GUITAR assessment pack performance »

assessment pack 2014/15
performance
GUITAR
» Cert HE
» BMus(Hons) Degree
Application Guidelines
Criteria for admission onto ACM full time programmes
This is step two of the application process. You should have already provided
us with information about you and your education history via UCAS. If you
haven’t done this, please complete the form on the UCAS website:
www.ucas.ac.uk
Please follow the instructions in this form to the best of your ability.
First Name
Surname
Date of Birth
/
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
/
2
Welcome to the
ACM Performance School
Welcome to the ACM Performance School! We are very pleased that you
have chosen to select ACM. In doing so you are following in the steps of
countless scores of top professional musicians from all around the world
who have chosen to study and train at ACM.
If not already, you will be shortly invited to an ACM Experience Day. This
will be your opportunity to check out ACM, tour our facilities, meet our
world renowned tutors and chat to our students. To help both yourself
and ACM see if you have selected the right course, there will be a short
assessment on the day during which you will be required to discuss your
musical knowledge base and experiences, music theory background and
perform the music piece in the assessment pack. Please prepare for the
performance and complete the written questions bringing them along
with you to the experience day.
We expect a wide range of ability levels and performance backgrounds,
and believe any ‘type’ of performer can excel if they prepare well and
perform to their strengths.
Good luck!
The Performance School Team
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
3
Section 1
Please answer the questions below, this is your chance to present your musical experiences and
aspirations. Be sure to describe your formative training and performance experience gained to date,
as well as how you see yourself developing as a performer in relation to your future studies.
(Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary)
1.1 Please describe your previous musical training and performance experiences, including your
areas of strength and your areas for improvement. (250 words)
1.2 Please describe your musical aspirations and goals for the future, including how you feel the
ACM could contribute to you achieving your career aims. (250 words)
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
4
Section 2 - Audition Music
2.1 All applicants to complete.
This performance piece is intended to be a fun, yet challenging experience that highlights your guitar
skills. Download the assessment piece mp3 files from the ACM website url below to practice playing
along to the backing track.
www.acm.ac.uk/2014-application-process-part-2-he/
Your performance may be a note for note reading of the score, or a more personal interpretation that
demonstrates some of your own ideas within your guitar role. Whatever your approach is in playing
this piece be sure to give it your all, taking into consideration some of the guidelines below.
Assessment Piece Guidelines
Hello and thank you for showing your interest in applying for the ACM Performance School on guitar.
The ACM assessment piece provides an opportunity for you to showcase your current level of playing,
highlighting your accompaniment skills, as well as your ability to play melodies, riffs and to solo over
changes. Simultaneously, it will help us in getting to know you from a musical standpoint. This task
will require some music reading skills as well as melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and, most importantly,
stylistic awareness, which should guide and support your musical choices while executing this piece.
The aim of this task is to simulate a typical musical scenario in a recording studio or in a live
performance, namely deciphering the content of the chart using your sight-reading skills and/or
absorbing as much as possible by ear, interpreting the part with creativity and individuality. Most
passages can be played either finger style or with a plectrum, however, pick is recommended due to
the stylistic nature of the tune. This technique will be particularly effective to play the various fifth
chords (bars 12-13 etc) and the palm-muted passage (bars 6-11), which would sound more punctuated
if played with a pick.
Particular attention should be paid on dynamics, timing, phrasing and interpreting the slash marks
in bars 16-17, which require you to add your own ideas. The play-along practical assessment video
should help in practising the various sections, particularly the solo which happens in section C.
In this section you can decide to plan and deliver a composed solo, or an improvised one instead.
Either way, make an effort to imply the chord changes in a fluid and musical manner and to develop
your individual solo with narrative quality as well as with tonal and dynamic awareness.
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
5
Assessment Piece Guidelines continued
Be sure to take your time in developing this piece before your assessment. Feel free to explore
various effect pedals and pickup selections, inflections and articulations for a more contrasting
outcome. Finally, if you have a whammy bar and feel the urge to use it, go for it and most importantly,
enjoy!
Giorgio Serci
Fellow of ACM, Guitar
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
6
Performance
School
Audition2013
Music- 2014
ACM ACM
Performance
School
Application
Lead Guitar

 
 

 
    


  

ff
5


mf

A
                       
P.M.

F
B¨



  
                    

9
13
P.M.

C5
B
   
  
    





21

Emi

C5
C
       
      
25

A

A
D
B/F©
   
  


29
D

D/F©
D
 
 



mf
37
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
Emi
   
D
Emi
   
   
   
G
    



       
       
 



E¨5
   
   
 
 






Emi9/D


7
   
C5
Bmi Cma7


   
Emi
1.



