Small Group/Individual Tuition Assessment Criteria:

Reading Notation Technique – Snare Technique – Style & Technique Performing & Communicating

Foundation Can read drum kit notation Can play a single stroke roll Can sit at the drum kit, Is able to play a short solo Can play along with a backing Level 1 for , snare and at tempos from 60 to 120 displaying good posture and piece involving bass drum, track, keeping good time closed hi-hat containing bpm. correct of drumsticks. Is and closed hi-hat using a steady rock beat. Can crotchets, quavers and their able to play an eighth note in a rock style, maintaining a play a short piece (e.g. associated rests as well as based rock beat using three steady tempo. Rockschool: Debut) of rhythms consisting of these in way coordination. approx. 20 bars duration in 4/4. 4/4, with fills notated at the end of each four bars. Can reflect on and evaluate their own performance. Foundation Is able to play rhythms Can play a double stroke roll Can Play quaver based rock Can play various rock beats Is able to perform a short Level 2 containing groups of and single paradiddle as beats containing quaver and utilising semiquaver drum solo and improvise a 4 bar semiquavers and can read quavers at 70 bpm. semiquaver drum fills fills in a confident manner. section. Can perform a 25 notation for full standard 5 utilising tom toms and crash Can perform a 12 bar and a bar long piece to a backing piece drum kit (bass drum, . Demonstrates 32 bar solo based on the track (e.g. “Justin Time”, snare drum, tom toms, ride control of hi-hat pedal to above using all parts of the Rockschool: Grade 1) and crash cymbal). allow open and closed action. drum kit. involving syncopated bass Is able to play single and drum patterns, open/closed double stroke rolls, and a hi-hat and crash and ride single paradiddle. Can play cymbals. Can reflect on and these rudiments over a basic evaluate their own ostinato foot pattern, where performance. the hands play quavers and the feet play crotchets alternating R-L between 60 and 90 bpm. Is able to perform an eight bar long piece involving all the above rudiments (e.g. Trinity College Grade 1 Rudimental Study).

Page 1 of 5 Small Group/Individual Tuition Assessment Criteria: Drums

Reading Notation Technique – – Drum Kit Style & Technique Performing & Communicating

Foundation Is able to play basic Is able to play single stroke Can play the same rudiments Play short pieces involving Can perform to an audience Level 3 semiquaver variations and double stroke rolls and as in level 2 (at a semiquaver full kit instrumentation and in a small group setting or (Grade 1 (comprising quavers and single paradiddle using speed) as semiquavers over a employing a range of under the direction of a approx.) semiquavers within one semiquavers at a tempo quaver ostinato pattern with dynamics incorporating conductor in a school concert beat). Can read syncopated between 60 and 120 bpm. the feet. Can play a flam and sections ranging from band. Can play a short solo patterns containing Can utilise a variety of a drag utilising alternate pianissimo to double forte piece (e.g. “Ringo”, TCL: semiquaver rests. dynamics from piano to sticking (as per Trinity and crescendos. Grade 1) comprising 12 bars fortissimo and can perform a College Grade 2 rudiments). and incorporating 4 way crescendo over a one bar Can play quaver patterns coordination using the full section of . containing open and closed standard 5 piece drum set. hi-hat. Is able to play a piece Can perform a 32 bar piece at a max tempo of 100 bpm, to a backing track and maintaining a steady pulse. display the ability to switch seamlessly from hi-hat to and also incorporate the crash cymbal and drum fills for dynamic effect. Can compose and perform a 12 bar solo for full 5 piece drum kit. Can reflect on and evaluate their own performance. Intermediate Can play and read Demonstrates a higher level Can play a semiquaver Can play in styles other than Can perform in a variety of Level 1 complicated groupings of of stick control than in paradiddle whilst alternating rock including Funk and styles and in a convincing semiquaver variations. Can Foundation level and can quavers with feet. Can play a Motown (soul). Can perform a manner, displaying good read drum charts containing play bounce and buzz semiquaver based hi-hat rudimental study (e.g. Trinity timekeeping skills at all repeat signs combined with strokes. Can play 5, 7 and 9 pattern involving College Grade 3, Rudimental times. Displays a dynamic 1st and 2nd time bars. stroke rolls, (e.g. TCL: Grade open/closing of hi-hat Study 1) and displays a range from mezzo piano to 3 Rudiments). Can perform a cymbals, demonstrating 4 development of stylistic forte. Can reflect on and single stroke roll with way independence/co- appreciation. evaluate their own dynamic control ranging from ordination. Can play chosen performance. pianissimo to forte. pieces and exercises at up to 120 bpm.

