Your clarinet grade 3 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. G. Farnaby Tower Hill, arr. Frank and Forbes Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    2. Lerner & Loewe Ascot Gavotte: from My Fair Lady, arr. Hunt et al. Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    3. Schubert Ave Maria, arr. Birchall Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    4. Beethoven German Dance No. 6 (from WoO 8). Time Pieces for Clarinet, Vol. 2, arr. Denley (ABRSM)
    5. Gossec Ballet Clarinet Basics Repertoire, arr. Harris (Faber)
    6. Sullivan The Disagreeable Man Clarinet Basics Repertoire, arr. Harris (Faber)
    7. T. Kullak Witches’ Dance. First Repertoire for Clarinet, arr. Harris and Johnson (Faber)
    8. Lefèvre Melody. Music Through Time for Clarinet, Book 3, arr. Harris (OUP)
    9. Schubert An die Nachtigall (D. 497). Franz Schubert Clarinet Album, arr. Rae (Universal UE 21398)

    LIST B

    1. Ahbez Nature Boy, arr. Ramskill Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    2. Joplin When Your Hair is Like the Snow, arr. Harris Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    3. Duncan Lamont Mr Benn: from Mr Benn Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    4. Keith Bartlett Semi-tone Samba: from Just for Fun! for Clarinet (UMP)
    5. Finzi Carol: No. 3 from Five Bagatelles (Boosey & Hawkes)
    6. Gershwin Summertime (from Porgy and Bess) or Do, Do, Do (from Oh, Kay!). No. 5 or No. 11 from Easy Gershwin for Clarinet, arr. Davies and Harris (OUP)
    7. Paul Harris Sheep, a Gate, a Stream, Green Meadows and a Couple of Cows or Brakes Off!: from I Hate Crossing the Break! (Queen’s Temple Publications QT119)
    8. Khachaturian A Little Song (from Pictures of Childhood). Time Pieces for Clarinet, Vol. 2, arr. Denley (ABRSM)
    9. Ravel Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty (from Mother Goose). Music Through Time for Clarinet, Book 3, arr. Harris (OUP)

    LIST C

    1. Paul Harvey Roehampton Roundelay: No. 1 from Ten Tunes for Kathy Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    2. James Rae Straight Five: No. 20 from 38 More Modern Studies for Solo Clarinet Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    3. Rossini Mille affetti nel petto mi sento: from La gazza ladra, arr. attrib. Lazarus Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
    4. Richard Benger Au café: from 30 Tuneful Studies (Spartan Press SP317)
    5. Demnitz Study in G (P. 14 No. 3): from Elementary School for Clarinet (Peters EP 2417)
    6. Chris Gumbley Major Road Ahead: from Cool School for Clarinet (Brass Wind)
    7. Wiedemann Shepherd’s Song (Hirtenlied). No. 29 from 80 Graded Studies for Clarinet, Book 1 (Faber)

    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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