videos of your playing are an optional extra you can add to the application.
- Live audition
- A prepared piece of three to five minutes, played live on your main instrument (it can’t be prerecorded). Then improvising over a standard I-IV-V blues, sight-reading, and ear training: call and response, naming intervals and chord qualities, and pitch matching. Bassists should also be ready to play lines in different styles on standard progressions: jazz two-feel, walking, pop-rock (straight eights), samba, bossa and funk. Berklee doesn’t provide an accompanist, so bring one or a backing track on your phone.
- Upright or electric
- Both. The bass guidelines are headed “Bass (Acoustic and Electric),” and amps are provided at in-person auditions.
- Deadlines
- Fall entry: November 1 for Early Action or January 15 for Regular Action (application and supporting documents).
From the page“You will improvise over a short instrumental progression or drum beat.”
Source: Audition Guidelines · Additional Guidelines by Instrument · How to Apply · Undergraduate deadlines · checked 8 Oct 2026
NEC
New England Conservatory
Jazz Performance, Bachelor of Music · Boston
- Prescreen
- Video, due with the application on December 1: two contrasting pieces, a blues or jazz standard plus a second piece of your choice, with improvising. Live players are preferred; a play-along is allowed.
- Live audition
- From memory: one jazz standard and one contrasting piece, both different from your prescreen tunes, with a piano, bass and drums rhythm section provided. Bring 3 lead sheets. You’ll also identify chords, sing and play back melodic phrases, and sight-read. If you pass the prescreen, a final recorded video audition is an option.
- Upright or electric
- NEC posts one set of jazz performance requirements for every instrument. Nothing bass-specific, and nothing about upright or electric.
- Deadlines
- Application and prescreen video: December 1.
- Master’s
- Master of Music: the same format, and final recorded auditions are due February 3.
From the page“We prefer that the two submissions include one or more musicians playing with you live.”
Source: Jazz Performance audition requirements · Master of Music jazz performance requirements · Undergraduate applicants (deadlines) · checked 8 Oct 2026
Manhattan
Manhattan School of Music
Jazz Arts, Bachelor of Music · New York
- Prescreen
- Video, due December 1. Billie’s Bounce at quarter note 145 to 160, plus three more tunes in different styles, moods, keys and tempos, one of them a ballad. At least two improvised choruses on each (one is enough on the ballad) and two choruses of bass lines on each. On every tune: melody, walk (or a line that fits the style) and solo, then end with the last few bars of the melody. A backing track is OK if you can’t record with a band.
- Live audition
- Everything from memory. Three tunes in different styles, moods, meters and tempos (one a ballad), each with melody, walking and solo; playing with a rhythm section; and sight-reading. In-person and virtual auditions are both offered.
- Upright or electric
- Either. The page says jazz bass applicants submit “a video recording for either acoustic or electric bass.” To be considered on both, you submit two applications with separate recordings.
- Deadlines
- Prescreen: December 1.
- Master’s
- Master of Music: Confirmation and Skylark are required for everyone, plus five other varied tunes, and sight-reading.
From the page“We recommend that you use a backing track with real instruments, like Jamey Aebersold. Avoid using synthesized tracks like iReal Pro.”
Source: Jazz Arts Prescreen & Audition Procedures · checked 8 Oct 2026
New School
The New School
School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, BFA · New York
- Prescreen
- No separate prescreen is listed. Once your Common Application arrives, you’re invited to book a live audition or send recordings.
- Live audition
- Three pieces, 15 minutes max in total: a standard that shows your improvising, plus two pieces of your choice in any style. Live auditions use a rhythm section of current students (piano, bass, drums), so bring at least three copies of your charts and play at least one tune with them.
- Upright or electric
- Nothing bass-specific, and nothing about upright or electric.
- Deadlines
- Fall 2027: Common Application priority deadline January 15; audition recordings February 1 if you’re not auditioning live. New York auditions: February 26 to 28 and March 5 to 7, 2027.
From the page“We want to see diversity in your three audition pieces.”
Source: How to Apply (Undergraduate) · Audition Schedule · checked 8 Oct 2026
North Texas
University of North Texas
Jazz Studies, Bachelor of Music · Denton, Texas
- Prescreen
- A screening video of 15 to 20 minutes: a medium-tempo standard, a jazz blues, a jazz ballad, a fusion, Latin or funk tune, and an up-tempo standard or rhythm changes. Walk and solo on the standard and the blues. A rhythm section is preferred; a Jamey Aebersold play-along or similar is fine.