 Emi   
2. Emi
G
Cmi
Guitar solo
B
   
  
 
33

      
     
B¨5
mf
B¨5





      
     
 




ff
17








end solo


Section 3 - Score Analysis
Score
Analysis
Please find below the score required for
you to complete
your score analysis questions. Please take
your time in considering your analysis of this piece and complete the subsequent questions to best
of your ability. All varieties of music terminology and notation are considered acceptable, but be
A
sure to write your answers clearly.
 
Alto 

Score Analysis


mf


Score Analysis
A mf
                mf  
Tenor
   



 
Alto 
A
D/F©
G
Cmi
D
mf Emi
  mfEmi
mf









 

Alto 
                                 
Lead Guitar 


Tenor  
fill
 mf
      D/F©
     D   Emi      
   G        Cmi
BassTenor
Guitar  Emi


  mf      
 





mf
Lead Guitar  

       
fill
Emi     D/F©
G
Cmi
D
Emi
  
       



Drum Set  mf       



      
           


Lead Guitar 







    

Bass Guitar
mf
    fill   
 
mf


                             
Bass Guitar
 
        
Drum Set 
 




mf

  
Drum Set

       
    
mf

 

A.       
5

T.

A. 
5
mf
ff


     
   
ff
ff
G
F/A B¨5
  Emi    




A. 
           ff  
Lead 
   
T. 
ff

               ff  
Bass
G
T.  Emi
 F/A
  B¨5
    



Lead   
     ff  

 B¨5
Emi        G   ff F/A





    
Dr.         







     
        
Lead 
Bass
  ff 
ff
ff


               
Bass
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
   
Dr. 
    
     ff  
5
ff
       
      



       

    
       

                  
       
  
      C5        
C5
















                 

        C5        
   
         
  


               

  
   
 8            

                
Section 3 - Score Analysis Questions
Melody
1. Name the highest pitch of the Bass Guitar part
2. In Bar 2 of the Lead Guitar Part, on which beat does the 6th
of the G chord appear?
3. Name all of the pitches of the Lead Guitar part in bar 5
4. Write down the note names of all of the pitches played by
the lead guitar in bar 5 transposed up by a major second
Harmony
1. What key is this composition in?
2. Which chord in the first four bars is not diatonic to the key?
3. What are the pitches that make up the chord on the 1st
beat of bar 3?
4. Name the final chord in the Lead Guitar Part
Rhythm
1. What is the name of the rest in bar 2 of the alto part?
2. What three parts of the drum kit are being played in bar 1?
3. On what count does the F/A chord fall in bar 6?
4. In bar 6. How many bass drum notes are syncopated?
Performance Markings
1. What does ‘mf’ stand for in bar one of the tenor part?
2. What does the symbol in bar 2 of the drum part mean?
3. In the bass part what is the symbol called that joins the
last pitch of bar 1 to the first pitch of bar 2?
4. On the fourth beat of bar 8 of the drum part, what is the
symbol assigned to the snare drum called?
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
9
CHECK SHEET
Before submitting your Application pack to us, please use the following check sheet to ensure you have
completed all the necessary sections;
SectionDetailsPage(s)
1
2
3
Answer all the questions as fully as possible using
separate sheets if necessary. All applicants to complete.
Practice and prepare your performance music prior to your audition
Complete the Score Analysis questions.
Sign and date the form below (or ask your parent/guardian if you are
under 18) confirming that your application is all your own work.
Bring this application form with you on your audition day.
4
7
8-9
Please indicate your preferred course (please tick).
Cert HE
(Level 4)
Degree
(Levels 4, 5 & 6)
PLEASE NOTE: This is not an enrolment form. Our admissions tutors will carefully consider your application
and you will be informed of the next step of your application. If you are accepted onto a course you will receive
instructions on how to enrol. You are only an ACM student once enrolled.
In order to avoid delay in processing your application, and possibly missing your chance of a place at ACM,
please make sure you have answered ALL relevant questions as fully as possible.
For latest info and downloads check out www.acm.ac.uk
Would you like to be sent information in the future regarding ACM? Yes
No
I declare that, to the best of my knowledge, the information I have submitted is true and correct.
Student Signature:
Date:
Parent Signature (if student under 18):
Date:
Under 18’s Only
If you are under 18 at the time of sending your application form in, you will need to provide your parent/
guardian’s name and email.
Name:
Relationship:
Email:
HE - Guitar application form 2014/15
10
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