As promised, my thoughts on the grade 1 AB compilation book.

A1 : Suis mon conducteur (Beyer)

I think this is a pleasant enough piece. C major, so an easy key, and lots of repetition. Phrases often start 'mid-bar', and my guess is that examiners will pick up on this. Piano accompaniment looks easy enough.

A2 : Andante (Haydn)

One of the easiest looking grade 1 pieces I've seen, in my opinion. Not sure it's the most exciting grade 1 piece in the world (I prefer A1 and A3 to this one), but my suspicion is that many people will choose this to play. Again, it's C major, so no sharps/flats to worry about. Not as much repetition as the Beyer. This not very good pianist thinks the accompaniment to this is more difficult than either of the other two A list pieces, so it'll need practice.

A3 : Shepherd's Hey (Trad., arr Davies/Reade)

Very well known piece, C major, and in 2/2 time. I think it should feel like it's in 2 rather than 4, so pupils, in my opinion, ought to feel comfortable counting in minim beats in order to accomplish this piece. Some staccato quavers here, and they're quite quick for grade 1, so even though I wouldn't make the staccato TOO short, a sound tonguing technique is definitely required here. There's a DS that must be observed here. There's also a couple of accented notes for good measure. I think examiners will be looking for all these articulation nuances, so it may not be the easiest piece here. However, I think it's the nicest of the three A list pieces here, and the piano part isn't too bad to manage.

B1 : Fidget Pie (Rory Boyle)

2008 sees the return of pieces from 'Food for Thought' to the AB list. I've always liked these pieces, and 'Fidget Pie' is no exception. C major, but B flats appear in the second half. A pleasant, bouncy tune, with some nimble fingerwork required in places. Piano part is two bass clef staves, but it isn't, in my opinion, that hard at all.

B2 : How Graceful (Norton)

..... from the popular Microjazz series. A very nice 'waltzy' piece, that needs to be smoothly played. C major yet again! A 'poco rit.' towards the end adds a little technicality to the piece, otherwise, this moves along relatively predictably, with no major rhythm issues. Piano part to me isn't particularly easy.

B3 : Funeral March (Mahler)

I like this 'Frere Jacques'-esque piece. Plenty of repetition, and I think it's a good option. D minor, and this piece stretches up to the throat B flat, and has some dotted rhythms. Of the three B list pieces here, I think this may end up being most popular. Piano part isn't too bad to get your fingers round.

C1 : Study in F (Demnitz)

A very traditional-sounding study, and it's not slow in speed, so some nimbleness is again required. F major, one throat B flat, one B natural to negotiate. It's not my favourite Demnitz, but I think it's OK enough.

C2 : Jumpin' (Rae)

My favourite of the three C list pieces here. Pupils will need to know about swing quavers here, it needs to be swung. There are also some tied notes, so plenty of rhythmic issues to think about, and also plenty of articulation to consider. I think many people will find this a good fun option though. C major, with one token F sharp.

C3 : En lo alto de aquella montana (Trad. Spanish, arr. Lewin)

3/8 time, so anyone trying this will have to be happy with this comparatively unusual (for grade 1) time signature. There's also some quick tonguing needed here, plenty of articulation issues to consider, and lots of dynamic contrasts. Key is C major. A good piece, but I have a feeling most people will go for C1 or 2 rather than this, I think 3/8 may scare some people off.

Now, over to all of you!

You sure about that, Barry?

Thanks for going through these - what a relief that the accompaniments seem easy!

Does the Grade I book say where the pieces in it are from? The Mahler (B3) is from Music Through Time 1, and the Lewin (C3) is from Starters for Clarinet. I can guess at some of the others, but it would be really helpful if the syllabus stated where else the set works were to be found.

From your description, the C1 Demnitz sounds as though it's number 4 on page 3 (3/4, first bar F E D crotchets, second C crotchet A minim). Is it this one?

As for the rest of the syllabus, a few random passing thoughts based on copies of music that are to hand:

A6: When May is in his prime (attrib. R. Edwards)
3/4, G major, ranging from low G to throat G. Tempo marking is Vivace (crotchet=144-160 ), with a couple of hemiolae to catch out the unsuspecting (or win a few extra marks!). Piano part has up to four notes at once; both parts are rhythmically fairly straitghforward - the most complicated is dotted crotchet followed by a quaver.

