Hey, I’m a soprano 1. But I’ve compiled this list of great audition songs for basses anyway!
I’ve already written a very detailed post on choosing a standout audition song. It walks you through seven steps to figuring out if the song is right for you and the show you’re auditioning for!
Feel free to take my audition song idea quiz or check out this list of songs for basses below!
Audition Song Idea List for Basses
Uptempo for Basses:
- “Funny”: City of Angels
- “How Long Must This Go On?”: Beauty and the Beast
- “Ol’ Man River”: Show Boat*
- “They Live in You”: The Lion King
- “Be Prepared”: The Lion King
- “Try to Remember”: The Fantasticks
- “Where’s the Girl?”: The Scarlet Pimpernel
- “But, Mr. Adams”: 1776
- “If I Were a Rich Man”: Fiddler on the Roof*
- “Dulcinea”: Man of La Mancha
- “This Jesus Must Die”: Jesus Christ Superstar
- “Farewell, Good Angel”: Jane Eyre
- “All I Owe Ioway”: State Fair
- “Days Gone By”: She Loves Me
- “Put on a Happy Face”: Bye Bye Birdie
- “Pilate’s Dream”: Jesus Christ Superstar
- “Where is the Life That Late I Led?”: Kiss Me Kate
- “On A Clear Day”: On a Clear Day
- “Bustopher Jones”: Cats
- “Razzle Dazzle”: Chicago
Ballads for Basses:
- “Hey Little Songbird”: Hadestown
- “How Long?”: Hadestown
- “You’re Timeless to Me”: Hairspray
- “Somethin’ Ain’t Right”: Parade
- “Letter to the Governor”: Parade
- “I Am Trying To Remember”: Parade**
- “Talk To Me”: Bye Bye Birdie
- “Don’t Take Much”: The Life
- “The Old Hills of Georgia”: Parade
- “Somethin’ Ain’t Right”: Parade
- “Edelweiss”: The Sound of Music
- “If I Can’t Love Her”: Beauty and the Beast
- “I’ll Never Say No”: The Unsinkable Molly Brown
- “It’s Love”: Wonderful Town
- “Let’s Not Waste a Moment”: Milk and Honey
- “Lonely Room”: Oklahoma!
- “It Ain’t Necessarily So”: Porgy & Bess
- “Make Them Hear You”: Ragtime
- “A Fellow Needs a Girl”: Allegro
- “Some Enchanted Evening”: South Pacific
- “Stars”: Les Misérables*
- “Once Nearly Was Mine“: South Pacific
- “Wheels of a Dream”: Ragtime
*Possibly overdone. If it’s the perfect song and you can kill it, I say go for it.
**Content might not be suitable for every audition.
I’ll continue to update this list as I hear more songs!
Break a leg!
Grace
Grace
Howdy, I’m Grace! I'm a Catholic music educator and voice teacher in Fort Worth, TX. Every week I share a podcast teaching Catholic kids sacred music--want to learn more? Try Sing With Grace for free today!