Rockschool music qualifications are tailor-made for the contemporary musician.
Trombone
Grade 3
The Grade 3 Trombone exam is for candidates who have been typically learning for eighteen months to two years and who are ready to consolidate their final stage as a beginner player. They have mastered the key skills up to Grade 2 and since acquired greater use of technique, rhythms, co-ordination and musical understanding. Improvisation phrasing is now confident and articulate and candidates have started to develop the beginnings of stylistic awareness.
There are three types of exams available: Grade Exam, Graded Certificate or Performance Certificate.
Estimated Examination Time:
- Grade Exam: 25 minutes (approx.)
- Performance Certificate: 25 minutes (approx.)
Purchase Your Book & Exam Entry
The Trombone Grade 3 book contains everything you need to sit your Grade 3 exam – in one essential book.
Trombone Grade 3
The essential syllabus for the aspiring, contemporary Trombonist. Rockschool Trombone Grade 3 wil...
Graded Music Exam: Grade 3
All Instruments - General guidance: Graded Music Exams Overview - How to book an exam UK / Republ...
Performance Pieces
The pieces in the grade book can be used for both the Grade Exam and Performance Certificate. The expectation and length of pieces are designed so candidates can acquire a solid understanding and execution of notation accuracy, values, evenness of sound, tone quality/consistency, technical control, articulation, expression, style awareness and sync at an early intermediate level.
Featured Repertoire:
- From ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ – He’s a Pirate
- Camila Cabello – Havana
- Henry Mancini – The Pink Panther
- The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
- From ‘Encanto’ – We Don’t Talk About Bruno
- The Meters – Cissy Strut
Technical Exercises
At Grade 3 there are three groups of technical work: scales, arpeggios and a technical study.
In this part of the exam, the examiner will ask for a selection of scales (Group A) and arpeggios (Group B) drawn from the lists below. All scales and arpeggios should be prepared with tongued and slurred articulation. The examiner will announce the key, scale or arpeggio type and articulation for each example. Where shown, you may choose the type of minor scale (natural, harmonic or melodic).
GROUP A – Scales
Tempo: Crotchet=60 bpm
- D major scale, 1 octave
- Eb major scale, 1 octave
- Ab mixolydian mode, 1 octave
- D major pentatonic scale, 1 octave
- Eb major pentatonic scale, 1 octave
- D minor pentatonic scale, 1 octave
- Either Bb natural minor scale, or Bb harmonic minor scale, or Bb melodic minor scale (candidate choice), one octave.
- Either D natural minor scale, or D harmonic minor scale, or D melodic minor scale (candidate choice), one octave.
GROUP B – Arpeggios
Tempo: Crotchet=60 bpm
- D major arpeggio, 1 octave
- D minor arpeggio, 1 octave
- Ab dominant 7th arpeggio,, 1 octave
GROUP C – Technical Study
Candidates are to perform their choice of one of the three technical studies given in the grade book. The examiner will ask which study the candidate has prepared.
Supporting Tests
Sight Reading or Improvisation & Interpretation
At Grade 3, candidates will be offered the choice between Sight Reading or Improvisation & Interpretation. The examiner will ask which the candidate has chosen before then showing the test. Once the candidate has chosen, they cannot change their mind.
Sight Reading
In the Sight Reading test, the examiner will give the candidate a melody to be played to a metronome click.
The test will be:
- 8 bars duration
- In the key of D major or D minor
- In 4/4 or 6/8 time
- Based on half notes (minims), dotted half-notes (dotted minims), quarter notes (crotchets), dotted quarter-notes (dotted crotchets), eighth notes and associated rests.
The examiner will show the candidate the notation, and they will have 90 seconds to prepare. The candidate may ask for a metronome click at the start of, or throughout their practise time. After the 90 seconds practise time, the examiner will play the candidate the click track again, and they will be required to perform the test.
Improvisation & Interpretation
Key: D major or D minor
Tempo: Crotchet=95 bpm
In the Improvisation & Interpretation test, the examiner will give the candidate an 8-bar chord progression in the key of D major or D minor. The candidate will first be given 90 seconds to prepare, after which the examiner will play the backing track twice. The first time is for the candidate to practise and the second time is for them to perform the final version for the exam. For each playthrough, the backing track will begin with a one bar count- in.
Ear Tests
There are two tests: Melodic Recall and Rhythmic Recall.
Melodic Recall
Tempo: Crotchet=95 bpm
The examiner will play the candidate a two-bar melody with a drum backing using the D major scale. The first note of the melody will be the root note. The candidate will play the melody back on their instrument.
The candidate will hear the melody twice. Each time the melody is played it is preceded by a vocal count-in. There will then be a short gap for the candidate to practise. After the third vocal count-in (signifying the assessed part of the test) the candidate should play the melody along to the drum backing.
Rhythmic Recall
Tempo: Crotchet=95 bpm
The examiner will play the candidate a two-bar rhythm on the note ‘F’. The candidate will hear the test twice. The candidate will then hear a one bar count-in, after which they will be required to play back the rhythm on their instrument on the same note, to a drum backing.
General Musicianship Questions
The final part of the exam is the General Musicianship Questions (GMQs) section, where the examiner will ask five questions drawn from the topics listed below. For the notation section, the examiner will ask the candidate to choose a piece they’ve played in the exam.
