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 keyboards 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
The final part of the exam will focus upon Session Skills where the candidate is required to playback or improvise a piece.
Initial Grade
Keyboards Initial TCL 017161
Backing Tracks Keyboards Initial CD TCL 017642
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Keyboards Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014337
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| 96 Tears 🎹 | ? & The Mysterians |
| Are ‘Friends’ Electric? | Gary Numan (Tubeway Army) |
| Blue Monday 🎹 | New Order |
| Get Lucky | Daft Punk |
| Gimme Some Lovin’ | The Spencer Davis Group |
| Hello | Adele |
| Something To Talk About | Badly Drawn Boy |
| Three Little Birds🎹 | Bob Marley |
Grade 1
Keyboards Grade 1 TCL 017178
Backing Tracks Keyboards Grade 1 CD TCL 017659
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Keyboards Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014337
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Crazy | Gnarls Barkley |
| Gold On The Ceiling 🎹 | The Black Keys |
| Hey Jude | The Beatles |
| Hold On | Alabama Shakes |
| Le Freak🎹 | Chic |
| ove Is The Drug | Roxy Music |
| Mustang Sally | Wilson Pickett |
| Two Weeks🎹 | Grizzly Bear |
Grade 2
Keyboards Grade 2 TCL 017185
Backing Tracks Keyboards Grade 2 CD TCL 017666
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Keyboards Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014337
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Born To Be Wild🎹 | Steppenwolf |
| Chandelier🎹 | Sia |
| In My Place | Coldplay |
| Just Kissed My Baby🎹 | The Meters |
| Miss You | The Rolling Stones |
| Seasons (Waiting On You) | Future Islands |
| Uptown Funk | Mark Ronson, Feat. Bruno Mars |
| Video Games | Lana Del Rey |
Grade 3
Keyboards Grade 3 TCL 017192
Backing Tracks Keyboards Grade 3 CD TCL 017673
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Keyboards Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5TCL 014344
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Back In The USSR | The Beatles |
| Dancing In The Moonlight | Toploader |
| Feel | Robbie Williams |
| The Great Gig In The Sky🎹 | Pink Floyd |
| I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)🎹 | Aretha Franklin |
| Knock On Wood | Eddie Floyd |
| Reelin’ In The Years | Steely Dan |
| Town Called Malice🎹 | The Jam |
Grade 4
Keyboards Grade 4 TCL 017208
Backing Tracks Keyboards Grade 4 CD TCL 017680
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Keyboards Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5TCL 014344
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Freedom! ‘90 | George Michael |
| I Don’t Like Mondays | The Boomtown Rats |
| I Heard It Through The Grapevine🎹 | Marvin Gaye |
| The Lovecats🎹 | The Cure |
| Oh! You Pretty Things | David Bowie |
| Retrograde🎹 | James Blake |
| Something Got Me Started | Simply Red |
| Vienna | Ultravox |
Grade 5
Keyboards Grade 5 TCL 017215
Backing Tracks Keyboards Grade 5 CD TCL 017697
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Keyboards Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5TCL 014344
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Ghost Town | The Specials |
| Golden Brown | The Stranglers |
| If I Ain’t Got You🎹 | Alicia Keys |
| Shake A Tailfeather🎹 | Ray Charles |
| She’s A Rainbow | The Rolling Stones |
| Take Me To Church | Hozier |
| Trampled Underfoot🎹 | Led Zeppelin |
| With A Little Help From My Friends | Joe Cocker |
Grade 6
Keyboards Grade 6 TCL 017222
Backing Tracks Keyboards Grade 6 CD TCL 017703
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Bennie And The Jets | Elton John |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water🎹 | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Cornflake Girl🎹 | Tori Amos |
| Easy | Commodores |
| The House Of The Rising Sun | The Animals |
| The Logical Song | Supertramp |
| Street Life🎹 | The Crusaders, feat. Randy Crawford |
| Superstition | Stevie Wonder |
Grade 7
Keyboards Grade 7 TCL 017239
Backing Tracks Keyboards Grade 7 CD TCL 017710
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Cast Your Fate To The Wind🎹 | Vince Guaraldi Trio |
| Dixie Chicken | Little Feat |
| Good Golly Miss Molly🎹 | Little Richard |
| Jump | Van Halen |
| New York State Of Mind🎹 | Billy Joel |
| Rosanna | Toto |
| Sinnerman | Nina Simone |
| You Are So Beautiful | Joe Cocker |
Grade 8
Keyboards Grade 8 TCL 017246
Backing Tracks Keyboards Grade 8 CD TCL 017727
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Aladdin Sane | David Bowie |
| Birdland | Weather Report |
| Boogie On Reggae Woman | Stevie Wonder |
| Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 | Muse |
| Firth Of Fifth🎹 | Genesis |
| My Baby Just Cares For Me | Nina Simone |
| Peaches En Regalia🎹 | Frank Zappa |
| Ready Wednesday🎹 | Snarky Puppy |
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