Bass guitar grades in the UK

[jaco jr]

right, i am sure a lot of you in the uk and possibly elsewhere know about grades for instruments, usually classical instruments, the grades go up to grade 8 then into performance grades - basically - are these available for the electric bass guitar in the uk - how do i take them - where etc - how much would it cost - and are there any books that have the pieces/theory required to pass each exam, and if not - does anyone know what each exam might involve

in other words - all info helpful
cheers
dan:thumb:

[skingle]

I know that you can buy these books called rockschool or something. I think its the practical side of the grades and you get a certificate when you pass.

You have to choose certain songs from that book.

That should atleast give you an idea of where you are.

Hope that helps.

[jaco jr]

I know that you can buy these books called rockschool or something. I think its the practical side of the grades and you get a certificate when you pass.

You have to choose certain songs from that book.

That should atleast give you an idea of where you are.

Hope that helps.
ahhh ok cheers - are they available online?

[PaulR]

Yeah. The Rockschool ones.

There aren't actually the equivalent in the Trinity series.

I have a Grade 5 book for AS music.

http://www.rockschool.co.uk/index.asp

[The Forgotten Bassist]

ahhh ok cheers - are they available online?

Imagine they are, aparently the rock school books go u pto 10 for the bass. Never seen a grade 10 book though so I may have been told a load of pish

[Ganon]

Imagine they are, aparently the rock school books go u pto 10 for the bass. Never seen a grade 10 book though so I may have been told a load of pish
I'm pretty sure the Rock School ones only go up to grade 8.

[peeted]

rock school go to grade 8. the grade 8 book is probibly the only one thats realy worth geting/has any fun songs in.

[Jamie]

NOOOOO!!! Stay well away from Rock School!! You want to do LCM Grades (London College of Music)

I have my grade 5 on the 29th of this month! :)


What it consists of is:

Musicianship (10%)
Notes on the neck
repeat markings
1st and 2nd time bars
diatonic intervals
dynamics
tuning
string changing
slurs
hammers
pulls

Bass Patterns (24%)
Select Two from the following list:
Soul Pop
R&B
Minor Rock
Indie Pop

You need the LCM book for this. it has these patterns in which you have to be able to play in any key/chord progression and then the second time round you have to play using the pattern but improvise it a bit.


Performance (36%)
Candidates should be fluent in the following time signatures.

4/4
3/4
6/8

They just give you a chord progression which you just imrprovise around.


Aural Training (15%)

Repitition of Rhythm
Repitition of Phrases
Beating of Time


Harmony Tests
Pitch Tests



Thats all the stuff I have to do for my grade 5

[bassist-bmxer]

I'm doing Rockschool grade 5 at the moment, I should be doing 6 though as i'm finding it way too easy.

[PaulR]

NOOOOO!!! Stay well away from Rock School!! You want to do LCM Grades (London College of Music)


I didn't know that LCM did Bass grades.