Introductions & Information Title Page Female Vocals Grade 6 Performance pieces, technical exercises and in-depth guidance for Rockschool examinations www.rslawards.com Acknowledgements Acknowledgements Published by Rockschool Ltd. © 2014 under license from Music Sales Ltd. Catalogue Number RSK091406R ISBN: 978-1-912352-28-9 This edition published July 2017 | Errata details can be found at www.rslawards.com AUDIO Backing tracks produced by Music Sales Limited Supporting test backing tracks recorded by Jon Musgrave, Jon Bishop and Duncan Jordan Supporting test vocals recorded by Duncan Jordan Supporting tests mixed at Langlei Studios by Duncan Jordan Mastered by Duncan Jordan MUSICIANS Neal Andrews, Lucie Burns (Lazy Hammock), Jodie Davies,Tenisha Edwards, Noam Lederman, Beth Loates-Taylor, Dave Marks, Salena Mastroianni, Paul Miro, Ryan Moore, Jon Musgrave, Chris Smart, Ross Stanley, T-Jay, Stacy Taylor, Daniel Walker PUBLISHING Compiled and edited by James Uings, Simon Troup, Stephen Lawson and Stuart Slater Internal design and layout by Simon and Jennie Troup, Digital Music Art Cover designed by Philip Millard, Philip Millard Design Fact Files written by Stephen Lawson, Owen Bailey and Michael Leonard Additional proofing by Chris Bird, Ronan Macdonald, Jonathan Preiss and Becky Baldwin Cover photography © Rex Features Full transcriptions by Music Sales Ltd. SYLLABUS Vocal specialists: Martin Hibbert and Eva Brandt Additional Consultation: Emily Nash, Stuart Slater and Sarah Page Supporting Tests Composition: Martin Hibbert, James Uings, Jon Musgrave, Jodie Davies, Ryan Moore, Chris Hawkins, Jonathan Preiss DISTRIBUTION Exclusive Distributors: Music Sales Ltd. CONTACTING ROCKSCHOOL www.rslawards.com Telephone: +44 (0)845 460 4747 Email: [email protected] RSL-121359032617 / 1 Louise Metcalfe [email protected] Female Vocals Grade 6 Grade Vocals Female 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents Introductions & Information 1 Title Page 2 Acknowledgements 3 Table of Contents 4 Welcome to Rockschool Female Vocals Grade 6 Rockschool Grade Pieces 5 Sarah McLachlan ...................................................................‘Angel’ 9 Beyoncé .........................................................................................‘Halo’ 17 Les Misérables ......................................................... ‘On My Own’ 25 Kelly Clarkson.......................................... ‘Since U Been Gone’ 33 Charlene Soraia ................................‘Wherever You Will Go’ 39 Sarah Vaughan .........................................................‘Black Coffee’ Technical Exercises 44 Scales, Arpeggios, Intervals, Backing Vocals & Stylistic Studies Supporting Tests 48 Quick Study Piece 50 Ear Tests 51 General Musicianship Questions Additional Information 52 Entering Exams, Exam Procedure & Marking Schemes 53 Musical Interpretation & Free Choice Pieces 54 Copyright Information 55 Rockschool Digital Downloads 56 Rockschool Popular Music Theory RSL-121359032617 / 1 Louise Metcalfe [email protected] Female Vocals Grade 6 Grade Vocals Female 3 Welcome to Rockschool Female Vocals Grade 6 Welcome to Rockschool Female Vocals Grade 6 Welcome to the Rockschool Female Vocals Grade 6 pack. This book and accompanying audio contain everything you need to sing at this grade. Vocals Exams At each grade you have the option of taking one of two different types of examination: ■ Grade Exam: a Grade Exam is a mixture of music performances, technical work and tests. You prepare three pieces (two of which may be Free Choice Pieces) and the contents of the Technical Exercise section. This accounts for 75% of the exam marks. The other 25% consists of: a Quick Study Piece (10%), two Ear Tests (10%), and finally you will be asked five General Musicianship Questions (5%). The pass mark is 60%. ■ Performance Certificate: in a Performance Certificate you sing five pieces. Up to three of these can be Free Choice Pieces. Each song is marked out of 20 and the pass mark is 60%. Book Contents The book is divided into a number of sections. These are: ■ Exam Pieces: in this book you will find six well-known pieces of Grade 6 standard. Each song is preceded by a Fact File detailing information about the original recording, the artist who sang on it and some recommended listening if you wish to research the artist further. ■ Piano and guitar notation: every exam piece is printed with a piano part and guitar chords. Both are a representation of the overall band arrangement. These have been included to assist you with your practice should you wish to use a piano and/or guitar for accompaniment. In your exam you must perform to the backing tracks provided. ■ Vocal score: in addition to the piano/vocal/guitar arrangement there is also a separate vocal-only score to allow you to view the vocal part on a single sheet of paper. ■ Technical Exercises: there are a range of