Grade Indications

Grade Descriptors

BEGINNER
(PRELIMINARY ~ GRADE 4)

The grades in this level explore repertoire that develops the foundation of music and technique of the candidate’s chosen instrument. This level will require candidates to demonstrate good posture and healthy tone production. Music for this level consists of pieces commonly featured in methodology books that cover simple rhythms and melodic material for developing co-ordination.

INTERMEDIATE
(GRADE 5 ~ 8)

This level comprises of music that will challenge the candidate further artistically. Stylistic awareness and understanding will need to be supported by solid technique in order to deliver a successful performance. Repertoire such as intermediate sonatas, character pieces and various methodology books dealing with more difficult techniques will be explored in the intermediate levels.

ADVANCED
DIPLOMAS (PCBE, ACBE, LCBE, FCBE)

The Diplomas are specialist accreditations that represent a mature and expert level of musical performance for a range of senior levels.

PERFORMANCE DIPLOMA (PCBE)

The Performance Diploma encompasses repertoire that is suitable for refining the necessary skills for undergraduate tertiary study, such as a Bachelor of Music program. This would be equivalent to that of senior high school or pre-college standards. Repertoire for this level includes advanced student sonatas, concerti, and character pieces which have moderately challenging technical requirements.

A minimum of 20 minutes is needed to qualify for the award.

ASSOCIATE DIPLOMA (ACBE)

The Associate Diploma is awarded to candidates who show a strong technical command of their instrument which allows them to perform their pieces with imagination and appropriate stylistic awareness. The repertoire equivalent to this level is of a 1st or 2nd year recital performance of a Bachelor of Music program (Freshman and Sophomore College year) and can include standard concert sonatas and concerti, concert pieces, and advanced etudes where a wider expansion of range and tempi are explored.

A minimum of 20 minutes is needed to qualify for the award.

LICENTIATE DIPLOMA (LCBE)

The Licentiate Diploma is an advanced instrumental diploma that has its repertoire equivalent to what is expected in a 3rd and 4th Year Recital performance of a Bachelor of Music Program (Junior and Senior College year). The candidate will be required to exhibit an expert level of control over more sophisticated nuances of the relevant musical styles. Suitable repertoire for this level include large-scale concert repertoire such as advanced concerti and sonatas, technically brilliant showpieces and etudes, and other music compositions of stylistic complexity.

A minimum of 30 minutes is needed to qualify for the award.

FELLOWSHIP DIPLOMA (FCBE)

The Fellowship Diploma is the highest and most prestigious level offered and will demand from the candidate a most mature understanding of the musical style, with masterful control of technique for demanding repertoire. Repertoire for this level will be similar to what is suitable for a postgraduate music recital, such as a Masters or Doctoral Degree. Highly advanced concerti, grand sonatas, virtuosic showpieces and very complex works of a demanding nature are the works that will be explored.

A minimum of 30 minutes is needed to qualify for the award.

Download the overview of Fellowship Diploma (FCBE)

Please select an instrument below to view the list of sample pieces for each grade:

Grades	Piano - Pieces
Preliminary Grade	Malaguena (Alfred) Toymaker’s Dance (Alfred) When the Saint Goes Marching (Alfred Level 1B)
Grade 1	Mozart – Twinkle Variations (Main Theme Only) Greensleeves (Alfred)
Grade 2	J.S Bach – Musette J.S Bach – Minuet BWV 114
Grade 3	Clementi – 1st Movement from Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1
Grade 4	Schumann – Happy Farmer Returning from Work Oesten – Doll’s Dream Satie – Gymnopedie No. 1
Grade 5	Beethoven – Fur Elise Clayderman – Marriage D’amour Yiruma – River Flows in You Debussy – Le Petit Negre
Grade 6	Kondo – Super Mario Bros Theme Grieg – Puck
Grade 7	J.S Bach – Toccata in D Minor Beethoven – 1st Movement from Moonlight Sonata Mozart – Alla Turca
Grade 8	Chopin – Nocturne in Eb Major Joplin – The Entertainer Beethoven – 3rd Movement from Pathetique Debussy – Clair de Lune
Performance (PCBE)	Rachmaninoff – Prelude in C# Minor Debussy – Reverie
Associate (ACBE)	Chopin – Waltz in E Minor Radnich – Hedwig’s Theme Chopin – Fantasie Impromptu Radnich – Pirates of the Caribbean Say – Alla Turca Jazz Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3
Licentiate (LCBE)	Paganini/Liszt – La Campanella Rachmaninoff – The Flight of the Bumble Bee Chopin – “Revolutionary” Etude Op. 10 No. 12
Fellowship (FCBE)	Liszt – Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 Mozart/Volodos – Alla Turca Beethoven – Sonata No. 23 "Appassionata" Beethoven – ‘Waldstein\’ Sonata Belousova – Ultimate Star Wars Medley

