GCSE, AS and A level Music Difficulty Levels Booklet Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9 - 1) in Music (1MU0) Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE in Music (8MU0) Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Music (9MU0) First teaching from September 2016 First certification from 2017 (AS) 2018 (GCSE and A level) Issue 1 Contents Introduction 1 Difficulty Levels 3 Piano 3 Violin 48 Cello 71 Flute 90 Oboe 125 Cla rinet 146 Saxophone 179 Trumpet 217 Voic e 240 Voic e (popula r) 301 Guitar (c lassic al) 313 Guitar (popula r) 330 Elec tronic keyboa rd 338 Drum kit 344 Bass Guitar 354 Percussion 358 Introduction This guide relates to the Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Music (1MU0), Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced Subsidiary GCE in Music (8MU0) and Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Music (9MU0) qualifications for first teaching from 2016. This guide must be read and used in conjunction with the relevant specifications. The music listed in this guide is designed to help students, teachers, moderators and examiners accurately judge the difficulty level of music submitted for the Performing components of the Pearson Edexcel GCSE, AS and A level Music qualifications. Examples of solo pieces are provided for the most commonly presented instruments across the full range of levels. Using these difficult y levels For GCSE, teachers will need to use the book to determine the difficulty level(s) of piece(s) performed and apply these when marking performances. For AS and A Level, this book can be used as a guide to assist in choosing pieces to perform, as performances are externally marked. Solo performances This guide contains grade levels for some of the more common solo pieces likely to be offered on instruments frequently presented for examination. ‘9’ is used as a difficulty level indicator for pieces on Advanced Certificate or Diploma syllabuses. Where an instrument is not covered by this list, the relevant graded exam syllabuses can be consulted. These are freely available online. Students can select pieces to perform that are not listed in this guide or listed for any graded music examination. In these instances, the difficulty level of the piece is decided by comparing the music performed with the examples provided in this guide. This applies to performances from a score, improvisations or realisations. Ensemble performances Specific examples of difficulty levels for ensemble performances are not provided in this booklet. In all cases the difficulty level for ensemble performances must be decided by directly comparing the student’s part with the examples for solo performances provided and looking for an equivalent level. Other types of performances Where instruments other than those listed in this guide are presented, the difficulty level will be assessed at a comparable level of demand, including performances where there is no tradition of graded examinations for the instrument presented. Guidance on determining difficulty levels for these types of performances can be found in the GCSE, AS and A Level Specifications. Pearson Edexcel GCSE, A S and A Level Music Difficulty Levels Booklet – 1 Issue 1 - December 2015 © P earson Education Limited 2015 Applying difficult y levels Pearson uses three difficulty levels across GCSE, AS and A level performances: less difficult, standard and more difficult. Difficulty level grids are provided in the specification for each qualification. For the purposes of this booklet difficulty level corresponds to music grade e.g. difficulty level (Level) 1 = grade 1. GCSE Performance The standard level of difficulty at GCSE is Grade 4, so the difficulty levels are: ● up to 3 – less difficult ● Grade 4 – standard ● Grade 5 and above – more difficult. Students are required to submit one solo and one ensemble performance, made up of a minimum of one piece each. Each of these performances must be longer than one minute. In addition, the total performance time across both pieces must be a minimum of four minutes. The difficulty levels of the solo and ensemble performances are assessed separately. AS Level Performance The standard level of difficulty at AS level is Grade 6, so the difficulty levels are: ● up to Grade 5 – less difficult ● Grade 6 – standard ● Grade 7 and above – more difficult. Students are required to submit a performance in which the total running time of the music is no less than six minutes. The difficulty level reflects the performance as a whole. Where pieces of varying difficulty are performed, the average difficulty level of the whole performance will be applied, although taking into consideration the relative length of pieces where these lengths are unbalanced. A Level Performance The standard level of difficulty at A Level is Grade 7, so the difficulty levels are: ● up to Grade 6 – less difficult ● Grade 7 – standard ● Grade 8 and above – more difficult. Students are required to submit a performance in which the total running time of the music is no less than eight minutes. The difficulty level reflects the performance as a whole. Where pieces of varying difficulty are performed, the average difficulty level of the whole performance will be applied, although taking into consideration the relative length of pieces where these lengths are unbalanced. 