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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 as 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
Initial Grade
Vocal Initial TCL 017253
Backing Tracks Vocal Initial CD TCL 017734
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014368
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Angels | The Xx [B–F’] |
| Fade Into You 🎤 | Mazzy Star [B–G’] |
| Here Comes The Sun 🎤 | The Beatles [E’–C#’’] |
| Hold On | We’re Going |
| Home 🎤 | Drake [E’–D”] |
| Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door Bob Dylan [E’–B’] | |
| The Last Time The Rolling Stones [C’–B♭’] | |
| Songbird Oasis [C#’–B’] | |
| Three Little Birds Bob Marley & The Wailers [A–A’] |
Grade 1
Vocal Grade 1 TCL 017260
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 1 CD TCL 017741
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014368
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| A Night Like This | Caro Emerald [C#’–B’] |
| How Long Will I Love You🎤 | Ellie Goulding [B–B’] |
| Imagine | John Lennon [D’–D” (F”)] |
| Just Looking🎤 | Stereophonics [C’–D”] |
| Octopus’s Garden | The Beatles [D’–D”] |
| The Tide Is High🎤 | Blondie [C’–D”] |
| Valerie | Mark Ronson Feat. Amy Winehouse [B–D”] |
| You’ve Got A Friend | Carole King [B♭–D”] |
Grade 2
Vocal Grade 2 TCL 017277
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 2 CD TCL 017758
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Initial to Grade 2 TCL 014368
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Bad Blood | Taylor Swift [B–D”] |
| Dancing In The Moonlight | Toploader [A–D”] |
| Get Lucky🎤 | Daft Punk [A–C”] |
| Let It Be | The Beatles [C’–D”] |
| (Something Inside) So Strong🎤 | Labi Siffre [A–D”] |
| Summer Of ’69 | Bryan Adams [A–A’] |
| Under The Bridge | Red Hot Chili Peppers [A–D”] |
| Uptown Funk🎤 | Mark Ronson Feat. Bruno Mars [C’–D”] |
Grade 3
Vocal Grade 3 TCL 017284
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 3 CD TCL 017765
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5 TCL 014375
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Adventure Of A Lifetime | Coldplay [A–B’] |
| Brass In Pocket🎤 | The Pretenders [A–E”] |
| Don’t Know Why | Norah Jones [B♭–C”] |
| Free Fallin’🎤 | Tom Petty [A–C#”] |
| Perfect Day🎤 | Lou Reed [B♭–D”] |
| Royals | Lorde [A–C”] |
| Upside Down | Diana Ross [A–C”] |
| You Know I’m No Good | Amy Winehouse [C’–B♭’] |
Grade 4
Vocal Grade 4 TCL 017291
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 4 CD TCL 017772
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5 TCL 014375
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Don’t Speak | No Doubt [B♭–D♭”] |
| The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face🎤 | Roberta Flack [A–B’] |
| I Wish | Stevie Wonder [B♭–B♭’] |
| It’s Too Late | Carole King [A–B’] |
| Son Of A Preacher Man🎤 | Dusty Springfield [A–C#”] |
| Torn | Natalie Imbruglia [A–C”] |
| Video Games | Lana Del Rey [A–D”] |
| You Do Something To Me🎤 | Paul Weller [D’–E”] |
Grade 5
Vocal Grade 5 TCL 017307
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 5 CD TCL 017789
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 3 to Grade 5 TCL 014375
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Everytime | Britney Spears [A♭–E♭”] |
| Let’s Dance | David Bowie [A♭’–F”] |
| Rather Be | Clean Bandit Feat. Jess Glynne [A–E”] |
| Reach Out I’ll Be There | Four Tops [C’–A’] |
| Shake It Off🎤 | Taylor Swift [G–D”] |
| Sunday Morning🎤 | Maroon 5 [G–C”] |
| Wrecking Ball | Miley Cyrus [G–C”] |
| You Make Loving Fun🎤 | Fleetwood Mac [G–E”] |