- Live audition
- One-octave major, harmonic minor and melodic minor scales, with at least two fingerings for each. Reading bass charts in several styles (swing, bossa nova, rock, funk). Walking on a chart of a basic jazz progression, and walking a jazz blues in at least G, C, F, B-flat, E-flat and A-flat. Sight-reading walking lines, melodies and big band charts.
- Upright or electric
- Upright first. “UNT is an upright oriented program with required classical and jazz bass lessons.” The page adds that the typical applicant plays most of the video and live audition on upright and one tune on electric.
- Deadlines
- Fall 2027: apply by November 1 for the December 4, 2026 audition. Applications in by December 1 get preference for January 30, February 6 and February 27, 2027. Final deadline for Jazz Studies video auditions: February 1.
- Master’s
- Master’s: Confirmation up-tempo from memory, and use the bow on at least one upright tune. Live: the blues in all 12 keys, rhythm changes in at least three keys including B-flat, and ten standards from memory.
From the page“We do not admit by video alone.”
Source: Undergraduate Audition Repertoire Requirements · Graduate Audition Repertoire Requirements · Undergraduate Admissions Process (deadlines) · Fall 2027 audition dates · checked 8 Oct 2026
Miami Frost
University of Miami Frost School of Music
Studio Music & Jazz, Bachelor of Music · Coral Gables, Florida
- Prescreen
- Video: a swing tune with a walking line and a solo (5 minutes, and the page calls it the most important), a Latin tune (samba, bossa or Afro-Cuban, 3 minutes) with a solo, a rock-feel tune (“anything from funk to Corea,” 3 minutes) with a solo, and a “legitimate piece” from Baroque or Classical literature, which can be an etude (3 minutes). Record the first three with drums, guitar and/or piano; recorded backgrounds are OK.
- Live audition
- In person, required for all jazz bass applicants: walk over changes at sight and solo, sight-read a classical piece, sight-read something with a swing feel and solo, and answer questions on theory and background.
- Upright or electric
- The undergraduate page doesn’t say. The graduate page does: “Recordings can be on Acoustic or Electric Bass, however demonstrating some ability on both instruments is preferred.”
- Deadlines
- Early Action: November 1 (if approved, you audition on campus on the December date). Regular Decision: December 1.
- Master’s
- Master of Music: three recordings (swing, ballad, straight-eighth) showing melody, accompanying and a solo. The audition is sight-reading in classical, rock/fusion and jazz styles, plus optional prepared material.
From the page“We will be looking especially for a solid time feel and sound bass lines.”
Source: Undergraduate jazz audition requirements · Graduate jazz audition requirements · Undergraduate: How to apply · checked 8 Oct 2026
Eastman
Eastman School of Music
Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media, Bachelor of Music · Rochester, New York
- Prescreen
- Before December 1: three contrasting jazz tunes in different styles (such as ballad, swing, straight eighth), each with improvising, each in its own file, 20 minutes max in total. Small-group recordings are preferred, and play-along videos are accepted.
- Live audition
- Two appointments. With a rhythm section: three contrasting tunes with improvising, including some material that wasn’t on your prescreen (bring lead sheets). With the jazz bass professor: etudes by authors such as Simandl, Hrabe or Bille (arco preferred, pizzicato acceptable), a bebop melody (the page names Donna Lee, Confirmation, Web City and Celia as examples), and a walking line on a standard.
- Upright or electric
- Acoustic only. If you double on electric, you can upload extra electric tracks in the Portfolio section of the application.
- Deadlines
- Prescreen before December 1. Rochester auditions on Fridays, January 29 and February 5, 12 and 26, 2027. Remote option: upload everything by February 1.
- Master’s
- Master of Music: the same prescreen and audition. The page says there are no DMA openings in jazz for Fall 2027.
From the page“Only acoustic double bassists are considered for admission.”
Source: Jazz Double Bass audition requirements · Prescreening, Audition, and Interview Requirements · checked 8 Oct 2026
Indiana
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
Jazz Studies, Bachelor of Music · Bloomington, Indiana
- Prescreen
- None for jazz bass, unless you apply Early Action for the November 13 audition. The Early Action video: a spoken introduction, a blues plus one tune from a list, and A-flat and B major scales, two octaves, pizzicato in quarter notes at 80, with a résumé uploaded too.