2 Pearson Edexcel GCSE, A S and A Level Music Difficulty Levels Booklet – Issue 1 – December 2015 © P earson Education Limited 2015 Difficulty Levels Piano Composer Title Level Absil Humoresque Op 126 No.3 7 Adam Allegro un peu louré 2 Albéniz Castilla (Suite Espagnole Op 47: 7th movt) 8 Albéniz Cordoba 8 Albéniz Sous le palmier Op 232 No.3 (Chants d'Espagne) 8 Albéniz Tango Op 165 No.2 6 Alberga If the Silver Bird could speak (Spectrum) 8 Alberga Only a wish away 4 Alcock Almand (Suite No 4 in Dminor: 1st movt) 6 Alcock Gavot (Suite No 2 in B flat) 4 Alkan La Vision Op.63 No.1 7 Alkan Les regrets de la nonnette 6 Alwyn Prelude and Fugue formed on an Indian Scale 8 Alwyn The Sun is Setting 4 Andersson/Ulvaeus Thank You for the Music 6 Anon. Anglaise in D minor (The Best of Grade 3) 3 Allegro moderato in F (No 32, L Mozart Nannerl- Anon, ed Mozart, L Notenbuch) 5 Anon. ed Mozart, L Allegro in F (No 33, L Mozart Nannerl-Notenbuch) 4 Arensky Impromptu No 1 (Quatre morceaux Op 25) 8 Arlen, arr. Stapleton Over the Rainbow 6 Arlen Over the Rainbow 4 Armstrong Castle Ward - Temple Dancer in Blue 6 Arndt Nola 9 Arne Sonata in A: 1st movt Allegro 6 Arne Sonata in A: 1st movt Presto 7 Arne Sonata No 1 in F: 1st movt 6 Arne Sonata No 2 in E minor: 1st movt Andante 6 Arne Sonata No 3 in G: 2nd movt Allegro 7 Arne Sonata No 6 in G: Presto 5 Arne Sonata No 8: Minuet with Variations 5 Arnold Gigue from Allegro in C 2 Arnold, M Sonata (complete) 8 Attwood Andante 2 Sonatina No 2 in C: 2nd movt Minuetto and 3 Attwood Variations 4 Aubert Romance Op.2 8 Bac h WF Allegro 4 Bac h, CPE Allegro in A H338, Wq 116/16 7 Bac h, CPE Allegro in C Wq 116/53 3 Bac h, CPE La Caroline 5 Pearson Edexcel GCSE, A S and A Level Music Difficulty Levels Booklet – 3 Issue 1 - December 2015 © P earson Education Limited 2015 Piano Composer Title Level Bac h, CPE Solfeggietto in C minor 6 Bac h, CPE Solo per il Cembalo in Eb H16 6 Bac h, CPE Sonata in A flat H.31: 3rd movt Allegro 7 Bac h, CPE Sonata in A flat Wq49/2:1st movt Un poc o allegro 8 Bac h, CPE Sonata in A H18b Wq 55/4:1st movt Allegro assai 8 Bac h, CPE Sonata in B flat Wq 62/16, H116: 1st movt Allegro 7 Bac h, CPE Sonata in C minor Wq 60:1st movt Allegretto 7 Bac h, CPE Sonata in F minor Wq 57/6: 1st movt Allegro assai 8 Bac h, CPE Sonata in F minor Wq 63/6:1st movt Allegro di molto 6 Bac h, CPE Sonata in G minor Wq 62/18: 3rd movt 7 Bach, JC Sonata in D Op 5/2: Minuetto 5 Bac h, JCF Allegretto in F (Music al Leisure Hours) 5 Bac h, JCF Allegro in D minor (Musical Leisure Hours) 6 Bac h, JCF Allegro in E flat (Musical Leisure Hours) 5 Bac h, JCF Allegro in E minor (No 12, Musical Leisure Hours) 5 Bac h, JCF Polonaise 4 Bac h, JCF Scherzo (Musicalische Neben Stunden) 4 Bac h, JCF Sonata in E flat: 3rd movt Allegro 7 Bac h, JS Allegro in E minor from BWV 1019 8 English Suite No 2 in A minor BWV 807: Courante or Bac h, JS Allemande 7 Bac h, JS English Suite No 3 in G minor BWV 808: Allemande 7 English Suite No 3 in G minor BWV 808: Allemande Bac h, JS and Courante 8 Bac h, JS English Suite No.5 in E minor BWV 810: Prelude 9 Fantasia and Fughetta in B flat BWV 907: Fantasia Bac h, JS only 6 Bac h, JS Fantasie in Cm BWV 906 9 Bac h, JS French Suite in G BWV 816 No.4: Gavotte 5 French Suite No 2 in C minor BWV 813: 5th movt Bac h, JS Menuet 4 Bac h, JS French Suite No 2 in C minor BWV 813: Sarabande 6 Bac h, JS French Suite No 3 in B minor BWV 814: Gigue 7 Bac h, JS French Suite No 6 in E BWV 817: 7th and 8th mvts 8 Bac h, JS French Suite No 6 in E BWV 817: Allemande 7 Bac h, JS French Suite No 6 in E BWV 817: Gigue 8 Bac h, JS French Suite No 6 in E BWV 817: Polonaise 4 Bac h, JS Goldberg Variations: Aria and 1st variation 8 Bac h, JS Italian Concerto: 1st or 3rd movts 8 Bac h, JS Little Prelude in D minor BWV 940 5 4 Pearson Edexcel GCSE, A S and A Level Music Difficulty Levels Booklet – Issue 1 – December 2015 © P earson Education Limited 2015 Piano Composer Title Level Bac h, JS Little Prelude in No 4 in D BWV 936 6 March in E flat BWVAnh 127 (Anna Magdalena Bach Bac h, JS Bk 1725) 4 Bac h, JS Overture in F BWV 820:5: Bourrée 4 Bac h, JS Partita No 1 in B flat BWV 825: Praeludium and Giga 8 Bac h, JS Partita No 2 in C minor BWV 826: 6th movt Capric c io 8 Partita No 2 in C minor BWV 826: