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Entrance examination

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The Jazz Bachelor program at the HfMT Hamburg trains talented instrumentalists to become professional musicians. This four-year study program offers you everything you need to become an excellent, creative and versatile artist.

The purpose of the entrance examination is to determine whether the applicant is able to achieve the study objective; to this end, it is checked whether the applicant has sufficient musical talent on the instrument and beyond. All applicants must prove their artistic and academic aptitude for studying at the university in an entrance examination.

The entrance examination takes place in three stages. Only those who have passed the first stage examination will be admitted to the second and third stages.

1st part of the examination:
The first examination is an examination in the jazz major based on a demo recording (audio or video) of 3 pieces (one medium-up tempo piece / one ballad / one freely chosen piece). You can upload the media files of the demo recordings via the link below.

2nd and 3rd part of the exam:
The second and third part are practical exams in the instrumental / vocal major subject (classical and jazz), as well as in the minor subject, in theory and ear training (classical and jazz).
The second and third parts take place as face-to-face examinations in the JazzHall Hamburg. There is currently no digital online examination available for the Jazz Bachelor's degree program.

Stage 1
Examination in the jazz specialization

Demo recording
Duration approx. 15 min
(audio or video)

Main subject instrument or main subject vocals.

Main subject instrument drums

- two standards (e.g. a piece from the functional harmonic range in medium-up tempo, a ballad)

- one piece of your own choice (including your own composition)

preferably accompanied by a rhythm section!

Specification for the subject percussion:

  • Audio or video recordings with live band. No recordings of playalongs.
  • At least three pieces that mainly document the focus on jazz, but also groove drumming

(additional tracks as ballads, free improvisations or own compositions are also possible)

Level 2
Examination in the jazz specialization

Audition of three pieces

Main subject instrument or main subject voice.

- two standards (e.g. a piece from the functional harmonic range in medium-up tempo, a ballad)
- a piece of your own choice (also your own composition)
accompanied by the rhythm section provided by the university or a rhythm section you bring with you!

sight-reading

- easy parts (combo, big band)

Playing or singing of given motifs and phrases

Stage 3
The third stage consists of the following partial examinations:

1st partial examination in the main classical subject

- Performance of simple to moderately difficult classical pieces
See appendix * for exact requirements for the various instruments.

- Alternatively, the performance of a transcription of a jazz improvisation in the instrumental subjects saxophone, trombone, trumpet is possible instead of the classical performance. In piano, one of the three works to be submitted may be replaced by a transcription.

2nd partial examination in the minor subject piano
(except jazz piano specialization)

Jazz:
- A standard (functional harmony, right hand melody, left hand voicings)
- sight-reading (simple changes in simple voicings)

Classical:
- an easy to moderately difficult piece

3. oral-practical partial examination in general music theory and jazz theory:

General music theory:
- knowledge of note theory, interval and chord theory (including seventh chords),
- knowledge of church keys, playing simple and extended cadences (including fallacy)

Jazz theory:
- knowledge of common chord notation and scales

4. oral partial examination in ear training:

10 minute exam with questions on:

Jazz:
- Singing and clapping melodic or rhythmic phrases (also sight-reading)
- Listening to and singing seventh chords (major, minor, dominant, half diminished, diminished) and scales

Classical music:
- Listening to intervals in close range, listening to triads and inversions in close range
- Singing triads and inversions, recording and reproducing simple rhythmic examples
- sight-singing

* Appendix

Copies of the classical performance pieces or transcriptions should be kept ready for the jury.

Trumpet:
Etudes and/or concerto in the difficulty level of Arban, Hummel (1st movement)

Trombone:
Etudes and/or concerto of medium difficulty (at least Blume, booklet 2)

Saxophone:
Etudes at the level of difficulty of Jettl's Methods for Saxophone

Piano:
Three compositions from different stylistic periods at a level of difficulty of two or three-part inventions by Bach, easy to moderately difficult sonatas by Haydn or Mozart and correspondingly difficult pieces from the Romantic or Modern periods.

Guitar:
Scale playing with changes of position in free and supported alternate strumming; arpeggio playing, e.g. Giuliani, Opus 1a or Carlevaro Volume 2; cadenzas, e.g. Bruno Henze, Volume 5, or Nobis/Sasaki, Harmonielehre für Gitarristen; an easier etude from the classical area, e.g. Carcassi or Carulli; an easier performance piece, e.g. Smith-Brindle, Guitar - Cosmos, Volume 1 or Lendle, Impulse.

Double bass:
Scales (arco); one etude from: Simandl, 30 Etudes

Percussion:
Two etudes for snare drum are required: a challenging etude (# 132-150) from "The All American Drummer" by Charley Wilcoxon and, as a compulsory piece, etude # 31 from "Schule für Kleine Trommel" by Heinrich Knauer and Gerhard Behsing. Alternatively, rudimental etudes by John S. Pratt or classical etudes by Garwood Whaley (Recital Solos for Snare Drum) can be selected.

Singing:
Singing: Memorized performance of 2 classical songs from different eras and of different character. Example selection: an Italian aria from the Arie antiche, an art song by Schubert, Brahms or Schumann or arias/songs by J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart.

Percussion:
2 pieces of classical literature on classical percussion, see also beginning percussion

Vibraphone:
Scale playing, cadenzas with 4 mallets in all major keys (I-IV-V-I, I-VI-IV-II-I -V-I)

Other instruments:
Performance of two instrument-specific pieces of medium difficulty