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The question of how good you are as a guitar player is one of those yin and yang issues. On the yin side is forgetting about what you know and just listening to the music
you're making. If you are happy with your sounds, you're good!
In the yin world, everybody's got their own goals, ears, styles, likes and "good"
is completely arbitrary. And I don't mean this to be a hypothetical concept
- some of the most enjoyable music listening experiences I've had have been with
street corner music makers who clearly had very limited skills, but who were just
out there making their music, and putting everything they had into it.
Ultimately the technical skills we develop are about creating channels for creativity
and artistic expression. If you can achieve those same artistic goals with
few skills, then "yin" is your thing. However, there is a definite yang to
this story.
The yang of how good your are has to do with measuring
guitar knowledge and skills against an objective, measurable benchmark. This
provides an opportunity to measure progress and chart the needed learnings ahead.
You may be happy with the sounds you're getting, and people may compliment you on
your playing, but you wonder what else you need to learn or what you should work
on next. That's the yang of the "how good" question, and in this post we take a look at the guitar grading system offered by the Registry of Guitar Tutors.
The Registry of Guitar Tutors (RGT) is
a United Kingdom based guitar certification organization,
offering guitar playing tests in partnership with the London
College of Music Exams, one of the world's most respected music examination boards,
established since 1887. The tests are given around the world, including the
United States, and cover all styles of music. The electric guitar exams focus
on practical music making and the skills needed to play in a band. You can
study for the exam on your own using an RGT course handbook, or with a local teacher.
Some well known guitar and bass players are past or present endorsers of RGT�s range
of electric and bass guitar examinations, including Carlos
Bonell, John Entwistle,
John Etheridge, Rory Gallagher,
David Gilmour, Gordon
Giltrap, Mick Green,
John Illsley, Dave Kelly,
Hank Marvin, Paul McCartney,
Ivor Mairants , Neil
Murray, Suzi Quatro,
Noel Redding, Paul Samson ,
Glenn Tilbrook, and Ronnie Wood.
The RGT grading system has 9 grades, beginning with Preliminary and followed by
Grades 1 - 8. Measuring yourself against these grades could be used as a great overall improvement program, even if you have no interest in being tested.
The grade by grade requirements are listed below. I've included a link
to read more about the RGT course handbook for each grade. Each grade includes
requirements for scales and arpeggios, chords, rhythm playing, lead playing, a verbal
test, an aural test and some specialization in higher grades. So here we go:
PRELIMINARY GRADE
(course handbook)
See Rhythm
Playing, Lead Playing and Aural Assessment below
Scales and Arpeggios � (use of open strings permitted) � C Major
scale (1 octave), G Pentatonic Major scale (1 octave), A Natural Minor scale (1
octave), E Blues scale (1 octave)
Chords � (non barre, open position, chords are expected at this
grade) � Major chords (C, D, E, G), Minor chords (Am, Dm, Em), Dominant 7th
chords (A7, B7, E7)
Verbal Test
� Questions will be asked regarding notes on the fingerboard (from scales identified
above) and to identify the basic �anatomy� of the guitar.
GRADE 1
(course handbook)
See Rhythm Playing, Lead Playing and Aural Assessment below
Scales and Arpeggios � Open string scales
of E natural minor, E blues and G Pentatonic Major in 2 octaves.
Fretted scales of A Major and A Pentatonic Minor in 2 octaves.
Chords � (non barre, open position chords are expected at this
grade) � Major chords (A, C, D, E, G), Minor chords (Am, Dm, Em), Dominant 7th
chords (A7, B7, D7, E7), Major 7th chords (Amaj7, Cmaj7, Dmaj7)
Verbal Test
� Questions will be asked regarding notes on the fingerboard (from scales identified
above), guitar anatomy, mechanisms and basic techniques of the instrument.