Grades	Violin - Pieces
Preliminary Grade	Folk/Suzuki – Lightly Row
Grade 1	Bach – Minuet (BWV Anh 116)
Grade 2	Paganini – Witches’ Dance
Grade 3	Seitz – Violin concerto no.2 – 3rd movement
Grade 4	Handel – 1st and 2nd movement of Sonata no.6 in E major Seitz – Violin concerto no.5 – 1st movement
Grade 5	Mollenhauer – The Boy Paganini (Fantasia)
Grade 6	Potstock – Souvenir de Sarasate (Fantasia Espagnole) Dvorak – 1st movement of Sonatina op.100
Grade 7	Monti – Czardas Bach – 1st movement of Concerto in A minor BWV 1041
Grade 8	Kreisler – Liebesfreud Tchaikovsky – Melodie
Performance (PCBE)	Beethoven – Romance in F op. 50 Kreisler – Praeludium and Allegro Schumann – 1st movement of Sonata no.1
Associate (ACBE)	Vivaldi – Spring from the Four Seasons Vivaldi – Summer from the Four Seasons Vivaldi – Autumn from the Four Seasons Vivaldi – Winter from the Four Seasons Debussy – 1st movement of Violin Sonata in G minor L. 140
Licentiate (LCBE)	Bach – Adagio and Fuga from Sonata in G BWV 1001 Sarasate – Zigeunerweisen op. 20 no. 1 Mendelssohn – 1st Movement from Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64
Fellowship (FCBE)	Bach – Partita no. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 Sarasate – Carmen Fantasy Tchaikovsky Concerto in D

Grades	Vocal - Pieces
Preliminary Grade	The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun Diamond – Im A Believer from 7 Super Hits Movies (EMI)
Grade 1	John Lennon – Imagine (Vocal) Ellie Goulding – How Long Will I Love You Brown and Freed – Singin in the Rain
Grade 2	Rodgers and Hammerstein II – The Sound of Music Mark Ronson – Uptown Funk
Grade 3	Lorde – Royals
Grade 4	Rihanna – Only Girl (In the World)
Grade 5	Taylor Swift – Shake It Off
Grade 6	Adele – Skyfall
Grade 7	Whitney Houston – Saving All My Love For You
Grade 8	Sia – Chandelier
Performance (PCBE)	Delta Goodrem – Born To Try from Selection from Innocent Eyes (Wise)
Associate (ACBE)	Gershwin, G. and Gershwin, I. – Fascinating Rhythm
Licentiate (LCBE)	Arlen and Koehler – I’ve got the World on a String
Fellowship (FCBE)	TBA

Grades	Flute - Pieces
Preliminary Grade	Beethoven – Ode to Joy (Gilliam and Mccaskill)
Grade 1	Rodgers & Hammond – Edelweiss: from The Sound of Music, (Arr. Thomson)
Grade 2	Gershwin – I got rhythm (Easy Gershwin for 4: fifteen songs – Oxford University Press) (Arr. Harris)
Grade 3	Offenbach – Champagne Song (from La vie Parisienne) Tchaikovsky – Song of the lark (Childrens album – music-scores.com) (Arr. Christopherson)
Grade 4	Bizet – Chanson boheme (The classic experience – Cramer Music) (Arr. Lanning)
Grade 5	Massenet – Meditation (Flute)
Grade 6	Bach, C.P.E. – Sonata in E minor, 2nd Movement: Allegro (from Sonatas book 1)
Grade 7	Mozart – Rondo K anh 184 (Universal)
Grade 8	Bach – Partita in A minor for Solo 4, 2nd Movement: Corrente
Performance (PCBE)	Gaubert – Fantasie (Salabert) (Flute)
Associate (ACBE)	Bach, C.P.E. – Sonata in A minor for solo 4, Wq.132
Licentiate (LCBE)	Bach – Partita in A Minor for Solo 4, BWV 1013 Schubert – Introduction, Theme & Variations on Ihr Blumlein alle
Fellowship (FCBE)	Hoffmeister – Concerto in G

