Practical Cello Grade 1

Our Cello requirements and information summarise the most important points that teachers and candidates need to know when taking ABRSM graded Cello exams. They are explained in the exam sections below (Pieces, Scales and arpeggios, Sight-reading and Aural tests) and are also available to download as a PDF.

Further administrative information about our exams are given in our Exam Regulations which you should read before booking an exam.

Entering for an exam

Eligibility: There are nine grades of exam for Cello. Candidates may be entered for any grade at any age and do not need to have taken other grade(s) in Cello. Candidates for a Grade 6, 7 or 8 exam must have already passed ABRSM Grade 5 (or above) in Music Theory, Practical Musicianship or a solo Jazz instrument. For full details, including a list of accepted alternatives, see Prerequisite for Grades 6–8.

Access: ABRSM is committed to providing all candidates with fair access to its assessments by putting in place access arrangements and reasonable adjustments. There is a range of alternative tests and formats as well as guidelines for candidates with specific needs. For full details, see Specific Needs. Where a candidate’s needs are not covered by the guidelines, each case is considered individually. Further information is available from the Access Co-ordinator.

Exam booking: For full details of exam dates, location, fees and how to book an exam, see Exam Booking.

Instruments

Candidates are required to perform on acoustic instruments (electric instruments are not allowed) and 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.

In the exam

Examiners: Generally, there will be one examiner in the exam room; however a second examiner may be present for training and quality assurance purposes. Examiners may ask to look at the candidate’s or accompanist’s copy of the music before or after the performance of a piece; a separate copy is not required. Examiners may stop the performance of a piece when they have heard enough to make a judgment. They will not issue or discuss a candidate’s result. Instead, the mark form (and certificate for successful candidates) will be issued by ABRSM after the exam.

Order of the exam: The individual sections of the exam may be taken in any order, at the candidate’s choice, although it is preferable for accompanied pieces to be performed consecutively at the beginning of the exam.

Tuning: At Grades Initial–5, the teacher or accompanist may tune the candidate’s instrument (or advise on tuning) before the exam begins. At Grades 6–8, candidates must tune their instruments themselves. Examiners are unable to help with tuning.

Seating: A chair/stool will be provided for cello candidates at ABRSM public venues.

Music stands: All ABRSM public venues provide a music stand, but candidates are welcome to bring their own if they prefer. The examiner will be happy to help adjust the height or position of the stand.

Assessment

Exams are marked out of 150. 100 marks are required for a Pass, 120 for a Merit and 130 for a Distinction. Candidates do not need to pass each section to pass overall. For full details, including the marking criteria used by examiners, see Graded music exam marking criteria.

Sourcing exam music

Exam music is available from music retailers and online, including at the ABRSM music shop. Every effort has been made to make sure that the publications listed will be available for the duration of the syllabus. Candidates are advised to get their music well before the exam in case items are not kept in stock by retailers. Non-exam related questions about the music (e.g. editorial, availability) should be addressed to the relevant publisher. For a complete list of publisher contact details, see Obtaining exam music.

Playing scales and arpeggios is important for building strong technical skills such as reliable finger movement, hand position, co-ordination and fingerboard fluency. It also helps to develop tone, pitch and interval awareness, and familiarity with keys and their related patterns. This leads to greater confidence and security when sight-reading, learning new pieces and performing – from a score or from memory, as a solo musician or with others.

Grade 1 Scales and arpeggios – 21 marks

The full requirements and information for scales are explained after the table.

† Starting on open strings

Scale speeds

The scale speeds below are given as a general guide.

Cello requirements and information: Scales

Memory: All requirements should be played from memory.

Range: All requirements should be played from the lowest possible tonic/starting note unless the syllabus specifies differently. They should ascend and descend according to the specified range (and pattern).

Rhythm: For most major and minor scales (and double-stop scales in parallel sixths/octaves) candidates may choose between two rhythm patterns: even notes or long tonic. The scale to a fifth (Initial Grade) should be played in even notes.

Patterns: Arpeggios and dominant sevenths are required in root position only. All dominant sevenths should finish by resolving on the tonic. Examples of scale/arpeggio etc. patterns found in this syllabus are available to download as a PDF. Fully notated versions of the requirements are published by ABRSM and are available to buy from our music shop.

