Has anybody done RGT grade 8 bass?

[TDM]

Hey guys,

I decided to go for the RGT bass exam, and I should be doing it this month/next month.
Basically one of the sections (other than playing scales, arpeggios, bass patterns, improv and ear tests) is a choice between Sight reading (I don't know who in their right mind would choose to do this ) or solo bass. According to the book I have to play a piece or a series of excerpts that showcase either fingerstyle, plectrum playing, fretless or slap bass. I assume it means you can only pick one.

Has anyone done the exam or have any idea of what level of piece is required?

I was thinking of doing something like a bit of Teen Town if I'm doing fingerstyle. Or something like Scoop or Power by Marcus Miller if I'm doing slap. Maybe a bit of "Heart of the Sunrise" if I do pickstyle?

My exam could be very soon, and although I do know bits of all of those songs I don't know how quickly I could nail it. If the piece doesn't need to be that hard to get to get decent marks then I'd rather play something easier perfectly then try to show off and mess up.

[JD1]

I did Grade 6 and 7 a few years back. (I've been putting off the 8 as I'll need to swot all the stuff for the earlier grades and tbh motivation has been in short supply).

I did Wassup by Abe Laboriel for the 6 and D-Code by Alain Caron for the 7 (I must confess that this was a "rough approximation" of D-Code on the basis that I play a 5 not a 6 - oh and I couldn't work out exactly what he was doing ).

For both of these I went through the different sections a few times and changed the technique - but I didn't stick to the original arrangement (even if I could). E.g. first time I did some bits fingerstyle, second time around I used thumb / slap - maybe some pinched harmonics and palm mute just to show I had some different tools in the bag. I also varied the intensity and I think ralled the end for effect!

I doubt very much the examiner would have known these tracks, but he did note down what they were so presumably he checked out how they should be done properly! I remember at the time he tapped his foot to make sure I didn't stray too far tempo wise and he did note it down when I changed technique.

I spoke with him afterwards when he was asking about the choice as he said they were a welcome change from Dune Tune! He said one chap had played Freewill by Rush from start to finish - fortunately the examiner was a Rush fan but probably wasn't the best choice if he hadn't been.

I got 9/10 both times. The feedback said I slowed down so that must have cost me a mark - must have been the rall

[TDM]

Thanks for the reply. I get the impression that I'm way off with what I want to play then. This grade 8 must be harder than I thought it was! I was originally hoping to nail the scales + arpeggios and the solo, do reasonably on the improv and music questions and then expect to fail on the ear tests (my ear is terrible) but by the looks of it I'll need to rethink my game plan. I imagine I could play something a bit harder than D-code, but I don't know how long it would take for me to nail it for a perfect performance.

Oh, if you still remember, roughly how long was your performance for grade 7?

[JD1]

Nah - I don't think it is too hard. Pick something relatively simple but melodic, show you have a good feel / tempo / groove and demonstrate some different techniques - you'll be laughing! I think I went through the D-Code sections 3 times each (minus the solo) and varied my technique each time.

Mind you if you are confident you can play something harder than D-Code (properly - unlike me) I'm impressed!

Ear tests are not easy - you need to practice your intervals.

[james_guitar]

I haven't entered for any of the RGT exams, but I teach guitar and bass full time and have entered a lot of students for gradings on the Rock school syllabus (which is stylistically varied, despite the name). I agree with JD1 that you should focus on nailing the fundamentals. Check out the playing standard of the other pieces for this grade (either RGT or Rock School Bass syllabus) and don't pick anything more technical than this unless you can literally play it in your sleep. Much like with GCSE and A-Level performance exams, an examiner would far rather hear you nailing a piece that hits the minimum technical requirements than missing a couple of notes here and there on Donna Lee (or playing U Can't Hold No Groove without being able to comfortably groove).

As for the ear tests side of things - if you (or even a friend) can play something chord-friendly like guitar or piano (or you can do this an octave higher on a bass if you really want), then keep playing and listening to different types of chords until you can differentiate between major and minor, or maj7 and dominant 7th etc. Next off, do the same thing with arpeggios and scales. Despite being tedious, this stuff is invaluable when playing with other musicians.

Finally, whatever piece you decide to play make sure you can play every note 100% cleanly at performance tempo to a metronome. Start at a slower tempo and build your way up if need be. Remember, if you can't play it perfectly at a slower tempo then it's not going to sounds any better at the faster speeds.

[TDM]

Being able to recognise chords isn't my problem. I play piano and guitar so I can tell the difference between major/minor/7ths/diminished etc. I'm just not very good at doing the melody recall (partially because I end up forgetting the end by the time I figure out the beginning) and I'm not very good at figuring things out by ear when put on the spot either. I did the grade 6 Rockschool Guitar exam, and I ended up just trying to look confident and making up a random melody and chord progression for the aural bits, consequently getting only about 3 marks.

Anyway, I got a date for my exam, it's the first Sunday of July (5th) so once i've finished all my AS exams I'll have ~3 weeks to nail this.

