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Please use the links below to find the titles recommended in the ABRSM Double Bass Grade 5 from 2024 Syllabus:
Grade 5 Scales
ABRSM Double Bass Scales Grades 1-5
Grade 5 Sight-Reading
ABRSM Double Bass Specimen Sight-Reading, Grades 1-5
Grade 5 Aural
Specimen Aural Tests, Grades 4-5 (book only)
Specimen Aural Tests, Grades 4-5 (book and CD)
Aural Training in Practice, Grades 4-5 (book and CD)
Grade 5 Pieces
One piece must be chosen from each of Lists A, B and C:
| List A | Composer | Piece Details | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bottesini | Study No. 25 (from Metodo completo per contrabbasso) – SOLO | Bottesini: Method for Double Bass, Part 1 (Yorke) |
| 2 | Dittersdorf | German Dance, arr. Close & Sassmannshaus | Concert Pieces for Double Bass (Bärenreiter) |
| 3 | attrib. Giovannino | Adagio and Aria staccata e allegra (1st and 2nd movts from Sonata in A minor) | Giovannino: Sonata in A minor (Yorke) |
| 4 | Christian Gouinguené | Hommage a Vivaldi | Christian Gouinguené: Hommage a Vivaldi (Leduc) |
| 5 | Handel | Bourrée, arr. Suzuki | Suzuki Bass School, Vol. 3, Revised Edition (Alfred) |
| Suzuki Bass School Volume 3 – Piano Accompaniment (Alfred) | |||
| 6 | B. Marcello | Largo and Allegro (from Sonata, Op. 2 No.1), arr. Elliott | Grade by Grade, Double Bass Grade 5 (Boosey & Hawkes) 🕮 |
| 7 | S. Paxton | Allegretto (1st movt from Sonata in D, Op. 3 No. 2), trans. Elliott | S. Paxton: Sonata in D, Op. 3 No. 2 (Bartholomew) |
| 8 | Purcell | Rondeau (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream), arr. K. & J. Hartley | Subterranean Solos (Bartholomew) |
| Subterranean Solos – Piano Accompaniment (Bartholomew) | |||
| 9 | Rameau | Le lardon and La boiteuse (from Pieces de clavessin), arr. Slatford & Bullard | Time Pieces for Double Bass, Vol. 2 (ABRSM) |
| 10 | L. Shitte | Étude | Bass is Best! Yorke Mini-Bass Book 2 (Yorke) |
| List B | |||
| 1 | P.-M. Dubois | Berceuse à Boby (No. 3 from Histoires de contrebasse) | P.-M. Dubois: Histoires de contrebasse, Vol. 1 (Billaudot) |
| 2 | Richard Dubugnon | No. 7 (from Dix petites concertudes) | Richard Dubugnon: Dix petites concertudes, Vol. 2 (Billaudot) |
| 3 | Fauré | Autumn, Op.18 No. 3, arr. Slatford & Bullard | Time Pieces for Double Bass, Vol. 2 (ABRSM) |
| 4 | Everett Gates | Night Song | Everett Gates: Night Song (Bartholomew) |
| 5 | Hauta-Aho | Lullaby | Hauta-Aho: Teppo’s Tunes (Recital Music) Digital Edition from our Download site |
| 6 | Liszt | Liebesträume, arr. Elliott | Grade by Grade, Double Bass Grade 5 (Boosey & Hawkes) 🕮 |
| 7 | Tchaikovsky | Chanson triste, arr. Elliott | Grade by Grade, Double Bass Grade 5 (Boosey & Hawkes) 🕮 |
| 8 | C. Minkler | A Gaelic Melody, arr. Suzuki | Suzuki Bass School, Vol. 3, Revised Edition (Alfred) |
| Suzuki Bass School Volume 3 – Piano Accompaniment (Alfred) | |||
| 9 | J. Reinagle | Andante (from Sonatine), arr. Mohrs & Schlichting | Easy Concert Pieces for Double Bass, Vol. 2 (Schott) |
| 10 | Trad. | The Jolly Dutchman, arr. Isaac | Festival Performance Solos for String Bass (Carl Fischer) |
| Festival Performance Solos Piano Accompaniment (Carl Fischer) | |||
| List C | |||
| 1 | Bernie, Pinkard & K. Casey | Sweet Georgia Brown, arr. Swaim | Suzuki Bass School, Vol. 3, Revised Edition (Alfred) |
| Suzuki Bass School Volume 3 – Piano Accompaniment (Alfred) | |||
| 2 | Miles Davis | So What, arr. Swaim | Suzuki Bass School, Vol. 3, Revised Edition (Alfred) |
| Suzuki Bass School Volume 3 – Piano Accompaniment (Alfred) | |||
| 3 | L. Bernstein | Cool (from West Side Story), arr. Schofield | Amazing Solos for Double Bass (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 4 | Glière | Russian Sailors’ Dance (from The Red Poppy), arr. Isaac | Glière: Russian Sailors’ Dance (Carl Fischer) |
| 5 | Gounod | Funeral March of a Marionette, arr. Wilson-Dickson | Gounod: Funeral March of a Marionette (Forsyth) |
| 6 | Henderson | Black Bottom, arr. Slatford & Bullard | Time Pieces for Double Bass, Vol. 2 (ABRSM) |
| 7 | A. H. Hill | Midnight Caper | A. H. Hill: Four Pieces for Double Bass (Stainer & Bell) |
| 8 | Moszkowski | Spanish Dance No. 2 (from Op.12), arr. K. & J. Hartley | Subterranean Solos (Bartholomew) |
| Subterranean Solos – Piano Accompaniment (Bartholomew) | |||
| 9 | T. Osborne | Ba-Doo-Wah! (No.1 from Junior Jazz Book 2) pizz. only | T. Osborne: Junior Jazz Book 2 (Recital Music) Digital Edition from our Download site |
| 10 | G. M. Rodríguez | La cumparsita, arr. Huws Jones | Grade by Grade, Double Bass Grade 5 (Boosey & Hawkes) 🕮 |
| 11 | Christine Donkin | So Far, So Good! | Christine Donkin: So Far, So Good! (Recital Music) Digital Edition from our Download site |
| 12 | Katrina Gordon | Markhor (No. 2 from Creature Comforts) | Katrina Gordon: Creature Comforts (Recital Music)Available from our Digital Download site |
| 13 | Florence Anna Maunders | Boogie in the Bazaar | Florence Anna Maunders: Boogie in the Bazaar (ABRSM) |
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Books marked 🕮 may be unavailable in the U.K. Please contact us using via email for more information.
ABRSM Double Bass Grade 5 from 2024 additional resources & information
Theory of Music
ABRSM Theory of Music Exam Materials
Additional Theory of Music Resources
ABRSM Double Bass Grade 5 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 Double Bass Syllabus. The ABRSM will post advance notice of planned changes to the Double Bass 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.