Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp, and Classical Guitar

How can I determine my playing level?

LAYP Playing Level	CM Level	RCM Grade	ABRSM Grade
5-6	4-5	4-5	3-4
7-10	6-8	6-8	5-6
11-12	9-11	9-10	7-8

Our Playing Level 5-6 are similar to RCM Grade 4-5 or ABRSM Grade 3-4
Our Playing Level 7-10 are similar to RCM Grade 6-8 or ABRSM Grade 5-6
Our Playing Level 11-12 are similar to RCM Grade 9-10 or ABRSM Grade 7-8
CM syllabus can be purchased at the MTAC Teacher Portal store.
Click here to see RCM syllabus.
Click here to see ABRSM syllabus

Q: I’m participating in a certificate or competition program other than CM, RCM, ABRSM, ASTACAP, SYMF, Satori, WMCF, etc. How can I determine my playing level in this case?

A: Discuss this playing level (above) with your private instructor, teacher, section coach, or director. They can easily determine your playing level using this chart.

1. Scale Requirements

Play the scale, tonic arpeggio, & chromatic at the suggested tempo or as fast as possible, or with a quarter-note metronome marking of 100-144, to demonstrate fluency in the key which your solo audition piece is written in before you perform it. If it is written in the minor key, play the melodic minor.

Playing Level 5-9: Play two or three-octave scale & arpeggio in the suggested tempo in the key your solo piece is written in before you perform it. If it is written in the minor key, play the melodic minor.

Playing Level 10-12: Play three or four octaves in the same way as above. Violin/viola students may play in Carl Flesch Scale System. Chromatic scale is required. Scales in thirds, sixths, octaves, or artificial harmonics are not required but one of them is recommended. If your solo piece is atonal or non-traditional, play F-sharp major or E-flat melodic minor scale.

Suggested Tempo: quarter note = 100–144

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2. Solo Piece Requirements

Select a solo piece (one fast entire movement only) from the suggested repertoire or a fast solo piece your teacher recommends. To play a cadenza is optional (not mandatory). 

Violin

	Playing Level 5 – 6 Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Piece Title	Source
Vivaldi	Concerto in G Major, RV 310	imslp.org
O. Rieding	Concertino in G Major, Op. 24	imslp.org
E. Mollenhauer	The Boy Paganini	imslp.org
Henry Farmer	The Blue Bells of Scotland	contact us

	Playing Level 7 – 9 Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Piece Title	Source
Haydn	Concerto No. 2 in G Major	*Breikopf
Accolay	Concerto No. 1 in A Minor	**Schirmer’s
Mozart	Concerto No. 3 in G Major	Schirmer’s
Bach	Concerto No. 1 in A Minor or No 2 in E Major	Suzuki 7
Vivaldi	Four Seasons – Spring, Autumn, Summer, or Winter (solo violin)	Schirmer’s
Haydn	Concerto in C Major, Op. 48	***Int’l music
Mozart	Rondo in G Major	Int’l music
Beriot	Concerto in A Minor, No. 9, Op. 104	Int’l music

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	Playing Level 10 – 12 Suggested Repertoire
Mozart	Violin Concerto No. 1  in B-flat Major
Mozart	Violin Concerto No. 5  in D Major
Viotti	Violin Concerto No. 22 (in a) or No. 23 (in G)
Mendelssohn	Violin Concerto in E Minor
Bruch	Violin Concerto in G Minor, No. 1, Op. 26
Beethoven	Violin Concerto in D Major
Beethoven	Romance in F Major, Op. 50
Brahms	Violin Concerto in D Major
Dvorak	Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 53
Lalo	Symphonie Espagnole, Op. 21
Saint-Saens	Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
Saint-Saens	Violin Concerto in B Minor, No. 3
Sibelius	Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47
Tchaikovsky	Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Vieuxtemps	Violin Concerto No. 4 (in d) or No. 5 (in a)
Sarasate	Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20
Khatchaturian	Violin Concerto
Szymanowski	Violin Concerto No. 1 or No. 2
Prokofiev	Violin Concerto No. 1 (in D), or No. 2 (in g)
Paganini	Violin Concerto No. 1 (in D) or No. 2 (in b)
Wieniawski	Violin Concerto No. 1 (in F-sharp) or No. 2 (in d)
Penderecki	Violin Concerto No. 1, or No. 2