- Live audition
- From memory: melody, walking line and improvising on two tunes, one that isn’t a blues, rhythm changes tune or ballad, and one from the list below. Scales: major and its modes, whole tone, diminished, and ascending melodic minor and its modes. Possible sight-reading of chord changes and jazz ensemble parts.
- Pick one: All the Things You Are, Confirmation, Groovin’ High, Half Nelson, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Joy Spring, On Green Dolphin Street, Stella by Starlight, Four, In a Mellow Tone, What Is This Thing Called Love?
- Upright or electric
- The page doesn’t say.
- Deadlines
- For 2027-28 entry: IU application November 1 (preferred) or December 1 (final); Jacobs supplemental application December 1. Auditions January 29 to 30, February 5 to 6 and February 26 to 27, 2027. Recorded auditions are due February 15.
- Master’s
- Master of Music: melody and improvising on one tune from each of three lists (bebop, standards, post-bop; Donna Lee, Giant Steps and Inner Urge are among them), with scales over 2 or 3 octaves.
From the page“Auditions will be accompanied by a live rhythm section.”
Source: Jazz Studies: Auditions/Interviews & Prescreening · checked 8 Oct 2026
USC Thornton
USC Thornton School of Music
Jazz Studies, Bachelor of Music · Los Angeles
- Prescreen
- Video only, uploaded to SlideRoom by December 1: three to five tunes in contrasting styles, including Thelonious Monk’s Well You Needn’t and Charlie Parker’s Chi-Chi. Head, walking line and solo on each. Plus four 2-octave major and four 2-octave minor scales.
- Live audition
- If you’re invited (live auditions typically run late January to early February): the same tunes as your prescreen, plus improvising and sight-reading. Accompaniment is provided on campus; bring lead sheets for every tune.
- Upright or electric
- The page doesn’t name upright or electric, but half the scales are arco.
- Deadlines
- December 1 for the USC application and the SlideRoom portfolio. Prescreen results by email in late December.
- Master’s
- Master of Music: three to five tunes including Monk’s Evidence and Wayne Shorter’s Yes and No, with the same head, walking, solo and scale instructions.
From the page“Applicants should also include four 2-octave major scales and four 2-octave minor scales; two of each should be played arco, two of each should be played pizzicato.”
Source: Jazz Studies (Undergraduate) · Jazz Studies (Graduate) · checked 8 Oct 2026
Oberlin
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Jazz Studies (Jazz Performance) · Oberlin, Ohio
- Prescreen
- A video screening (audio-only isn’t accepted). The screening and the final audition use the same four tunes, played with backing tracks recorded by the Oberlin Jazz Faculty Quintet:
- Blues in B-flat or F, 4 choruses: Melody, walk a chorus or two, improvise a chorus or two, melody out
- Body and Soul in D-flat, 2 choruses: The whole melody on the first chorus (bow if possible), then improvise over the first two A sections and the bridge and play the melody on the last A
- Ladybird in C, 4 choruses: Melody once, improvise one chorus, then walk two choruses
- Rhythm changes in B-flat, 3 choruses: Walk all three choruses
- Live audition
- On-campus jazz audition dates: December 4, 2026 (Early Decision) and February 5 and 12, 2027. At on-campus auditions the blues is played in F. Final audition recordings are due February 1 and can’t be the same recordings you sent for screening.
- Upright or electric
- Acoustic only.
- Deadlines
- Screening: November 1 (Early Decision) or December 4 (Regular Decision). Final audition recordings: February 1.
From the page“Auditions must be on acoustic, double bass; majors are not offered and auditions are not heard in electric bass.”
Source: Jazz Studies Auditions · checked 8 Oct 2026
Purchase
Purchase College, SUNY
Jazz Studies, Bachelor of Music · Purchase, New York
- Prescreen
- Video, 10 minutes max in total: a blues, a songbook or jazz standard, and a ballad. Bassists add one chorus of walking to the melody and solo. The prescreen fee is $62.
- Live audition
- February 19 and 20, 2027, with a house band of current jazz students and other applicants. One tune from each category, in any key:
- Blues: Any blues
- Ballad: Body and Soul or I’ve Never Been in Love Before
- Medium tempo: Like Someone in Love, A Night in Tunisia or All the Things You Are
- Upright or electric
- Acoustic only.
- Deadlines
- Fall 2027: application January 1, 2027; portfolio (prescreen) January 8, 2027. Invitations go out by email in late January 2027.
From the page“Note: a major concentration in electric bass guitar is not offered. Please audition on acoustic bass only.”
