Rockschool

3 Performance Pieces

Grade 8 candidates will play effortlessly with a wide range of physical and expressive techniques at their command. They will be able to use these at will across a range of styles and musical contexts. Candidates will be comfortable playing pieces employing a number of different time signatures (including changes from bar to bar) and they will display mastery of a number of musical styles. Their solos will be highly musical and employ techniques across the range. They will also be highly sensitive to all aspects of musical presentation. Please note that some of the tunes may now be written out over four pages.
Candidates can either perform three out of the six pieces printed in the Rockschool Guitar Grade 8 Grade Book, or two pieces from the Rockschool Guitar Grade 8 Grade Book and one free choice piece. A free choice piece can either be self-composed or a piece of established popular repertoire. For guidance about writing a piece, for performance in an exam, or choosing a piece of established repertoire please go to the Free Choice Pieces section of this website. Candidates are required to include improvisation passages in addition to those indicated by the score, and can adapt the pieces to suit their playing style, as long as the adaptations keep within the style of the piece.

Technical Exercises

Candidates will be given four technical exercises, including scales & modes, arpeggios, chords and sweep picking study.

Quick Study Piece

Grade 8 candidates will be asked to perform a Quick Study Piece (QSP). This involves performing from a paper outline containing musical information and a CD containing a backing track. These are given to the candidate to practise 20 minutes before they enter the exam room. Each Quick Study Piece will be in the style of rock, funk, blues or jazz. The performance should reflect the style of the piece and candidates should use the spaces in the music to develop their musical ideas.

At Grade 8, the Quick Study Piece will consist of up to 30 bars excluding repeats and DC, DS. The rhythms and chords will be indicated along with some written notation, dynamics and other musical notation information. The note lengths and rhythms will reflect the standard of a Grade 6 performance. Time signatures and Tempo: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8. 60-140 bpm. Keys: any major or minor.

Ear Tests

Candidates will be given two ear tests which are played to them by the examiner on a CD. The tests are Melodic Recall and Chord and Rhythm Recall. In Melodic Recall candidates hear a four bar melody composed from the G, A or B Dorian or Mixolydian mode played twice and will then be asked to play the melody back on their guitar, having been given the tonic and told the starting note. The test may include hammer ons, pull offs, slides, vibrato and bends. In Chord and Rhythmic Recall candidates will hear a four bar rhythmic chord sequence played twice, and will then be asked play it back on their instrument. The test will include chord types used in the technical work up to and including this grade.

General Musicianship Questions

Candidates will be asked five questions from three categories including: musical notation taken from a piece of music that the candidate has played in the exam; knowledge of the instrument and; history and styles.

5 Performance Pieces

Grade 8 candidates will play effortlessly with a wide range of physical and expressive techniques at their command. They will be able to use these at will across a range of styles and musical contexts. Candidates will be comfortable playing pieces employing a number of different time signatures (including changes from bar to bar) and they will display mastery of a number of musical styles. Their solos will be highly musical and employ techniques across the range. They will also be highly sensitive to all aspects of musical presentation. Please note that some of the tunes may now be written out over four pages.
Candidates can either perform five out of the six pieces printed in the Rockschool Guitar Grade 8 Grade Book, or three pieces from the Rockschool Guitar Grade 8 Grade Book and two free choice pieces. A free choice piece can either be self-composed or a piece of established popular repertoire. For guidance about writing a piece, for performance in an exam, or choosing a piece of established repertoire please go to the Free Choice Pieces section of this website. Candidates are required to include improvisation passages in addition to those indicated by the score, and can adapt the pieces to suit their playing style, as long as the adaptations keep within the style of the piece.