Studio Proficiency Levels
Click on the links below to get more specific information about individual instruments.
If you have any questions, please contact your studio teacher.
LEVEL A
Ability to meet Level A standards by the end of first year (for BA), upon entrance (for BM).
- Tone
- Mostly clear and resonant tone, playing with control
- Presence of vibrato
- Intonation
- In tune in most keys with few issues in all but extreme registers
- 1st and 3rd position for upper strings
- 3rd and 4th positions for lower strings
- In tune in most keys with few issues in all but extreme registers
- Technique
- Command of 1st and 3rd position
- Scales/arpeggios in one octave, some in 2 octaves
- Stable bow hold
- Straight wrists, relaxed hands
- Fundamental bowings (e.g., detaché, martelé, slurs)
- Rhythm/Time
- Steady pulse in all but extreme tempos
- Command of basic rhythms and common meters
- Interpretation
- Some expression in dynamics/volume, tempo and timing
- Musical phrasing is developing
- Repertoire
- Two contrasting styles/genres from traditional repertoire
- Mix of technical and pedagogical approaches
- Mostly shorter works
- Sight Reading in simple meters utilizing simple rhythmic subdivisions in keys of Bb, F, C, G, or D major, with some shifting out of first position required
Level B
Current upper division; pass this level and do a Junior (half) Recital.
- Tone
- Clear and resonant tone in all registers
- Few struggles
- Control of vibrato.
- Intonation
- In tune in all keys and registers.
- Technique
- Command of half, 2nd, 4th, and 6th positions (thumb position for cello and bass)
- All scales/arpeggios in two octaves, some in 3 octaves
- Relaxed technique that aids expression
- Control of on- and off-string bowings
- louré, spiccato, ricochet, etc.
- “special effects” as appropriate to repertoire
- Rhythm/Time
- Steady pulse in all tempos
- Command of some odd meters
- Ability in extreme tempos
- Interpretation
- Expressive dynamics/volume
- Command of tempos changes and rubato
- Growing sense of phrasing
- Repertoire
- At least three contrasting time periods or styles appropriate to student’s emphasis and track
- Commercial/jazz, classical, mariachi, etc.
- Full movements of works.
- At least three contrasting time periods or styles appropriate to student’s emphasis and track
- Sight reading in compound or complex meters in major and minor keys involving change of meter, tempo, key, and/or modality
- Independent preparation and performance of an A-level work of 2-3 minutes in two weeks or less.
Level C
Pass level and ready to move on to Senior (full) Recital
- Tone
- In tune in all registers and positions
- Command of tone production in all registers
- Expression using vibrato
- Intonation
- Fully in tune in all registers and keys, including extreme ranges
- Technique
- All scales and arpeggios in major and minor and in 3 octaves when appropriate
- All 3 octaves for upper strings
- Expressive playing uninhibited by technique
- Development and facility of double-stops and extended techniques
- All scales and arpeggios in major and minor and in 3 octaves when appropriate
- Rhythm/Time
- Strong sense of pulse
- Ability to navigate changing and varied meters
- Can perform complicated rhythms including polymetric rhythms
- e.g., 3:2, 5:4, etc.
- Interpretation
- Strong contrasts and stylistically appropriate expressions consistent in performance
- Repertoire
- A wide variety of time periods and styles studied within the curriculum, including contemporary music and global styles
- Ability to perform works of substantial length
- Sight reading in complex rhythms or changing meters with extended chromatic and/or atonal passages
Brass General
LEVEL A
- One (1) representative solo
- Two (2) contrasting etudes
- Technical requirements
LEVEL B
- One (1) representative solo
- Two (2) contrasting etudes
- Orchestral excerpts
- Technical requirements
LEVEL C
- Three (3) solo works in contrasting styles
- Orchestral excerpts
For more details, please go to the individual instrument links, or consult your studio teacher.
Trombone
LEVEL A
Ability to meet level A standards by the end of first year (for BA), upon entrance (for BM).
- Tone
- Mostly clear and resonant tone, playing with control and good pitch.
- Fluid major scales from lowest note E to high F above the staff.
- Basic knowledge of air control and dynamics.
