OK, just taken the ABRSM Diploma in Trombone in the UK. When I was preparing for this, there was absolutely nothing on the internet to help me, other than ABRSM's own syllabus. All the resources they provide are geared towards the piano, voice, and woodwind instruments. Hopefully I can start a thread here which will be useful to candidates in the future.

I went with the following programme:

1. Concertino for Trombone - Lars-Erik Larsson, movements 1 and 2
2. Morceau Symphonique - Alexandre Guilmant
3. Trombone Concerto - Launy Grondahl

The first thing I'll say about the recital part of the exam is TAKE YOUR TIME! You're allowed to take 5 minutes'-worth of break in the 35-minute programme. I rather rushed through my recital, and in fact, after a very energetic Guilmant, the trombone-specialist examiner strongly advised me to take a bit of a break. I wish I'd taken this advice, because by the end of the second movement, I was flagging in a major way, to such an extent that I couldn't manage the top Cs at the end of the Finale.

I had read a lot about the importance of making this a "performance", much more than treating it as an exam. So, I stood towards the audience (examiners and the rest of the largish empty room) and launched into the Larsson as though I was giving a concert, and it felt good for a while - until I needed a glance at the music, that is, when I realised that my eyes weren't quick enough to pick up where I was up to on the page, and I fluffed a couple of notes! So my second piece of advice is, if you're going to memorise the music, then DECIDE to memorise and do it completely, not like in my half-and-half approach.

Then came the Viva Voce. This is the section where the examiners look at your programme notes and cross-question you about your recital. I was asked about my choice of pieces, so I talked a lot about the late 19th and first half of the 20th century as an exciting time with the emergence of the trombone as a solo instrument. The other part of my viva focussed on the history of the instrument, and what sort of instrument would have been around at the time of the composition of my three pieces.

The final part of the Diploma is the Quick Study - you get 5 minutes to study a piece of approximately Grade 6 standard, and to perform it as accurately and musically as possible. It's widely noted that the piece of music you get for the quick study is a modern, abstract composition, but in fact, I found I got a pretty familiar-feeling maestoso piece in 4/4 time. Even so, I still found the time allotted too short to prepare very well for the performance, and I tend to think that I spent too much time on easy bars rather than focussing on the potential pitfalls such as accidentals, big intervals and key/clef changes.

Has anyone else had any experience of the ABRSM Trombone Diploma? How did you find it?

Steve

Thanks for sharing your diploma experience. I don't know anyone who's taken DipABRSM on trombone, but some of what you say is applicable to any instrument. It's certainly a good idea for wind players to take the break allowed; my son (a clarinettist) planned this into his programme and spent part of the time drying his instrument ready for the second two pieces.

It's a long wait for the result, but I hope it's a good one when it arrives. Do let us know.

Did the examiner comment on the fact that all three of your pieces were written within half a century or so? I was under the impression that they wanted at least 3 different periods for DipABRSM.

Thanks for the report - out of interest, had you rehearsed the entire programme before the exam, and was it the additional adrenaline / exam pressure that affected your stamina?

That's what I worry about, because you can't really create the true exam conditions in a mock or performance to friends, I suppose all you can do is get an idea of how it might feel. All the best with the result anyway.

With regard to the choice of pieces, the trombone has only really been considered a solo instrument from the mid-19th Century, and the very few pieces on the syllabus pre-dating this threshold didn't interest me at all. Surely it's better to play a programme which appeals not only to the audience, but to the player too, is of chief importance. I guess I could have played the Ferdinand David concerto, but the Morceau Symphonique is stylistically similar anyway. Please note that the same might not apply to your instrument! I'm sure that a pianist, for example, picking 3 pieces written within 60 years of each other may well get pulled up on this.

Looking back on the stamina issue, I do think that physical fitness (or lack thereof) may have played a role. I did ask my teacher about this beforehand as it was of some concern, and he told me it makes little difference, citing a few portly characters who are masters of the same instrument! However, now that I'm on my post-Christmas fitness drive, I am finding that I can in fact play intensely for longer, and I wonder whether I should have started my exercise regime a few weeks earlier.

I also think that adrenaline came into it, and drained me more quickly than if I had been playing the programme through to myself at home. Unless you are an extremely composed individual, you are going to have to accept that the pressure of the situation is likely to take more energy out of you, and that you should prepare to have some extra stored energy "in the bank" for when you need it.

Still no results, by the way! It really is a long wait. It was 3 weeks for my Grade 8. This is already 4 weeks. Yes, I've seen the other thread about when to expect results - February half term, really??

yep, really. That's if you are lucky.

Hi steve,

I have done the Dip. for Trombone in 2009. I quite agree with you there are hardly any support materials for the Trombonist who is trying to do the Diplomas I hope this concern will be acknowledged and reviewed by those of influence. Nice meeting someone who has given it a try. I wish you all the best. I am presently preparing myself for the LRSM.

Came through this morning. Scraped it with a 48. Phew! Might leave it a year or two for the LRSM.... (OK, maybe a decade or two).

It's a very high level examination, and you passed. Go and celebrate. Well done!

Well done!!

hooray, well done!

Fantastic, well done!

Wel done ryb1974!

You have joined what must be a very small elite group on here with a dip on trombone!

To celebrate, here are some trombones (one of my favourite local talents playing a piece by one of my favourite local composers).

Best of luck with your upcoming projects!

Well done! Scraped or passed with flying colours the result is still the same and you PASSED!!!

Congratulations! You did really well to pass all three parts - not a scrape at all! Did you find the comments useful?

Celebrate tonight!

Well done: Party time!

Well done!

Thanks everyone, you're very kind! Good luck to everyone else due to receive their results this week.