Grade 4

At Grade 4, you can learn about tremolando picking and playing bends. You’ll perform three songs and build on your Grade 3 Session skills. We’ll be publishing the Grade 4 songbooks and downloads in April.

You’ll choose your songs from our song list, including one of the Technical focus songs that develop particular skills. There’s an option for you to play your own cover version of a song or, if you’re a songwriter, one of your own songs.

You’ll find more information about how the exam works in the downloadable syllabus.

Grade 4 Guitar song list

The Grade 4 Guitar songbook will include everything you need for the exam – sheet music for six songs, performance tips, technical support and guidance on Session skills, together with a CD of demo and backing tracks.

• Heroes (Technical focus) David Bowie
• Jenny Don't Be Hasty Paolo Nutini
• Knights Of Cydonia (Technical focus) Muse
• Scarborough Fair Traditional
• Use Somebody Kings Of Leon
• Would? Alice In Chains

Grade 4 Guitar demo video

Session Skills

Players choose Playback or Improvising.

Playback

You’ll perform some music you haven’t seen or heard before – you can sight-read from a song chart or play by ear from an audio track, or both.

Improvising

You’ll be given a song chart with chord symbols and song style and will improvise over a backing track.

Songs: Heroes, Jenny Don't Be Hasty, Knights Of Cydonia, Scarborough Fair, Use Somebody, Would?

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