Your grade 2 violin 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. Corelli Sarabanda: 3rd movt from Sonata in E minor, Op. 5 No. 8 Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
    2. Haydn German Dance, arr. de Keyser and Waterman Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
    3. Purcell Rigaudon, Z. 653, arr. Forbes Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
    4. Caix d’Hervelois Monsieur de Caix’s Fanfare. Violin Star 3, arr. Huws Jones (ABRSM: piano accomp. published separately)
    5. Charpentier Prelude (from Te Deum). No. 24 from Fiddle Time Runners, arr. Blackwell (OUP: piano accomp. published separately)
    6. Milán Pavane. No. 1 from My First Concert for Violin, arr. Mohrs (Schott ED 21467)

    LIST B

    1. Carse Afloat: from The Fiddler’s Nursery Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
    2. Reinecke Ländler, arr. de Keyser and Waterman Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
    3. Scott Skinner The Flower of the Quern, arr. Huws Jones Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
    4. Lehár No. 2: from Two Waltzes from Gold and Silver (violin melody). The Viennese Fiddler, arr. Huws Jones (Boosey & Hawkes)
    5. E. Pütz Spiritual. No. 13 from My First Concert for Violin, arr. Mohrs (Schott ED 21467)
    6. Tchaikovsky Waltz (from Sleeping Beauty). Superpieces, arr. Cohen (Faber) or The Best of Grade 2 Violin (Faber)

    LIST C

      1. Kathy and David Blackwell Song from the Show: No. 4 from Fiddle Time Sprinters Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
      2. Dorothy Howell An Important Person Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
      3. Trad. Chinese Si Ji Ge (Song of the Four Seasons), arr. Yiu (observing slides) Violin Exam Pieces 2016–2019, Grade 2 (ABRSM)
      4. Kabalevsky Galop. No. 13 from Violin Playtime, Book 3, arr. de Keyser (Faber) or No. 5 from Kabalevsky Album Pieces, arr. Sorokin etc. (Peters EP 4783)
      5. Trad. Raggle Taggle Gypsies. No. 3 from Up-Grade! Violin Grades 2–3, arr. Wedgwood (Faber)
      6. Trad. klezmer Oh Father! Violin Star 3, arr. Huws Jones (ABRSM: piano accomp. published separately)

    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 Violin Grade 2 Scales 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 Violin 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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