Could any of you guys recommend any particular songs that has the potential to tick all the boxes?

The book and syllabus itself rather vague about which boxes I need to tick and how they actually mark it. I remember in GCSE music I played a grade 6 piano piece and another guy did a much easier piece and we came out with full marks. I felt a bit stupid afterwards because I had to practice a lot more than he did.

Also, what did you think of the playing along to a chord progression bit? By the looks of it it carries the most marks but I struggle to get a decent groove going especially if it's a Jazz thing, less so if it's funk. I know reading and improv helps me as a musician and all, but I've had virtually no experience of improvising to chord progressions before I started working for this. It's not that I don't listen to a wide variety of music, it's just i don't have much real world experience doing anything other than metal gigs .

Edited June 9, 2009 by thedonutman

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='thedonutman' post='508442' date='Jun 8 2009, 06:49 PM']Hey guys,

I decided to go for the RGT bass exam, and I should be doing it this month/next month.
Basically one of the sections (other than playing scales, arpeggios, bass patterns, improv and ear tests) is a choice between Sight reading (I don't know who in their right mind would choose to do this ) or solo bass. According to the book I have to play a piece or a series of excerpts that showcase either fingerstyle, plectrum playing, fretless or slap bass. I assume it means you can only pick one.

Has anyone done the exam or have any idea of what level of piece is required?

I was thinking of doing something like a bit of Teen Town if I'm doing fingerstyle. Or something like Scoop or Power by Marcus Miller if I'm doing slap. Maybe a bit of "Heart of the Sunrise" if I do pickstyle?

My exam could be very soon, and although I do know bits of all of those songs I don't know how quickly I could nail it. If the piece doesn't need to be that hard to get to get decent marks then I'd rather play something easier perfectly then try to show off and mess up.[/quote]

Hi there. I'm an RGT registered tutor. You've probably seen the following statement already, but just in case you haven't, it reads as follows:-

Solo Bass style (Grade 8) - "The candidate should give a confident and musical performance, showing advanced technical ability on the instrument. The performance should be imaginative and demonstrate versatility, accuracy, fluency and articulation."

(I take it you've already read the general blurb about the Solo Bass style section so I won't repeat it here. If you haven't read it recently though, it might be a good idea to give it a quick read before continuing.)

This section is marked according to several criteria, of which technique is only one (albeit an important one). If for example you choose to do a slap piece, you will need to show a pretty thorough grasp of the theory and practice of the style. That means being able to talk about it as well as being able to play it. Any single piece you choose should allow you the opportunity to demonstrate a good range of appropriate techniques. (A single technical aspect played lots of times, however difficult and however fast, is unlikely to impress the examiner much.) For this reason, some people opt to choose extracts from several pieces in different styles.

When you're looking at the 'advanced technical ability' part, try not to forget that the examiner is also looking at the 'confident and musical performance' part. What that means in practice is that a big technique on it's own won't be enough to score well. Try to take a balanced approach, so that you come up with something that is technically difficult, but which also allows you to show off your qualities as a musician. Try to pick something that works well as a solo piece (or pieces) - remember, it's an unaccompanied performance. Oh, and don't get obsessed with speed - however fast you play, chances are the examiner has already seen somebody faster in the last week or two.

Hope this helps,

Good luck with the exam.

Andy Kerr (AK1216)

Edited June 9, 2009 by leftybassman392

[JD1]

Thats something else I should have mentioned - I talked through the pieces first - what they were about and why I chose them.

On the playing along with chords, if you can try and get something like Band in a Box. Its excellent practice to mute the bass on it and play along to different tunes and styles. Practice playing the 3rd, 7th and 9th etc. Start off on a slow tempo and then build it up.

[TDM]

I called up RGT the other day, and the guy basically said I have to play a piece that's at a similar level in terms of technical ability to the rest of the grade 8 stuff, eg scales and bass patterns. The bass patterns don't seem particularly hard, so I guess I could get away with something relatively simple.

I think I've finally decided on just jamming out on the two sections of "Glide" by Pleasure, and then do something another excerpt of fingerstyle playing maybe.

[JD1]

Glide is good as you have slap and chords / double stops. Try and vary the feel. You could maybe segue it with some other funky stuff for fingerstyle - off the top of my head: Good Times or Rhythm Stick etc.

Best of luck - I'm sure you will nail it!

[TDM]

[quote name='JD1' post='528067' date='Jun 29 2009, 08:11 PM']Glide is good as you have slap and chords / double stops. Try and vary the feel. You could maybe segue it with some other funky stuff for fingerstyle - off the top of my head: Good Times or Rhythm Stick etc.

Best of luck - I'm sure you will nail it![/quote]


Thanks!

I've been thinking of a segue actually, but none of the riffs in glide are very fingerstyle friendly. I'll check out the two you suggested, although it might be a little late to learn something new completely (I find it a lot easier to play riffs I've listened to a lot). Perhaps "Runaway" by Jamiroquai could be suitably groovy.

[Dood]

Are the RGT examinations considered the most appropriate / best / internationally recognised / etc? What are the 'other' examination options? Rockschool etc?

