welcome to rockschool.

AN INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING MUSIC WITH ROCKSCHOOL.

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welcome to
rockschool
Hopefully you’re reading this because
you want to teach high-quality music
Contents
lessons to the next generation of musicians. The Rockschool Method
Our goal, is to provide you with access to
the best teaching resources available, why teach rockschool?
so you can do just that.
The Rockschool Books
We want to continue building the most dedicated community of
music teachers, offering the most professional service to their students. The Rockschool Exams
Our graded exam materials have a proven track record of keeping
students engaged in their instruments, so you, the teacher, can help
them progressively master their art. The Rockschool Exams FAQs
Teaching offers a creative, flexible option to earn some money, while
also being far more than just a pay cheque. You’ll navigate a truly
satisfying career path, knowing that you’ve made a difference in many teaching as a career
lives along the way. You’ll interact with students and the communities
they represent, including members of a wide-variety of different
backgrounds, cultures and orientations. You’ll gain greater understanding advertising your services
of your own surroundings and wider-society on the whole – all whilst
evolving as an influential member of your creative community. This why
we educate, and that is why you should teach. How should I set
my teaching rates?
Teach Today. Shape Tomorrow.

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the rockschool
method
The Rockschool Grade books have been designed to equip all aspiring
musicians with a range of stylistically appropriate, industry relevant
skills and an engaging, positive teaching experience for both student
and teacher! We call this: The Rockschool Method.

Utilising an array of well-known repertoire alongside a range

of essential supporting tests, the continued progression of
any student is assured from Debut through to Grade 8.
Rockschool’s comprehensive range of syllabuses provide
every candidate with the practical skills and theoretical
understanding necessary to perform at the highest level,
across a whole range of contemporary repertoire.
Rockschool is about bringing
talented, enthusiastic musicians
Each student can develop as accompanists, soloists, sight
readers and improvisers, whilst enabling both teacher and into the education world, so that
student to choose the areas that they wish to specialise in as
they progress through the syllabus. young players can benefit from
With a firm focus on cohesion and consistency at the their expertise and advice.
forefront of any release, the Rockschool Method is a musical
pedagogy that we hope contributes to the production of
confident, self-sufficient musicians; empowered with the
knowledge and ability to see their musical decisions blossom FOUNDER, NORTON YORK
into authentic musical expression.

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Why teach
with rockschool?
Unrivalled Academic Provenance
All of Rockschool’s syllabuses were built with academic grounding and industry relevance in mind. Every practical, theoretical and
aural test has been written and developed by industry professionals to give students an unrivalled level of academic grounding.

Learn as You Teach

One of the main reasons you’re bound to enjoy this new venture, is down to the devotion to learning that you’ve clearly evidenced
in your own life already. Teachers not only get to share their existing knowledge, but they get to revisit topics from a new position,
usually learning new things along the way. With the help of training like our Professional Teaching Diploma, teachers of Rockschool
can handle probing questions and teach students to see subjects in entirely new ways. Teachers must also stay on top of new
technologies, trends, and historic events, ensuring you’ll always be looking to evolve your approach as an educator.

Teaching Makes a Difference

If you ask most teachers of Rockschool “why do you teach?” they’ll mention the ability to make a real difference in their students’
lives. Unlike other professions where you may never witness the effect of your endeavours in person, as a teacher you’ll be there
every step of the way to see the visible changes, as they happen. There’s nothing quite like seeing the spark of understanding on a
students’ face when something finally clicks after weeks, maybe months of hard work. Why should you teach? So that you can impact
students from all walks of life, imparting knowledge that will help to shape the next generation of musicians.

Teach Anywhere
As a professional music teacher, you possess a highly transferable skill that can be employed almost anywhere. The unique thing
about teaching music as a specialised subject, it that you can have acquired a new language that can go a long way to negate any
aural difficulties that may affect teaching other subjects. If you have a passion for travel, then this is a great opportunity to give
yourself an option to earn as you explore. International schools and independent music schools are growing in number all over the
world and many are looking favourably upon teachers who have professional experience with a globally recognised brand from the
UK, like Rockschool.

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Why teach
with rockschool?
Decide Your Own Schedule
For most people who see their life revolving around the creative industries, it’s really important that they retain a fair amount of
autonomy when it comes to their time. You could work multiple gigs, or study full/part time, and your teaching commitments could still
be arranged to fit around these, and any other obligation you may have. The additional tasks associated with professional teaching, such
as prep work and lesson planning can be taken care of wherever you are – whether at home or on the move – so you’ll be able to
keep your options open at all times. As a teacher, you will secure a flexible job with built-in variety, as you work through new resources,
teach new topics, and work with new students as your operation expands.

Do it Your Way
As you become more experienced as a teacher you’ll naturally develop your own methodology based on the results you garnered
from a variety of situations. You’ll be able to make decisions based on what you feel is best for each of your students. Not every
student in the same, so why should your approach be the same? Part of your natural ability as a creator is to be creative! This can be
applied to your role as an important, influential figure for the next generation of musicians. There will always be an expected standard
when it comes conduct and compulsory curriculum, but this doesn’t mean you cannot develop your own way of harnessing the talent
of everyone you teach to succeed in their own way.

