Grade One

Grade Two

Grade Three

Grade Four

Grade Five

Grade Six

Some Thoughts About Grade Level Assignments

• Grade levels are guidelines at best. What may be a grade 3 piece for the trumpet section may be a grade 5 piece for the clarinets.
• A piece may be technically easy, yet musically difficult. Another piece may be musically simple, yet technically difficult.
• What may be judged difficult for one group (e.g., mixed meters) may not be a challenge for a different group. Judge each piece on its own merits against the standard of your group.
• Do not limit your ensemble to any one level. A band that plays mostly pieces at a grade 4 level should also play music at the grades 2 and 3 levels early in the year, and explore at least one work from grade 5 by the end of the year.

Click here for detailed criteria for grade level assignments. We have also listed works alphabetically by Composer and Title

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