GRADE 1

GRADE: INITIAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

GRADE 1 BOOK

Musical Knowledge
These questions test the candidate’s understanding of their chosen pieces, the context of their performance and their knowledge of their instrument and its technical demands, including best practice for rehearsal and performance.
Five questions, each worth 2 marks, will normally be asked. Questions will include discussions on most of the areas mentioned below, but not all parameters will be relevant to all disciplines and pieces, and examiners will select questions as appropriate.

Grade 1

Pitch names, note types (e.g. minim) and durations of any notes in the pieces played, including dotted notes and any ledger lines.
Clefs, time/key signatures and any common musical term/sign encountered.
Identify and explain p/f, accidentals, phrase marks, 1st & 2nd time bars and staccato/legato, when appearing in the pieces played.
Comment on any significant, interesting or unusual features of piece(s) played. Show a basic understanding of the instrument, including the names of its main parts (e.g. sound hole, tuning pegs, nut, saddle, bridge etc) and maintenance.

Grade 1 tutor performances

James Bond Theme -
Monty Norman, arr. Nicholas Powlesland (Group B, slow)

James Bond Theme -
Monty Norman, arr. Nicholas Powlesland (Group B)

James Bond Theme - interesting information
Key: E minor (1 sharp - F# in key signature). The piece is composed with the notes of the E minor scale
Time Signature: 4/4 time. (4 crotchet beats per bar)
Style: Thriller music, tense, dramatic
Features: 1) chromatic scalic theme (in semitones) 2) rolled chords (also called arpeggiated chords)
3) Pauses (shown by fermata or pause symbols) 4) swung quavers and straight quavers

James Bond Theme - Monty Norman

Mona Lisa by Lee Sollory (group B)

Mona Lisa by Lee Sollory - interesting information
Key: A minor (no key signature) [or more accurately, modal]. The piece is composed with the notes of the A minor scale [or Dorian mode]
Time Signature: 3/4 time. (3 crotchet beats per bar)
Style: Impressionistic, calm, floating. could be influenced by Eric Satie’s Gymnopédies
Features: 1) rolled chords (also called arpeggiated chords). 2) Harmonic (Harm. 12). 3) Pauses (shown by fermata or pause symbols).
4) rit. - slow down 5) a tempo. - return to original tempo

Gymnopédie No. 1 by Erik Satie

Inès -
Traditional Song from Northern Spain, arr. Lee Sollory (group A, slow)

Inès -
Traditional Song from Northern Spain, arr. Lee Sollory (group A)

Inès- interesting information
Key: A minor (no key signature). The piece is composed with the notes of the A minor scale
Time Signature: 2/4 time. (2 crotchet beats per bar)
Style: Spanish Song, dramatic, expressive
Features: 1) rolled chords (also called arpeggiated chords). 2) rit. molto - slow down a lot. 3) poco rit.- slow down a little.
4) a tempo. - return to original tempo

Balletto (17th Century Italian) Anonymous (group A, slow)

Balletto (17th Century Italian) Anonymous (group A)

Balletto- interesting information
Key: D major. Time Signature: 4/4 (4 crotchet beats in a bar).

Grade 1 - technical exercise, scales and arpeggios

examinations examination results fees and terms ensembles play!