- Intonation
- In tune in most keys
- Technique
- Command of being able to play any note on any partial
- Scales/arpeggios in one octave, some in 2 octaves
- Knowledge of right-hand placement and tricks as to where to place slide
- Right wrist faces body, only left hand holds the horn, curved fingers, good posture, basic firm corners of embouchure
- Rhythm/Time
- Steady pulse in all but extreme tempos
- Command of basic rhythms and common meters
- Interpretation
- Some expression in dynamics/volume, tempo and timing
- Musical phrasing is developing
- Repertoire
- Two contrasting styles/genres from traditional repertoire
- Mix of technical and pedagogical approaches
- Sight Reading in simple meters utilizing simple rhythmic subdivisions in keys of Bb, F, C, G, or D major.
LEVEL B
Current upper division, pass this level and do a Junior (half) Recital.
- Tone
- Clear and resonant tone in all registers
- Few struggles
- All 12 major scales and all 12 minor scales in eighth notes at 120
- Intonation
- In tune in all keys (major and minor) and registers.
- Technique
- Knowledge and practice in mouthpiece buzzing with clear tone
- Concise and clear embouchure to promote the best tone production
- Command of scales in thirds, arpeggios and scales over the complete range of the instrument.
- Relaxed technique that aids expression
- Control of “special effects” as appropriate to repertoire
- Fast articulation and flutter tonguing, controlled glissing
- Rhythm/Time
- Steady pulse in all tempos, command of some odd meters
- Ability in extreme tempos
- Interpretation
- Expressive dynamics/volume
- Command of tempos changes and rubato
- Growing sense of phrasing
- Repertoire
- At least three contrasting time periods or styles appropriate to student’s emphasis and track full movements of works (with piano accompaniment)
- Sight reading in compound or complex meters in major and minor keys involving change of tempo and articulation
- Independent preparation and performance of an A-level work of 2-3 minutes in two weeks or less.
LEVEL C
Pass level and ready to move on to Senior (full) Recital
- Tone
- In tune in all registers and positions
- Command of tone production in all registers
- Expression
- Intonation
- Fully in tune in all registers and keys, including extreme ranges
- Technique
- Knowledge and advanced practice in mouthpiece buzzing and pitch control
- Bass trombone or Euphonium work should be completed by this time.
- Consistent (unmoving) embouchure that promotes excellent tone and good voicing for both articulated and legato passages.
- All scales and arpeggios in major and minor over the complete range of the instrument
- Expressive playing uninhibited by technique, excellent voicing of the instrument
- Development and facility of some modern techniques that include reading non-traditional music
- Rhythm/Time
- Strong sense of pulse
- Ability to navigate changing and varied meters
- Can perform complicated rhythms including polymetric rhythms
- e.g., 3:2, 5:4, etc.
- Interpretation
- Strong contrasts and stylistically appropriate expressions consistent in performance
- Repertoire
- A wide variety of time periods and styles studied within the curriculum, including contemporary music and global styles
- Ability to perform works of substantial length
- Sight reading in complex rhythms or changing meters
Guitar-Classical
Sight-Reading
- Level A
- 1 position, keys of C, G, F
- Quarter notes, half notes, dotted-half & whole notes, same for rests
- Dotted quarter-eighth combination, expression marks, pick-up notes.
- 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 time
- LEVEL B
- Sixteenth notes and combinations
- Notes through 7 position
- with extensions on the 1 string
- All keys
- Diads, triads, more time signatures
- LEVEL C
- Rhythms and time signatures of greater complexity
- Melody and bass in counterpoint
- Notes through 12 position
Theory and Fretboard Knowledge
- Level A
- Major and minor scales
- Minor and major pentatonic scales
- 32-bar song form, 12-bar blues form
- Major and minor arpeggios
- Memorization of notes in the first position and all the notes on strings one and six
- Major/minor/7 bar chords
- Level B
- Modes of the major scale
- Major/minor triad shapes
- All 7 chord arpeggios
- Altered scale
- All 5 forms of the pentatonic scale
- Memorization of all of the notes on the fret board
- Quartal and quintal harmonies
- Beginning chord substitution
- Level C
- Modes of the melodic minor scale, bebop scales
- Arpeggio extensions
- Advanced harmonic substitution
Technique
- Level A
- Alternate picking, vibrato
- Legato/staccato control
- Scales in 8 notes
- Level B
- Scales in 16 notes
- Beginning chord/melody playing
- Walking bass lines, bass/comping, octave playing
- Level C
- Advanced chord/melody and bass/comping
- Advanced chord/melody playing.
Improvisation
- Level A
- Improving using major/minor scales and major/minor pentatonic
- Infrequent modulations
- Level B
- Introduction of altered scale, arpeggios and chromatic passing tones
- More frequent modulations
- Advanced
- Use all of scalar and arpeggios materials and chord scales
- Frequent modulations.
