ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY Top of the Nation Honor Band Audition Information 2023 – 2024

The Top of the Nation Honor band audition should include all of the following (upload as separate files). Please be sure all files are uploaded before submitting online. 

  1. Major scale 
  2. Harmonic minor scale 
  3. Full range chromatic scale 
  4. Excerpt 1 
  5. Excerpt 2 (if a second excerpt is listed). 

Scales 

The major and harmonic minor scales should be done in the following pattern – articulated ascending, slurred descending. These scales do not need to be memorized, and arpeggios are not required. 

C major scale in sixteenth notes, two octaves ascending and descending.

 

 

The chromatic scale should be played full range (best low note to best high note). It should be played in eighth notes, ascending and descending, articulated up and down at a tempo of quarter note = 104. Memorization is NOT required. 

Excerpts 

For the excerpts, metronome markings are TARGETS for students, not required. Performing at a slower tempo with greater accuracy and expression may result in a higher score. 

FLUTE/PICCOLO –

Köhler, 25 Romantic Etudes for Flute, Op. 66 (Kalmus) 

All piccolo students must audition on flute – placement in the band is made with flute audition. The piccolo player is chosen from selected flutists with the piccolo audition.

#

Audition Element 

Tempo 

Performance Notes 

1 

2 Octave A-Flat Major Scale 

Quarter Note = 92 

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio 

2 

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale 

Quarter Note = 92 

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio 

3 

Full range chromatic scale 

Quarter Note = 104 

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down 

4 

Pg. 2 “Dolls’ Waltz” Beg to the end of measure 29 

Quarter Note = 116 

5 

Pg. 25 “Gavotte” Beg to the downbeat of measure 25 

Quarter Note = 88 

9th note in measure 17 is A Natural 

OBOE/ENGLISH HORN –

Voxman, Selected Studies for Oboe (Rubank)

All English Horn students must audition on oboe – placement in the band is made with oboe audition. The English Horn player is chosen from selected oboists with the English Horn audition.

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave E-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 13 Beginning to the end of measure 16

Quarter Note = 92

5

Pg. 23 Beginning to the downbeat of measure 19

Eighth Note = 80

 

BASSOON –

Voxman/Gower, Advanced Method for Bassoon, Vol 1 (Rubank)

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave E-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 43 #7 – All

Quarter Note = 120

No repeats

5

Pg. 53 #29 – All

Dotted Quarter = 63

No repeats

Bb and Eb CLARINET –

Rose, 32 Etudes for Clarinet – REVISED EDITION (Carl Fischer)

All Eb Clarinet students must audition on Bb Clarinet – placement in the band is made with Bb Clarinet audition. The Eb Clarinet player is chosen from selected B-Flat clarinets with the E-Flat Clarinet audition.

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave A-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave b harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 10 #6, beg through m 18

Quarter Note = 120

5

Pg. 21 #17, beg through m 9

Eighth Note = 80

BASS CLARINET –

Weissenborn/Rhoads, Advanced Studies (Southern Music)

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave A-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 15 #19, beg through m 28

Quarter Note = 138

No repeats; end at fermata

5

Pg. 15 #20, All

Quarter Note = 52

SAXOPHONE –

Voxman, Selected Studies for the Saxophone (Rubank)

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave E-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 23, beg to end of m 31

Eighth Note = 88

5

Pg. 22, beg to end of m 36

Quarter Note = 132

TRUMPET –

Snedecor, Lyrical Etudes (PAS Music)

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave A-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave f-sharp harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 2 #2, beg to end of m 21

Half Note = 54

5

Pg. 16 #11, beg to downbeat of m 32

Dotted Quarter = 84

HORN IN F – 

Pottag, Preparatory Melodies (Belwin-Mills)

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave A-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 17 #42, All

Dotted Quarter = 72

5

Pg. 26 #65, All

Dotted Quarter = 54

TROMBONE/EUPHONIUM –

Voxman, Selected Studies for Trombone (Rubank) 

*for Euphonium in Treble Clef, the scales ARE transposed to written B-Flat Major and f-sharp harmonic minor (concert Ab and e)

#

Audition Element 

Tempo 

Performance Notes 

1 

2 Octave A-Flat Major Scale* 

Quarter Note = 92 

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio 

2 

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale* 

Quarter Note = 92 

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio 

3 

Full range chromatic scale 

Quarter Note = 104 

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down 

4 

Pg. 14, beg to downbeat of m 24 

Quarter Note = 126 

5 

Pg. 4, beg to end of m 16 

Quarter Note = 76 

*for Euphonium in Treble Clef, the scales ARE transposed to written B-Flat Major and f-sharp harmonic minor (concert Ab and e)

BASS TROMBONE –

Ostrander, Method for Bass Trombone (Carl Fisher)

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave E-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave f-sharp harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 13 #3, All

Quarter Note = 88

5

Pg. 21 #6, beg to end of m 20

Quarter Note = 120

TUBA –

Sheridan, Performance Studies for Tuba (De Haske)

#

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

2 Octave A-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

2

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

Articulated up, slurred down – no arpeggio

3

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

Full range; eighth notes – articulated up and down

4

Pg. 18-19, beg to end of etude

Dotted Quarter = 120

PERCUSSION

Mallets:

Whaley, Recital Pieces for Malletts (J.R. Publications) Snare: Cirone, Portraits in Rhythm (Belwin-Mills)

Timpani:

Whaley, Musical Studies for the Intermediate Timpanist (J.R. Publications)

#

Instrument

Audition Element

Tempo

Performance Notes

1

Mallets

2 Octave A-Flat Major Scale

Quarter Note = 92

In scale pattern

2

Mallets

2 Octave e harmonic minor scale

Quarter Note = 92

In scale pattern

3

Mallets

Full range chromatic scale

Quarter Note = 104

All eighth notes

4

Mallets

Pg. 43, beg to downbeat of m 22

Dotted Quarter = 54

5

Snare

Pg. 34-35 #32, beg to end of m 22

As marked

All roles done in concert style

6

Timpani

Pg 32, beg to end of m 22

Quarter Note = 104