Music Knowledge
In Grade 3, candidates will be asked to:
- Explain the meaning of the key signature
- Explain the meaning of the tempo marking
- Identify note pitch names including accidentals, or identify rhythm values found in the piece drawn from the following: half note (minim), dotted half-note (dotted minim), quarter note (crotchet), dotted quarter-note
(dotted crotchet), eighth note (quaver), sixteenth note (semiquaver) and associated rests - Identify the tempo marking or genre of the piece
Instrument Knowledge
In Grade 3, candidates will be asked to explain how the tuning slide is used to tune the trombone.
Music Theory
In Grade 3, candidates will be asked to describe the construction of a minor seventh chord or a major seventh chord.
Exam Structure
There are three types of exam available, a Grade Exam, Graded Certificate, or Performance Certificate.
Grade Exam
| 3 Performance Pieces (two of which may be Free Choice Pieces) | Candidates choose to play either Performance Pieces or Technical Exercises first | These account for 60% of the exam mark |
| Technical Exercises (Section A, B, C and D for Level 3 qualifications) | Candidates choose to play either Performance Pieces or Technical Exercises first | These account for 15% of the exam mark |
| Sight Reading or Improvisation & Interpretation (Debut to Grade 5); Quick Study Pieces (Grade 6 to Grade 8) | Candidates are given an unseen test to prepare and perform | This accounts for 10% of the exam marks |
| 2 Ear Tests | Candidates respond to 2 aural tests. | These account for 10% of the exam marks |
| 5 General Musicianship Questions | Candidates answer 5 questions based on one of the pieces performed | These account for 5% of the exam marks |
Graded Certificate
| 3 Performance Pieces (two of which may be Free Choice Pieces) | Candidates choose to play either Performance Pieces or Technical Exercises first | These account for 75% of the exam mark |
| Technical Exercises | Candidates choose to play either Performance Pieces or Technical Exercises first | These account for 25% of the exam mark |
Performance Certificate
| 5 Performance Pieces only (three of these can be Free Choice Pieces) | These account for 20% of the exam mark each. |
Assessment Criteria
(Please note: Graded Certificates consist of just Performance Pieces and Technical Exercises. Please see the exam structure tab for more info)
Performance Pieces
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 18-20 | 15-17 | 12-14 | 6-11 | 0-5 |
| Command of Instrument | Consistently clear production of sound and even tone quality throughout | Mostly clear production of sound and even tone quality overall | Some clear production of sound and generally even tone quality | Sound produced is unclear with uneven quality of tone produced | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Sync or Pulse | Performance consistently synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance mostly synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance sometimes synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance not synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse not maintained | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Accuracy & Understanding | all of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Style & Expression | Consistently convincing projection of the music. | Mostly convincing projection of the music. | Some convincing projection of the music. | Music not convincingly projected. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
Technical Exercises
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 13–15 | 11–12 | 9–10 | 4–8 | 0–3 |
| Command of Instrument | Consistently clear production of sound and even tone quality throughout | Mostly clear production of sound and even tone quality overall | Some clear production of sound and generally even tone quality | Sound produced is unclear with uneven quality of tone produced | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Sync or Pulse | Performance consistently synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance mostly synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance sometimes synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance not synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse not maintained | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Accuracy & Understanding | all of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
Ear Tests
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 9-10 | 7-8 | 6 | 3-5 | 0-2 |
| Accuracy & Understanding | All of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
Supporting Tests
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 9-10 | 7-8 | 6 | 3-5 | 0-2 |
| Command of Instrument | Consistently clear production of sound and even tone quality throughout | Mostly clear production of sound and even tone quality overall | Some clear production of sound and generally even tone quality | Sound produced is unclear with uneven quality of tone produced | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Sync or Pulse | Performance consistently synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance mostly synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance sometimes synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance not synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse not maintained | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Accuracy & Understanding | All of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
General Musicianship Questions
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 5 correct responses | 4 correct responses | 3 correct responses | 2 correct responses | 0-1 correct responses |
Performance Certificate
| Attainment Band | Distinction | Merit | Pass | Below Pass | Below Pass 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Range | 18-20 | 15-17 | 12-14 | 6-11 | 0-5 |
| Command of Instrument | Consistently clear production of sound and even tone quality throughout | Mostly clear production of sound and even tone quality overall | Some clear production of sound and generally even tone quality | Sound produced is unclear with uneven quality of tone produced | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Sync or Pulse | Performance consistently synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance mostly synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance sometimes synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse maintained | Performance not synchronised to the music, or an internal pulse not maintained | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Accuracy & Understanding | All of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated throughout. Understanding of musical structure shown all of the time. | Most of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills demonstrated overall. Understanding of musical structure shown most of the time. | Some of the written music accurately performed or equivalent skills generally demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure shown some of the time. | Written music not accurately performed or equivalent skills not demonstrated. Understanding of musical structure not evidenced. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
| Style & Expression | Consistently convincing projection of the music. | Mostly convincing projection of the music. | Some convincing projection of the music. | Music not convincingly projected. | No attempt and/or incomplete performance |
