Your clarinet grade 6 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. Busoni Elegia: 3rd movt from Suite, K. 88 Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    2. L. Kozeluch Poco adagio: 2nd movt from Concerto in Eb Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    3. Saint-Saëns Allegro animato: 2nd movt from Sonata in Eb, Op. 167 Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    4. German Romance (Lazarus Edition)
    5. Lefèvre Allegro moderato or Adagio: 1st or 2nd movt from Sonata No. 9 in F (Ricordi)
    6. C. H. Lloyd Sarabande: 4th movt from Suite in the Old Style (Lazarus Edition)
    7. Mendelssohn Song without Words (Op. 53 No. 2). No. 7 from Mendelssohn for the Clarinet, arr. King and Frank (ABRSM)
    8. Mozart Adagio: 2nd movt from Concerto in A, K. 622 (Bärenreiter BA 4773-90 or 4773-44, or Boosey & Hawkes: A or Bb editions)
    9. Tartini, arr. Jacob Grave and Allegro molto: 1st and 2nd movts from Concertino (Boosey & Hawkes)

    LIST B

    1. Gordon Langford Pot-Pourri (ossia 8vb in bb. 134–5): No. 4 from Four Scottish Impressions Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    2. Milhaud Modéré: 2nd movt from Scaramouche Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    3. James Rae Sole Bay: 1st movt from Southwold Sonatina Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    4. Rob Buckland Travellin’ Light. No. 5 from Café Europa (Astute Music)
    5. Andrew Byrne Prelude or Burlesque: 1st or 3rd movt from Suite for Clarinet (Hinrichsen EP 72270)
    6. Finzi Prelude or Romance: No. 1 or No. 2 from Five Bagatelles (Boosey & Hawkes)
    7. P. Reade Prelude: 1st movt from Suite from The Victorian Kitchen Garden (Weinberger)
    8. Walton Tango-Pasodoblé (from Façade). Music Through Time for Clarinet, Book 4, arr. Harris (OUP)
    9. Andrew Wilson Put Your Hoe Down!: from Jazz, Rock and More! for Clarinet (Spartan Press SP454)

    LIST C

    1. John Barrett Three Out of Four (glissandi optional): from Whole Steps Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    2. Randall Cunningham Etude in Db: No. 2 from 15 Advanced Etudes Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    3. C. Rose after Ferling Study in D: No. 14 from 32 Études Clarinet Exam Pieces, Grade 6 (ABRSM)
    4. C. Baermann Study in A. No. 53 from 80 Graded Studies for Clarinet, Book 2 (Faber)
    5. Demnitz Study in Ab (P. 32 No. 9) or Study in F minor (P. 33 No. 10): from Elementary School for Clarinet (Peters EP 2417)
    6. Roger Purcell Hoe-Down (observing repeats): No. 59 from Scaling the Heights (Astute Music)
    7. James Rae Latin Jive or Meditation: No. 32 or No. 35 from 40 Modern Studies for Solo Clarinet (Universal UE 19735)

    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 6-8 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 6-8 Book (a guide with tests) and/or ABRSM Specimen Sight-Reading Tests Grade 6 Book (specimen tests).

     

    *Information correct at time of publishing 14.03.16


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