Page 2 of 5 Small Group/Individual Tuition Assessment Criteria: Drums

Reading Notation Technique – Snare Drum Technique – Drum Kit Style & Technique Performing & Communicating

Intermediate Can read notation involving Can execute a flam Can play demisemiquavers on Can play a wider variety of Can perform a short piece Level 2 demisemiquaver groupings paradiddle, double snare drum and closed hi-hat styles including Heavy Rock, from memory. Can switch (Grade 2 and quaver triplets. Can read paradiddle and paradiddle- by employing double strokes Disco-Funk, Jazz and half- between two styles approx.) a piece written in compound diddle (e.g. TCL: Grade 4 with each hand (5 stroke roll) time passages. Demonstrates (funk/disco) and play an 8 time which includes a Coda rudiments). in an accurate and convincing the ability to integrate the bar “soli” section in a smooth section. manner. rudiments studied so far into and musical manner whilst rock grooves and can maintaining good construct a drum solo using timekeeping skills (e.g. various paradiddle patterns “Funk One”, TCL: Grade 3). (e.g. TCL: Grade 3 Can reflect on and evaluate rudimental study No.1). their own performance. Intermediate Can play charts that are not Can play an open stroke roll Can perform complex Can play in a wider variety of Can perform a piece Level 3 fully notated but contain (single stroke roll) as a long syncopated patterns on snare styles including jazz, shuffle, containing different styles (Grade 3 sections where the student is roll incorporating a dynamic drum with accents whilst latin and punk. Can play (e.g. “Download”, approx.) expected to continue in a range from pianississimo to playing a semiquaver ostinato rhythms of a more complex Rockschool: Grade 3) moving similar style to that already fortississimo. Is able to play a pattern with the feet. Can syncopated nature whilst from a heavy rock section in written whilst developing the double stroke roll as above. perform convincingly at displaying good control of the 4/4 to a half time section, part musically. Can read Can play single strokes in tempos up to 150 bpm. Can dynamic range of the then back before moving into groupings containing quaver, quaver triplets and play double strokes in instrument. a compound time section. semiquaver and crotchet semiquavers. quavers and semiquavers Can execute the above in a triplets. using snare and toms. Can manner and style which is play single paradiddles in appropriate to each section semiquavers using the whole and involves a certain kit. amount of improvisation. Can reflect on and evaluate their performance.

Page 3 of 5 Small Group/Individual Tuition Assessment Criteria: Drums

Reading Notation Technique – Snare Drum Technique – Drum Kit Style & Technique Performing & Communicating

Advancing Can play pieces containing Is able to play a ratamaque Can play the kit using wire Can play with confidence and Can play along to a backing Level 1 mixed simple metre and (e.g. TCL: Grade 4) using brushes in the following in an authentic manner in a track (without notation) and (Grade 4 maintain a comfortable flow quaver, quaver triplets and styles - swing jazz pulse, range of styles including choose an appropriate style approx.) to the rhythm. Can perform a semiquavers, 2 bars of each bossa-nova and pop ballad. Is Latin American (Bossa Nova), of rhythm to accompany. Can sight reading test. (single first time, double able to apply the ratamaque Brazilian (Samba), Cuban perform from a choice of second) at 70bpm. to the drum kit (a la Steve (Cha Cha / Mambo) and Grade 4 Rockschool and Gadd). Can perform Swing. Understands the role grade 5 Trinity College confidently at tempos up to of hand percussion within pieces. Can reflect on and 160 bpm. these genres and is able to evaluate their performance. demonstrate simple appropriate rhythms on hand percussion to suit each style. Can Identify a drummer who’s playing has been influential to their own style and choose a song by this artist and critique their performance.

Page 4 of 5 Small Group/Individual Tuition Assessment Criteria: Drums

Reading Notation Technique – Snare Drum Technique – Drum Kit Style & Technique Performing & Communicating

Advancing Is able to read and interpret Is able to play a military style Can play double bass drum Demonstrates abilities across Can perform with others in a Level 2 professional level drum snare drum cadence patterns in a rock style and a number of styles. Has group and contribute to (Grade 5 charts. Can read irregular employing a variety of as part of a drum fill. Can excellent control over sound collective decisions. approx.) time signatures. Can perform rudiments. Can play eighth, play a simple polyrhythmic and make stylistic changes to Responds to other musicians a sight reading test. Can eighth note triplets and pattern (e.g. 3 over 2 in an suit the music. Is able to in ensemble sections and transcribe a song and write a sixteenth notes. 2 bars of Afro-Cuban style pattern). Is perform certain styles within makes stylistic choices as drum chart. each. First time as singles able to use areas of the kit styles (sub genres) e.g. Rock appropriate, both during then doubles on the repeat. such as rims and shell of floor Shuffle, Texas Shuffle and ensemble sections and also 80 b p m. tom and incorporate them Rockabilly Shuffle. Can whilst backing a soloist. Can into Latin patterns so as to perform a piece which play an improvised solo in sound more authentic. Has involves an 8 bar solo played any given style e.g. jazz, complete control over over a musical backing. latin, or rock. Can perform dynamic range of the from a choice of Grade 5 instruments and is able to Rockschool or Grade 6 TCL demonstrate this pieces. Can choose a song or appropriately during piece of music that the artist performance. you identified in Advancing Level 1 performed on. Can perform the drum part to the chosen song in a convincing manner. Can reflect on and evaluate their performance.

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