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Please use the links below to find the titles recommended in the Trinity College Exam Syllabus:
Rock and Pop exam pieces can all be found in the following books. Three pieces must be chosen, one of which must have a technical focus. The first and third pieces must be chosen from the appropriate grade book, with the 3rd piece being technical focus (marked with 🥁) with both being played to a backing track.
The second song can either be
- from the appropriate and current grade book, played to a backing track
- Or a song from additional Trinity drums arrangements (see the syllabus fvor nmore details)
- Or an own-choice song Or a song composed by the candidate
- If song 2 is an own-choice song or one composed by the candidate it may:
- Be unaccompanied Be played to a backing track (which can be pre-recorded by the candidate)
- Include added vocals, performed live by the candidate
- Include an accompaniment played or sung live by another musician
Initial Grade
Drums Initial TCL 016980
Backing Tracks Drums Initial CD TCL 017468
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014276
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Do I Wanna Know? 🥁 | Arctic Monkeys |
| Gold Lion, | Yeah Yeah Yeahs |
| Hold On, | Alabama Shakes |
| Hot Pants🥁 | James Brown |
| Island In The Sun, | Weezer |
| Three Little Birds, | Bob Marley & The Wailers |
| We Will Rock You, | Queen |
| Yellow🥁 | Coldplay |
Grade 1
Drums Grade 1 TCL 016997
Backing Tracks Drums Grade 1 CD TCL 017475
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014276
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Another One Bites The Dust, | Queen |
| Billie Jean, | Michael Jackson |
| Fever, | The Black Keys |
| Float On🥁 | Modest Mouse |
| Mustang Sally, | Wilson Pickett |
| Seven Nation Army, | The White Stripes |
| The Weight🥁 | The Band |
| Uptown Funk🥁 | Mark Ronson, Feat. Bruno Mars |
Grade 2
Drums Grade 2 TCL 017000
Backing Tracks Drums Grade 2 CD TCL 017482
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014276
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Fallin’🥁 | Alicia Keys |
| Just Kissed My Baby, | The Meters |
| Knock On Wood, | Eddie Floyd |
| Miss You, | The Rolling Stones |
| She Sells Sanctuary, | The Cult |
| Song 2🥁 | Blur |
| Under The Bridge🥁 | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| You Make Loving Fun, | Fleetwood Mac |
Grade 3
Drums Grade 3 TCL 017017
Backing Tracks Drums Grade 3 CD TCL 017499
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5 TCL 014283
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Are You Gonna Go My Way🥁 | Lenny Kravitz |
| Dancing In The Moonlight, | Toploader |
| Don’t Wanna Fight, | Alabama Shakes |
| I Never Loved A Man(The Way I Love You)🥁 | Aretha Franklin |
| London Calling, | The Clash |
| Love Is The Drug, | Roxy Music |
| Sweet Child O’ Mine🥁 | Guns N’ Roses |
| Sweet Emotion, | Aerosmith |
Grade 4
Drums Grade 4 TCL 017024
Backing Tracks Drums Grade 4 CD TCL 017505
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5 TCL 014283
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Brown Eyed Girl, | Van Morrison |
| Can’t Get Enough, | Bad Company |
| Car Wash, | Rose Royce |
| Come Together🥁 | The Beatles |
| Jump🥁 | Van Halen |
| Le Freak🥁 | Chic |
| Reach Out I’ll Be There, | Four Tops |
| You Do Something To Me, | Paul Weller |
Grade 5
Drums Grade 5 TCL 017031
Backing Tracks Drums Grade 5 CD TCL 017512
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5 TCL 014283
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Alive🥁 | Pearl Jam |
| Here Comes The Sun, | The Beatles |
| Musicology, | Prince |
| No One Knows🥁 | Queens Of The Stone Age |
| Riff Raff🥁 | AC/DC |
| The Riverboat Song, | Ocean Colour Scene |
| Sir Duke, | Stevie Wonder |
| You Know I’m No Good Amy, | Winehouse |
Grade 6
Drums Grade 6 TCL 017048
Backing Tracks Drums Grade 6 CD TCL 017529
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014290
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Ghost Town, | The Specials |
| Love Rears Its Ugly Head🥁 | Living Colour |
| Misery Business🥁 | Paramore |
| Pressure & Time, | Rival Sons |
| Private Life, | Grace Jones |
| Smells Like Teen Spirit, | Nirvana |
| Smooth Criminal, | Alien Ant Farm |
| Wake Up🥁 | Rage Against The Machine |
Grade 7
Drums Grade 7 TCL 017055
Backing Tracks Drums Grade 7 CD TCL 017536
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014290
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, | Paul Simon |
| Rope, | The Foo Fighters |
| Super Bad, | James Brown |
| Toxicity🥁 | System Of A Down |
| The Trooper, | Iron Maiden |
| Two Weeks🥁 | Grizzly Bear |
| What’d I Say, | Ray Charles |
| With A Little Help From My Friends🥁 | Joe Cocker |
Grade 8
Drums Grade 8 TCL 017062
Backing Tracks Drums Grade 8 CD TCL 017543
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Drums Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014290
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Fire, | The Jimi Hendrix Experience |
| Rosanna, | Toto |
| Schism🥁 | Tool |
| Seven Days🥁 | Sting |
| Silly Putty, | Stanley Clarke |
| The Spirit Of Radio🥁 | Rush |
| Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime), | David Bowie |
| War Pigs, | Black Sabbath |
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