Source: Music Undergraduate admissions · checked 8 Oct 2026
Royal Academy
Royal Academy of Music
Jazz, BMus · London
- Prescreen
- Round One is a video: three pieces, each in one unedited take, with a live group or a play-along. One tune from List 1, one ballad from List 2, and your own composition or arrangement with a PDF score.
- List 1 (medium to up-tempo): Airegin, Alone Together, Take the A Train, On Green Dolphin Street, I Mean You, It Could Happen to You
- List 2 (ballads): I Fall in Love Too Easily, Darn That Dream, Chelsea Bridge, I Should Care, Soul Eyes, God Bless the Child
- Live audition
- Round Two is a recall, in person in London or online. The London recall includes a performance, sight-reading and playing with a group. Candidates also have an interview and a short harmony and theory paper.
- Upright or electric
- The page doesn’t say.
- Deadlines
- The 1 October deadline for UCAS Conservatoires and Acceptd profiles has passed. The page says you can still apply, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
From the page“Bass: Display soloing and accompanying skills, and play some of the theme on one of the pieces (it does not need to be for the entire tune).”
Source: Jazz (BMus) · checked 8 Oct 2026
Amsterdam
Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Jazz, Bachelor (principal subject: double bass) · Amsterdam
- Prescreen
- A recording of three pieces in the jazz idiom, uploaded with the application form. Candidates from outside the EU then take the entrance exam online; Dutch and EU candidates take it at the CvA.
- Live audition
- A 30-minute practical. The committee chooses from three pieces you prepare, which must include “one blues or one rhythm scheme.” Then six major and six minor scales (preferably bowed), chords (major, minor, diminished, augmented), repeating a line by ear, accompanying an unknown piece by ear, filling in a bass line to chord symbols, and playing a written bass line or melody. There’s also an online theory exam: an ear test and general music theory.
- Upright or electric
- Double bass and bass guitar are separate principal subjects, each with its own page.
- Deadlines
- 15 January 2027 for bachelor and master jazz applications. The jazz exam dates posted on 8 Oct 2026 were still last year’s (double bass: 20 and 23 March 2026), so check the page.
- Master’s
- Master: three recordings for preselection, then an original composition, a jazz standard and a solo piece for bass, plus an interview.
From the page“Being able to play the most important major (G, C, F, B flat, E flat, A flat) and minor (E, A, D, G, C, F) scales, preferably bowed”
Source: Jazz principal subject: Double Bass · Jazz Entrance Exam · Closing Dates for Application · Jazz entrance exam dates (Dutch) · checked 8 Oct 2026
The Hague
Royal Conservatoire The Hague
Bachelor Jazz Double Bass & Electric Bass · The Hague
- Prescreen
- Three or more videos on YouTube or Vimeo, about 15 to 18 minutes in total: three jazz standards with theme and improvisation (at least one swing or bebop, with varied feels such as medium swing, ballad, bossa or jazz waltz) and one free-choice “Carte Blanche” piece. Live accompaniment is preferred; iRealPro, Aebersold or YouTube play-alongs are allowed. You also send a motivation form.
- Live audition
- If you’re eligible: an audition (live, or online in real time; new repertoire is preferred) and a theory test with a written hearing test, written general music theory and an individual practical solfege test.
- Upright or electric
- Double bass and electric bass are one bachelor program, with the same video list for both.
- Deadlines
- Studielink registration by 25 February; the online theory test before February 26. The page doesn’t print a year, so check it.
From the page“Please make sure that you are fully visible on the video-recordings!”
Source: Entry requirements · How to apply · checked 8 Oct 2026
What most programs ask for, and how to practice it
Put the 15 pages side by side and the same jobs keep coming back. Here they are in order, with how many schools ask for each and free Better Bass Lessons lessons and tools that match. None of it replaces the school’s own list; it’s a way to get the pieces under your fingers.
A recording comes first12 of 15
Juilliard, NEC, Manhattan, UNT, Frost, Eastman, USC, Oberlin, Purchase, the Royal Academy, Amsterdam and The Hague hear a recording before anyone hears you live. Most accept a play-along. NEC, UNT, Eastman and The Hague say they’d rather hear live players, and Juilliard will take a metronome clicking half notes.
Practice it free: How to play along with jazz records · How to lock in with a drummer
Melody, walking line, solo10 of 15
Juilliard, Berklee, Manhattan, UNT, Frost, Eastman, Indiana, USC, Oberlin and Purchase all mention walking in their bass requirements. Manhattan, USC and Indiana ask for the same three jobs on every tune: play the melody, walk, then solo.