Grades	Viola - Pieces
Preliminary Grade	Bach – Minuet No 1 No 15 (Suzuki Viola School Volume 1)
Grade 1	Trad. – Auld Lang Syne No 49 (The ABCs of Viola for the Intermediate Book 2)
Grade 2	Paganini – Theme from Witches Dance No 8 (Suzuki Viola School Volume 2) Mozart – Theme from Andante Grazioso from Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 1
Grade 3	Joplin – The Entertainer No 4 (Lets Rag)
Grade 4	Elgar – Salut Damour (Arr. Arnold)
Grade 5	Brahms – Hungarian Dance in F Major No 3 (Arr. Forbes)
Grade 6	Seitz – Allegro Moderato: 1st Movement from Student Concerto in D (Transposed to G), Op. 22
Grade 7	Kreisler – Liebesleid (Arr. Birtel)
Grade 8	Kreisler – Sicilienne and Rigaudon (Arr. Arnold) Beethoven – Romance in F
Performance (PCBE)	Franck – 1st Movement from Sonata in A Major (Arr. Casadesus)
Associate (ACBE)	Rimsky-Korsakov – The Flight of the Bumble-Bee (Arr. Arnold)
Licentiate (LCBE)	Paganini – Presto in C Minor No 16 from 24 Caprices Op.1 (Arr. Raby)
Fellowship (FCBE)	Paganini – La Campanella

Grades	Cello - Pieces
Preliminary Grade	Trad. – Go Tell Aunt Rhody, no. 5
Grade 1	Rodgers – Edelweiss, no. 50
Grade 2	Tchaikovsky – An Old French Song
Grade 3	Gershwin – Summertime (Arr. De Smet)
Grade 4	Cui – Orientale from Kaleidoscope Op.50 No.9 Williams – Raiders March
Grade 5	Tchaikovsky – Chanson Triste, op. 40 no. 2
Grade 6	Brahms – Hungarian Dance no. 5 (from 5wise)
Grade 7	Saint-Saens – Le cygne (The Swan)
Grade 8	Bartok – Romanian Folk Dances no. 1, no. 2, no. 5 and no. 6
Performance (PCBE)	Beethoven – Twelve variations on a theme from Handels oratorio Judas Maccabeus Woo 45
Associate (ACBE)	Barber – Allegro Ma Non Troppo 1st Movement from Sonata in C Minor
Licentiate (LCBE)	Bloch – Nigun (Improvisation), (Arr. Schuster (from Baal Shem Suite)) Dvorak – Allegro Moderato – Andante – Vivo 3rd Movement from Concerto in B Minor Op.104
Fellowship (FCBE)	Bach – Suite no.5 in C minor, BWV 1011: complete

Grades	Double Bass - Pieces
Preliminary Grade	Trad. – Au clair de la lune, no. 23 from Abracadabra Double Bass Book 1
Grade 1	Trad. – O come little children (Suzuki Bass School Volume 1)
Grade 2	Bach – Allegro (Arr. Vance)
Grade 3	Gossec – Gavotte (Arr. Heyes)
Grade 4	Smetana – The Moldau (Melody) from String Explorer Book 2
Grade 5	Saint-Saens – Lelephant from Le Carnaval des Animaux (Double Bass Solo 2)
Grade 6	Bach – Adagio from Violin concerto No 2 in E major (Double bass solo 2)
Grade 7	Dragonetti – No. 1 from 12 Waltzes
Grade 8	Faure – Apres un reve (Arr. Zimmermann) (Double Bass)
Performance (PCBE)	Koussevitzky – Concerto Op.3
Associate (ACBE)	TBA
Licentiate (LCBE)	TBA
Fellowship (FCBE)	TBA

Grades	Saxophone - Pieces
Preliminary Grade	TBA
Grade 1	Trad – Amazing Grace
Grade 2	Buckland – Paris
Grade 3	Harris – Tango
Grade 4	Gunning – Poirot
Grade 5	Joplin – New Rag
Grade 6	Binge – Romance (2nd mvt from Concerto)
Grade 7	TBA
Grade 8	Decruck – No. 1 Tambourin, No. 2 Vieux calvaire, and No. 3 Villageoise from Pieces Francaises
Performance (PCBE)	Falla – Danse Espagnole (from ‘La Vida Breve’), arr. Kreisler
Associate (ACBE)	TBA
Licentiate (LCBE)	Milhaud- Scaramouche Suite for Alto Saxophone and Piano
Fellowship (FCBE)	TBA