The Viola Grade 2 exam consists of three pieces, chosen by the candidate from the appropriate lists in the current syllabus, scales and arpeggios, sight-reading and aural tests.
Total marks in all individual Practical exams are 150. 100 marks are required to achieve a Pass, 120 marks to pass with Merit and 130 marks to pass with Distinction.
The Viola requirements and information provide a summary of the most important points that teachers and candidates need to know when taking ABRSM Viola exams.
They are detailed within the exam sections below (Pieces, Scales and arpeggios, Sight-reading and Aural tests), immediately after the grade-specific requirements, and are available to download here.
Further details, as well as administrative information relating to the exams, are given in ABRSM’s Information & Regulations which should be read before an exam booking is made.
There are eight grades for Viola and candidates may be entered in any grade irrespective of age and without previously having taken any other grade in Viola. Candidates for a Grade 6, 7 or 8 exam must already have passed ABRSM Grade 5 (or above) in Music Theory, Practical Musicianship or a solo Jazz subject; for full details, including a list of accepted alternatives, see Regulation 1d.
Candidates are required to perform on acoustic instruments (electric instruments are not permitted). Any size of instrument may be used. Examiners apply the marking criteria (which include the assessment of pitch, tone and musical shaping) to assess musical outcomes without reference to the specific attributes of the instrument. Candidates may play on a violin strung as a viola.
Examiners: Generally, there will be one examiner in the exam room; however, for training and quality assurance purposes, a second examiner may sometimes be present. Examiners may ask to look at the music before or after the performance of a piece (a separate copy is not required: the candidate’s or accompanist’s copy will suffice). Examiners may also decide to stop the performance of a piece when they have heard enough to form a judgment. They will not issue, or comment on, a candidate’s result; instead, the mark form (and certificate for successful candidates) will be issued by ABRSM after the exam.
Tuning: In Grades 1–5, the teacher or accompanist may tune the candidate’s instrument (or advise on tuning) before the exam begins. In Grades 6–8, candidates must tune their instrument themselves. Examiners are unable to help with tuning.
Order of the exam: The individual sections of the exam may be undertaken in any order, at the candidate’s choice, although it is always preferable for accompanied pieces to be performed consecutively.
Three pieces: one chosen by the candidate from each of the three Lists, A, B and C - 30 marks each
| No. | Composer | Piece information | Publication(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
J. S. Bach
arr. Lamb and Meredith |
Rondeau from Orchestral Suite in B minor, BWV 1067 |
|
| 2 | J. S. Bach | Minuet No. 1 |
No. 15 from Suzuki Viola School, Vol. 1Alfred–Summy-Birchard (0241S) More details Piano accomp. published separately as Suzuki Viola School, Vol. 1 Piano Accompaniment Alfred–Summy-Birchard (0245S) |
| 3 |
Charpentier
arr. Blackwell |
Prelude from Te Deum |
No. 24 from Viola Time Runners, arr. BlackwellOUP More details Piano accomp. published separately as Viola Time Runners Piano Accompaniment, arr. Blackwell OUP |
| 4 |
J.-F. Dandrieu
arr. Wilkinson and Hart |
Les bergers rustiques | |
| 5 |
G. B. Martini
arr. Wilkinson and Hart |
Gavotte | |
| 6 |
Playford
arr. Bass and Harris |
The Twenty-Ninth of May from The Dancing Master |
| No. | Composer | Piece information | Publication(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katherine Colledge and Hugh Colledge |
Snake Charmer No. 21 from Fast Forward for Viola |
No. 21 from Katherine Colledge and Hugh Colledge: Fast Forward for ViolaBoosey & Hawkes More details |
| 2 |
Edward Jones
arr. Huws Jones |
Glwysen (The Fairest One) (viola melody) |
|
| 3 |
Mozart
arr. Bass and Harris |
Theme from Andante grazioso from Piano Sonata in A, K. 331 |
|
| 4 | Schumann | The Happy Farmer |
No. 18 from Suzuki Viola School, Vol. 1 Alfred–Summy-Birchard (0241S) More details Piano accomp. published separately as Suzuki Viola School, Vol. 1 Piano Accompaniment Alfred–Summy-Birchard (0245S) |
| 5 |
J. Strauss II
arr. Lamb and Meredith |
