TCL Grade 6 Orchestral Percussion
General Info
Candidates taking a Orchestral Percussion exam are required to:
- play one piece for each of Snare Drum, Timpani and Tuned Percussion, must not include the study pieces
Snare Drum Song List
| Item | Works | Composer | Publication | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compilation no. 1 | Gert Bomhof | 21 Solos for Snare Drum | De Haske |
| 2 | Etude in 7/8 | Morris Goldenberg | Modern School for Snare Drum | Alfred Music Publishing |
| 3 | Sombrero Bolero | Ben Hans | 40 Intermediate Snare Drum Solos | Hal Leonard |
| 4 | A Riddle of Rudiments | Jackie Kendle | Percussion World: Snare Drum | Trinity College London Press |
| 5 | No. 25 | Keith Larson | Artistic Studies for Snare Drum | C. Alan Publishing |
| 6 | Variations on a Bolero | Michael Skinner | Percussion Exam Pieces & Studies Snare Drum Book 2: Grades 6-8 | Trinity College London Press |
| 7 | Chops Are Us | Jay Wanamaker | Alfred's Rudimental Contest Solos | Alfred Music Publishing |
| 8 | Free Flight | Jay Wanamaker | Alfred's Rudimental Contest Solos | Alfred Music Publishing |
| 9 | No. 6 | Garwood Whaley | Recital Solos for Snare Drum | Meredith Music Publications |
| 10 | Silver | Brian Wilshere | Percussion World: Snare Drum | Trinity College London Press |
Timpani Song List
| Item | Works | Composer | Publication | Publisher | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March (No. 9) | Gert Bomhof | Solo Pieces for Timpani | De Haske | |
| 2 | Memory (No. 10) | Gert Bomhof | Solo Pieces for Timpani | De Haske | |
| 3 | Swinging Timpani (No. 13) | Gert Bomhof | Solo Pieces for Timpani | De Haske | |
| 4 | Misterioso | Raynor Carroll | Exercises, Etudes and Solos for Timpani | Carl Fischer | |
| 5 | Variations | Raynor Carroll | Exercises, Etudes and Solos for Timpani | Carl Fischer | |
| 6 | Hop On, Hop Off | Lalo Davila | Timp-Tastic | Tapspace | |
| 7 | Mischievous March | David Hext | Percussion World: Timpani | Trinity College London Press | |
| 8 | Primeval Dance | John O'Reilly | Solos for the Percussion Player | Schirmer | |
| 9 | Solo II | Salvatore Rabbio | Contest & Recital Solos for Timpani | Alfred Music | |
| 10 | Solo VIII | Salvatore Rabbio | Contest & Recital Solos for Timpani | Alfred Music | |
| 11 | Experience in Six | William Schinstine | Timp Tunes | Southern Percussion | |
| 12 | Study no. 8 | Nick Woud | Symphonic Studies for Timpani | De Haske |
Tuned Percussion Song List
Study List
| Item | Works | Composer | Instrument | Publications | Publisher | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Five and Counting | Lorne Pearcey | Snare Drum | Snare Drum Studies | Mark Aldous | |
| 2 | Grade 6 Rudimental Study | Michael Skinner | Snare Drum | Percussion Exam Pieces & Studies Snare Drum Book 2: Grades 6-8 | Trinity College London Press | |
| 5 | No. 1 | Gennady Butov | Marimba / Xylophone | 24 Etudes for Marimba | Studio 4 Music | |
| 6 | No. 2 | Gennady Butov | Marimba / Xylophone | 24 Etudes for Marimba | Studio 4 Music |
Technical Works
One of the following options, chosen by the candidate
Tuned Percussion
Scales and Arpeggios
1. F / G Major Scales (Two Octave)
2. F / G Major Scales in third (Two Octave)
3. F / G Major Scales Legato Roll (One Octave)
4. F / G Major Scales in Octave (One Octave)
5. Chromatic Scale in minor third starting on F and D (Two Octave)
6. D / E Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales (Two Octave)
7. D / E Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales in third (Two Octave)
8. D / E Harmonic and Melodic Minor Scales Legato Roll (One Octave)
9. D / E Harmonic and Melodic Minor in Octave (One Octave)
10. F / G Major Arpeggios (Two Octave)
11. D / E Minor Arpeggios (Two Octave)
12. Dominant 7ths in the keys of / G / F (Two Octave)
13. Diminished 7ths starting on C♯ / E / G / B♭(Two Octave)
Orchestral Except
Candidates choose one extract to play first. Examiners then selet one of the remaining two extracts to be performed.
1. Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra - Variation M
2. Copland : Rodeo - Hoe-Down
3. Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty - No. 6 Waltz
Materials can be found in the Orchester Probespiel: Pauke/Schlagzeug.
Sight reading
This test assesses candidates’ ability to perform a previously unseen musical extract, at a level approximately two grades lower than the exam being taken.
About the Test
After 30 seconds’ preparation time, candidates perform a previously unseen musical extract at a level lower than the exam being taken.
Supporting Publications
For practice purposes, sample Sight-reading tests are published by Trinity College London Press in Graded Percussion Sight-Reading, Grades 1-8. Purchasing the book is not a requirement.
Aural
This test supports the development of candidate's abilities in musical perception and understanding by requiring them to recognize musical features by ear. All questions are based on a single musical example played at the piano by the examiner.
About the Test
1. Listen to the piece once and Identify the time signature
2. Listen to the piece once and comment on the dynamics
3. Listen to the piece once and comment on the articulation
4. Listen to the piece twice and comment on three other characteristics of the piece
5. Study a copy of the piece, listen to it twice with three changes, locate and describe the changes as pitch or rhythm.
Supporting Publications
For practice purposes, sample Sight-reading tests are published by Trinity College London Press in Aural Tests Book 2 from 2017 (Grade 6-8). Purchasing the book is not a requirement.
Improvisation
This test assesses candidates’ ability to improvise fluently, coherently and creatively in response to a musical stimulus. Candidates can choose between three types of improvisation stimulus: stylistic, harmonic or motivic.
Stylistic stimulus
This option requires candidates to improvise on their instrument over a notated accompaniment played by the examiner at the piano.
- Candidates are given a stimulus which includes the notated piano part and chord symbols. The stimulus begins with a two-bar introduction played by the examiner alone, followed by a further section over which
candidates must improvise for a specified number of repeats.
- The examiner plays the stimulus twice for candidates’ reference, without repeats.
- Candidates are then given 30 seconds’ preparation time, during which they may prepare for their improvisation aloud.
- The test then follows. The examiner plays the stimulus again, and candidates join in after the introduction, improvising for the specified number of repeats. Candidates should aim to improvise in a way that complements the musical style of the stimulus.
Motivic stimulus
This option requires candidates to improvise solo in response to a short melodic fragment.
- Candidates are given a notated melodic fragment, which the examiner plays twice on the piano for candidates’ reference.
- Candidates are then given 30 seconds’ preparation time, during which they may prepare for their improvisation aloud.
- The test then follows. Candidates should aim to improvise within the specified duration range and may begin by quoting the stimulus directly, developing their improvisation from there. However, they are not required to quote the stimulus directly, and may instead develop their improvisation from ideas taken from the stimulus such as a small group of notes or an interval. Responses must use the given time signature.
Harmonic stimulus
This option requires candidates to improvise solo in response to a chord sequence.
- Candidates are given a notated chord sequence, including chord symbols, which the examiner plays twice on the piano for candidates’ reference.
- Candidates are then given 30 seconds’ preparation time, during which they may prepare for their improvisation aloud.
- The test then follows. Candidates should improvise for the specified number of repeats, following the chord sequence. Responses should contain melodic / rhythmic interest.