[Chris2112]

When I read threads like this I sweat and thank my lucky stars I never took music at school! Good luck!

[JD1]

I'm not sure if there is a best one as such. I did the RGT / London College ones as they were the only ones I knew about but I don't know if they carry any more weight than the Rockschool ones. I would guess they will all be much of a muchness.

[Chris2112]

I have always wondered though, what do these qualifications unlock for you? Aside from degrees in music? (which seem a bit of a dead end if I'm honest). It seems the world of music has jobs for businessmen and people in bands (usually flavour of the month). So what does a grading of skill do for you? Because I have friends with degrees in music who are struggling to get jobs (even on graduate schemes) whereas law/psychology/business degree holders seem to be doing alright for jobs. So whats the score?

Edited July 2, 2009 by Chris2112

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='Chris2112' post='530200' date='Jul 2 2009, 08:05 AM']I have always wondered though, what do these qualifications unlock for you? Aside from degrees in music? (which seem a bit of a dead end if I'm honest). It seems the world of music has jobs for businessmen and people in bands (usually flavour of the month). So what does a grading of skill do for you? Because I have friends with degrees in music who are struggling to get jobs (even on graduate schemes) whereas law/psychology/business degree holders seem to be doing alright for jobs. So whats the score?[/quote]

Are you actually saying that it's pointless to even bother with qualifications? That can't be right:

To see qualifications simply as a route to work seems a bit shortsighted if you don't mind me saying so. Isn't it more to do with developing yourself as a player and as a musician? Although nothing's certain in the music business right now, when work does start to pick up again your chances of getting hired are surely gonna be better if you've made the effort to make yourself better at what you do.

It's not about having bits of paper to wave at people, it's about making yourself useful to someone who might want to hire you - the way you do that is by making sure you can play what the hirer wants you to play - whatever that might be.

[JD1]

For me it has improved my playing and knowledge. By having the discipline of an exam it made me learn all sorts of stuff I wouldn't have bothered with. At the end of the day the certificate is just a piece of paper. OK its useful to show to parents / students if you want to teach but its not going to get you gigs on its own. However if you become a better player / musician as a result of your study, then that's a different matter.

There is an awful lot more work, experience and fun to be had outside the world of record deals and flavour of the month bands.

[TDM]

The main reason I signed up was just to put on my UCAS/Personal statement. Because "I play bass in my spare time" doesn't really say as much about yourself as "I play bass in my spare time and I've worked towards doing my grade 8" If anything it shows commitment rather than skill.

But the exam has made me a better player and musician in general, because I now know a lot of scales/arpeggios which I didn't know before and probably would have never learned or practiced. Having said that, I don't really see myself ever regularly playing F#7b5b9 arpeggios in a song.

Edited July 2, 2009 by thedonutman

[JD1]

Yes - but suppose you are at an audition, jam or a recording session and someone hands you a chord chart containing the afore-mentioned F#7b5b9 and asks you to put a bass line to it - you'd have more options than just using your ears. OK its unlikely, and I'd probably hit an F# (at least 1st time around), but being able to hit some of the hot notes rather than the root could make all the difference.

[TDM]

Well I've done the exam. It went OK I guess.

The bad:

I F***ed up the scales as I managed to get given the 3 scales which I didn't know very well. Dominant 7 in root and 3 inversions, a Dominant 7b5b9 arpeggio (oh the irony!) and a natural minor in 8ths. The musicianship questions bad. I got asked what the b9 was in Bb and since I didn't know it off the top of my head I panicked. The transposition question was also an unmitigated f***up as I had no idea what key the progression was in to start off with, again I panicked and didn't give myself time to think of an answer (by which time I guess the answer is "worked out" and not "known" so I'd lose marks anyway)

The good:

The improv wasn't bad. I was really worried about this section but I think I did surprisingly alright. My teachers advice to coming up with standard patterns for weird chords paid off although I think I missed the 13th a couple of times. Ah well. The feel of the progression was easy to get into and it was in 4/4.

I killed the "read the performance directions" section. I tried my best to exaggerate all the dynamics and tempo markings to make it blindingly obvious I was following them. Although I fear this bit doesn't carry many marks.

The specialism was pretty good I thought. The examiner seemed interested when I told him what I was playing (Glide - Pleasure) and I pulled it off OK. There was a minor screwup but I still managed to showcase all the skills (Did some slap sections, some fingerstyle, some chords, messed with dynamics and even did some improvised tapping for the intro)

The OK:

Aural went surprisingly well. OK I probably only got 3 marks for it but that's 3 more than I'd expected to get!
Bass patterns were pretty good too. I only had to do one of them. I modified the riffs each time around as required to get more marks. However I think I might have played it 5 times as opposed to 4 times.....oops!

All in all I think the merit is out of reach but I hope I've passed.

Edited July 6, 2009 by thedonutman

[JD1]

Well done! Try not to over analyse what you did or didn't do. It's too late to do anything about it. If I remember you get most marks for the performance bits anyway, so you should be OK.