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Please use the links below to find the titles recommended in the ABRSM Cello Initial Grade from 2024.
Initial Grade Pieces
One piece must be chosen from each of Lists A, B and C.
Please note that the first three pieces in each list are found in the Initial Grade Cello Exam Pack from 2024, (ABRSM)
| List A | Composer | Piece Details | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anon. 16th century | La Bergamasca, arr. K. & D. Blackwell | |
| 2 | Trad. Czech | Stamping Dance, arr. K. & D. Blackwell | |
| 3 | Trad. English | The Old Woman and the Pedlar, arr. Bullard | |
| 4 | Katherine & Hugh Colledge | Butterflies (No. 5 from Waggon Wheels) | Katherine & Hugh Colledge: Waggon Wheels for Cello (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 5 | Katherine & Hugh Colledge | Knickerbocker Glory (No.11 from Waggon Wheels) | Katherine & Hugh Colledge: Waggon Wheels for Cello (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 6 | Cutter | Little March, arr. Sassmannshaus ending at b. 20 DUET/PIANO |
Cello Recital Album, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter) |
| 7 | Stanley Fletcher | Sweet Eyed Sue (No. 9 from New Tunes for Strings, Book 1) with repeat using bowing variation 1 – DUET/PIANO |
Stanley Fletcher: New Tunes for Strings, Cello Book 1 (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| New Tunes for Strings Vol. 1 Teacher's Book (Boosey & Hawkes) | |||
| 8 | Trad. | Big Ben, arr. Passchier, Hussey & Sebba – DUET/PIANO | Abracadabra Cello (Third Edition) (Collins Music) |
| Abracadabra Strings Book 1 – Piano Accompaniment (Collins Music) | |||
| 9 | Trad. | Go Tell Aunt Rhody, arr. Suzuki & Mooney – DUET/PIANO | Suzuki Cello School, Vol. 1 (Alfred) |
| Suzuki Cello School Volume 1 – Piano Accompaniment (Alfred) | |||
| 10 | Kathy & David Blackwell | City Lights DUET/PIANO | Cello Time Joggers (OUP) |
| Cello Time Joggers Cello Time Joggers Piano Accompaniments (OUP) | |||
| Cello Time Joggers Cello Accompaniment Book (OUP) | |||
| 11 | O. Gibbons | The Woods So Wilde, arr. Harris & O’Leary | No. 51 from Cello Basics (Faber) |
| 12 | Mozart | Molto allegro (from String Quartet in G, K. 387) | No. 75 from Erste Klassiksammlung für Violoncello (Ricordi) |
| 13 | Mark Wilson & Paul Wood | Oh, What a Day! | No. 38 from Wilson & Wood: Stringtastic Beginners for Cello (Faber) |
| Stringtastic Beginners: Teacher's Accompaniment (Piano) (Faber) | |||
| List B | |||
| 1 | Bob Dylan | Blowin’ in the Wind, arr. Iles | |
| 2 | Jemima Oosthuizen | Ladybird Laze (from Bees in the Belfry) – with repeat | |
| 3 | Althea Talbot-Howard | The Knights’ Pavane | |
| 4 | Alan Bullard | Far Away (from Party Time!) slurs optional | Alan Bullard: Party Time! for Cello (ABRSM) |
| 5 | Mary Cohen | Mrs Andantino Goes for a Walk (from Superduets, Book 2) DUET | Mary Cohen: Superduets for Cello, Book 2 (Faber) |
| 6 | Thomas Gregory | Footprints in the Snow | Vamoosh Cello, Book 1 (Vamoosh) |
| Vamoosh String Book 1 – Piano Accompaniments (Vamoosh) | |||
| 7 | Huws Jones | Gone for Good (No.12 from Ten O’Clock Rock) | Huws Jones: Ten O’Clock Rock for Cello (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| Ten O'Clock Rock – 18 Concert Pieces for Beginner – Piano Accompaniment (Boosey & Hawkes) | |||
| 8 | S. Nelson | Over the Moon | Piece by Piece 1 for Cello (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 9 | S. Nelson | Swingalong ‘E’ version DUET/PIANO | P.16 from Tetratunes for Cello (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| Tetratunes – Piano Accompaniment (Boosey & Hawkes) | |||
| 10 | Trad. French | French Folk Song, arr. Suzuki & Mooney – DUET/PIANO | Suzuki Cello School, Vol. 1 (Alfred) |
