New cello sight-reading tests

for 2012 a preview

(see pp. 1415 of Libretto 2011:2)
GRADE 2
GRADE 1

B# #





Grade 1

B## 44 mf r
Espressivo
Lively
1
15
4
B##
mf f
mf
A four-bar piece in 8 or I , or a six-bar piece in E , in G or D majors, in 1st position (no use of C string). All notes

B## 24
separately bowed. Simple dynamics ( f, M, p ), note values ( h q qa z qa za za z ) and rests ( 3 ).

r r
p Dancing

16
Grade 2 f p
B 34
Flowing

B# 44mp r r
2

r r
Andante

B mf r
17

B## 34
mf
An eight-bar piece,Gently
time and key signatures as Grade 1, with the addition of C major and A natural minor.

B 24
Further use of 1st position. Notes separately bowed or with simple two-note slurs. Addition of m , hairpins
18

(cresc./dim.), dotted minim, and minim rest.
Allegro
mf GRADE 3
3

B b 244 . = #
B B#
Grade 3 mf Allegro
Andante
19
13

B b # =
mff f
mpB## 24 mf r
March

20
An 4 B# 44 mf r
Alla marcia

eight-bar piece, time and key signatures as Grade 2, with the addition of A, F, B- majors and D, G minors.

B# BB#bb344 . f r
Further use of 1st position. Occasional accidentals (within minor keys only). Dotted rhythms, semiquavers
mf
and ties may be encountered. Pizzicato (at end of piece only) and staccato may be included. Increasing use of
Allegro
dynamics, rests and slurs.

mp 4 f r
Waltz
14 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
2011
21
 GRADE
New cello sight-reading tests for 2012 4
a preview

B# 44 W . . . . . . . . . . . t . e t
Grade 4 GRADE 5
Grandioso

ff . f

13

B . . t
b b .
.
.
. . .
t r r . t

p
B# 8mf . t f
Lento
F G F I pp f
f
16 6 pizz.

B bb t G # I = t t t # t t pizz.
mf
A piece of around eight bars in length, time and key signatures as Grade 3, with the addition of ! , E- major and

p F pp
B b 24 . #. . . . .
C minor. Shifts between 1st and 4th positions may be encountered. Occasional chromatic notes. Anacrusis,

t F. e
mp mf
hooked bowing, accents and pause signs may be included.
Energico

14

B b .B#e t## 68. e t f . . . -. -. . # . t e t

Grade 5
p f p
. f f f f pp mff
Con brio

f f
pizz.
17

. # F . U
#
B## f
F
r
fW . f. . . f . f
F
B 44
Hornpipe

. r . . .
.
r
.
f
B### f F I . .mf
mf
15

f f . mp
rit.
F
B .. . .
o. . . o. o I
A piece of around eight to sixteen bars in length, time and key signatures as Grade 4, with the addition of
ff
E minor. Highest note A (a' ): shifts as required to cover this range. Simple chords may be included (at end of
Vivace
piece only). Changes between arco and pizzicato, simple syncopation and a slowing of tempo at the end may

B 24 t= f
be encountered.

B bbb f68 = = = .mp

f
18 Cantabile

mp F F G mf F
16

BB # # t f
bbbo f f . . mf
F I p f
B AB 3620 21
f
AB 3620 29
2011 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
 GRADE 7
New cello sight-reading tests for 2012 a preview

AWhen
NightI at the to
Opera

F . G = B F =b
Grade 6 Went Sea

- -
BA b b6834

Appassionato

b WG
ad lib. a tempo

f
Nobilmente

f f
2
13
H

mff
=.

# . = . = .
-
-
=bF
-
-

b
B bbb . f = f
molto rit. a tempo

V f mf f f f
I F
B bb f #f f . t . bG . = . #
cresc. mf dim.

B bbb f f
rall.

. b = . .
V V
. = . ..
p cresc.

B bb f f
pp pizz.
arco
5
A piece of around twelve to sixteen bars in length, time and key signatures as Grade 5, with the addition of 9 , 4
5
and2 8. Highest note A (a' ): shifts as required to cover this range. Further use of chords. A slowing of tempo within
AB 3621
the piece followed by an a tempo may be encountered, as may triplet rhythms. f p

B 34 . #.
Grade 7 Bolero
Molto lento
pizz. arco
14

B . # F # A . . f
p
# f
A # f B e r A . # #. #
cresc. f
=
# = # F

mp
A B #

arco

pizz.

f mp
7
A piece of around sixteen to twenty bars in length, time and key signatures as Grade 6, with the addition of 8 and
47, E,18A- majors and B, F minors. Highest note B- (b -' ): shifts
AB 3621
as required to cover this range. Some passages in
tenor clef may be included.

2011 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

 GRADE 8
New cello sight-reading tests for 2012 a preview

b
Grade 8 Early Morning Blues

B 128 e eb e e . r. . . r. f f #f f
Moderato
e
9
f > > > >
# >
>
.
B f r. . . b = . b #e r. b = b f
> f . f f f
B . r f bf f V e bF =e bF = . r. B V W b . . >e
f f > mpf f f
mp
.
b
V . r mff B r
f
> f f
>
> > #> > >
=
B f #f . er f f f . e r f #f b = >e . r r. r. > e
cresc. poco a poco
pizz.

f f ff
~>G ~> > > ~> ~> > >
Toy Soldiers
A piece of around sixteen to twenty-four bars in length, time and key signatures as Grade 7, with the addition of
Con brio

B## 24 t t
and F+ minor. Highest note D (d'' ): shifts as required to cover this range. Passages in tenor clef or treble clef
may be included. Acceleration of tempo, simple ornaments and left-hand pizzicato may be encountered.

#
10

B##
f
f t # f t #
I mf

B## t = . . . . F b =. . = =
f mp pp

b~ =~
. .
B## = b = = #
mf mp p
~> ~> > >
B## t f t e t
cresc.

f ff >.
26 AB 3621

2011 by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music