B7: Funny Face (Gershwin)
4/4, F major, ranging from low F to bottom space F. Tempo marking is Moderato. Lots of legato and leaps of a third. Rhythmically simple, but good counting required - the clarinet has lots of long held notes whilst the piano moves. Warning - the piano part is HARD! Up to five notes at once, with chromatic movement, and a few spread chords. Clarinet has some tenuto.

B8: Children's Dance No. 1 (Kodaly)
2/4, F major, from low F to throat A. Tempo marking is Allegretto (crotchet=c72), but has some semiquavers and staccato. Simple and catchy, with simple accompaniment of regular recurring quavers.

C5: Study in F (Demnitz)
3/4, F major (obviously!), ranging from middle C to throat Bb. Lots of scale, arpeggio and dominant 7th type passages, with a few leaps of up to a fifth. All minims, crotchets and crotchet rests. Standard Demnitz fare!

Right, anyone else care to plug some of the gaps with their thoughts on the new Grade I clarinet syllabus?

Back to Barry for Grade II <ducks for cover>

D minor. Oops. .

The annoying thing is, I wrote notes for this that said 'D minor' (of course), but obviously was half-awake and wrote F major in the post. Have now changed it, thanks for pointing it out Deborah...

The Kodaly is a carry over from the last list. Had a pupil do very well playing it. It is a very pleasant piece.

I played How Graceful at Stalybridge last year, ably accompanied by Scaramouche.
I really like that piece.

Thank you for that Barry-clari!!! I am about to embark on the new syllabus Grade 1 with a pupil, aiming for an exam next term.... Actually, I was going to let her do old syllabus but I am looking forward to some different pieces. Tried Funeral March on a pupil who did Grade 1 last term. He loved it and we played it as round etc.
Tried Shepherd's Hey on a pupil a few weeks ago who didn't get on with it.

I'm off to the clarinet seminar in London in a couple of weeks.. I wonder what they'll say about the pieces....

Feeling rather stupid now! I read your thread title as "A flat clarinet book" and thought - never heard of an A flat clarinet, is it something new?

What an idiot!

Disagree strongly. A lot of 'original' music for clarinet at grade 1 level can lack substance (and what about list A? original music from pre 20th century at grade 1 or even 2??? Not much at all probably), and at least arrangements get you playing more recognised tunes straight off. I particularly like Shepherd's Hey, but think it is too hard for grade 1 (exactly as No.8 in the First Book of Clarinet Solos?) I feel much the same about Jumpin, though most list C are original (studies).

Thanks for your thoughts Barry. I haven't bought it yet as I don't have anyone at this level at present, but may in future. Is the Mahler the one out Music Through Time? It's nice as well, I think. I'm not a fan of Demnitz or Lewin though, and haven't really investigated the Microjazz books.

There is a small flaw in the system insofar that if you type in something like 'AB', or 'BBC' in a thread title, it'll always come out as 'Ab' or 'Bbc'. I tried putting dots between the letters for a thread once, that doesn't work either...



Yes it is Neil.

I will work my way through the seven books, and will post separate threads for each grade. Will post grade 2 in the next couple of weeks.

Actualy I think there is such thing as an Ab clarinet... Very small!

Thanks for doing this - looking forward to reading Grade 4

Yes, the Ab Sopranino clarinet made by Leblanc, Orsi and Ripamonti. If I remember correctly it is only 14inches

Thanks for that information - I didn't realise there was anything higher than Eb in clarinets. Is it even more shrill than the Eb? Do you know if it's ever used in orchestral or band music?

It's typically only found in Military bands in the US I will try and find you a bit more information on it and some piccys

Thanks, Ben, that's really kind of you.

Like Deborah on an earlier post I have found that some of the pieces in Grades 1/2/3 books can be found in earlier publications but are not cited e.g. Gr 2 clarinet the Demnitz study can be found in 80 Graded studies for clarinet and probably in a Demnitz anthology too! A recent Grade 2 clarinettist found that she didn't have to buy any new music at all but just look more carefully at the music that she already had!

<bump>



Can anyone advise which of the Demnitz studies this is? I'm just starting one of my mob on Grade 1, and am trying to ensure that I buy books which last for several grades as well as being useful for other non-exam stuff too.

It's from Elementary School for Clarinet, if that helps.
It'll last you quite a few grades by the looks of it

I'd guessed that it was from the Elementarschule, but which of the studies in it? From the descriptions, I'd guess it's No. 4 on the first page (in 3/4, first bar crotchets F E D, second bar crotchet C minim A), but can anyone confirm?

I didn't know that Ab clarinets existed.

If it said AB Clarinet book, would that make more sense?

Was it meant to say AB rather than Ab?

That would make a lot more sense.

Yes, the forum automatically uncapitalises them. It also makes the first letter of every word a capital.

Unless someone else gets there first, I'll let you know when I get home and can look in my Demnitz book

Since last posting, I've been to my local music shop and checked. It is indeed No. 4 from the first page of Elementarschule, which is also in 80 Graded Studies Vol 1.

I'm now fully furnished with a copy of 80 Graded Studies and Music Through Time, so here goes!

Psst! ABRSM! It'd be reeeeeeeally helpful if the syllabus advised things such as the volume a study or arrangement came from.

I've now got my copy of the book. It seems rather expensive for so few tunes, althought there is the CD.

The pieces all looked fairly straightforward until I read what barry-clari had written and I realised how much I don't know about music! I think I'm going to learn a lot working through these with my teacher. I would never have guessed how much there is to learn at Grade 1.

Where do I find out about sight reading and aural tests? I don't even know what an aural test is.

Sight reading your teacher will take you through : the pieces are a little bit easier than your prepared pieces. You get thirty seconds to look through it, and play any sections before you are assessed.

Aural tests are listening tests. At grade 1 they involve working out whether a piece played by the examiner on the piano has 2 or 3 beats in a bar, singing back 3 two bar phrases as an echo, spotting a rhythmic change in a very short piece played by the examiner, and answering a couple of questions about such things as dynamics and articulation on another piece played by the examiner.

Oh my goodness I can't do that! I can't sing at all!

I originally told my teacher that I wasn't going to take the exams (because of my CFS/ME I'm supposed to be avoiding stress) but I do want to work towards them. I admit that I was hoping to take some further down the line when I'm better but singing! In front of someone! My heart beats faster at the very thought.

Thanks for enlightening me, barri-clari. I've noticed that you're always there with the answers and I do appreciate it.

No problem : I'll answer queries for you as best I can

Don't worry - you have the option of humming or whistling instead.

I can't whistle but maybe I can hum. I thought you just had to play the clarinet, as if that wasn't hard enough!

Look forward to your comments on grade two Barry
Now I have scraped through grade 1, it is time to move on. Time seems to fly these days.

Check the index which is pinned at the top of tihs board.

Yep, I've done reviews for all of grades 1-5, and some of 6, and the links are, as sbhoa says, at the top of the board

Thanks guy's

Got it

Cool : if you want any advice on pieces that aren't in the grade 2 blue book, give me a shout David

Thanks Barry
Appreciate that

I'm now working on Jumpin' and struggling with swing quavers. Is anyone else doing Grade 1? I'd like to hear how other people are getting on with it.

Is there anything in particular about the quavers that bothers you?

I'm not into jazz, and I'm finding the idea of swinging rather difficult to get to grips with.

I've listened to some jazz and to the CD and tried various ways of looking at it with my teacher's help but at the moment it's not really going in. I don't think the rest after the quavers helps. When I listen to the CD I find it hard to hear how long the rest should be and my usual counting seems to go askew.

I'll get there in the end! Or if not, I'll choose a different piece. I was interested to know if anyone else was in the same boat.

(I'm not taking the exam because of my CFS, so I don't have a deadline to work to.)

Might be worth putting a metronome to it fairyhedgehog, I think that'll help you get the rest in the right place. You can always remove the metronome when you're more confident

I'm giving that a go! I'm not used to playing with a metronome and it looks like a good discipline.

It's not something I'd always recommend with every single piece, but in this case, I think it's ideal