TCL Grade 1 Timpani

General Info

1. Hand or pedal-tuned timpani may be used.
2. Timpanists may play standing or sitting. However, consideration should be given to the advantages of playing seated, as the seated position allows the feet to change intonation and re-tune the drums.
3. Rolls should not be bounced or buzzed at any level. A clean and even single stroke roll is expected.
4. At least one accompanied piece must be performed. Pieces that are published with an accompaniment may not be performed unaccompanied.

Pieces / Studies

Candidates can express their musical identity by choosing pieces and studies from our varied repertoire lists. Drum kit candidates choose two pieces with backing tracks and one unaccompanied piece, from a wide range of authentic styles including jazz, funk, show tunes, film, TV, Latin, reggae and swing. Percussionists choose from a varied selection of tuned percussion, timpani and snare drum pieces with accompanied and unaccompanied options. Candidates can further personalize their program by including an own composition.

Song List

Item	Works	Composer	Publication	Publisher	Video
1	Destination Reached	Mark Aldous & Peter Evans & Lorne Pearcey	Introducing Percussion	Trinity College London Press
2	Down to Earth	Mark Aldous & Peter Evans & Lorne Pearcey	Introducing Percussion	Trinity College London Press
3	Alpenstock	Carol Barratt	Bravo! Percussion (Book 1)	Boosey & Hawkes
4	Kettle Waltz	Carol Barratt	Bravo! Percussion (Book 1)	Boosey & Hawkes
5	Basically Beethoven	Jan Faulkner & Jayne Obradovic	Percussion Exam Pieces & Studies Timpani: Grades 1-5	Trinity College London Press
6	Landler	Jan Faulkner	Percussion Exam Pieces & Studies Timpani: Grades 1-5	Trinity College London Press
7	Lazy and Long	Jan Faulkner	Percussion Exam Pieces & Studies Timpani: Grades 1-5	Trinity College London Press
8	Spiky and Short	Jan Faulkner	Percussion Exam Pieces & Studies Timpani: Grades 1-5	Trinity College London Press
9	Sticking to the Point	Lorne Pearcey	Team Percussion	International Music Publications

Study List

Item	Works	Composer	Instrument	Publications	Publisher	Video
1	Big and Bold	Lorne Pearcey	Timpani	Timpani Studies	Mark Aldous
2	Grade 1 Study	Jan Faulkner & Jayne Obradovic	Timpani	Percussion Exam Pieces & Studies Timpani: Grades 1-5	Trinity College London Press

Technical Works

This section of the exam supports the development of technical skills by assessing candidates’ performance in a range of technical work requirements. A range of instrument-specific technical work features in our percussion exams, including exercises, scales & arpeggios, orchestral figures and orchestral extracts.

About the Test

Candidates prepare all three exercises. All are available at trinitycollege.com/percussion-tw Candidates choose one exercise to play first. Examiners then select one of the remaining two exercises to be performed. Music may be used. 1. Sticking Patterns
2. Roll Development
3. Dynamics

Sight reading

This test assesses candidates’ ability to perform a previously unseen musical extract, at a level approximately two grades lower than the exam being taken.

About the Test

After 30 seconds’ preparation time, candidates perform a previously unseen musical extract at a level lower than the exam being taken. Candidates choose whether to perform the test on keyboard percussion, snare drum or timpani.

Supporting Publications

For practice purposes, sample Sight-reading tests are published by Trinity College London Press in Graded Percussion Sight-Reading, Grades 1-8. Purchasing the book is not a requirement.

Aural

This test supports the development of candidates’ abilities in musical perception and understanding by requiring them to recognize musical features by ear (for example meter and pulse, pitch, performance characteristics). All questions are based on a single musical example played at the piano by the examiner. Candidates are asked to describe various features of the music such as dynamics, articulation, texture and style. Candidates are not required to sing.
1. Listen to the melody three times and clap the pulse on the third playing, stressing the strong beat
2. Listen to the melody once and identify the dynamics (Forte & Piano) and articulation (Staccato & Legato)
3. Listen to the first two bars of the melody once and identify the last note as higher or lower than the first note
4. Listen to the melody twice, with a change of rhythm or pitch in the second playing, identify where the change occurs

Improvisation

This test assesses candidates’ ability to improvise fluently, coherently and creatively in response to a musical stimulus.

Rhythmic stimulus

Candidates are given a notated rhythmic stimulus, which the examiner plays twice. The examiner then invites the candidate to play it back to ensure that they have understood it. Candidates are then given time to study the test before they perform it, during which they may prepare their response aloud. 30 seconds' preparation time is given.

Musical knowledge

This test encourages learners to understand the wider musical context of the pieces they play, as well as their knowledge of notation and their instrument. Examiners ask carefully graded questions based on candidates’ chosen pieces. Questions refer to the solo line only, and not the accompaniment. In the exam, candidates choose which piece they would like to be asked about first. Examiners then choose a second piece for the remaining questions. Candidates’ musical scores should be free of annotations which might aid their responses. Examiners usually point to the relevant part of the score when asking questions. Candidates can use American terms (eighth note, half note, etc) as an alternative to English terms (quaver, minim, etc).

Item	Parameters	Sample Question	Sample Answer
1	Note values	What is this note value?	A quaver
2	Explain key/time signatures	What does 4/4 mean?	Four crotchet beats in a bar
3	Notes on ledger lines	What is the name of this note?	Bb
4	Musical terms and signs	What is the meaning of da capo?	Go back to the start
5	Parts of the instrument	What is the top head of the drum called?	The batter head