Parameters for Session Skills Playback Initial Grade 8 for all instruments If you choose Playback, you will be asked to perform some music you have not seen or heard before. You will be given a song chart and have 0 seconds to study it or to try out any. The examiner will then play the recorded backing track. You should listen to the audio, copying what you hear; you can also read the music from the song chart. You will hear a series of short melodic phrases or drum grooves and fills and are required to repeat each of them straight back in turn. A count-in will be given at the beginning of the recording, and a backing rhythm will be played throughout. In the exam you will have two chances to play along with the track: first time for practice second time for assessment. No variation or improvisation is required what is printed on the song chart/heard on the track should be copied as accurately as possible, including any details of, and dynamics at higher grades. WWW.TRINITYROCK.COM Page of
Playback Parameters Bass Keys Initial 8 bars bars ; semibreves, minims, no dynamics or first position including open strings minims C major accents F major 8 to bars to bars dotted, semi, swung semibreves, staccato and legato, crescendo and blues scale, second position, H-O and P-O quaver triplets dotted A major slides, double stopping, syncopation 5 to bars dotted up to 5th position, chromatic melodic notes, chord symbols included in the song chart to 0 bars to 8 bars 9 ; 8 double dotted, dotted semi, demisemi semi, dotted B major plus any major or minor key up to four vibrato, slaps and pulls, up to th position crotchet triplets, semiquaver triplets any major or minor key up to five full fretboard range, bends 8 0 to bars ; time signature any key harmonics, any notation including double sharps and flats WWW.TRINITYROCK.COM Page of
Playback Parameters Drums Initial 8 bars bars ; minims,, minims, no dynamics or SD, BD, HT, LT, crash cymbal; single line only mid tom tom, some -way coordination accents HH and RC, mostly -way coordination, 8 to bars to bars semi, dotted, semibreves mp and mf HH with foot, off-beat BD rhythms, -way coordination quaver triplets dotted crescendo and whole kit with open/closed HH, rim-clicks, rolls, flams, drags and ruffs 5 to bars dotted, semiquaver triplets, sextuplets, dotted extended independence to 0 bars to 8 bars 9 ; 8 ; 8 semibreves, dotted semi, demisemi dotted, dotted semi, semi ghost notes crotchet triplets, duplets 8 0 to bars WWW.TRINITYROCK.COM Page of
Playback Parameters Guitar Keys Initial 8 bars bars semibreves, minims, no dynamics or within first position, no chords minims accents C major 8 to bars to bars dotted, semi, swung semibreves, staccato and legato F major blues scale, note chords, second position, H-O and P-O, chromatic melodic notes quaver triplets dotted crescendo and A major note chords, slides, palm muting, double stopped melodic playing, syncopation 5 to bars dotted vibrato, bends, up to 5th position, chord symbols included in the song chart to 0 bars to 8 bars 9 ; 8 ; 8 demisemi B major plus any major or minor key up to four up to th position, harmonics crotchet triplets semi any major or minor key up to five full fretboard range 8 0 to bars any key any expressive technique WWW.TRINITYROCK.COM Page of
Playback Parameters Keyboards Keys Initial 8 bars bars ; minims, no dynamics or C major RH only, 5 finger hand position semibreves, semibreves, minims mostly RH with simple LH in bars, 5 finger hand position accents F major both hands throughout, small shifts of hand position, syncopation, 8 to bars to bars dotted, semi, swung staccato and legato blues scale, note chords in RH and LH, more LH movement, chromatic melodic notes dotted crescendo and tenuto A major note chords in RH, more independent LH movement 5 to bars dotted semibreves, quaver triplets use of sustain pedal, chord symbols included in the song chart to 0 bars to 8 bars 9 ; 8 ; 8 dotted B major plus any major or minor key up to four simple ornamentation eg grace notes, glissandi, octaves in RH and/ or LH crotchet triplets, semiquaver triplets, dotted semi, demisemi semi any major or minor key up to five RH tremolo 8 0 to bars any key any expressive technique WWW.TRINITYROCK.COM Page 5 of
Playback Parameters Vocals Keys Intervals Overall melodic range Additional parameters Initial 8 bars bars minims, no dynamics or C major stepwise movement only a th semibreves, major/minor rd a th F major perfect th 8 to bars to bars dotted, semi, swung semibreves, minims, staccato and legato accents perfect 5th an octave blues scale, chromatic melodic notes quaver triplets dotted crescendo and A major major/minor th an th syncopation 5 to bars dotted dotted major/minor th chord symbols included in the song chart to 0 bars to 8 bars 9 ; 8 ; 8 crotchet triplets, dotted semi, demisemi, semiquaver triplets semi tenuto, subito any major or minor key up to 5 octave any major or minor key major/minor 0th 8 0 to bars duplets major/minor th a th key within the song WWW.TRINITYROCK.COM Page of