Rockschool Band Based Keys - Grade 1 (Book + CD)

This is another fantastic syllabus from Rockschool that's designed to put Keyboard players right at the heart of a band - where most, if not all, modern keyboard players perform their music.

A great feature of these books is that the repertoire at Grade 3, 4 and 5 is drawn from Rockschool's highly successful Guitar, Bass and Drum syllabuses so students can perform the songs with other musicians at the same level.

The ability to play realistic parts while interacting with other musicians is invaluable training in itself and a feature that isn’t known to be available in any other syllabus. The pieces also recognisably vary in musical style, giving students greater freedom of choice.

The Rockschool packs have standard notation plus a CD. We encourage everyone to be creative with the Rockschool tunes so feel free to improvise and adapt them to suit your playing style and musical approach.

Each book includes a CD with full stereo mixes of each tune with spoken two bar count ins for each piece.

Rockschool grade books have everything you need to prepare for Grade exams (for players who want to develop performance and technical skills) and Performance certificates (for players who want to perform in a range of styles)

Grade 1

This is for players who are just starting out and are looking to establish a basic, solid technical facility as well as the emergence of simply stylistic awareness. This will be shown through secure hand coordination in the delivery of simple rhythms which will include simple awareness. This will be shown through secure hand coordination in the delivery of simple rhythms which will include simple syncopation. There will be some variation of articulation and basic ability to change instrumental patches and to be able to achieve the basic playing techniques associated with them.

Pieces will be no longer than one and a half minutes to enable the player to maintain concentration and fluency. They will use simple note values and rhythms and may include very simple syncopation. Hand coordination will be basic and phrases will fall within simple hand shapes sometimes requiring small movements. Articulation will be basic and pieces will be written for one instrument patch only. Any instrumental techniques will be written out the music.

Type of keyboard required: Keyboard with 61 keys.

Patches required: Acoustic piano, Electric piano, Organ, Strings and Synth.

Genres covered: blues, R 'N' B, Pop, Acid Jazz, Rock 'N' Roll