Your bassoon grade 1 ABRSM exam will be marked out of 150 and you will need a total of 100 marks to Pass, 120 marks for a Merit and 130 marks for a Distinction.  The exam comprises of four main areas:

    Pieces

    In your exam you are required to play three pieces (worth up to 30 marks each), one from each of the three lists, A, B and C below:

    LIST A

    1. Czerny Rise and Shine! Bravo! Bassoon, arr. Barratt (Boosey & Hawkes)
    2. Diabelli The Carousel. No. 3 from 16 Progressive Pieces for Bassoon, arr. Denwood (Emerson E683)
    3. Gurlitt See-Saw. No. 1 from 16 Progressive Pieces for Bassoon, arr. Denwood (Emerson E683)
    4. Diabelli Serenade (from Op. 125) P. 22 from Learn as You Play Bassoon, arr. Wastall (Boosey & Hawkes: piano accomp. published separately)
    5. Gluck Chorus (from Paris and Helen) P. 22 from Learn as You Play Bassoon, arr. Wastall (Boosey & Hawkes: piano accomp. published separately)
    6. Jacques Hotteterre Menuet du Tambourin. No. 9 from First Book of Bassoon Solos, arr. Hilling and Bergmann (Faber)
    7. Pepusch Youth’s the Season Made for Joys Sounds Classical for Bassoon, arr. Sparke (Anglo Music AMP 362-400)
    8. Vogel Waltz Sounds Classical for Bassoon, arr. Sparke (Anglo Music AMP 362-400)
    9. Trad. Czech The Little Drummer Boy. Time Pieces for Bassoon, Vol. 1, arr. Denley (ABRSM: standard/minibassoon)

    LIST B

    1. Carol Barratt In the Limelight! Bravo! Bassoon, arr. Barratt (Boosey & Hawkes)
    2. John Burness Slow Waltz or Allegro or Philippa’s Tune: No. 1 or No. 2 or No. 4 from Four Easy Pieces (Paterson’s PAT60019)
    3. Colin Cowles Catchy Toon or Croonin’ ’oon: No. 3 or No. 6 from 25 Fun Moments for Bassoon (Studio Music)
    4. Russell Denwood Lament. No. 5 from 16 Progressive Pieces for Bassoon, arr. Denwood (Emerson E683)
    5. A. Macbeth Ceilidh. No. 4 from 16 Progressive Pieces for Bassoon, arr. Denwood (Emerson E683)
    6. Graham Lyons Rock Steady or Eva’s Tango. Compositions for Bassoon, Vol. 1 (Useful Music U140: piano part printable from companion CD or available in the separately published Selected Piano Accompaniments, Vol. 1, U240)
    7. Peter Maxwell Davies When I got out of bed. Time Pieces for Bassoon, Vol. 1, arr. Denley (ABRSM: standard/mini-bassoon)
    8. Graham Sheen Rondo. No. 3 from The Really Easy Bassoon Book, arr. Sheen (Faber)
    9. Tchaikovsky Russian Folksong. No. 6 from The Really Easy Bassoon Book, arr. Sheen (Faber)

    LIST C

    1. Anon. Study No. 9 (Folk Tune) or Study No. 12 (Czech Folk Tune) or Study No. 16 (Minuet). 90 Easy Bassoon Studies (Emerson E393)
    2. Colin Cowles Mind the Gap: from Out of Character (Fentone 14-401)
    3. James Rae Power House or Blue Bop: No. 2 or No. 4 from 16 Characteristic Studies (Reedimensions RD036)
    4. Smith Study Hymn. No. 10 from 44 Progressive Studies for Bassoon, arr. Denwood (Emerson E689)
    5. Trad. Welsh Study Hymn St Denio. No. 3 from 44 Progressive Studies for Bassoon, arr. Denwood (Emerson E689)
    6. arr. Philip Sparke The Blue Danube or Water Music: No. 55 or No. 61 from Starter Studies for Bassoon (Anglo Music AMP 364-401)
    7. Weissenborn Study in A minor (P. 3 No. 7) or Study in A minor (P. 3 No. 8): from Bassoon Studies, Op. 8, Vol. 1 (Peters EP 2277a)

    Scales & Arpeggios

    As part of your exam you are also required to play scales & arpeggios from memory (worth up to 21 marks) - please see the ABRSM Bassoon Grades 1-8 Scale Book

    Sight-Reading Test

    You will also be required to sight-read some music that you have not seen before (worth up to 21 marks) - to prepare for this part of your exam please see the ABRSM Bassoon Grades 1-5 Sight-Reading Book which has a selection of specimen sight-reading pieces.

    Aural Tests

    In another part of your exam you will be required to complete a set of aural tests challenging your musicianship (worth up to 18 marks). To help prepare for this please see the ABRSM Aural Training in Practice Grades 1-3 Book (a guide with tests) and/or ABRSM Specimen Sight-Reading Tests Grades 1-3 Book (specimen tests).

     

    *Information correct at time of publishing 14.03.16


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