The Percussion syllabus can help you to develop technical fluency and rhythmic and tonal awareness. As critical skills for percussionists, it focuses on rhythm, pitch, phrasing, and dynamics to support you to play expressively and with well-developed musicianship.
The syllabus seeks to enhance and inspire percussion teachers and learners' growth and development, and is underpinned by a close link between technical work and repertoire.
What sort of pieces are in the Syllabus?
A broad range of genres, styles, and periods have been included but, if you're familiar with other AMEB syllabuses, the Syllabus Lists do not focus on periods of compositional style. Instead, the Lists include a great selection of pieces that focus on developing (and performing) the five basic instrumental streams:
- Untuned
- Two-mallet
- Four-mallet
- Timpani
- Multi-percussion
The pieces align to the technical work, which has its own book, and both progressively develops key concepts.
What instruments will be provided in my exam?
That depends on your program. We have access to a variety of instruments but please get in touch to let us know what you actually need. This will ensure it's ready to use on the day of your exam. Sticks and mallets are your responsibility and, If you'd like to bring your own drums or other instruments, that's absolutely ok.
What is the Certificate of Performance exam?
It's an exam that's designed to partially bridge the gap between Grade 8 and AMusA, and provide a capstone to Level 2. The CoP is a recital-style exam, like the Diplomas, but is a natural continuation of skills from Grade 8. We have a Spotlight article dedicated to Certificate of Performance exams here, if you're keen to find out more.
Can I play orchestral excerpts in my exam?
The Syllabus Lists don't include orchestral excerpts, although some studies are designed to develop techniques for specific orchestral scenarios. However, you may find an excerpt that would be suitable as an Own Choice work but, please note, these are only available for Repertoire style exams and must be of a similar length and educational value to the List works. We always recommend checking the Syllabus for all the exam requirements.
Can I get TCE bonus points for a Percussion exam?
Yes you can! And that goes for any AMEB exam, including all Rockschool and PAA syllabuses. In fact, all practical exams are eligible for TCE bonus points from Grade 4 onwards, as well as Theory Grade 2+.
When can I do a Percussion exam?
Our face-to-face exams are available in the June/July and October/November sessions. Alternatively, you can do a Video exam absolutely any time that suits you. To find out more about exam dates, head to our Exam information page.
I have more questions.
That's great! We'd love to help with those. Please feel free to browse the other great sources of information on our website or get in touch to find out more.
