ABRSM Grade 7 Orchestral Percussion

General Info

Candidates taking a Percussion (Combined) exam are required to:

• play one piece for each of Snare Drum, Timpani and Keyboard Percussion
• play the technical requirements for either Snare Drum, Timpani or Keyboard Percussion at their choice
• have instruments available which meet the minimum requirements for the Sight-reading for Snare Drum, Timpani and Keyboard Percussion. The subject for the test will be chosen by the examiner.

Snare Drum Song List

Item	Works	Composer	Publication	Publisher	Instrumentation	Video
1	Cretan Dance	Warren Benson	Three Dances for Solo Snare Drum	Hal Leonard	Snare Drum Only
2	Taiko	James Campbell	Music for Multi-Percussion: A World View	Alfred Music	Drums (High & Medium & Low) & Cymbals
3	Study No. 32	Anthony Cirone	Portraits in Rhythm	Alfred Music	Snare Drum Only
4	Movement 4	Guy Gauthreaux II	American Suite for Unaccompanied Snare Drum	Meredith Music Publications	Snare Drum Only
5	Battercada	Rachel Gledhill	Battercada	Southern Percussion	Snare Drum only
6	Prelude	William Kraft	English Suite	Alfred Music	Bass Drum & Tenor Drum & Field Drum & Bongos
7	Up Sticks	Clive Malabar	ABRSM Principal Percussion	Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	Snare Drum Only
8	Zonal I	Cameron Sinclair	Zonal I	Scottish Music Centre	Bongos & Tom-tom
9	The New Downfall	Charley Wilcoxon	Modern Rudimental Swing Solos	Ludwig Masters	Snare Drum Only
10	Swinging the "26"	Charley Wilcoxon	Modern Rudimental Swing Solos	Ludwig Masters	Snare Drum Only

Timpani Song List

Item	Works	Composer	Publication	Publisher	Retune / Pedaling	Video
1	Etude	Bill Cahn	Six Concert Pieces for Solo Timpani	Meredith Music Publications	Nil
2	Prelude	Raynor Carroll	Exercises, Etudes and Solos for the Timpani	Batterie Music	Retune & Pedaling
3	Shades of Bartók	Peter Evans	Shades of Bartók	Southern Percussion	Retune & Pedaling
4	Rock of the 80's	Kirk J. Gay	Pedal to the Kettle	Tapspace	Retune & Pedaling
5	Rite of Passage	Matthew Hardy	Concert and Audition Pieces for the Young Percussionist	Southern Percussion	Nil
6	Flower City Funk	David Mancini	Flower City Funk	Kendor Music	Retune & Pedaling
7	Movement 3	Alan Ridout	Sonatina for Timpani	Boosey & Hawkes	Nil
8	Feuertanz	Cameron Sinclair	3 Tanzen	Scottish Music Centre	Retune & Pedaling
9	Study No. 9	Nick Woud	The Timpani Challenge	Pustjens Percussion	Retune & Pedaling
10	Spring Fever	Ian Wright	ABRSM Principal Percussion	Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	Retune

Keyboard Percussion Song List

Item	Works	Composer	Publication	Publisher	Instrumentation	Video
1	Presto	James Moore	Bach For Marimba	Kendor Music	Marimba / Xylophone / Vibraphone
2	Sarabandce	Garwood Whaley	Recital Pieces for Mallets	Meredith Music Publications	Marimba / Vibraphone
3	Waltz in Ragtime	Harry Breuer	Harry Breuer's Ragtime Solos	Meredith Music Publications	Marimba / Xylophone / Vibraphone
4	Prelude in G Minor	Pius Cheung	Prelude in G Minor	Pius Cheung	Marimba
5	Cou-Cou	Ian Finkel	Ian Finkel's Classical Encores for Xylophone and Piano	Southern Percussion	Xylophone
6	Hora Staccato	Morris Goldenberg	Hora Staccato	Carl Fischer	Xylophone
7	Folkish	Michael Zev	ABRSM Principal Percussion	Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	Marimba / Xylophone / Vibraphone
8	Triplets	George Hamilton Green	George Hamilton Green's Xylophone Rags	Meredith Music	Xylophone
9	No. 4	David Hext	Four Graded Pieces for Multi-Mallet Marimba	Southern Percussion	Marimba
10	Baiao	Ney Rosauro	Suite Popular Brasileira	Music for Percussion	Marimba
11	Hombre d'août	Éric Sammut	Hombre d'août	Billaudot	Marimba
12	Il canto dei gondolieri	Nebojša Jovan Živkovic	Funny Marimba - Book 2	Gretel Verlag	Marimba

Technical Requirements

One of the following options, chosen by the candidate

Instrument	List	Publications	Memory	Notes	Video Performance
Snare Drum	Study A Study B	Percussion Studies, ABRSM Grades 6-8	Nil	Studies are in important way to develop technical skills such as stick control, balance between hands, fluency and articulation. They also help to develop tone, pulse and dynamic control, and familiarity with rudimental patterns. This leads to greater confidence and security when sight-reading, learning new pieces and performing - from a score or from memory, as a solo musician or with others.
Timpani	Study A Study B	Percussion Studies, ABRSM Grades 6-8	Nil	Studies are in important way to develop technical skills such as fluency, balance between hands, moving between drums, retuning / pedaling and articulation. They also help to develop tone, pulse, dynamic control and interval awareness. This leads to greater confidence and security when sight-reading, learning new pieces and performing - from a score or from memory, as a solo musician or with others.
Keyboard Percussion	Db / E / G / Bb Major Scales (In Broken Third / In Sixth) and Broken Chord (Two Octave) C# / E / G / Bb Harmonic Minor Scales (In Broken Third / In Sixth) and Broken Chord (Two Octave) C# / E / G / Bb Melodic Minor Scales (In Octaves) Chromatic Scales in Minor Third starting on F & Ab / Bb & Db Dominant Sevenths in the Key of Db / E / G / Bb Diminished Seventh starting on C#	Percussion Scales & Arpeggios, ABRSM Grades 6-8	All requirements should be played from memory.	Playing scales and arpeggios is important for building strong technical skills such as reliable hand movement and position, co-ordination and fluency. It also helps to develop pitch and interval awareness, and familiarity with keys and their related patterns. This leads to greater confidence and security when sight-reading, learning new pieces and performing- from a score or from memory, as a solo musician or with others.

Sight Reading

Sight-reading is a valuable skill with many benefits. Learning to sight-read helps to develop quick recognition of keys, tonality and common rhythm patterns. Strong sight-reading skills make learning new pieces quicker and easier, and also help when making music with others, so that playing in an ensemble becomes more rewarding and enjoyable.