Trinity Strings exams no longer operate with an end date. The current syllabus remains valid indefinitely, and planned updates will be announced at least 12 months in advance.

Please use the links below to find the titles recommended in the Trinity Violin Initial syllabus from 2025:

Trinity Scales and Arpeggios Grades Initial to 8

Trinity Sight reading Grades Initial to 2

Violin Pieces for the Initial Grade

Requirements for selection of pieces can be found on the Trinity website.

The pieces below can be found in Violin Exam Pieces 2025: Initial

1. Arbeau, arr. K & D Blackwell, Sword Dance

2. Arlen, arr. Wyatt, Follow the Yellow Brick Road (from The Wizard of Oz)

4. Blackwell, K & D, Happy Go Lucky

7. Cobb & Yandell, On the Go (duet) (from Cool Beans)

8. Colledge, K & H, Bell-ringers

9. Colledge, K & H, Knickerbocker Glory

11. Corrette, Fanfare

13. Dryer-Beers, Lazy Dayz

14. Dryer-Beers, Swinging Along (unaccomp)

15. Goldberg, Overture (duet)

16. Gotay, arr. Dryer-Beers, La Puertorriqueña (The Puerto Rican Woman)

17. Handel, arr. Trory, Menuet (from Music for the Royal Fireworks) (duet)

20. Mainwaring, The Little Boat that Rocked

21. Murray & Tate, My Fairy Swing (from Tunes for My Violin)

23. Pachelbel, arr. Beach & Dryer-Beers, Canon

27. Trad., arr. Wood, Coulter’s Candy

28. Walshaw, Cayo Coco

29. Walshaw, The Cleveland Bay

31. Wilson, On Parade

32. Withers, arr. Wyatt, Lean on Me (Bill Withers)

33. Wohlfart, arr. Nelson, Polka

Click The Links For The Pieces Below

3. Blackwell, K & D, Calypso Time or Peace Garden/Chinese Garden, Fiddle Time Joggers (OUP, violin accomp, piano accomp)

5. Blackwell, K & D, More Mini Mozart (candidate plays theme then chooses one of the rhythm variations), Fiddle Time Starters (OUP)

6. Cobb & Yandell, Bossy Boots or Clockwork Clown or On the Ranch or Sad Smile, Take Your Bow: Violin (Trinity)

10. Colledge, K & H, Oom-pah Band or See-saw, Stepping Stones (Boosey)

12. Dawe, France - Folk Song, Raise the Bar Violin: Initial - Grade 2 (Trinity)

18. Huws Jones, Marching Band (duet or piano accomp) or Where's my Wellies? (duet), Red Parrot, Green Parrot (Faber: violin book, teacher's accompaniment book, digital edition)

19. Lumsden & Attwood, Trick, Treat or Tango, Witches' Brew (Peters)

22. Nelson, Mad as a Hatter, Piece by Piece 1 (Boosey)

24. Rose, Reverie, Raise the Bar Violin: Initial - Grade 2 (Trinity)

25. Trad., arr. Cohen, Li'l Liza Jane (unaccomp), Bags of American Folk (Faber)

26. Trad., arr. Nelson, Drink to Me Only, Piece by Piece 1 (Boosey)

30. Wilkinson, Aquila, Constellations Set 1 (Trinity)

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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.