Fingering: Candidates may use any fingering that produces a successful musical outcome.

Speed: 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 in the table above are given as a general guide.

In the exam

Initial Grade candidates should play all three requirements when asked for their scales. The examiner will prompt the keys/ranges where necessary.

At Grades 1–8, examiners will usually ask for at least one of each scale/arpeggio (etc.) type. They will ask for majors followed by minors within each type, and also ask to hear a balance of the separately-bowed and slurred requirements. When asking for requirements, examiners will specify:

• the key* (including minor form – harmonic or melodic – in the Grade 6–8 scales) or the starting note
• separate bows or slurred (except for where the requirements are to be prepared with separate bows only – e.g. Grade 1 arpeggios).

* Where keys at Grades 6–8 are listed enharmonically – Db/C# and Ab/G# – the examiner will use the flat spelling when asking for major keys and the sharp spelling for minor keys.

Sight-reading is a valuable skill with many benefits. Learning to sight-read helps to develop quick recognition of keys, tonality and common rhythm patterns. Strong sight-reading skills make learning new pieces quicker and easier, and also help when making music with others, so that playing in an ensemble becomes more rewarding and enjoyable.

Cello requirements and information: Sight-reading – 21 marks

Candidates will be asked to play a short unaccompanied piece of music which they have not seen before. They will be given half a minute to look through and, if they wish, try out all or any part of the test before they are asked to play it for assessment. The table below shows the elements that are introduced at each grade.

For practice purposes, sample sight-reading tests are published by ABRSM and are available to buy from our music shop.

Listening lies at the heart of music-making and the ability to hear how music works helps with all aspects of musical development. Aural skills help with gauging the sound and balance of playing, keeping in time and playing with a sense of rhythm and pulse. These skills also help to develop a sense of pitch, musical memory and the ability to spot mistakes.

Grade 1 Aural tests – 18 marks

1. To clap the pulse of a piece played by the examiner, and to identify whether it is in two time or three time. The examiner will start playing the passage, and the candidate should join in as soon as possible, clapping in time and giving a louder clap on the strong beats. The examiner will then ask whether the music is in two time or three time. The candidate is not required to state the time signature.
2. To sing as ‘echoes’ three phrases played by the examiner. The phrases will be two bars long, in a major key, and within the range of tonic–mediant. First the examiner will play the key-chord and the starting note (the tonic) and then count in two bars. After the examiner has played each phrase, the candidate should sing back the echo without a pause, keeping in time.
3. To identify where a change in pitch occurs during a phrase played by the examiner. The phrase will be two bars long, in a major key, and the change will affect only one of the notes. First the examiner will play the key-chord and the tonic and then count in two bars. The examiner will play the phrase twice, making the change in the second playing, after which the candidate should state whether the change was near the beginning or near the end. If necessary, the examiner will play both versions of the phrase again (although this will affect the assessment).
4. To answer questions about two features of a piece played by the examiner. Before playing, the examiner will tell the candidate which two features the questions will be about. The first will be: dynamics (loud/quiet, or sudden/gradual changes); the second will be articulation (smooth/detached).

Cello requirements and information: Aural tests

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.

In the exam

Aural tests are an integral part of all Practical Grades.

The tests are administered by the examiner from the piano. For any test that requires a sung response, pitch rather than vocal quality is being assessed. 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).

Assessment

Some tests allow for a second attempt or for an additional playing by the examiner, if necessary. The examiner will also be ready to prompt, where helpful, although this may affect the assessment.

Marks are not awarded for each individual test or deducted for mistakes; instead they reflect the candidate’s overall response in this section. For full details, including the marking criteria used by examiners, see Graded music exam marking criteria.

Sample tests

Examples of the tests for Grades Initial–8 are given in Specimen Aural Tests. More examples for Grades 1–8 are given in Aural Training in Practice.

Deaf or hearing-impaired candidates

Deaf or hearing-impaired candidates may choose alternative tests in place of the standard tests, if requested at the time of entry. For full details, including the syllabus for the alternative tests, see Specific Needs.