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Vocals English
Concise Syllabus, May 2017
Grade 2

Suggested Songs
One song from each group to be performed

List A
Holiday- Madonna
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Breathe – Taylor Swift

List B
Let it Be – The Beatles
Spice up your Life – Spice Girls
Wonder Wall - Oasis

List C
Paradise City – Guns ‘n’ Roses
Amid the Falling Snow - Enya
Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles

Technical Exercises
Technical Exercises are compulsory for all Levels and Grades and to be performed from memory.

The requirements can be sung using any Sol-Fa Syllables (ex. ‘lah’) or any consonant or vowel
sound(s) (Ex. ‘aa’, ‘ee’, ‘oh’). The examinee must notify the examiner of the starting pitch for own
choice. Candidates should aim for an accurate and confident performance, with a solid rhythm and
relaxed voice.


The examiner will ask a selection from the list below, which must be sung in Legato. Examiner will
play the Tonic Note and/or the Key Chord where necessary.
Tempo= 88 (Paired Quavers Beats per Minute)

Ø To sing one octave, ascending and descending, of harmonic minor scale in the key of Am,
Bm, Cm, Dm, Em (any two). The key chord will be played.
Ø To sing a phrase in the harmonic minor key of Am, Bm, Cm, Dm, Em (any one).
Do Mi So, Re Fa La, Mi So Ti, Fa La Do. The key chord will be played.
Ø To sing a major broken chord phrase in the key of A, B, C, D (any one). Do Mi So, Mi So Do,
So Do Mi, Do - -, Do So Mi, So Mi Do, Mi Do So, Do - -. The key chord will be played.















Aural Awareness
Aural Awareness will be conducted on a keyboard instrument, Acoustic Piano, Grand Piano or
Digital Piano. Digital Keyboard is allowed only for rural centres and/or centres for only Indian
Music (Bollywood and Bhartiya). It is the responsibility of the examination centre to ensure that an
instrument is provided.

• The examiner will play a Major chord. The candidate will sing the three notes of the major
chord. Two attempts.
• The examiner will play four bars melody twice. The candidate will clap back the rhythm.
Time signatures two four, three four, four four. Beats include paired quavers, dotted
crotchets, minims and crotchet, quaver and minim rests. The examiner will again play the
melody; identify the time signature.
• The examiner will play two notes; identify the interval as Major 2nd, Major 3rd and
Perfect 5th.
• The candidate will sing four bars of any of the three pieces or songs performed as Solfa.
The examiner will play the tonic chord.

Musical Knowledge
Candidates need to be prepared to answer questions asked by the examiner in Hindi, English or
Both as preferred by the candidate. All candidates are recommended to complete Music Theory
up to Grade 3 for general Music Literacy.
For Vocal Candidates, Musical Knowledge is compulsory from Level I to Grade 8.
Grade 1 : Five Questions

Knowledge required:
As for the previous grades, with inclusion of the country of birth of the composer.
Questions:
As for the previous grades, with the addition of –
• In which country was the composer of this piece born?
• Which year the song was released and which company released it?

Vocal Skill Guides
Kindly note, skills of lower grades are included in the higher grades. Only, the add on are
mentioned.

Ø Rests and marks of expression
Ø Contrasts of tempo and style