For Composers

Piano - Level 2

READ THIS FIRST: Notes to Composers 

 

General recommendations:

Speed: Slow to Moderate

Length: 16-36 bars

Rhythm:  Simple duple and triple meter; no compound meter; some syncopation okay; 16ths Okay; no fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few notes; no long periods of rest; players should enter on a strong beat after a period of rest.

Playable Notes and Skills
  • Melody and simple whole note accompaniment.  
  • Still 5 finger position starting on a single note.  
  • Major or minor keys of up to 2#’s or 1 b. 
  • Allow plenty of time for position shifts.  
  • May use up to 4 octaves of the keyboard. 
  • Maximum of two notes per chords within a 6th.  
  • Glissandi OKAY.
Things to Avoid
  • Different articulations in each hand.  
  • Pedaling.
  • Position shifts.
Video

Piano - Level 3

READ THIS FIRST: Notes to Composers 

 

General recommendations:

Speed: Slow to Allegretto

Length: 24-48 bars

Rhythm:  No fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few beats; more unusual meters okay; syncopation okay; 16ths okay.

 

 

Playable Notes and Skills
  • Three note chords within a 6th with a maximum of one black key per hand.  
  • Scales up to 4#’s may be played slowly.  
  • Simple cross hand arpeggios beginning on a natural note.  
  • Melody with half note accompaniment.  
  • Parallel thirds legato in one hand.  
  • Simple mixed articulations.  
  • Legato pedaling on long notes.
  • Glissandi OKAY.
Things to Avoid
  • Quick pedal changes.
  • Quick chord changes.
  • Quick position changes.
  • Consecutive position changes (unless they are small)
  • Fast repeated notes.
Video

Piano - Level 4

READ THIS FIRST: Notes to Composers 

 

General recommendations:

Speed: Slow to allegro

Length: 36-100 bars

Rhythm: Complex meters; triplets and 8ths in same piece (though not same time); beginning complex rhythms (no cross rhythms – 2 against 3 etc.); Simple hocket okay.

Playable Notes and Skills
  • Full major, and chromatic scales starting on any note at a medium tempo.  
  • Minor scales beginning on a natural note.
  • Full range of the piano.
  • Full triads starting on any natural note.   
  • Simple accompaniment figures such as Alberti bass.
  • Cross hand arpeggios (not too fast).
  • 2 voices in 1 hand.
Things to Avoid
  • Quick pedal changes.
  • Fast hand position shifts. 
Video

Piano - Level 5

READ THIS FIRST: Notes to Composers 

 

General recommendations:

Speed: Slow to Allegro

Length: 200 measures (including multi-movement)

Rhythm:  complex rhythms, but still no cross rhythms.

Playable Notes and Skills
  • All major and minor keys.
  • Scale and arpeggio passages. 
  • Chromatic scales.
  • Melody and accompaniment with different articulations. 
Things to Avoid
  • Fast octaves.
  • Quick chord changes.
  • Complex movements in one hand, such as trills or fast scales or position shifts while anything is being played in the other hand.
Video

Violin - Level 1

READ THIS FIRST: Notes to Composers 

 

General recommendations:

Speed: Slow to Moderate

Length: 16-24 bars

Rhythm:  Simple duple and triple meter; mostly quarter- and eighth-note rhythms; no dotted rhythms; no triplets; no 16ths; no syncopation; no hocket or other complex rhythmic devices; no fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few notes; no long periods of rest.

Playable Notes and Skills
  • Fingers 1, 2 and 3 on top 3 strings (whole step, whole step and half step above each open string).
  • E string: E F# G# A and maybe B
  • A string: A, B, C#, D, and maybe E 
  • D string: D, E, F#, G, and maybe A
Things to Avoid
  • Bows over 1.5 seconds.
  • Slurs.
  • Double stops.
  • String crosses that skip a string.
  • Consecutive notes that must be played legato with the same finger on different strings.
  • The fourth string
Video

Violin - Level 2

READ THIS FIRST: Notes to Composers 

 

General recommendations:

Speed: Slow to Moderate

Length: 16-36 bars

Rhythm:  Simple duple and triple meter; no compound meter; some syncopation okay; 16ths Okay; no fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few notes; no long periods of rest; players should enter on a strong beat after a period of rest.

Playable Notes and Skills
  • Same as above but on all 4 strings.
  • 2nd finger can play a half step above the first finger. (this makes many minor keys possible) - (low 2) 
  • E string: G
  • A string: C
  • D string: F
  • G string: Bb
  • Slurs up to four notes per bow. 
Things to Avoid
  • Bows over 3 seconds
  • String crossing at the tip of the bow (don’t string cross after a long note).  
  • Double stops.
Video

Violin - Level 3

READ THIS FIRST: Notes to Composers 

 

General recommendations:

Speed: Slow to Allegretto

Length: 24-48 bars

Rhythm:  No fast lines or repeated notes for more than a few beats; more unusual meters okay; syncopation okay; 16ths okay.

 

 

Playable Notes and Skills
  • 3rd  position on the 1st string.
  • 1st finger in 3 finger position A, B, C# D (E string)
  • Keys with up to 3 sharps or 2 flats (major and minor). 
  • Martele & Detache. (bow stroke, detache = legato, martele = portato) 
Things to Avoid
  • Bows over 6 seconds
  • Slurs over 4 notes or that involve a string crossing.
  • String crossing at the tip of the bow (don’t string cross after a long note).  
  • Double stops
Video

Violin - Level 4

READ THIS FIRST: Notes to Composers 

 

General recommendations:

Speed: Slow to allegro

Length: 36-100 bars

Rhythm: Complex meters; triplets and 8ths in same piece (though not same time); beginning complex rhythms (no cross rhythms – 2 against 3 etc.); Simple hocket okay.

Playable Notes and Skills
  • Can play 2nd and 3rd positions on all strings. 
  • E string: G, A, B, C (G#, A#,B#,C#) (2nd position)
  • Can play in keys up to 4 sharps and 4 flats.
  • Longer slurs okay.  
  • Double stops with at least one open string.
  • Spiccato okay for quarter and eighth notes.
  • Vibrato
Things to Avoid
  • Quick or consecutive position shifts.
  • Fast string crossing back and forth between strings.
Video