If you are unsure about your level as now defined, please do not hesitate to contact us: our team would be happy to offer guidance.
ALL
Open to any singer and/or instrumentalist of all ability levels.
You should be confident tackling any suggested repertoire.
Tutors will adapt their advice and teaching on an individual basis.
LEARNER (elementary)
Early development of technical skills.
Limited confidence.
Limited experience or previous interest in singing or playing.
Perhaps you sung in a choir or played an instrument at school and want to get started again.
You may not be able to read music and do not need to have had any formal training previously.
As a rough guide we suggest Grades 1-2 but this does not exclude those who have not taken formal qualifications.
Ensemble Guide: Previously little or no experience of playing/singing with others.
Sight-Reading Guide: early development of reading skills in one or more styles. You lack confidence in reading unfamiliar music.
Music Theory: you may have little or no tuition in music theory, a basic understanding of metre, an ability to distinguish high/low pitches and some sense of major/minor tonality.
Examples of repertoire you might be playing include:
Handel: Air (Hornpipe) in D minor HWV 461
Brahms: Die Henne (Henny Penny) from Seven Children’s Songs
Bartók: Play Song (duet) No 9 from 44 Duos (upper part)
Clarke: Trumpet Tune
Challenges: you struggle playing technical or faster passages at speed and get absorbed in your own part.
Goals: to play with more confidence, fewer stops and to listen more to other musicians and learn to lead.
IMPROVER (lower intermediate)
Emerging confidence both technically and musically. You play with a decent tone and are comfortable at moderate tempi.
You may previously have had some individual tuition and are looking to have more regular lessons or are singing/playing in an ensemble on a regular basis.
You can probably read music with some confidence.
As a rough guide we suggest Grades 3-5 but this does not exclude those who have not taken formal qualifications.
Ensemble Guide: Beginning to experience ensemble playing and playing/singing one-to-a-part or solo work. You are becoming aware of other parts.
Sight-Reading Guide: emerging confidence in reading skills in one or more styles. You can sight-read at a moderate tempo but often slow down the hard sections.
Music Theory: you may have rudimentary music theory training, an understanding of simple time signatures, key signatures, and the ability to repeat short rhythmic and melodic phrases.
Examples of repertoire you might be playing include:
Prokofiev: Lentamente (from Visions Fugitives Op22)
Handel: How Willing My Paternal Love (Samson)
G Saint-George: Giga (sixth movement) from L'ancien régime, Deuxième petite suite Op 60
Handel: Allegro (fourth movement) from Sonata in F major HWV 369 Op 1 No 11
Challenges: you may struggle playing technical or faster passages at speed and get absorbed in your own part.
Goals: to listen more to other musicians, improve leading ability, and develop technique.
CONFIDENT (upper intermediate)
Well-grounded and increasing skills, reading and confidence. You can play with a pleasant tone and can get back in when lost.
You may have regular lessons and/or sing/play regularly with an ensemble.
You can read music.
As a guide we suggest Grades 6-8 but this does not exclude those who have not taken formal qualifications.
Ensemble Guide: Perhaps first experience of playing/singing one-to-a-part or solo work. You are aware of other parts and try to match them.
Sight-Reading Guide: Well-grounded reading skills and confident in all styles. You can sight-read near concert tempo, except in difficult technical passages.
Music Theory: you may have knowledge of music theory equivalent to approximately Grades 4-5, a basic understanding of keys and modulation, the ability to repeat a simple phrase from memory, and a basic understanding of different musical styles.
Examples of repertoire you might be playing include:
Mozart: Sonata in G major K283 (second movement)
Schubert: Schäfers Klagelied D121 from Lieder vol 1
J S Bach: Gigue (solo) from Partita No 3 in E major BWV 1006
Vivaldi: Cantabile and Allegro (second and third movements) from Concerto in D (Il Gardellino) Op 10 No 3 RV428
Challenges: you struggle to play the hardest passages at speed and phrasing is sometimes choppy.
Goals: to play with more nuance and improve tone and phrasing.
SKILFUL (advanced)
Strong playing and reading skills. You can play quickly and cleanly in difficult keys and with key/tempo changes.
You have regular lessons and/or sing/play regularly with an ensemble, and can carry/hold a line on your own with confidence.
You may be working towards an advanced grade exam or diploma or be a current or recently graduated music student.
You may be a more seasoned performer who wants to work on a specific area or develop advanced ensemble skills.
As a guide we suggest Grade 8+/diploma/tertiary education level but this does not exclude those who have not taken formal qualifications.
Ensemble Guide: You are an experienced and confident performer. You have awareness of other parts and know exactly how they fit.
Sight-Reading Guide: Strong and confident reading skills in all styles. You can sight-read passages cleanly at/near concert tempo.
Music Theory: you may have music theory knowledge at Grade 5 level or above, an ability to repeat and transcribe simple phrases from memory, an understanding of simple harmony, an ability to recognise cadences, and a good knowledge of different musical styles.
Examples of repertoire you might be playing include:
Beethoven: Sonata in G major Op 79 (first movement)
Fauré: Après un rêve from The Art of French Song vol 1
Mendelssohn: Allegro (third movement) from Concerto in D minor
Quantz: Arioso and alla Forlana mà Presto (second and third movements) from Sonata No 277 in D major
Challenges: you want to develop a cohesive group sound and fine-tune your intonation.
Goals: to convey interpretation, develop tone colours and refine attention to detail.
Updated on 21 August 2020