Your flute grade 4 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. Cimarosa Sonata in G, arr. Gatti and Sogni Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
2. F. Mancini Allegro: 4th movt from Sonata No. 1 in D minor Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
3. Mozart Menuetto and Trio: 2nd movt from Flute Quartet in A, K. 298, arr. Stolba Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
4. C. P. E. Bach Vivace: 3rd movt from Sonata in D, Wq. 129. No. 4 from C. P. E. Bach 6 Sonatas for Flute (Zimmermann ZM18000)
5. Finger Allegro: 1st movt from Sonata in F (Bärenreiter Praha H7850)
6. Hook Allegretto: 1st movt from Sonata in C (from Op. 54). No. 5 from Classical Music for Flute, arr. Wastall (Boosey & Hawkes)
7. B. Marcello Largo: 1st movt from Sonata in Bb, Op. 2 No. 7 (Dowani) or Marcello Sonatas for Treble Recorder (Flute, Violin), Op. 2, Vol. 3 (Bärenreiter HM 152) or Marcello 12 Sonatas for Flute, Op. 2, Vol. 2 (Editio Musica Budapest Z.13477)
8. Rameau Tambourin (from Pièces de clavecin). Time Pieces for Flute, Vol. 3, arr. Denley (ABRSM)
9. Telemann Menuets 1 and 2 (omitting DC): 4th movt from Suite in A minor, TWV 55:a2, arr. Salter (Peters EP7787)

LIST B

1. Paul Hart Lonely and Blue: from Hartbeat Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
2. Honegger Romance Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
3. Gilbert & Sullivan Gavotte: from The Gondoliers, arr. Denley Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
4. Paul Harris Caramel Carousel or Fudge Fandango: No. 8 or No. 9 from Chocolate Box (Novello NOV016203)
5. Bryan Kelly Paris: No. 5 from Snapshots (Hunt Edition HE93)
6. Michel Legrand What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? Latin Connections for Flute, arr. Ramskill (Brass Wind)
7. John McCabe Threes and Twos: No. 2 from Portraits (Novello NOV120529)
8. Prokofiev Gavotte (from ‘Classical’ Symphony, Op. 25). Time Pieces for Flute, Vol. 3, arr. Denley (ABRSM)
9. Blaž Pucihar Flavta se igra (Flute at Play) or Flavta sanja (Dreamy Flute): from Flavta se igra (Flute at Play) (Pucihar Music)

LIST C

1. Colin Cowles The Wind in the Withies: No. 3 from Somerset Scenes for Solo Flute Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
2. Gariboldi Study in E minor: No. 19 from 30 Études faciles et progressives Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
3. Russell Stokes Allegretto: No. 30 from Easy Jazz Singles Flute Exam Pieces, Grade 4 (ABRSM)
4. Alan Bullard Rag-time Flute or Latin Flute: No. 22 or No. 23 from Fifty for Flute, Book 1 (ABRSM)
5. Gariboldi Study in Bb. No. 30 from 76 Graded Studies for Flute, Book 1 (Faber) or No. 6 from 100 Classical Studies for Flute (Universal UE 12992) or No. 14 from Flötenetüden, Vol. 1 (Breitkopf & Härtel EB 8354)
6. Járdányi Allegretto. No. 12 from Flötenetüden, Vol. 1 (Breitkopf & Härtel EB 8354)
7. Popp Study in D. No. 51 from Flötenetüden, Vol. 1 (Breitkopf & Härtel EB 8354)

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 4-5 Book (a guide with tests) and/or ABRSM Specimen Sight-Reading Tests Grades 4-5 Book (specimen tests).

 

*Information correct at time of publishing 14.03.16