Bass exams

[TDM]

Hey,

I'm going into 6th form in September and I've started thinking about my university application, and I've realised that I have almost no non-academic stuff I can put on my university application. I've decided to take some bass (and or) electric guitar exams. After some research I've found that you can do RGT or Rockschool exams.

Anyone have experience for both of these?

I had a look at the syllabuses for both and it seems that Rockschool is more performance based whereas RGT is more theory based. I'm trying to decide which is best for me in terms of which I will find easier and which will hold more weight on a university application, I'm leaning towards Rockschool because although I know general theory (since I play piano and clarinet) I don't actually know that much guitar/bass specific theory.

The next question is - what grade should I do? I've been playing for about 4 years and had a few lessons about 2 years ago, where I was told I could do grade 5 if I learned some scales and worked on improvisation. I was hoping to jump straight in at grade 6, 7 or 8. Judging by the guitar books I've seen and the videos of people playing the pieces on Youtube, they don't seem particularly hard, but I suspect I'd have to put a lot more work into the other areas. I wouldn't consider myself a particularly spectacular bass player, but I feel that might just be because I've not tried to learn any particularly challenging pieces.

As a side note, can anyone recommend any bass teachers in Sheffield? I've found a few on the internet/yellow pages, but I'd rather find one that someone else can recommend.

Edited July 19, 2008 by thedonutman

[charic]

General consensus is that you cant usually go past grade 5 pratical without grade 5 theory. Also a little birdy tells me there is no a royal school of music bass exam. But little birdy may be wrong we had been drinking

[OutToPlayJazz]

The Grade 5 theory rule only applies to the Associated Board exams. If you're doing another board, say, Trinity or Rockschool, you don't have to do the theory. The pieces in the Rockschool syllabus are very approachable, right up to grade 8. It's only the mad variations on the scales that are difficult to learn.

[TDM]

I've done grade 5 theory (associated board) since I've done grade 7 piano and grade 6 clarinet with them. But the Associated board only do classical guitar. When you say the scales are difficult to learn, do you mean that I have to remember loads of patterns, or the patterns are hard to play?

Edited July 19, 2008 by thedonutman

[OutToPlayJazz]

How do I put it...? The scales aren't what you & I would expect coming from a classical background. For instance, the dominant 7ths don't start on the dominant and don't resolve. They're just a minor 7th arpeggio starting on the key note. Later on you get all the altered scales from jazz which they expect at a blistering metronome rate. Very hard to learn from a classical perspective.

[Dubs]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='243237' date='Jul 19 2008, 10:27 AM']...It's only the mad variations on the scales that are difficult to learn.[/quote]

+1

I went for my grade 8 when I was 17, absolutely nailed the 3 tunes but fell completely on my arse with the scales. My fault though, I should have put more practise in. The examiner said after that she had to mark me down in other areas of the exam so that I didn’t pass due to being so sh*t with the scales – that didn’t go down well though because she was basically saying that I did enough to pass but then had my marks lowered so I didn’t pass due to the scales. I wasn’t happy…

[Paul Cooke]

Rockschool expect you to perform pieces that are set and some of them have an improv bit in them...

RGT expect you to be able to perform set riff patterns over a chord sequence and then make appropriate variations to the patterns and also to be able to gin up a suitable accompaniment line to the chords and riff style the examiner plays to you.

You are also expected to be able to play any scale and arpeggio asked of you from the grade or even the previous grades. The higher the grade, the more starting positions you're expected to be able to play it from and the more complex the scales/arpeggios.

I have a distinct preference for the RGT system... It makes you develop your own lines and know what you are doing theory wise to make them sound good...

I'm currently aiming for Grade 5 RGT for the winter exam session. My teacher has chucked me in the deep end saying it would be pointless for me to go for the lower grades.

[terryblyth]

I'm going to be biased here as I have some involvement with Rockschool, but I do think they have a massive edge over the RGT system.

Whilst it's true that the RGT syllabus is more geared towards arpeggios and moving patterns, what isn't really there is playing songs, and playing songs with other musicians. I think as bass players it's important to note that as much as we practice in the house, you're generally (Steve Lawson et al. aside!) only going to gig with other people.

I'll be the first to admit that a lot of the songs in the Rockschool syllabus are, from a general listening perspective, pretty vapid. But they do encourage students to push themselves, and try out a lot of things that the RGT just wants on its own without any interaction from other musicians. It's not as explicit because it's in the context of a piece of music, but it's there.

RGT have done a lot of work in promoting themselves within the education sector, and are possibly more widely recognised. But I think the Rockschool stuff is validated by Trinity, so you shouldn't have a problem there.

I also recently let my RGT membership expire, after the third quarterly magazine came through with either miniscule or no reference to bass at all, and hardly anything for it at the teachers conferences they hold. It does appear that bass is a complete afterthought on their syllabus.

[thebassmandave]

I did some of the Rockschool exams a few years ago.

Went from grade 1 through to grade 6.

I remember on the grade 6 exam being given a piece of music to sightread and I think I had 15 minutes to look it over before playing it.

This was back in 1998 and the syllabus may have changed since then.

I bought the grade 8 book (there was no grade 7 back then) with the intention of studying the music and taking the exam, but I did not get around to it.

Remember seeing in some of the pieces of music that there were sections left to improvise over.

Again, it's been nearly 10 years and I know that the grade 8 module has changed at least twice since then, so I'm not sure what is on the current syllabus.

Rockschool did have a website with the info at one point.

Anyway, whether you choose Rockschool or RGT, I think you will learn some new stuff which will help you in becoming a better player.


Good Luck

[Pkomor]

[quote name='phatmonkey' post='245367' date='Jul 22 2008, 02:05 PM']I have done the Rock School grade 8, and I know a guitarist who has done an RGT grade 8. The Rock School syllabus is one hell of a lot easier - there were dozens of scales/arpeggios for RGT, I think I only had to learn four. It's just a matter of learning the songs, which takes time. I have been playing for 6/7ish years and managed to do the grade 8 in about 6 months.

I'd suggest you get a copy of the book and see if you can learn any of the songs. If it's too hard, try a lower grade.[/quote]

i have been playing for about 4 years, and i'm hoping to do my rock school grade 8 at Christmas. the exams are fairly easy, as there is a long time to prepare the sightreading (20 minutes) and not very many scales (compared with some other instruments anyway!)

but as mentioned before, the scales are unusual, and can be hard to learn, but as there are not that many, you should be fine!