Test material for the Department of Instrumental Studies

The level of difficulty of the programs for the different instruments corresponds with the graduation criteria spelled out in the syllabus for Music High Schools.

• violin
  • two contrasting movements of a sonata or partita for violin solo by J. S. Bach
  • one capriccio
  • concerto for violin and piano - either movement I with cadenza or movements II and III (the candidate's choice)
  
  
• viola
  • two capriccios
  • solo piece: suite - J. S. Bach, G. Ph. Telemann, M. Reger
  • a classical or modern concerto with piano accompaniment
  
  
• cello
  • two-tones etude (from D. Popper 40 etudes op. 73) or two-tones capriccio (from A. Piatti 12 capricios op. 25)
  • two movements of one of J. S. Bach's suites for cello solo
  • two contrasting movements of one of sonatas: L. Boccherini, J. B. Bréval, F. Francoeur, P. Locatelli, C. Tessarini, G. Valentini
  
  
• double bass
  • an etude solo
  • an old classic sonata, movements I and II or III and IV
  • concerto (at least two movements) or concertino
  • free piece (miniature)
  
  
• woodwind and brass instruments
  • clarinet and saxophone - sonata form, other instruments - optional baroque piece
  • concerto
  • free piece
  Score reading a vista examination requirements: major and minor scales, intervals (tierces), arpeggios and seventh dominants.
  
  
• harp
  • one virtuoso etude
  • a sonata form (sonata or concerto)
  • an optional piece
  • an orchestra cadenza
  
  
• guitar
  • two diverse virtuoso etudes
  • a baroque suite
  • a cyclic classical form
  • an optional program
  
  
• accordion
  • a preclassical or classical period piece
  • prelude and fugue (or an independent fugue)
  • a cyclic piece (original music)
  • at least two diverse optional pieces
  
  
• percussion (the purpose of the examination is to test the candidate's mastery of all percussion instruments)
  
  
  1. rendering of a program especially prepared for the examination:
     snare drum
     • obligatory piece: Bent Lylloff Arhus Etude no. 9 (Etude for Snare Drum)
     • a piece based on rudimentary technique - J. S. Pratt, W. J. Schinstine, or some other composer
     • tremolo in various gradations of dynamics including crescendo and decrescendo
     
     kettle drums
     • Solo piece or piece with piano accompaniment
     • Tremolo in various gradations of dynamics including crescendo and decrescendo
     
     xylophone
     • solo piece or piece with piano accompaniment
     • major and minor scales (in thirds, sixths and octaves), arpeggios, chromatic scale
     
     vibraphone
     • solo piece or piece with piano accompaniment
     
     marimba (optional)
     • solo piece or piece with piano accompaniment
     
     percussion set
     • solo piece or part of a cyclic piece for set of various types of percussion instruments
     
     
  2. preparation, in fixed time, of a solo piece for vibraphone based on chord (four stick) technique
     
     
  3. reading a vista: xylophone, snare drum. Tuning kettle drums
     
     
  
  
• Aural training - oral
  1. interval, tierce and fourth perception
  2. musical memory and imagination test
  3. analysis of multi-voice melodic-harmonic passages
  4. singing at sight
  5. rendering of rhythmic passages
  
  

Compiled by: The Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music