Difficulty Grading System
For ease of understanding, we use 1 through 5 for most offerings so that beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels are assigned 1, 3, and 5 respectively. However, levels 0 and 6 may pop up here and there…
Keywords to consider have been italicized.
0 = ELEMENTARY: for young students.
Example ensemble type: middle school and completely beginning high school ensembles.
1.5 = for beginning students and ensembles that can competently perform using basic rhythms and scales with rudimentary techniques and simple musicality.
2 = BEGINNING/INTERMEDIATE: theoretical and technical knowledge that are starting to go beyond the basics; fair and competent execution, fair and competent understanding of dynamics and natural phrasing.
Example ensemble type: decent high school ensemble.
2.5 = for more aggressive grade 2 ensembles that need a push to the next level, average musicality that needs work.
3 = INTERMEDIATE: good, solid understanding of existing techniques and theories taught so far while being introduced to advanced techniques and theories, above average musicality, good execution of everything.
Example ensemble type: good high school ensemble.
3.5 = for more aggressive grade 3 ensembles that are on the verge of performing at the level of a good college ensemble.
4 = INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED: Excellent knowledge of technique and theory, frequent employment of advanced techniques and theory, consistent and very good/excellent execution and musicality.
Example ensemble type: very good high school ensemble/college level ensemble.
4.5 = extremely good high school ensemble/college level ensemble, pushing towards professional level execution (grade 5).
5 = ADVANCED: Superior knowledge of basic and advanced technique and theory, consistent professional-level execution, superior musicality.
Example ensemble type: drum corps level/professional symphonic level.
6 = PROFESSIONAL/VIRTUOSIC: Able to execute any level of music with exquisite musicality and able to interpret music on an instinctual level.