| Suzuki Cello School Volume 1 – Piano Accompaniment (Alfred) | |||
| 11 | Celia Cobb & Naomi Yandell | After the Storm (No. 4 from Cool Beans) – final note may be played as open A DUET |
Cobb & Yandell: Cool Beans Cello Duets (Stainer & Bell) |
| 12 | Thomas Gregory | Rolling Hills | Vamoosh Cello, Book 1 (Vamoosh) |
| Vamoosh String Book 1 – Piano Accompaniments (Vamoosh) | |||
| 13 | Mark Wilson & Paul Wood | Music for a Rainy Day | No. 38 from Wilson & Wood: Stringtastic Beginners for Cello (Faber) |
| Stringtastic Beginners: Teacher's Accompaniment (Piano) (Faber) | |||
| List C | |||
| 1 | Alan Bullard | Square Dance (from Party Time!) | |
| 2 | Nancy Litten | Crunch Time | |
| 3 | Trad. German | Kuckuck, Kuckuck, ruft’s aus dem Wald, arr. Blackwell | |
| Kathy & David Blackwell | Otf to School | Cello Time Starters (OUP) | |
| Cello Time Starters Book and CD (OUP) | |||
| 5 | Thomas Gregory | Walk on Mars! slides optional; with DC, as in accomp. | Vamoosh Cello, Book 1 (Vamoosh) |
| Vamoosh String Book 1 – Piano Accompaniments (Vamoosh) | |||
| 6 | Huws Jones | Ten O’Clock Rock (No. 9 from Ten O’Clock Rock) | Huws Jones: Ten O’Clock Rock for Cello (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| Ten O'Clock Rock – 18 Concert Pieces for Beginner – Piano Accompaniment (Boosey & Hawkes) | |||
| 7 | Caroline Lumsden & Pam Wedgwood |
Jungle Footprints (from Jackaroo) scream optional | Lumsden & Wedgwood: Jackaroo for Cello (Faber) |
| 8 | S. Nelson | Alastair Arbuthnot Has No Hat | Piece by Piece 1 for Cello (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 9 | Trad. German | Pit a Pat Rain, arr. Sassmannshaus DUET/PIANO | Cello Recital Album, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter) |
| 10 | Peter Wilson | Bow Rock (No. 4 from Stringpops 1) | Peter Wilson: Stringpops 1 for Cello (Faber) |
| 11 | Kathy & David Blackwell | In the Groove DUET/PIANO | Cello Time Joggers (OUP) |
| Cello Time Joggers Cello Time Joggers Piano Accompaniments (OUP) | |||
| Cello Time Joggers Cello Accompaniment Book (OUP) | |||
| 12 | Celia Cobb & Naomi Yandell | On the Go (No. 5 from Cool Beans) DUET | Cobb & Yandell: Cool Beans Cello Duets (Stainer & Bell) |
| 13 | Rosie Langabeer | Laser Kiwi Jive | Easy Tunes for Tamariki for Cello (Wellington Branch IRMTNZ) 🕮 |
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ABRSM Cello Initial Grade from 2024 additional resources & information
Theory of Music
ABRSM Theory of Music Exam Materials
Additional Theory of Music Resources
ABRSM Cello Initial Grade from 2024
Overlap
Bowed Strings candidates worldwide may play their three pieces from the 2020–2023 Bowed Strings Syllabus until 31 December 2024. All pieces must be from the same syllabus – candidates may not present a mixture from old and new syllabuses.
Amendments
The ABRSM will post updates to the syllabus e.g. changes to publication details or other minor corrections or clarifications – at www.abrsm.org/syllabuscorrections.
Revision
The ABRSM has not scheduled the next revision of the Cello Syllabus. The ABRSM will post advance notice of planned changes to the Cello Syllabus (including syllabus overlap information) at www.abrsm.org/syllabusupdates.
Photocopies & downloads
Candidates should not perform from unauthorised photocopies (or other kinds of copies) or illegal downloads of copyright music in examinations. There are limited circumstances where can copies be used in an examination the UK. The MPA’s Code of Fair Practice gives further guidance. Before making a copy an application should be made to the copyright holder and evidence of permission should be brought to the exam. Candidates and Applicants must act within the law with regard to copyright.