GRADE 2
(course handbook)
See Rhythm Playing, Lead Playing and Aural Assessment below
Scales and Arpeggios � (At this grade,
all scales should be played without the use of open strings) � C Major and G Major
scales in 2 octaves, B Pentatonic Minor scale in 2 octaves, A Natural Minor scale
in 2 octaves, D Pentatonic Major scale in 2 octaves, A Blues and G Blues scale in
2 octaves.
Chords � Non-barre chords (Am7, Bm, C7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Gmaj7),
Chords using half or partial barre (Dm7, F, F#m), All requirements from the previous
grade.
Verbal Test
� Same topics as previous grade, but in greater range and detail.
GRADE 3
(course handbook)
See Rhythm Playing, Lead Playing and Aural Assessment below
Scales and Arpeggios � Scales and arpeggios
may be selected by the examiner in any key � 2 octave Major scale, 2 octave Pentatonic
Major scale, 2 octave Pentatonic Minor scale, 2 octave Blues scale, 2 octave Natural
Minor scale, all Major and Minor 2 octave fretted arpeggios.
Chords � Be able to play the following barre chords at any pitch,
in 2 different fingerboard positions � All Minor chords, all Major chords.
Verbal Test
� Notes on the fingerboard up to the 12th fret, including knowledge of
all major and minor arpeggios. Knowledge
of the instrument including anatomy, tone production, methods of achieving clarity
and fluency.
GRADE 4
(course handbook)
See Rhythm
Playing, Lead Playing and Aural Assessment below
Scales and Arpeggios � Scales and arpeggios may be selected by
the examiner in any key � 2 octave Major scales in 2 different fingerboard positions,
2 octave Pentatonic Major scales in 2 different fingerboard positions, 2 octave
Blues scales in 2 different fingerboard positions, 2 octave Natural Minor scales
in 2 different fingerboard positions, all Minor 7th, Dominant 7th
and Major 7th 2 octave fretted arpeggios.
Chords � Be able to play the following barre chords at any pitch
in 2 different fingerboard positions � All Minor 7ths, all Dominant 7ths, all Major
7ths, all requirements from previous grade.
Verbal Test
� Notes on the fingerboard up to the 15th fret, including knowledge of
all the scales and arpeggios from prior grades.
Knowledge of the instrument as in previous grade, but in greater detail and
extended to include methods of guitar tuning and string replacement.
GRADE 5
(course handbook)
See Rhythm
Playing, Lead Playing and Aural Assessment below
Scales and Arpeggios � Scales and arpeggios may be selected by
the examiner in any key � 1 octave Pentatonic Minor scale in 5 different fingerboard
positions, 1 octave Blues scale in 5 different fingerboard positions, 1 octave Major
scale in 3 different fingerboard positions, 2 octave Pentatonic Major scale in 3
different fingerboard positions, 2 octave Harmonic Minor scale, 1 octave Pentatonic
Minor scale in 5ths, all Minor 7th, Major 7th, Dominant 7th,
Suspended 4th, Major 6th and Minor 6th one-octave
arpeggios in 2 different fingerboard positions, all requirements from previous grade.
Chords � Be able to play the following chords at any pitch in 2
different fingerboard positions � All Major 6ths, all Minor 6ths, all Sus 4ths,
all requirements from the previous grade.
Verbal Test
� Name intervals from major scales, identify any note on the fingerboard, application
of scales and arpeggios including knowledge of which chords occur in each key, knowledge
of the instrument as in previous grade but in greater depth and detail.
GRADE 6
(course handbook)
See Rhythm Playing, Lead Playing, Aural Assessment and
Specialization below
Scales and Arpeggios � Scales and arpeggios may be selected by
the examiner in any key � Natural Minor scale (1 octave in 5 different fingerboard
positions), Major scale (1 octave in 5 different fingerboard positions), Dorian
modal scale and Mixolydian modal scale (2 octaves), Chromatic scale (2 octaves),
Play in octaves (Major scale and Pentatonic Minor scale in 1 octave range), Play
in 3rds (Major scale in 1 octave range), 1 octave arpeggios in 2 different fingerboard
positions (Augmented 5th, Diminished 7th, Minor 9th,
Dominant 9th, Major 9th), all requirements from previous grade.