Summary
Teaching offers a creative, flexible option to earn some money, while also being far more than just a pay cheque. You’ll navigate a
truly satisfying career path, knowing that you’ve made a difference in many lives along the way. You’ll interact with students and the
communities they represent, including members of a wide-variety of different backgrounds, cultures and orientations. You’ll gain greater
understanding of your own surroundings and wider-society on the whole – all whilst evolving as an influential member of the creative
community. This why we educate, and that is why you should teach.

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the rockschool
Books
Whilst maintaining the key technical
skills that the music industry demands,
we’ve been able to include the most
diverse selection of contemporary
music ever seen across our suite of
graded music syllabuses.
Music education should allow students to connect with the music they
love, as well as provide them with the opportunity to learn from genres
less familiar to them. The Rockschool syllabuses attempt to satisfy both
needs via arrangements that are strictly benchmarked to incrementally
develop a student’s key skills and techniques.

Whether students are taking their first steps on their instrument or

moving into further/higher education; a Rockschool qualification will not
only improve their playing ability, but expand their technical proficiency
and give them a solid grasp of music theory – all whilst learning some of
the most iconic tracks from the world of popular music.

click here to view our grade books

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the rockschool
Books
The book is divided into three key sections:
Performance Pieces: Technical Exercises: Supporting Tests and
Each book includes specially arranged There are either three or four
General Musicianship
pieces, benchmarked for each grade to groups of technical exercise, Questions:
incrementally introduce new styles and depending on the grade:
techniques as the student progresses. The candidate is required to
Each of these compositions are Group A – scales undertake three kinds of
preceded by a Fact File containing a unprepared, supporting test:
summary of the songs style, tempo, key Group B – arpeggios/broken chords
and technical features. 1. Sight Reading or an Improvisation &
Group C – chord voicings Interpretation (Debut to Grade 5).
Each song is also supported by a
Walkthrough. These sections cover Group D – a choice of stylistic studies Please note: these are replaced
the song from the performers’ by mandatory Quick Study Pieces
perspective, focusing on the technical Please note: Group D only exists at (QSPs) at Grades 6–8 in all graded
issues the learner will encounter as Grades 6–8. exams except for Piano and Keys.
they navigate each track. A full mix
version accompanies the backing track Rockschool’s Technical Exercises 2. Ear Tests: featuring Melodic Recall and
(instrument in question removed) to are designed to introduce a gradual Chord Recognition (Debut to Grade
provide the learner with the ideal level increase of expressive devices, that 3) and Melodic Recall and Harmonic
of performance they need to aim for. collectively enable each player to Recall (Grades 4–8).
Both versions have spoken count-ins attain a true sense of their musical
at the beginning, much like you would agency. Whether that’s achieved in 3.  General Musicianship Questions
expect in a professional recording tone modification, ornamentation, or (GMQs), which will be asked by the
environment. articulation; each technique can be examiner at the end of each exam.
freely applied to any specific style a Each book features examples of the
player chooses to identify with. types of unprepared tests likely to
Please note: any solos played on the appear in the exam. The examiner will
full mix versions are indicative only. give a different version in the exam.

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rockschool
supporting materials
Additional Information:
The books also contain information on exam procedures, including online examination entry, marking schemes, information on
Free Choice Pieces and any improvisation, notation and tone requirements for each grade.

Audio: Syllabus Guides:

The Rockschool backing tracks have been created with the
All candidates, and their teachers, should read the accompanying
same approach and care expected from any high-quality
syllabus guide when using this grade book. This can be
commercial recording. We’ve recorded tracks across our
downloaded from the RSL website: www.rslawards.com
syllabuses at Abbey Road, Real World Studios, Livingston
Studios, Dock Street Studios and The Dairy… to name a few!

Audio is provided in the form of backing tracks (excluding the

assessed part) and examples (including the assessed part) for GUITAR BASS DRUMS
the pieces and the supporting tests where applicable. Audio Syllabus Specification
2018
Syllabus Specification
2018
Syllabus Specification
2018

files are supplied in MP3 format to enable playback on a wide

range of compatible devices. Digital versions of the book include
audio files in the download. Physical versions of the book
include a code to download the audio at rslawards.com/
downloads

PIANO KEYS VOCALS

All the pupils I teach want to learn everything SYLLABUS SPECIFICATION
2019 Edition
SYLLABUS SPECIFICATION
2019 Edition
SYLLABUS SPECIFICATION
2016 Edition

about contemporary music, which Rockschool

perfectly caters to. it’s an ideal resource for
what my students want to achieve.
ED BLACK, TEACHER OF ROCKSCHOOL

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the rockschool
exams
At each grade a candidate will have the option of taking
one of two different types of examination:
Grade Exam: Performance Certificate:
A Grade Exam is a mixture of music performances, technical During the Performance Certificate a candidate must play
assessment and a range of supporting tests (dependant five pieces. Up to three of these can be Free Choice Pieces
on grade and instrument). The candidate must prepare to (the criteria for every grade can be found here) with each
perform three pieces (two of which may be Free Choice song marked out of 20. The pass mark for this exam is also
Pieces) and the contents of the Technical Exercise section set at 60%.
(explained in ‘The Books’ section), which accounts for 75%
of the exam marks. Please ensure you download the syllabus guides on our
website for the breakdown at each grade we offer.
The other 25% consists of supporting tests, which include:
Sight Reading, Improvisation & Interpretation, Ear Tests, and
five General Musicianship Questions (5%). The pass mark for
this style of exam is set at 60%.