technical exercises in this grade. Some are notated in full, and some give a range of starting notes. ■ Supporting Tests and General Musicianship Questions: in Vocals Grade 6 there are three supporting tests – a Quick Study Piece, two Ear Tests and a set of General Musicianship Questions (GMQs) asked at the end of each exam. Examples of the types of tests likely to appear in the exam are printed in this book. ■ General Information: finally, you will find information on exam procedures, including online examination entry, marking schemes, information on Free Choice Pieces and improvisation requirements for each grade. Audio Each song in Vocals Grade 6 has an audio track which has been provided for you. This is a backing track with the vocal taken off so you can sing along with the band. The backing tracks should be used in examinations. There are also audio examples of the supporting tests printed in the book. The audio files are supplied in MP3 format. All candidates should read the accompanying syllabus guide when using this grade book. This can be downloaded from the RSL website: www.rslawards.com RSL-121359032617 / 1 Louise Metcalfe [email protected] Female Vocals Grade 6 Grade Vocals Female 4 Rockschool Grade Pieces Sarah McLachlan ‘Angel’ Angel Words & Music by Sarah McLachlan Sarah McLachlan SONG TITLE: ANGEL ALBUM: SURFACING e = 117 RELEASED: 1998 D¨ D¨6(“4) E¨‹7 G¨ LABEL: WARNER GENRE: POP PERSONNEL: SARAH MCLACHLAN (VOX+PIANO) (2º only:) 1. Spend all your time wait -ing for that sec-ond chance, for a (2.) straight life; and ev -’ry - where you turn there’s UK CHART PEAK: 36 US CHART PEAK: 4 D¨ B¨‹ A¨ A¨¸Û E¨‹7 BACKGROUND INFO NOTES ‘Angel’ was the fourth single from Sarah McLachlan’s fourth studio album, ‘Angel’ was the first song Sarah McLachlan wrote Surfacing. for Surfacing , after a difficult first wave of writing sessions was discarded. “I really loved it,” said break that would make it o - kay. There’s al -ways some rea - son to feel THE BIGGER PICTURE McLachlan. “It came out easily and that just solidified my faithvul again.- tures I stilland have stuffthieves to say atandyour there’sback. still The storm keeps on twist- ing; keep on Sarah McLachlan was born in 1968 in Nova Scotia, stuff that I can write that’s good.” In this case, that “stuff to say” was based on people in the limelight Canada. She took vocal, piano and guitar lessons as a child. By the time she was 17, McLachlan was who turn to drugs. The singer had recently read a series of fronting a rock band formed at her school, which Rolling Stone articles “about heroin in the had a song released on an independent record label. music industry and all these people who, one by one, Following the group’s first gig, McLachlan was offered are getting picked off by it”. Although the singer stated she had never taken the drug, she could empathise a recording contract with Vancouver-based record label Nettwerk, but her parents insisted she finish with its famous users: “I’ve been in that place where school before moving to Vancouver to pursue a career you’re so ****** up and you’re so lost that you don’t in music. No wonder a classmate in McLachlan’s know whoG¨ you are anymore, and you’re miserable – D¨ B¨‹ A¨6 A¨¸Û high-school yearbook predicted she would “become and here’s this escape route. I’ve never done heroin, a famous rock star”. Two years later – high school and but I’ve done plenty of other things to escape.” a year of college behind her – McLachlan signed her contract and made the move to Vancouver. Her debut RSL-121359032617 / 1 / Louise Metcalfe / [email protected] RECOMMENDED LISTENING album, Touch , was released on Nettwerk in 1988 and included the hit song ‘Vox’. However, it was Touch ’s Fumbling Towards Ecstasy follow-up, Solace, that was to prove her breakthrough not good e- nough, was Sarah McLachlan’sand it’s hard at the end of the day. I need some dis - international breakthrough and the album on which in Canada on its release in 1991. International success build-ing the lies that you make up for all that you lack. It don’t make no followed in 1993 with the release of the album she emerged as a fully-formed artist. Highlights Fumbling Towards Ecstasy include ‘Possession’ and ‘Ice Cream’. The album ‘Angel’ . Her best-selling album to was taken from, date is 1997’s Surfacing, featuring the hit song ‘Angel’. Surfacing, is also worth investigating for ‘Building A Mystery’ and ‘Sweet Surrender’. Female Vocals Grade 6 5 © Copyright 1997 Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Tyde Music, USA. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Angel Sarah McLachlan Angel Words & Music by Sarah McLachlan Words & Music by Sarah McLachlan e = 117 D¨ D¨6(“4) E¨‹7 G¨ (2º only:) 1. Spend all your time wait -ing for that sec-ond chance, for a (2.) straight life; and ev -’ry - where you turn there’s D¨ B¨‹ A¨ A¨¸Û E¨‹7 break that would make it o - kay.