Chords � Be able to play the following chords at any pitch in 2
different fingerboard positions � All Major 9ths, Minor 9ths and Dominant 9ths,
all Diminished 7ths and Augmented 5th chords, all requirements from previous
grade.
Verbal Test
� Same as previous grade but in greater range and depth, and extended to include
the application of extended chords.
GRADE 7
(course handbook)
See Rhythm
Playing, Lead Playing, Aural Assessment and Specialization below
Scales and Arpeggios � Scales and arpeggios may be selected by
the examiner in any key � Pentatonic Major scale (1 octave in 5 different fingerboard
positions), Dorian modal scale and Mixolydian modal scale (2 octaves and in 2 different
fingerboard positions), Phrygian modal scale and Lydian modal scale (2 octaves),
Natural Minor scale (played in octaves for a 1-octave range), Whole-tone scale (2
octaves), Pentatonic Minor scale and Blues scale (3 octaves in the keys of F to
C inclusive), Minor 7th and Dominant 7th arpeggios (1 octave,
including sharp or flat 5ths and/or sharp or flat 9ths, all requirements from previous
grade.
Chords � All Major and Minor chords using �non-root� or altered
bass notes, all Minor 7th and Dominant 7th chords using altered
5ths and/or altered 9ths, all requirements from previous grade.
Verbal Test
� Same as previous grade but in greater range and depth, and extended to include
an in-depth knowledge of chord relationships and keys, the application to altered
chords and chromatic intervals.
GRADE 8
(course handbook)
See Rhythm
Playing, Lead Playing, Aural Assessment and Specialization below
Scales and Arpeggios � Scales and arpeggios may be selected by
the examiner in any key � Chromatic scale (F to C inclusive, 3 octaves), Dorian
and Mixolydian modal scales (1 octave, 3 different fingerboard positions), Phrygian
and Lydian modal scales (1 octave, 2 different fingerboard positions), Major scales
(F# to C inclusive, 3 octaves), Natural Minor scale (F to C inclusive, 3 octaves),
Locrian modal scale (2 octaves), Dominant 11th and Dominant 13th
arpeggios (1 octave), all requirements from previous grade.
Chords � All Dominant 11th and Dominant 13th
chords (2 different fingerboard positions), all Major chords and Dominant 7th
chords (5 different fingerboard positions), all requirements from previous grade.
Verbal Test � Same as previous grade but in greater range and depth,
and extended to include chord construction, transposition and application of extended
chords.
ALL GRADES - These areas apply to all grade levels
Rhythm Playing � All Grades
Candidates will be given a chord progression to play containing chords selected
from �Chords� above. Time signature,
tempo, (and from Grade 1 forward) dynamics and other indications may be marked,
however the style of the performance will be left to the candidate�s initiative.
>
Lead Playing � All Grades
A chord progression
will be played that is
similar to the chord progression from �Rhythm Playing.�
> The candidate will be required to improvise
over the progression, demonstrating the practical application of scales (and where
appropriate, arpeggios).
Aural Assessment � All Grades
The candidates
listening abilities will be assessed through tests which may include repetition
of rhythms, repetition of melodic phrases, keeping time (and from Grade 4 forward
the recognition of time signature), pitch tests (recognition of intervals and scale
types) and harmony tests involving recognition of chord types (and from Grade 7
forward, cadences).
Specialization � Grades 6, 7, 8
Demonstrate
skill in one of the following topics.
- slide/bottleneck
playing
- finger
tapping
- solo fingerstyle
or solo flatpicking
- sight-reading
from standard notation or from tablature
- rhythm
guitar playing
- improvisation
Click here
to see more information about all
of the RGT guitar books including classical guitar, and guides to playing rhythm
and lead
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