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Practical Musicianship

About Practical Musicianship Grades

Practical Musicianship exams allow you to demonstrate musical knowledge and understanding through playing your instrument or singing. In the exam, you respond to challenges and stimuli, presented aurally and via notation.  

Exams are available at Grades 1 to 8. 

Downloads

Download the full Practical Musicianship syllabus below.

Why take a Practical Musicianship exam?

Our Practical Musicianship exams encourage the development of musical listening, reading and playing skills through a holistic approach. They are for learners of any age and you can start with any grade and skip grades if you want to. They are available to singers and and players of any Practical Grade or Performance Grade instrument.  

Grade 5 Practical Musicianship is an alternative to Grade 5 Music Theory as an entry requirement for taking Practical and Performance Grades 6 to 8.  

Exam dates and fees

What's in the exam

Practical Musicianship exams cover the following skills: 

  • The ability to internalise music and to reproduce it 
  • Interpreting written music with minimum preparation 
  • Exploring the possibilities inherent in a short motif 
  • The ability to detect differences between what's heard and what's written 

You can find detailed information in the Practical Musicianship syllabus, available to download on this page.

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