Practice it free: Walking bass for beginners (an F blues from four notes) · Walking bass lines that don’t get boring · Walking over a ii-V-I · Walking Bass Line Builder · ii-V-I in all 12 keys
A bebop headConfirmation: 5 schools
Confirmation is one of three Jazz Standards choices at Juilliard, required for the master’s at Manhattan and UNT, on Indiana’s tune lists, and an example bebop melody at Eastman. Manhattan’s BM prescreen starts with Billie’s Bounce, USC requires Chi-Chi, and Donna Lee is named at Eastman and on Indiana’s master’s list.
Practice it free: Confirmation on bass · Billie’s Bounce fingerings · A Billie’s Bounce walking line · Bebop language on bass
A blues, a ballad and a fast oneBlues, ballad, up-tempo
UNT, Oberlin, Purchase and Berklee ask for a blues outright, and NEC lists it as one option. Manhattan, UNT, Oberlin, Purchase and the Royal Academy require a ballad. Oberlin wants rhythm changes, and UNT takes rhythm changes or an up-tempo standard. All the Things You Are is on both Indiana’s and Purchase’s lists.
Practice it free: How to learn jazz standards on bass · All the Things You Are: walk the form, then solo · An All the Things You Are walking line
Grooves besides swing4 of 15
Juilliard has a “Spanish” Tinge category (Dos Gardenias, Waters of March, Son de La Loma), Frost wants a Latin tune and a rock-feel tune, UNT wants a fusion, Latin or funk tune, and Berklee asks for two-feel, pop-rock, samba, bossa and funk lines. Juilliard’s page links a reference recording for every tune on its lists, so start your listening there.
Soloing14 of 15
Every program except Amsterdam says outright that you’ll improvise. (Amsterdam’s admission requirements for bass don’t use the word.) The Royal Academy asks bassists to show both soloing and accompanying, Manhattan wants a solo on every tune, and Frost wants one on each of its three jazz styles.
Practice it free: How to solo on upright bass · How to solo on electric bass · Jazz scales for bass: one scale per chord · A jazz improvisation primer for bass players
Scales4 of 15
USC wants four major and four minor scales over two octaves, half of them arco. UNT wants one-octave major, harmonic minor and melodic minor scales with at least two fingerings each. Indiana asks for major, whole tone, diminished and ascending melodic minor scales and their modes, and Amsterdam lists six major and six minor keys, preferably bowed.
Practice it free: Bass scale chart · Scale and mode map for the whole neck · Thumb position on upright, for scales that run up the neck
The bow and an etude6 of 15
Six programs ask for arco somewhere: Juilliard (two of your four melodies, plucked and bowed), USC (half your scales), Eastman (etudes, arco preferred), Oberlin (the Body and Soul melody, if possible), UNT’s master’s (at least one tune) and Amsterdam (scales, preferably). Juilliard sets Simandl’s Etude No. 21 in F minor, Eastman names Simandl, Hrabe and Bille, and Frost wants a Baroque or Classical piece or an etude.
Practice it free: The Simandl method on upright bass
Sight-reading10 of 15
Berklee, NEC, Manhattan, UNT, Frost, USC, the Royal Academy and Amsterdam all include it. Indiana lists possible sight-reading, and Juilliard says instrumentalists may be asked to sight-read at the callback. UNT’s list is the most specific: walking lines, melodies, and big band and lead sheet charts.
Practice it free: Bass clef reading trainer · Rhythm reading trainer · Bass fretboard notes chart and trainer
Ears and theory7 of 15
Berklee and NEC test your ear in the room, Juilliard starts with a musicianship assessment, Frost asks questions on theory, the Royal Academy gives a short harmony and theory paper, and Amsterdam and The Hague both run a theory exam with an ear test.
Practice it free: Interval ear trainer · Chord quality ear trainer · Chord extensions ear training · How to transcribe bass by ear
Know it cold, bring charts anywayMemory and charts
Juilliard, Manhattan, NEC and Indiana want your tunes from memory. Bring charts for the band regardless: USC, Eastman and NEC ask for lead sheets, The New School wants at least three copies, and Juilliard wants a list of the tunes you know, with composer and key.
Practice it free: How to learn a standard by ear and walk it without a chart
Questions bassists ask about jazz auditions
Do jazz bass auditions require upright bass?
