Music Requirements
14 Music requirements
a. In the assessment, each candidate must perform one of the Ensemble pieces and one of the Solo pieces listed by level in the Syllabus Repertoire Lists for the relevant instrument. The Syllabus Repertoire Lists are available from this website.
b. The Syllabus Repertoire Lists are regularly updated on this website. ABRSM cannot be held responsible for the non-availability of any listed publication.
c. Photocopying of copyright works is not permitted.
d. Candidates offering a wrong piece or not being prepared to perform the whole of the work specified in the Syllabus Repertoire Lists for their instrument and level will be liable to disqualification.
e. Repeats may be played at the discretion of the Teacher-Assessor or candidate. However, those repeats that are essential to the musical structure must be observed. Ornaments may be simplified or omitted.
f. No doubling of lines is permitted in the Ensemble. All Ensemble pieces are to be played without the use of a piano, guitar or other harmonic accompaniment or a CD backing track. Teacher-Assessors may contribute to Ensemble performances by playing the accompanying line in a duet with the candidate at Copper and Bronze levels only, or by playing any line other than the candidate’s in a trio or quartet at all levels.
g. Teacher-Assessors may arrange lines of set ensemble pieces (excepting the line taken by the candidate) for other instruments available to them, provided that the arrangement is faithful to the original and copies of it (either written-out or computer-generated) reproduce the appropriate copyright line and publisher’s credit as they appear in the original publication. Such copies must also bear the wording: ‘This arrangement is for use only in [name of school] and may not be publicly performed, reproduced or broadcast.’
h. In the Solo, candidates may play either with an accompaniment (live or CD backing track) or unaccompanied. If a CD backing track is used, it is the Teacher-Assessor’s responsibility to ensure that the balance and volume are sufficiently regulated so as to allow the candidate’s performance on the video-recording to be properly audible for moderation purposes.
i. Downloaded Option tests are copyrighted by ABRSM and must not be reproduced in any way.
