Band
Grade 0 pieces for band are designed for beginning bands whose members have less than one full year of experience.
- Flutes will keep to a range of roughly an octave. Grade 0 music will avoid extremes of range.
- Clarinets do not have any notes that cross the break. Range will be restricted to Bb3 to A4.
- Brass ranges are less than an octave, tending to favor the first 6 notes of a B-flat concert scale.
- Rhythms are restricted to whole notes/rests, half notes/rests, quarter notes/rests, and limited eighth notes if applicable. Dotted notes/rests are unlikely but may occur. No parts will have syncopation.
- Trills and grace notes will not be present. Snare drum parts may have simple rolls or flams.
- Grade 0 pieces will be mostly unison. Countermelodies and harmonies, if present, will be simple and repetitive.
Grade 0 pieces are akin to what you'd find in a first year method book.
Choir
Grade 0 songs for choir are ideal for beginning singers (5th grade and younger).
- Songs are simple with child-friendly lyrics and subject material. Grade 0 songs are repetitive and feature unison lines.
- Range is limited to no more than an octave. Movement is primarily step-wise, with an emphasis on ease of singing.
- Rhythms will primarily use whole notes/rests, half notes/rests, quarter notes/rests, and limited eighth notes/rests.
- Meter for Grade 0 songs will be limited to 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4.
The idea is that Grade 0 songs can be learned in the span of a couple class periods.
Orchestra
Grade 0 pieces for orchestra are arranged for string orchestra only whose members have less than one full year of experience.
- Grade 0 music for orchestra will stay in first position and prioritize one or two strings to minimize string crossing. There may be exceptions to this rule.
- Key signatures for Grade 0 pieces will favor keys utilizing open strings (i.e. G Major/Minor, D Major/Minor, etc.)
- Rhythms will primarily use whole notes/rests, half notes/rests, quarter notes/rests, and limited eighth notes/rests.
- Meter for Grade 0 pieces will be limited to 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4.
Band
Grade 1 pieces for band are designed for beginning bands whose members have roughly one full year of experience. Ideally, these kids will have some experience playing in an ensemble with other musicians. Some of the pieces listed in this grade's catalog could be listed as a Grade 1.5/2 with other publishers.
- Flutes will keep to a range of roughly an octave and a half. Grade 1 music will avoid extremes of range but will usually sit comfortably between G4 and D6. Range will be gradual and will not typically feature a jump of any more than a 5th or 6th.
- Clarinets MAY have notes that cross the break. It is assumed that after a year, clarinetists will have enough experience to play notes above the break.
- Brass ranges will remain between 1-2 octave, avoiding extremes of range.
- Rhythms may include whole notes/rests, half notes/rests, quarter notes/rests, and limited eighth notes if applicable. Dotted notes/rests will occur. Some parts may have limited syncopation.
- Trills and grace notes may be present in very limited quantity. Snare drum parts may have simple rolls or flams.
- Grade 1 pieces will have the melodic lines doubled. Pieces may feature countermelodies and harmonies that are simple and repetitive.
Grade 1 pieces are good for 5th/6th grade bands or middle school groups looking for something quick to put together.
Choir
Grade 1 songs for choir are ideal for young groups of singers (5th/6th grade and younger).
- Songs are simple with child-friendly lyrics and subject material. Grade 1 songs are repetitive and feature unison lines. Unlike Grade 0 songs, Grade 1 may have optional harmonies or second parts.
- Range is limited to roughly an octave. Movement is primarily step-wise, with an emphasis on ease of singing.
- Rhythms will primarily use whole notes/rests, half notes/rests, quarter notes/rests, and limited eighth notes/rests. More challenging rhythms may show up (i.e. triplets), but they will be in a context that would be easy to learn by rote if need be.
- Meter for Grade 0 songs will be limited to 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4.
Grade 1 songs are great for beginner groups that have a burgeoning command of melodic/harmonic independence.
Orchestra
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