GRADE LEVEL GUIDELINES

The guidelines below are a basic outline on the limitations of each grade level. We encourage you to look at other works that are graded similarly to help guide you in rating your music based on this grade system.

Grade 2

Traditionally performed by Middle School ensembles

Acceptable Keys: C G, D, A, F, & Bb Majors, as well as their relative minors.

Acceptable Tempos: Between 60 and 140 beats per minute

Acceptable Time Signatures: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and simple 6/8.

Acceptable Rhythms: Whole, Half, Quarter, eighth and simple Sixteenth rhythms. Basic triplet and syncopation are also acceptable.

Length of work: Between 1 minute and 4 minutes in length.

Types of Bowings: Detache, Staccato, Legato, Pizzicato.

Other considerations: Individual parts are allowed, but homophonic/monophonic textures are encouraged when possible. All instruments must stay within first position.

Grade 3

Traditionally performed by high school ensembles

Acceptable Keys: C G, D, A, F, Bb & Eb Majors, as well as their relative minors.

Acceptable Tempos: Between 50 and 160 beats per minute

Acceptable Time Signatures: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and simple 6/8. Some asynchronous times (i.e. 7/8, 5/4) can be used if not overly complicated.

Acceptable Rhythms: Whole, Half, Quarter, eighth and simple Sixteenth rhythms. Medium-difficultly triplets and syncopation are acceptable

Length of work: Between 2 minutes and 7 minutes in length.

Types of Bowings: Detache, Staccato, Marcato, Spiccato, Legato, Pizzicato.

Other considerations: Individual parts are acceptable. Basic shifting into third position is allowed.

Grade 4

Traditionally performed by advanced high school/college level ensembles

Acceptable Keys: Most keys, but encouraged to stay within 4 sharps and/or flats.

Acceptable Tempos: Between 40 and 170 beats per minute

Acceptable Time Signatures: All time signatures including mixed meter and asychronus time signatures

Acceptable Rhythms: All rhythms are acceptable. limited use of polyrhythms.

Length of work: Between 2 minutes and 10 minutes in length.

Types of Bowings: All articulations.

Other considerations: Individual parts are acceptable. Shifting into most positions are accepted, but encouraged to stay at or below sixth position as much as possible.