Entering Rockschool Exams:

Entering a Rockschool exam is easy, just go online and follow our simple four step process. All details for entering online, dates, fees,
regulations and Free Choice pieces can be found at www.rslawards.com

Enter your Enter your contact Enter your preferred Make payment to
exam details. information. exam centre. complete booking
your exam.

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the rockschool
exams faqs
Q: When do the exams take place?

A: The exams are held over three periods per year. Each exam period has an entry deadline,
please click here to view the exam periods and closing dates.

Q: Where do the exams take place?

A: Exams take place all over the UK. We always aim to offer candidates the most convenient centre possible but,
we cannot guarantee this. Please refer to our centre list.

Q: How much does an exam cost?

A: The price of an exam varies depending on which grade the candidate is taking. View the exam prices.

Q: How do you know students are ready for an exam?

A: We advise that before entering an exam the candidate should be confident and proficient in everything contained in their grade book.
We know that young musicians learn different things at different rates and the content of each book has been designed with careful
thought to ensure students can achieve what is required over a realistic timescale. This should see their progression from learning
the pieces to playing them proficiently. Please note that the entry deadline is around 1 month prior to the exam period, so it’s worth
bearing this in mind when assessing your student’s proficiency.

Q: Do I need to bring my syllabus book to the exam?

A: Yes. All candidates should ensure they bring their own Grade book to the exam or have proof of digital purchase ready
to show the examiner.

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the rockschool
exams faqs
Q: What equipment do I need to bring?

A: T he centre will provide backline equipment for your exam i.e. amplifiers and drum kit.
Guitar and Bass candidates must bring their own instrument and leads and we recommend bringing spare strings. If the
candidate is using effects then we suggest you use batteries, where possible.

Drum candidates must bring their own sticks. For grades 6, 7 and 8, drummers can also bring their own cymbals, hi hats or entire kit. If
the candidate wants to bring their own kit or any breakables, they must notify Rockschool when they enter the exam. Drummers who
wish to play electric kit will be required to provide the kit regardless of grade taken and must notify Rockschool of this on application.
RSL centres will provide an acoustic kit as standard.

Vocal candidates must bring their own microphone from Grade 6 upwards although candidates may perform with a microphone
at Grades 1-5 if they feel it will enhance their performance.

Piano and Keyboard candidates may bring their own digital piano or keyboard for use in the exam, which must fit the criteria
outlined in the appropriate syllabus guides: Piano // Keys.

Please see the FAQs and General Information pages on our website for further information.

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Teaching as
a career
Why should I teach and how does it fit into a
portfolio career?
Professional musicians must learn to excel in multiple roles to build a sustainable portfolio career. Musicians have to master being
performers, teachers, leaders and creative collaborators across a range of styles and genres.

There are a considerable amount of transferrable skills from being a performing musician to being an educator. You’ve already
identified the ways of being successful on your instrument and have put the years of practise into honing your craft. Why not pass
that knowledge on to the next generation of musicians?

Drummer and music educator, Alex Forryan, explores how music teaching fits into a portfolio career, how you can add extra
revenue streams during the quieter times of your working week, and why you should start teaching music with Rockschool.

Developing different skills

allows you to continually
generate new revenue
streams as part of your
portfolio career within the
creative industries.

ALEX FORRYAN, DRUMMER & EDUCATOR

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advertising
your services
Grow your music teaching business
RSL Award’s new Music Teacher registry provides Rockschool
teachers across the globe with a fast, free service to promote
their teaching expertise, thereby providing a platform for
learners and teachers to pursue their goals with confidence
- regardless of orientation or skill level. The free to sign-
up process, to the presentation of your profile has been
designed with best-practise usability design, supports multiple
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Available to teachers everywhere

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How should i set
my teaching rates?
The amount a music teacher charges their student is based on multiple factors, including; location, socio-economic factors, teaching
experience and cohort size. Whilst pricing is down to the individual, the Musician’s Union have provided some rates that
represent a minimum a teacher should be paid for their work.

Teaching Rates Workshop Rates Schools & Concerts Rates

September 2019-2020 September 2019-2020 September 2019-2020

£35.00 per hour* £202 per day (pro rata)* £86.50*

Group teaching and directing Your day should be a maximum Including concert plus rehearsal.
ensembles rate to be negotiated and of 5 hours.
increased pro rata when preparation
time is needed and/or large groups
(whole class) involved.

*
All rates suggested and provided by the Musician’s Union.

For more information, advice on negotiating regional fees and contracts, head to the MU’s website.

If you have any questions about becomimg a teacher using Rockschool materials please contact us via one of the below:

+44 (0) 345 460 4747 info@rslawards.com www.rslawards.com

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