A choir audition sounds scarier than it usually is. Most directors just want to hear you sing, watch how you handle a page of music, and decide where you’d fit best. Maybe that’s a short song. Maybe it’s a few notes to match, or a simple line to read. Every choir does it its own way, so start by finding out what yours wants.
Here’s what’s ahead: how to read the audition notice, what to practice, how sight-reading works, how parts get handed out, and what the day itself looks like. It’s written for beginners and adults who haven’t sung in a while, though people who’ve auditioned before might pick up something too.
What Does a Choir Audition Usually Involve?
Usually it’s quick. You may get a few minutes with the director, sometimes with an accompanist and sometimes with only a piano. You could be asked about your singing background, to sing a prepared piece, to repeat some pitches, or to read a short line cold.
No single choir does all of that, and some skip most of it. A community choir might treat the audition as a placement check so they know where you’d sit. A school or chamber choir can be pickier. It depends on the group, the director, and the level, so treat any list online, this one included, as a rough guide and not a rulebook.
Read the Audition Instructions First
Before you pick a song or learn a single note, read the whole audition notice. Look for the piece length, whether you’ll have a piano or sing on your own, whether to memorize, and whether to bring copies of your music. Sign-up steps and deadlines matter too.
If anything’s vague, email the director. Most don’t mind, and it shows you’re serious.
Plenty of people lose points before they open their mouths by bringing music that doesn’t match the request, like a song that runs long or sits in the wrong style. If the choice is yours, go with something you can sing cleanly and comfortably. A piece you know cold beats a showy one you’re still fighting with.
What to Practice Before Audition Day
Short sessions over a few weeks beat one big cram. If you’re not sure how to set them up, this piece on how to practice singing is a good place to look.
Pitch
Play your notes on a piano or keyboard app until the tune feels familiar. Then close the app and sing it unaided. Did you land on the same notes? Record a run-through on your phone and listen back later. You’ll hear flat spots you never noticed while singing.
Rhythm and Timing
Nerves make almost everyone rush. Before you sing a phrase, tap its rhythm on your knee or say the words in time. Then run it with a metronome set slower than feels natural, and nudge it up only when it’s steady.
Diction and Phrasing
Read the lyrics out loud as if you’re talking to someone across a table. Crisp consonants carry in a room, and tidy vowels make a line easier to follow. Then decide where you’ll breathe and pencil a small tick at each spot, so you aren’t guessing mid-phrase.
Preparing a Song or Excerpt
If the choir wants a song, keep it short and know your first note cold. You may not get a warm-up lap in the room, so practice starting from silence. Singing it once for a friend helps too, since being listened to feels odd the first time. Stuck on what to pick? A list of songs for beginner singers has plenty of easy ones.
Sight-Reading for Choir Auditions
Sight-reading means singing something you’ve never seen, usually after a short look. When pitch is part of it, people often call it sight-singing. Some choirs use it, some don’t, and some only hand you a very simple melody.
Directors generally care less about perfection than about how you go at it. Is your beat steady? Are you close on the pitches? Do you keep going after a wobble?
When unfamiliar music lands in your hands, try this order:
- Check the key signature and time signature.
- Scan for patterns, repeats, and big leaps.
- Tap or whisper the rhythm, if that’s allowed.
- Hear the tricky bits in your head.
- Start, and keep the beat moving even if a note slips.
For practice, give a few minutes a day to easy melodies from a hymnal, a beginner sight-singing book, or a simple choral part. Choirs don’t all use the same system (some like solfege syllables, others numbers), so ask which one yours prefers before you sink time into one.
What if you can’t read sheet music at all? Plenty of choirs welcome people who learn by ear, and a few audition that way. Ask the director what they expect. Reading builds slowly over weeks and months, so don’t count on cracking it overnight.
When pitch or reading is what trips you up, one-on-one lessons give a teacher the chance to hear you work through examples and point to exactly where you hesitate. Lots of singers get ready fine without them, but it’s an option if you want it.
How Vocal Parts Work in a Choir
Many choirs arrange their singers from high to low in four sections called soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Still others expand on that, with sections called 1 and 2, and fewer, just two or three parts, or even just unison singing. You can’t assume your choir is arranged like the one you saw at a concert.
No need to select your part in advance, either. Directors most often determine your voice part after listening to your tessitura, your tone, and how you “wear” it–not just the high or low note you can produce. They may even have you sing through a few pitches up and down and listen. If one range is comfortable, let them know.
In a choir you’re sometimes singing a line that isn’t the melody, while everyone else is singing something different all around you. So listening is just as important as singing. Sing along with harmony recordings.
Following the Conductor and Handling Feedback
Keep your eyes on the director. A nod, a breath, or a hand movement usually signals when to start, and a small gesture says when to stop. They may ask you to repeat something with a change, like softer, slower, or a different vowel. Don’t panic. Often they’re just checking how well you adjust, and that’s a good sign.
Rehearsals work the same way. Show up on time, bring a pencil, mark your score, and stay quiet while the director talks. Taking direction is part of what many choirs listen for.
What to Expect on Audition Day
Bring whatever the notice asks for, plus a pencil, some water, and copies of your music if requested. Get there early enough to sit for a bit and settle in.
Warm up gently. A little humming and some easy slides at a comfortable volume are plenty. Skip extra run-throughs right before you go in, because a tired voice won’t get better in the waiting room. Avoid talking over a noisy crowd, and keep sipping water. Small habits for keeping a healthy voice add up. If you feel pain or discomfort that lingers, stop and rest instead of pushing through.
Nerves are normal. Breathe out a little longer than you breathe in, and remind yourself the director wants to hear you do well. If you slip, keep going, or ask to start over if that seems okay. One mistake doesn’t mean the audition went badly. Directors expect a few, especially from beginners.
If You’re a Beginner or Returning Adult
Limited experience isn’t a barrier on its own. Start early, ask the director what level they expect, and listen to recordings of the choir if you can find any. Some adults ease in through group singing classes for adults before auditioning, which gives them practice singing around other voices.
Ready for Personalized Help?
You can practice for a choir audition on your own, and many do! But maybe you’d like someone else to hear you hit a note, practice your prepared piece, or read a few pages. Joann C. Chang offers singing lessons in Mountain View, California, and online through Zoom. Her lessons can be tailored to audition prep, including sight-singing and practicing singing in front of someone else. You may not need that for every audition, but it can take some of the guesswork out of the process.
If you’d like personalized feedback, book a Vocal Breakthrough Session.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens at a choir audition?
It depends. You may have a conversation with the director, sing a prepared piece, pitch matching, or do a brief sight-reading. Do what the choir instructions ask.
- Do I have to be able to read music for a choir audition?
Not necessarily. Some choirs allow singers who aren’t sight-readers, while others require standard reading ability. Check with the director to find out.
- What do you sing for a choir audition?
Choose the choir’s recommendation. If you are able to make the decision, select a short selection of a length and style you can sing confidently and correctly.
- What does sight-reading mean in choir auditions?
It’s singing a few lines that you’re not familiar with, after a few seconds to look at them. Directors tend to listen for a solid beat, decent pitch, and whether you pick up from little errors quickly.
- How do you quiet your nerves before a choir audition?
Practice early, warm up ahead of time, and slow your breathing, especially by exhaling longer. Keep in mind that, one tiny error doesn’t necessarily mean you failed the audition.
- Can beginners succeed at choir auditions?
A good number of choirs are happy to start beginners. They are community based, so enquire about them and go slowly and steadily.
