RSL Awards 
Drumming demands more than just ‘staying in time’. The drummer is the driving force, the backbone and the foundation of the entire band dynamic. Drummers punctuate, embellish and lead changes in the rhythmic figures of each track. They accentuate a horn section, pick up on guitar riffs, mimic vocal lines and command the rhythm section. Drummers do all this and stay in time.
For every drum grade, students can plot their stylistic specialism, helping develop an in-depth understanding of the type of playing they identify with, whether this is pop, rock, metal, blues, country, funk, jazz or reggae.
Hand-picked tunes from some of the world’s biggest artists across a diverse range of genres, the Rockschool drums repertoire provide students with an expansive song choice to use in their exams and practice sessions.
The Rockschool drums syllabus is supported by walkthroughs and tutorial videos specifically produced for our YouTube subscribers.
For Grades 6, 7 and 8, you can supersize your university application, with up to 30 UCAS points awarded at Grade 8.
Our backing tracks feature some of the top session musicians in the industry with recording credits alongside the likes of Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Rihanna and various other iconic artists.
In addition to the 6 pieces on offer in each of our grade books, students are also able to choose two Free Choice Pieces that can serve as performance pieces for the exam. The criteria for each grade can be found on our website.
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