Grade 6 – Female
Vocal Grade 6 TCL 017345
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 6 CD TCL 017826
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014382
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Ain’t Nobody🎤 | Rufus & Chaka Khan [A♭–E♭”] |
| Dog Days Are Over | Florence + The Machine [A–D”] |
| Gold Lion | Yeah Yeah Yeahs [A–G”] |
| Let It Go | Demi Lovato [G–E”] |
| Nothing Compares 2 U🎤 | Sinéad O’connor [A–F”] |
| On & On🎤 | Erykah Badu [G–B’] |
| Rescue Me | Fontella Bass [A–D”] |
| Skyfall | Adele [B♭–C”] |
Grade 6 – Male
Vocal Grade 6 TCL 017314
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 6 CD TCL 017796
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014382
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing | Aerosmith [F#–A’] |
| Just The Way You Are | Billy Joel [G–E’] |
| One | U2 [E–G’] |
| Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting🎤 | Elton John [F–B♭’] |
| Take Me To Church🎤 | Hozier [C–A’] |
| Wake Me Up | Avicii [D–A’] |
| We Are The Champions | Queen [G–C”] |
| With A Little Help From My Friends🎤 | Joe Cocker [E–G’] |
Grade 7 – Female
Vocal Grade 7 TCL 017352
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 7 CD TCL 017833
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014382
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Don’t Wanna Fight🎤 | Alabama Shakes [A♭–F”] |
| Feeling Good | Nina Simone [A–D”] |
| Hello | Adele [G–G”] |
| If I Ain’t Got You | Alicia Keys [G–D”] |
| Jóga🎤 | Björk [G–C#”] |
| Saving All My Love For You | Whitney Houston [G–G”] |
| Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) | Beyoncé [F#–D”] |
| Street Life🎤 | The Crusaders Feat. Randy Crawford [B♭–D”] |
Grade 7 – Male
Vocal Grade 7 TCL 017321
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 7 CD TCL 017802
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014382
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Billie Jean🎤 | Michael Jackson [B–E”] |
| Feel | Robbie Williams [A (D)–B♭’] |
| I Want To Know What Love Is | Foreigner [B–B’] |
| Life On Mars? | David Bowie [F–B♭’] |
| Since You Been Gone🎤 | Rainbow [D–B’] |
| Smells Like Teen Spirit | Nirvana [F–B♭’] |
| Sweet Disposition🎤 | The Temper Trap [A–B’] |
| When I Was Your Man | Bruno Mars [F–B♭’] |
Grade 8 – Female
Vocal Grade 8 TCL 017369
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 8 CD TCL 017840
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014382
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Chandelier | Sia [A♭–G♭”] |
| Fallin’ | Alicia Keys [B–E”] |
| I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)🎤 | Aretha Franklin [A♭–F”] |
| No More Drama | Mary J Blige [A–C#”] |
| Over The Rainbow | Eva Cassidy [A♭–E♭”] |
| This Woman’s Work🎤 | Kate Bush [A♭–E♭”] |
| Vision Of Love🎤 | Mariah Carey [G–G”] |
| Wasting My Young Years | London Grammar [A♭–E♭”] |
Grade 8 – Male
Vocal Grade 8 TCL 017338
Backing Tracks Vocal Grade 8 CD TCL 017819
Specimen playback and improvising tests (includes CD). Vocals Session Skills Grade 6 to Grade 8 TCL 014382
| Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| For Once In My Life | Stevie Wonder [F–E♭”] |
| It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World🎤 | James Brown [F–D”] |
| I’ve Been Loving You Too Long | Otis Redding [E–A’] |
| Lay Me Down🎤 | Sam Smith [C#–C#”] |
| Somebody To Love🎤 | Queen [E♭–E♭”] |
| Stairway To Heaven | Led Zeppelin [C–C”] |
| Sweet Child O’ Mine | Guns N’ Roses [D♭’–E♭”] |
| Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go | Wham! [C–C”] |
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