Your clarinet 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. Duncombe Minuet: from First Book of Progressive Lessons, arr. Harris Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    2. Schubert Entr’acte: No. 5 from Rosamunde, D. 797, arr. Kolman Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    3. Trad. Welsh Ar Hyd y Nôs (All Through the Night), arr. Watts Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    4. Diabelli Solemn Procession (Op. 151 No. 2) Easy Pieces for Clarinet, arr. De Smet (Pan Educational Music PEM87 or PEM88: Bb or C editions)
    5. Lully Ariette Easy Pieces for Clarinet, arr. De Smet (Pan Educational Music PEM87 or PEM88: Bb or C editions)
    6. Lebègue Menuet (observing 1st repeat). Time Pieces for Clarinet, Vol. 1, arr. Denley (ABRSM)
    7. Lefèvre March. Music Through Time for Clarinet, Book 1, arr. Harris (OUP)
    8. Trad. Russian Song of the Volga Boatmen. No. 2 from First Book of Clarinet Solos, arr. Davies and Reade (Faber: Bb or C editions)
    9. Weber Lullaby (Op. 13 No. 2). No. 9 from The Really Easy Clarinet Book, arr. Davies and Harris (Faber: Bb or C editions)

    LIST B

    1. Heather Hammond Synco-Rock 2: from Cool Clarinet Repertoire, Book 1 Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    2. Christopher Norton Seriously Now: No. 6 from The Microjazz Clarinet Collection 1 Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    3. Solov’yov-Sedoy Podmoskovniye Vechera (Moscow Nights), arr. Hunt et al. Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    4. Dyson Waltz. Time Pieces for Clarinet, Vol. 1, arr. Denley (ABRSM)
    5. Paul Harris Promenade: No. 1 from Summer Sketches (Boosey & Hawkes)
    6. Mahler Funeral March (from Symphony No. 1). Music Through Time for Clarinet, Book 1, arr. Harris (OUP)
    7. Julian Nott ‘Wallace and Gromit’ Theme Cool Clarinet Repertoire, Book 2, arr. Hammond (Kevin Mayhew: piano accomp. published separately)
    8. Offenbach The Can Can Cool Clarinet Repertoire, Book 2, arr. Hammond (Kevin Mayhew: piano accomp. published separately)
    9. Trad. Norwegian Cowkeeper’s Tune. No. 7 from The Really Easy Clarinet Book, arr. Davies and Harris (Faber: Bb or C editions)

    LIST C

    1. Roger Purcell Out of Sync: No. 6 from Scaling the Heights Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    2. Colin Radford Sunset: No. 1 from 21st-Century Clarinet Studies Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    3. Trad. Spanish El cortejo (Courting), arr. Lewin Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 1 (ABRSM)
    4. Demnitz Study in F (P. 3 No. 2): from Elementary School for Clarinet (Peters EP 2417). Also available as: No. 5 from 80 Graded Studies for Clarinet, Book 1 (Faber)
    5. Paul Harris Study in G. No. 10 from 80 Graded Studies for Clarinet, Book 1 (Faber)
    6. James Rae Diversion or The Swinger: No. 10 or No. 14 from 38 More Modern Studies for Solo Clarinet (Universal UE 21554)
    7. Tchaikovsky Marche slave. Winners Galore for Clarinet, arr. Lawrance (Brass Wind)

    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 Clarinet 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 Clarinet 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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