Selected Repertoire
- Standard guitar repertoire by: J.S. Bach, H. Villa-Lobos, M. Carcassi, F. Tarrega, among others
- In addition to selected 20 & 21 century repertoire
- Music transcribed for classical guitar, including music by W.A. Mozart, D. Scarlatti, A. Scriabin, among others
- Student transcriptions/arrangements.
Guitar-Commercial and Jazz
LEVEL A
Ability to meet level A standards by end of first year (for BA), upon entrance (for BM).
- Sight Reading
- Up to 5th position in all keys, eight notes with syncopations
- Be able to play assigned excerpts from the books:
- Reading Studies For Guitar (William Leavitt)
- Sight Reading For The Contemporary Guitarist (Tom Dempsey)
- Scales, Arpeggios
- Be able to play C, G, D, A, E major in all positions and single strings
- 2 octave arpeggios in the same keys
- Chords
- Triads in C, G, D, A, E major, 7th chords (major 7th, minor 7th, Dominant 7th, Half Diminished 7th) in root positions on 6th and 5th strings
- Exercise
- Be able to play Bach Invention No.4 or No. 8 (upper part) with assigned tempo
- Transcription
- Play the assigned transcribed solo by Grant Green or Wes Montgomery
- Repertoire
- Memorize and improvise over the assigned tunes from the list
Level B
Current upper division, pass this level and do a Junior (half) Recital.
- Sight Reading
- Up to 12th position in all keys
- Be able to play any excerpts from the books:
- Advanced Reading Studies For Guitar (William Leavitt)
- Melodic Rhythms For Guitar (William Leavitt)
- Scales, Arpeggios
- Be able to all keys in all positions and single strings
- 7th chords arpeggios in all keys
- Chords
- Triads and 7th chord inversions in all 12 keys
- Exercise
- Be able to Etude No. 1 by Kreutzer with assigned tempo
- Transcription
- Memorize and be able to play the assigned transcription
- Repertoire
- Memorize and improvise over the assigned tunes from the list
LEVEL C
Pass level and ready to move on to Senior (full) Recital
- Sight Reading
- Be able to demonstrate advanced reading ability by playing any excerpts from the books:
- Reading Contemporary Guitar Rhythms (M.T. Szymczak)
- Various given exercises (rhythm charts, big band charts, movie score charts)
- Be able to demonstrate advanced reading ability by playing any excerpts from the books:
- Scales, Arpeggios
- Be able to play Altered, Diminished, Whole Tone Scales in all keys
- Be able to play 7th chord arpeggios across the fingerboard
- Up to 3 octaves
- Chords
- Be able to play all the extensions and altered chords
- Be able to play the slash chords
- Exercise
- Be able to play Bach Violin Partita in B minor
- Transcription
- Memorize and be able to play the assigned transcription
- Repertoire
- Memorize and improvise over the assigned tunes from the list
REPERTOIRE LIST
Level A
- Jazz Tunes
- Take The A Train
- Blue Bossa
- Autumn Leaves
- Satin Doll
- Bag’s Groove
- Blue Monk
- Someday My Prince Will Come
- So What
- Equinox
- Song For My Father
- Summertime
- There Will Never Be Another You
- Pop Tunes
- Choose from songs by:
- Beatles
- Jimi Hendrix
- James Brown
- Stevie Wonder
- Blues
- B.B. King
- Freddie King
- Albert King
- Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Motown
- Aretha Franklin
- Al Green
- Temptations
- Marvin Gaye
- Choose from songs by:
LEVEL B
- Jazz Tunes
- All The Things You Are
- Tenor Madness
- Alone Together
- Days Of Wine And Roses
- Stella By Starlight
- Billie’s Bounce
- Black Orpheus
- Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
- What Is This Thing Called Love
- Wave
- Green Dolphin Street
- Body And Soul
- There Is No Greater Love
- Mr. P.C
- Pop/Fusion Tunes
- Songs by:
- Tower Of Power
- Earth Wind And Fire
- Jeff Beck
- John Scofield
- Steely Dan
- Herbie Hancock
- Pat Metheny
- Keith Jarrett
- Songs by:
LEVEL C
- Jazz Tunes
- Oleo
- Nica’s Dream
- Confirmation
- Joy Spring
- It Could Happen To You
- Speak Low
- Cherokee
- Moment’s Notice
- Giant Steps
- Invitation
- Rhythm A Ning
- Donna Lee
- Up Jumped Spring
- Airegin
- Stablemates
- Triste
- Pop/Fusion Tunes
- Songs by:
- Chick Corea
- Weather Report
- Josef Zawinul
- Brecker Brothers
- Yellowjackets
- Songs by:
PRE-LEVEL
Comparable to ABRSM Level 2