Emperor Waltz Op. 437 |
|
| 6 |
Trad. North American
arr. Waterfield and Beach |
Simple Gifts |
| No. | Composer | Piece information | Publication(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kathy Blackwell and David Blackwell | Mean Street Chase |
No. 20 from Viola Time Runners, arr. Blackwell OUP More details Piano accomp. published separately as Viola Time Runners Piano Accompaniment, arr. Blackwell OUP |
| 2 | Katherine Colledge and Hugh Colledge |
The Ceilidh No. 20 from Fast Forward for Viola |
No. 20 from Katherine Colledge and Hugh Colledge: Fast Forward for Viola Boosey & Hawkes More details |
| 3 |
Offenbach
arr. Wilkinson and Hart |
Galop infernal (observing 1st repeat) |
|
| 4 |
Stravinsky
arr. Lamb and Meredith |
Shrove-Tide Fair Themes from Petrushka |
|
| 5 |
Trad. American
arr. Waterfield and Beach |
Old Joe Clark | |
| 6 |
Trad. Scottish
arr. Huws Jones |
Mrs McLeod’s Reel (viola melody) |
Programme planning: Candidates must choose one piece from each of the three lists (A, B and C) in each grade. In the exam, they should inform the examiner which pieces they are performing, and they are welcome to use the Exam programme & running order form (PDF) for this purpose.
Accompaniment: A live piano accompaniment is required for all pieces, except those which are published as studies or unaccompanied works. Candidates must provide their own accompanist, who may remain in the exam room only while accompanying. The candidate’s teacher may act as accompanist (examiners will not). If necessary, the accompanist may simplify any part of the piano accompaniment, provided the result is musically satisfactory.
Exam music & editions: Wherever the syllabus includes an arrangement or transcription, the edition listed in the syllabus must be used in the exam; in all such cases the abbreviation ‘arr.’ or ‘trans.’ appears in the syllabus entry. For all other pieces, the editions quoted in the syllabus are given for guidance only and candidates may use any edition of their choice (in- or out-of-print or downloadable).
Interpreting the score: Printed editorial suggestions such as fingering, bowing, metronome marks, realization of ornaments etc. need not be strictly observed. Whether the piece contains musical indications or not, candidates are always encouraged to interpret the score in a stylistically appropriate manner. Ultimately, examiners’ marking will be determined by consideration of pitch, time, tone, shape and performance, and how control of these contributes to the overall musical outcome.
Vibrato: The use and control of vibrato, and its effect on tone and shape, will be taken into account by examiners, who will be assessing the overall musical outcome. Pieces whose full musical effect is heavily reliant on vibrato tend not to appear in the syllabus before around Grade 5.
Repeats: All da capo and dal segno indications should be observed but all other repeats (including first-time bars) should be omitted unless they are very brief (i.e. of a few bars) or unless the syllabus specifies otherwise.
Cadenzas & tuttis: Cadenzas should not be played unless the syllabus specifies otherwise. Lengthy orchestral tutti sections should be cut.
Performing from memory: Candidates are free to perform any of their pieces from memory; in such cases they must ensure that a copy of the music is available for the examiner to refer to if necessary. No additional marks are awarded for playing from memory.
Page-turns: Examiners will be understanding if a page-turn causes a lack of continuity during a piece, and this will not affect the marking. A variety of solutions for awkward page-turns exists, including the use of an additional copy of the music or a photocopy of a section of the piece (but see ‘Photocopies’ below). In cases where candidates believe there is no solution to a particularly awkward page-turn, they may apply to bring a page-turner to the exam. The request must be made to the Syllabus Department no later than the closing date for entry, and details of the piece, edition and nature of the difficulty should be given. If permission is granted, a confirmation letter will be issued which must be taken to the exam as verification. Examiners are unable to help with page-turning. In a Grade 8 exam, a candidate’s accompanist is permitted to bring a page-turner to assist with page-turns in the piano part (prior permission is not required).