Not everywhere. Oberlin, Purchase and Eastman hear acoustic bass only, and UNT calls itself an upright oriented program. Manhattan School of Music takes acoustic or electric (two applications if you want to be heard on both), Berklee’s bass guidelines cover both, The Hague runs one program for double bass and electric bass, and Amsterdam has separate double bass and bass guitar programs.
What tunes come up most in jazz bass auditions?
Confirmation. It’s one of three Jazz Standards choices at Juilliard, required for the master’s auditions at Manhattan School of Music and UNT, on Indiana’s tune lists, and named as an example bebop melody at Eastman. Billie’s Bounce (Manhattan), Well You Needn’t and Chi-Chi (USC) and Body and Soul (Oberlin and Purchase) are named too.
Do I need to play with the bow?
At several schools, yes. Juilliard wants two of your four prescreen melodies played plucked and bowed, USC wants half your scales arco, Eastman prefers arco on its etudes, Oberlin asks for the Body and Soul melody bowed if possible, UNT’s master’s wants the bow on at least one tune, and Amsterdam wants scales preferably bowed.
Can I use a play-along for my prescreen video?
Usually. NEC, Manhattan, UNT, Eastman, Frost, the Royal Academy and The Hague all allow one, though several say they prefer live players. Manhattan recommends tracks with real instruments, like Jamey Aebersold, and says to avoid synthesized tracks like iReal Pro, while The Hague lists iRealPro as fine. Juilliard takes a band or a metronome clicking half notes, and Oberlin gives you its own backing tracks.
When are jazz bass prescreens due for Fall 2027?
For many US schools, December 1: Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, NEC, USC and Eastman, plus Frost’s Regular Decision application. Oberlin’s Regular Decision screening is due December 4, Purchase’s portfolio January 8, 2027, and Amsterdam’s jazz applications 15 January 2027. Berklee doesn’t ask for a prescreen, and Indiana only prescreens jazz bassists who apply Early Action.
How long should my prescreen video be?
It depends on the school. Juilliard caps each tune at four minutes, Purchase wants 10 minutes in total, The New School 15 minutes for its three audition pieces, UNT 15 to 20 minutes, The Hague about 15 to 18 minutes, and Eastman no more than 20 minutes.
Is there sight-reading at a jazz bass audition?
At most of these schools. Berklee, NEC, Manhattan, UNT, Frost, USC, the Royal Academy and Amsterdam include it, Indiana lists possible sight-reading, and Juilliard says instrumentalists may be asked to sight-read at the callback.
Is Better Bass Lessons connected to these schools?
No. We’re a bass lesson site, not an admissions service, and we have no connection to any of these programs. This page only collects what each school publishes, so always check the school’s own page before you record.
Go deeper
Walking Basslines on Upright Bass: From the Beginning
A 5-lesson upright method built on the 1-3-5-7, the walking approach Ron Carter taught Cole at Juilliard.
Keep going
Sources
Every requirement on this page comes from the schools’ own admissions and audition pages, read on 8 Oct 2026. Quotes are copied as written.
- The Juilliard School: Jazz Double Bass, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Double Bass, Master of Music
- Berklee College of Music: Audition Guidelines, Additional Guidelines by Instrument, How to Apply, Undergraduate deadlines
- New England Conservatory: Jazz Performance audition requirements, Master of Music jazz performance requirements, Undergraduate applicants (deadlines)
- Manhattan School of Music: Jazz Arts Prescreen & Audition Procedures
- The New School: How to Apply (Undergraduate), Audition Schedule
- University of North Texas: Undergraduate Audition Repertoire Requirements, Graduate Audition Repertoire Requirements, Undergraduate Admissions Process (deadlines), Fall 2027 audition dates
- University of Miami Frost School of Music: Undergraduate jazz audition requirements, Graduate jazz audition requirements, Undergraduate: How to apply
- Eastman School of Music: Jazz Double Bass audition requirements, Prescreening, Audition, and Interview Requirements
- Indiana University Jacobs School of Music: Jazz Studies: Auditions/Interviews & Prescreening
- USC Thornton School of Music: Jazz Studies (Undergraduate), Jazz Studies (Graduate)
- Oberlin Conservatory of Music: Jazz Studies Auditions
- Purchase College, SUNY: Music Undergraduate admissions
- Royal Academy of Music: Jazz (BMus)
- Conservatorium van Amsterdam: Jazz principal subject: Double Bass, Jazz Entrance Exam, Closing Dates for Application, Jazz entrance exam dates (Dutch)
- Royal Conservatoire The Hague: Entry requirements, How to apply
