TDM Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I did the RGT Grade 8 bass exam a while back and I played this: [media]http://youtu.be/3q3PsoWbW9I[/media] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 (edited) Just to contrast to the Rockschool pieces above (the first one earned the guy a distinction), here is a piece that is listed for ABRSM grade 8 violin [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjQJ5kpDE8U[/media] And this is one of the ABRSM grade 8 clarinet pieces... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPAyF9_Eb_g[/media] The ABRSM pieces are obviously played by professional musicians, so we're not comparing like with like, but nevertheless I believe there is a considerable difference in the complexity of the music compared with the Rockschool pieces. It all comes down to what the people holding the audition are expecting. Edited February 8, 2012 by dlloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chardbass Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Wow. Those bass pieces may be grade 8 but, without wishing to offend, they're certainly not played at what I would consider a Grade 8 standard. No feel whatsoever. I have put some students through Rockschool exams and my jaw has hit the floor at some of the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottswarwick Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Likewise. I hold grade 8 ABRSM Classical Guitar, and Grade 8 Trinity Classical Percussion. I think the difference is that with the classical pieces much of he technical challenge is already written in the music, and whilst of course you have to interpret the music to perform it well you are not expected to improvise your parts. The Rockschool is different, in my opinion.... I teach some students the Rockschool Grade 8 stuff (guitar, bass and drums), and believe that as much as you have to play the scored music well (and the above examples are very poorly executed), the syllabus requires that you develop your parts and playing, requiring your own input into what is actually played. The OP might be well served by finding out what exam boards he will be expected to teach if he lands this job. They are different approaches, and prepare and develop the musician in different ways. [quote name='chardbass' timestamp='1328726373' post='1531799'] Wow. Those bass pieces may be grade 8 but, without wishing to offend, they're certainly not played at what I would consider a Grade 8 standard. No feel whatsoever. I have put some students through Rockschool exams and my jaw has hit the floor at some of the results. [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Try doing a bass version of a track from the Charlie Parker omnibook for bass clef. Arrange the chords and put the melody in too. That would show off skills as a player, reader and arranger and will be quite comfortably in the 'high standard' category Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 (edited) Anyone on here done Trinity Guildhall Electric Bass? (I believe it's a specifically jazz course) I've seen some of the common entry exams pieces played and they are quite challenging, mostly rhythmical challanges and improvised sections (hard for some, easy for others that one!) To those of you with ABRSM or Trinity Grade 8's it's a great achievement! dlloyd, do you still play? You must be very good! All my friends who hold Grade 8s on Clarinet or Violin are very skilled players! I'm a Trinity exam candidate, done my grade 7 Bass trombone, got just off a distinction too! (was rather annoyed haha!) The standard here in the UK and Europe i've noticed is much higher than that for equivilent candidates in the US, for example one of my grade 6 pieces is a standard auditon piece for University Performing degrees in the US, where as here it's mostly grade 8 minimium for performing courses (at dedicated music universities in both countries that is) Something which shows you know the bass guitar, something where you can lay down groove, show you know timing and scales etc, Something like "The Chicken" might be good, along side a pre-prepared grade Piece and as leftybassman392 has said Rock school stuff will count as it fits the description and is also likley what you'd be teaching but really make it shine! Edited February 8, 2012 by AttitudeCastle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottswarwick Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 from the Rockschool syllabus guide [size=3][b]Grade 8: [/b]you will play effortlessly with a wide range of physical and expressive techniques at your[/size] [size=3]command. You will be able to use these at will across a range of styles and musical contexts. You[/size] [size=3]will be comfortable playing pieces employing a number of different time signatures (including[/size] [size=3]changes from bar to bar) and you will display mastery of a number of musical styles. Your solos[/size] [size=3]will be highly musical and employ techniques across the range. You will also be highly sensitive[/size] [size=3]to all aspects of musical presentation.[/size] [size=3]So it is a different idea to the classical grades.[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 [quote name='chardbass' timestamp='1328726373' post='1531799'] Wow. Those bass pieces may be grade 8 but, without wishing to offend, they're certainly not played at what I would consider a Grade 8 standard. No feel whatsoever. I have put some students through Rockschool exams and my jaw has hit the floor at some of the results. [/quote] I'd have to agree with that. Although there really is no way to directly compare professionally played and recorded performances by highly experienced professional players with bedroom performances by teenage students and poor recorded quality, those performances were not up to Grade 8. The lad had better technical command of his instrument (and would probably have just about scraped a pass with that particular performance), but I can't see how the girl would have passed with what we saw there. Months of exam preparation would surely have got them both to a higher standard than that. Just before I retired I took a younger student up to grade 6 (15 when he took the exam IIRC), and he was a much better player than either of those two based on the available evidence. By now he's probably cruised through Grade 8 on his way to a professional career - he'd be about 17 by now. Nevertheless, none of this diminishes the fact that Rockschool Grade 8 demands a high standard of both technical mastery and musicianship. Although the lad showed some technical skill, it wasn't that impressive and certainly wasn't musical. Not sure what the poster was trying to prove here, but I'm not sure that it actually proves anything beyond the fact that experienced professional musicians in a professional situation can play better than teenage students sitting in their bedrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' timestamp='1328728705' post='1531838']dlloyd, do you still play? You must be very good! All my friends who hold Grade 8s on Clarinet or Violin are very skilled players! [/quote] Nope... I essentially gave up more than 20 years ago, before I got to grade 8, but that Finzi piece was something I was working on back then. Regrets... I've had a few... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobematt Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks for all the input, I've settled on a tune though. Something I'm into, something technical, good groove and a solo, so hopefully tick all the boxes! Power - Marcus Miller Right, I'm off to get my thumb warmed up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Actually that's a nice choice I'd say. Couple of procedural questions though: 1. Are you going to play solo or with a -1 track? It occurs to me that the main bass pattern has a lot of gaps in it that you'll need to fill somehow. If you're playing solo it might be an idea to add some little rhythmic patterns into your performance. 2. Are you going to pay the solo section (around 2:00 - 2:40 on the studio version) as is or improvise around the basics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobematt Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 I've found this little gem on youtube which I'm gonna use [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX6cx38LWN8&list=PL1C27C44E8C60D943&index=11&feature=plpp_video"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX6cx38LWN8&list=PL1C27C44E8C60D943&index=11&feature=plpp_video[/url] And with solo I'm gonna play as it is on the recording pretty much, but finger style... There's no way I can get them super fast runs with my thumb!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Nice. Time to get practising then! Best of luck. Don't forget to let us know how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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