Your flute 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
- Mozart Variation 6: from Serenade, K. 361, arr. Denley Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
- attrib. Pergolesi Tre giorni son che Nina (For three days Nina), arr. Gatti and Sogni Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 ABRSM)
- Telemann Passepieds 1 and 2: 6th movt from Suite in A minor, TWV 55:a2, arr. Salter Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
- Boyce Vivace (from Symphony No. 2) (observing repeats) Harlequin, Book 1, arr. McDowall (Cramer)
- Offenbach Champagne Song (from La vie parisienne) Harlequin, Book 1, arr. McDowall (Cramer)
- Grétry Flute Air (from Panurge). No. 2 from Classical Music for Flute, arr. Wastall (Boosey & Hawkes)
- Grieg Norwegian Dance (Op. 35 No. 2) Winner Scores All for Flute, arr. Lawrance (Brass Wind: piano accomp. published separately)
- Mozart Aria (from Don Giovanni) Winner Scores All for Flute, arr. Lawrance (Brass Wind: piano accomp. published separately)
- Schubert Menuetto and Trio. Music Through Time for Flute, Book 3, arr. Harris and Adams (OUP)
LIST B
- Arrieu Chanson de la pastoure (Song of the Shepherdess) Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
- David Gordon Amazonian Mood Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
- Dave Stapleton Whistlin’ Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
- Patrick Doyle Neville’s Waltz (from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). Winner Scores All for Flute, arr. Lawrance (Brass Wind: piano accomp. published separately)
- Paul Harris Hazelnote Crunch or Toffee Tango: No. 1 or No. 4 from Chocolate Box (Novello NOV016203)
- Bryan Kelly St Lucia or Barcelona: No. 1 or No. 3 from Snapshots (Hunt Edition HE93)
- Guy-Claude Luypaerts Insouciance or Cinq Sets (Leduc AL 29837: published together)
- Robin Milford Air. Music Through Time for Flute, Book 3, arr. Harris and Adams (OUP)
- Ros Stephen ‘Hole in My Shoe’ Blues: No. 4 from Flute Globetrotters (OUP: piano accomp. printable from companion CD)
LIST C
- Demersseman Chanson serbe (Serbian Song): from L’art de phraser Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
- Oliver Ledbury Waltzer: from Flute Salad Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
- Graham Lyons Study in C: No. 11 from Progressive Flute Studies Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 3 (ABRSM)
- Alan Bullard Cool Flute or Plaintive Flute: No. 17 or No. 21 from Fifty for Flute, Book 1 (ABRSM)
- Gariboldi Study in E minor: No. 30 from First Exercises for Flute, Op. 89 (Schott ED 20353)
- James Rae Full On or High Five: No. 18 or No. 20 from Style Workout for Solo Flute (Universal UE 21319)
- Tulou Study in G. No. 29 from 76 Graded Studies for Flute, Book 1 (Faber) or No. 14 from 100 Classical Studies for Flute (Universal UE 12992)
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 Flute 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 Flute 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