- Musicianship
- Ability to sing ascending and descending major scale on solfege syllables or scale degrees at a medium tempo unaccompanied
- Ability to sing ascending and descending major arpeggios at a medium tempo unaccompanied
- Ability to sight sing unaccompanied stepwise ascending and descending lines in the key of C major
- Ex. Page 1-2
- Repertoire
- To be chosen from sources of similar difficulty to ABRSM Level 1-2
- Repertoire may include both classical and contemporary styles such as folk, spirituals, musical theater, pop and jazz
- One 17th or 18th-century aria in Italian is required during the 1st and 2nd semesters of study
- Examples include but are not limited to:
- A Selection of Collected Folk Songs, Vols 1 & 2, arr. Sharp & Vaughan Williams
- Best of Folk Songs: 40 British, Irish and American Songs
- Folk Songs of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
- Folk Songs for Solo Singers, vol. 1 and 2., compiled and edited by Jay Althouse, Alfred
- The Singing Book by Dayme & Vaughn (folk pieces)
- 24 Italian Songs and Arias, Schirmer
LEVEL A
Comparable to ABRSM Level 4.
- Musicianship
- Ability to sing ascending and descending major and minor scales (natural, harmonic, and melodic) on solfege syllables unaccompanied at a medium tempo
- Ability to sing ascending and descending major and minor arpeggios on solfege syllables unaccompanied at a medium tempo
- Ability to sight sing unaccompanied stepwise ascending and descending lines in major and minor keys
- Ability to sight sing unaccompanied arpeggiated exercises including the tonic and the dominant in major keys
- Repertoire
- To be chosen from sources of similar difficulty to ABRSM Level 3-4
- Repertoire may include both classical and contemporary styles such as folk, classical, spirituals, musical theater, or pop
- Examples include but are not limited to:
- Purcell: 40 Songs
- The Art of Song (revised and expanded edition)
- The Singing Book by Dayme & Vaughn (classical songs)
- International Songs for Solo Singers, arr. Jay Althouse
- Roger Quilter Selected Songs, Boosey & Hawkes
- 20th Century Easy Song Selection, Boosey & Hawkes
- The Singers’ Musical Theatre Anthology, Hal Leonard
- The Definitive Jazz Collection, Hal Leonard
LEVEL B
Comparable to ABRSM Levels 5-6
- Musicianship
- Ability to sing ascending and descending chromatic scale on solfege syllables unaccompanied at a medium tempo
- Ability to sing ascending and descending whole tone scales beginning on any pitch unaccompanied at a medium tempo
- Ability to sight sing unaccompanied melodic 4 bar exercises incorporating all diatonic intervals in any key
- Ex. Page 5 Boytim, Levels 2-3 of ABRSM, or Vaccai
- Repertoire
- To be chosen from sources of similar difficulty to ABRSM Levels 5-6
- Repertoire may include both classical and contemporary styles such as folk, opera, oratorio, spirituals, musical theater, pop and jazz
- The repertoire grid pertinent to commercial or classical/pedagogy voice must be complete to advance to Level C.
- Examples include but are not limited to:
- 26 Italian Songs and Arias, arr. John Glenn Paton
- Arias for Soprano *all voice types, Schirmer
- All Sondheim, Vol 1,2,3, Alfred
- American Opera Anthology, Alfred
- Cole Porter 100th Anniversary, Alfred
LEVEL C
Comparable to ABRSM Levels 7-10
- Musicianship
- Proven retention of the ability to sing all previous scales and arpeggios
- Ability to audiate and reproduce 5 note atonal melodic pattern
- Ex. Modus ATONAL Examples.
- Adjudicators may choose to play five random notes within a student’s singable range to access audiation and reproduction of pitches
- Ability to sight sing unaccompanied 4 measure exercises utilizing any interval in any key
- Ex. Levels 4-7 of ABRSM sight singing, or Nicola Vaccai practical method.
- Repertoire
- To be chosen from sources of similar difficulty to ABRSM Levels 7-8
- Repertoire may include both classical and contemporary styles such as opera, oratorio, spirituals, musical theater, and jazz
- Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Arias for Tenor, *all voice types, Schirmer
- The Singers’ Musical Theatre Anthology, Hal Leonard
- The Oratorio Anthology, Hal Leonard