Your grade 6 double bass 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. Capuzzi Rondo (Allegro): 3rd movt from Concerto in D (Yorke YE0011)
    2. Galliard Adagio and Allegro: 1st and 2nd movts from Sonata in D minor, trans. Drew. String Festival Solos, Double Bass Vol. 2 (Alfred–Belwin EL95110: piano accomp. published separately, EL95109)
    3. Giordani Larghetto. Two Eighteenth-Century Pieces, arr. Sterling (Stainer & Bell H468)
    4. B. Marcello Largo and Allegro: 3rd and 4th movts from Sonata in F, Op. 2 No. 1. Marcello Six Sonatas (G. Schirmer GS26269)
    5. S. Paxton The Bush aboon Traquair (A Scots Air) and Vivace: 2nd and 3rd movts from Sonata in D, Op. 3 No. 2, trans. Elliott (Bartholomew 005)
    6. Vivaldi Allegro: 4th movt from Sonata No. 1 in B b, RV 47. Vivaldi Complete Sonatas for Violoncello (Bärenreiter BA 6995) or (separately, trans. Zimmermann: IMC 2302)

    LIST B

    1. Beethoven Sonatina. No. 6 from Solos for the Double Bass Player, arr. Zimmermann (G. Schirmer GS33083)
    2. Gabriel-Marie La Cinquantaine. No. 6 from Suzuki Bass School, Vol. 4 (Alfred–Summy-Birchard 28359: pianoaccomp. published separately, 28360) or (separately, arr. Elliott: Bartholomew 001)
    3. Keÿper Romance: No. 1 from Romance and Rondo (Yorke YE0030)
    4. John Merle Caballero. Festival Performance Solos – String Bass (Carl Fischer BF5: piano accomp. published separately, BF6)
    5. Pascal Proust Arcades (Combre C05483)
    6. John Walton A Deep Song (Yorke YE0005)

    LIST C

    1. L. Bernstein America (from West Side Story) (observing repeats). Amazing Solos for Double Bass, arr. Schofield (Boosey & Hawkes) accomp.
    2. Bottesini Study No. 40 or No. 50: from Method for Double Bass, Part 1 (Yorke YE0076) solo
    3. Derek Bourgeois Allegro commodo: No. 3 from Fantasy Pieces for Double Bass (Brass Wind) solo
    4. Gavin Bryars Room 42. Time Pieces for Double Bass, Vol. 2, arr. Slatford (ABRSM) accomp.
    5. P. M. Dubois Le gai cascadeur (Le Rideau Rouge RR1068) accomp.
    6. Teppo Hauta-aho A Little Waltz (Pieni Valssi): from Teppo’s Tunes (Recital Music RM068) accomp.
    7. Sturm Andante and Moderato: Nos 3 and 4 from 110 Studies for String Bass, Op. 20, Vol. 1 (IMC 2079) solo

    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 Double Bass Grades 6-8 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 Double Bass 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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