Viola

	Playing Level 5 – 6 Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Piece Title	Source
Telemann	Concerto in G Major, TWV 51:G9	imslp.org
Telemann	Concerto for Two Violas in G Major, TWV 52:G3	imslp.org
B. Marcello	Viola Sonata in G Major	imslp.org

	Playing Level 7 – 9 Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Composition Title	Source
F. Seitz	Concerto No. 3 in C Minor	Summy-Birchard
Accolay	Concerto No. 1 trans. for vla	Schirmer’s
Vanhal	Viola Concerto in C Major	imslp.org
Bach	Suites	Schirmer’s
Henri Casadesus	Viola Concerto in the Style of Handel	imlsp.org

Playing Level 10 – 12 Suggested Repertoire

Concertos, Sonatas, Suites, Etudes, Variations, or Solo Pieces by all period composers: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th century, and Contemporary. Hoffmeister (Concerto in D), Hummel (Fantasy) Original/Arrangements/Transcriptions for viola: For example, Bach’s Suites, Carl Stamitz (Concerto in D, Op. 1), Telemann, Mozart-Fuchs, J.C.Bach-Casadesus (Concerto in C Minor)

Cello

	Playing Level 5 – 6 Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Composition Title	Source
Goltermann	Concerto No. 4 in G Major	imslp.org
Romberg	Sonata No. 2 in C	Int’l music

	Playing Level 7 – 9 Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Composition Title	Source
Vivaldi	Concerto for Two Cellos	Suzuki 6
Goltermann	Concerto No. 5 in D minor, op 76	Fisher
Bach	Cello Suites (any mvt. of comparable works)	Int’l Music
Bach-Vivaldi	Concerto No. 1 in G Major	Int’l Music
Corelli-Lindner	Sonata in D Minor	Int’l Music
Bach	Gamba Sonatas	Barenreiter

Playing Level 10 – 12 Suggested Repertoire

Concertos, Sonatas, Variations, Etudes, Suites, or Solo Pieces by composers from Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods: J. S. Bach, Handel, Haydn, J.C. Bach, Beethoven (12 Variations), Brahms, Bruch, Dvorak, Lalo, Tchaikovsky.

Double Bass

	Playing Level 5 – 6 Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Piece Title	Source
Marcello	Sonata in E Minor	Suzuki 4
Gabrielli	Canon a due	Suzuki 5

	Playing Level 7 – 9 Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Piece Title	Source
Marcello	Sonata in G Major	Suzuki 5
Capuzzi	Double Concerto Concerto in D or F Major	Suzuki 5
J. S. Bach	Cello Suites (any mvt. of comparable works)	Int’l Music
J. B. Vanhal	Double Bass Concerto in E-flat Major	contact us

Playing Level 10 – 12 Suggested Repertoire

Concertos, Sonatas, Etudes, Variations, or Solo Pieces by Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or 20th century composers

Harp

	Playing Level 5 – 9	LENGTH
Suggested Techniques	Hands doubled at the octave (scale). Tonic triads and V-7 chord (arpeggio). Rolled chords; double harmonics; muffles. Divided between the hands; V-7 chord, rolled chords, hands together on the V-7 chord (all inversions); two hand trills; one hand arpeggios; descending slides in 3rds and 6ths; double glissandi 2 against 3 rhythms	3-5 min.

	Playing Level 10 – 12	LENGTH
Suggested Techniques	Scales in 6th & 10th ; Hands doubled at the 6th; Tonic triads; V-7 chord, hands together, doubled at the octave in all inversions; rolled chords; one-handed trills	5-7 min.

	Suggested Repertoire
Composer	Piece Title	Source
Vaughan Williams	Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’	imslp.org
Nino Rota	Sarabanda e Toccata	contact us
Gabriel Pierne	Impromptu Caprice	imslp.org
Gabriel Fauré	Impromptú	imslp.org
Clause Debussy	2 Arabesques	imslp.org
Tchaikovsky	Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a	imslp.org
Tchaikovsky	The Nutcracker (Ballet), Op. 71	imslp.org
Rimsky-Korsakov	Capriccio Espagnole, Op. 34	imslp.org
Saint-Saëns	Morceau de concert, Op. 154	imslp.org

Classical Guitar

The guitar is not traditionally part of the orchestra, but we would love to feature a piece for guitar solo and orchestra in the future. Classical guitar students are welcome to apply for a potential soloist position. If a selected repertoire includes an orchestral harp part, it may be substituted with guitar. When the repertoire does not involve harp, both harpists and guitarists are encouraged to participate in the Chamber Music Series following the summer season.