Percussion
Drum Kit
A completely new set of pieces has been written by well-known Kit players from the UK, Europe and the USA. The exam consists of 1 play-along, 1 solo, a rudimental study and 2 other tests. All the music for new drum kit exams has been collected into a series of 4 books, each with CD and containing 2 grades.
Books 1-4 are all available to purchase from your local music shop or via our online store by clicking here.
A comprehensive list of amendments added to the books when they were recently reprinted is available to download from the right-hand panel for candidates and teachers who may own a first impression of the books.
Tuned Percussion/Snare Drum/Timpani
Each of these are offered as a single-instrument exam from Grade 1 to Grade 8.
New books are available, containing music for Grades 1-5 (Grades 1-8 for Snare Drum). Further repertoire may also be used from other publications, including the existing Percussion World books, but the Guildhall Tuned Percussion, Timpani and Snare Drum books are no longer in use. All exams include accompanied pieces to help candidates develop their wider musicianship skills.
Trinity Guildhall Pieces and Studies for Snare Drum (Books 1& 2), Tuned Percussion and Timpani are now available from your local music shop or by clicking here.
Orchestral Percussion
Three pieces are played, one from the Tuned Percussion list, one from the Timpani list and one from the Snare Drum list, and Technical Work is that set for Tuned Percussion. Sight Reading consists of one test on any of the 3 instruments as selected by the examiner.
The complete syllabus for Percussion from 2007, and it's component parts, is now available to download from the panel on the right. This supercedes any previously published repertoire lists and should be viewed in conjunction with Information and Regulations 2010, also available to download from the right-hand panel.
How to apply for an Exam
If you live outside of the UK and Ireland please contact your local representative in your country
In the UK and Ireland Percussion exams are taken at specialists centres. For a list of these centres please download the UK Representative List from the Related Resources. For application forms and exam fees please click here