Photocopies: Performing from unauthorized photocopies (or other kinds of copies) of copyright editions is not allowed. ABRSM may withhold the exam result where it has evidence of an illegal copy (or copies) being used. In the UK, copies may be used in certain limited circumstances – for full details, see the MPA’s Code of Fair Practice at www.mpaonline.org.uk. In all other cases, application should be made to the copyright holder before any copy is made, and evidence of permission received should be brought to the exam.
21 marks
|
| range | bowing requirements | rhythm pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Scales | F, Bb majors C, G minors † | 1 octave | separate bows and slurred | even notes or long tonic, at candidate's choice |
C, D, Eb majors | 2 octaves | separate bows and slurred | even notes or long tonic, at candidate's choice | |
Arpeggios | F, Bb majors C, G minors † | 1 octave | separate bows | even notes |
C, D, Eb majors | 2 octaves | separate bows | even notes |
† Starting on open strings
Examiners will usually ask for at least one of each type of scale/arpeggio etc. required at each grade, as well as aiming to hear a balance of separately-bowed and slurred requirements. When asking for requirements, examiners will specify only:
All scales and arpeggios should:
Candidates are free to use any fingering that produces a successful musical outcome. For major and minor scales (and double-stop scales in parallel sixths/octaves) candidates may choose between two rhythm patterns: even notes or long tonic. Arpeggios, dominant and diminished sevenths are required in root position only. All dominant sevenths must finish by resolving on the tonic.
Books of scale requirements are published for Viola by ABRSM.
Bowing will generally dictate the tempi of slurred scales and arpeggios. Separately bowed requirements should be played briskly, using no more than half the bow length. The speeds below are given as a general guide.
21 marks
An eight-bar piece, time and key signatures as Grade 1, with the addition of C major and A natural minor. Further use of 1st position. Notes separately bowed or with simple two-note slurs. Addition of mp, ‘hairpins’ (cresc./dim.), dotted minim, and minim rest.
Candidates will be asked to play a short unaccompanied piece of music which they have not previously seen. They will be given up to half a minute in which to look through and, if they wish, try out all or any part of the test before they are required to play it for assessment. The main technical parameters are outlined for the grade (see above); once introduced, these parameters apply for all subsequent grades (albeit with a logical progression of difficulty). For practice purposes, books of specimen sight-reading tests are published for Viola by ABRSM.
18 marks
Aural test requirements are the same for all subjects.
Listening lies at the heart of all good music-making. Developing aural awareness is fundamental to musical training because having a ‘musical ear’ impacts on all aspects of musicianship. Singing, both silently in the head and out loud, is one of the best ways to develop the ‘musical ear’. It connects the internal imagining of sound, the ‘inner ear’, with the external creation of it, without the necessity of mechanically having to ‘find the note’ on an instrument (important though that connection is). By integrating aural activities in imaginative ways in the lesson, preparation for the aural tests within an exam will be a natural extension of what is already an essential part of the learning experience.
Aural tests are an integral part of all Practical graded exams. The tests are administered by the examiner from the piano. For any test that requires a sung response, pitch rather than vocal quality is the object. The examiner will be happy to adapt to the vocal range of the candidate, whose responses may be sung to any vowel (or consonant followed by a vowel), hummed or whistled (and at a different octave, if appropriate).
A number of tests allow for a second attempt or for an additional playing by the examiner, if necessary. Also, where there is hesitation on the part of the candidate, the examiner will be ready to prompt, if necessary. In any such cases, this will affect the assessment. Marks are not awarded for each individual test nor deducted for mistakes but reflect the candidate’s overall response in this section.
Examples of the tests are given in new editions (from 2011) of Specimen Aural Tests and Aural Training in Practice, available for purchase from music retailers and from the ABRSM music shop.
Deaf or hearing-impaired candidates may opt to respond to alternative tests in place of the standard tests, if requested at the time of entry. Further information, including the syllabus for the alternative tests, is available at www.abrsm.org/specificneeds.
An invaluable source of syllabus repertoire.
A graded selection of tuneful pieces for viola and piano.
Practice material for students preparing for Viola exams.
New editions offering support to teachers preparing students for Practical exams.
An award-winning aural practice application from ABRSM.
A practice tool that allows you to vary the speed of audio without altering the pitch.
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