Train Sight-Reading
Scan before playing
- Notice clef, key, meter, tempo, accidentals, range, rhythmic patterns and likely difficult entries. Use the preparation time allowed by the relevant audition rules.
Keep the pulse
- At a manageable tempo, prioritize continuity over repairing every missed note. Preserve the meter and rejoin at the next strong beat after an error.
Progress systematically
- Move from familiar keys and simple rhythms to wider ranges, ties, syncopation, mixed meter and changing textures. Use genuinely unseen excerpts for assessment.
Measure useful outcomes
- Track continuity, pitch accuracy, rhythm, tempo stability and recovery. Record whether the attempt used MIDI, microphone, self-report or human observation.
Other chapters: Read the Actual Requirements · Choose and Document Repertoire · Build a Realistic Calendar · Practice for Accuracy · Develop Your Interpretation · Strengthen Ear and Theory · Improvise and Collaborate · Make a Prescreen Recording · Prepare for the Interview · Run a Mock Audition · Plan the Audition Day · Use Feedback Well · Your Instrument or Pathway · Worksheets and Rubrics
These exercises are independent practice, not official audition materials, and they do not guarantee admission. Always follow the institution's current published requirements. Requirements differ between schools and change each year. Check the school's current published list.
Open the Audition Preparation Handbook →