Welcome to AS 1: Performing – Solo Performance
Welcome to your complete guide to preparing for AS 1: Solo Performance in CCEA GCE AS Music (7010). Whether you are a seasoned performer or someone who feels a bit nervous stepping onto the stage, this guide breaks down everything you need to know step-by-step.
Performance at AS Level is not about perfection under impossible pressure; it is about showcasing your musicality, technical control, and expressive communication on your chosen instrument or voice. Let’s explore the exact requirements, how you will be assessed, and how to maximize your marks on exam day!
1. Unit Overview and Exam Structure
The AS 1: Performing unit is assessed externally by a visiting CCEA examiner who comes to your school or college during the spring term (Term 2).
• AS Weighting: Worth 32.5% to 35% of your total AS Level.
• A Level Weighting: Worth 13% to 14% of your overall GCE A Level.
• Format: A live solo performance followed immediately by a short Viva Voce (a structured spoken discussion).
Key Takeaway: AS 1 accounts for over a third of your AS grade, making careful repertoire selection and steady preparation essential to your overall success.
2. Repertoire Standard and Timing
The Minimum Benchmark: Grade 4 Standard
To access passing grades at AS Level, every piece in your solo programme must be of a standard equivalent to at least Grade 4 of recognized graded music exam boards (such as ABRSM, Trinity College London, Rockschool, or London College of Music - LCM).
• Can you play higher-grade music? Yes! Performing higher-grade pieces (e.g., Grade 5, 6, or above) with technical security and musicality allows you to access the top mark bands.
• The "Difficulty vs. Security" Rule: A clean, musical, and expressive performance of a Grade 4 or 5 piece will score significantly higher than an inaccurate, hesitant, or strained performance of a Grade 7 or 8 piece. Always choose repertoire you can control confidently under exam conditions!
Performance Duration
Your total solo performance must last between 5 and 7 minutes.
• Under 5 minutes: Risks mark penalties or fails to provide enough evidence of sustained technical control.
• Over 7 minutes: Does not gain extra marks and risks tiring your stamina, tone, or embouchure.
Top Tip: Time your pieces with a stopwatch during rehearsals, including short pauses between pieces, to ensure your set sits comfortably between 5:30 and 6:30.
3. Medium, Genre, and Accompaniment Rules
Instruments and Genres
You have total freedom to perform on any acoustic instrument, electric instrument, or voice across any musical genre, including:
• Western Classical
• Traditional Irish Folk
• Jazz and Blues
• Pop and Rock
• Musical Theatre
Accompaniment Regulations
CCEA has strict rules regarding how your pieces are supported:
1. Accompanied Works: If a piece was written with an accompaniment, it must be performed with live accompaniment (piano, guitar, etc.) or an appropriate backing track.
2. Unaccompanied Repertoire: You may only perform unaccompanied if the piece was specifically composed for solo, unaccompanied instrument or voice (e.g., a movement from J.S. Bach's Unaccompanied Cello Suites).
3. Solo Line Prominence: Your part must be the clear, principal solo line. The accompaniment or backing track must not double your solo melody line.
4. Assessment Objective 1 (AO1): How You Are Marked
Your solo performance is assessed under AO1 (Performing) across three main areas:
A. Technical Competence and Accuracy
• Pitch & Intonation: Playing or singing in tune throughout, with precise intervals.
• Rhythm & Fluency: Keeping a stable pulse, accurate note durations, and smooth technical execution across challenging passages.
• Instrumental Facility: Secure fingerwork, bowing, breath control, or vocal support appropriate to your instrument.
B. Interpretation and Expressiveness
• Dynamics & Phrasing: Shaping musical lines with dynamic contrast (e.g., piano, forte, crescendos) rather than playing at a single, flat volume.
• Tone Quality / Sonority: Producing a rich, controlled, and mature sound appropriate to the style.
• Stylistic Nuance: Respecting period conventions (e.g., crisp articulation in Baroque music, expressive rubato in Romantic pieces, appropriate swing feel in Jazz).
C. Fluency and Presentation
• Performance Communication: Engaging the listener and conveying the mood and character of the music.
• Poise and Recovery: Handling minor slips smoothly without stopping, making faces, or breaking the continuity of the performance.
Analogy: Think of a musical performance like delivering a speech. Technical accuracy is pronouncing words correctly; interpretation is putting emotion and inflection into your voice; presentation is eye contact and body language!
5. The Viva Voce: Speaking Confidently About Your Music
Immediately following your solo performance, the visiting examiner will conduct a short, structured conversation called the Viva Voce.
Don't worry if this sounds intimidating! The examiner wants to give you the chance to explain your preparation and show your musical intelligence.
The Three Core Focus Areas:
1. Contextual Understanding & Style: What period or style does your piece belong to? Who is the composer/artist, and what are the hallmark stylistic features of that era?
2. Technical & Expressive Challenges: What specific hurdles did you face when learning the pieces (e.g., high register leaps, tricky syncopation, complex pedal work, breath management), and how did you practice overcoming them?
3. Interpretive Decisions: Why did you choose your specific tempo, dynamic choices, articulation, or ornamentation?
Viva Voce Preparation Strategy: "The 3-Step Answer"
When asked about a challenge, structure your spoken answer clearly:
• Identify the challenge: "In bar 16 of the Mozart piece, there is a rapid staccato run in the upper register..."
• Explain your practice technique: "...which required slow practice with a metronome and dotted rhythm drills to build finger independence..."
• State the final outcome: "...which allowed me to perform it with clarity and lightness suitable for the Classical style."
6. Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Examiner reports highlight several easily avoidable mistakes each year:
• Over-ambitious Repertoire: Selecting Grade 7–8 pieces that result in insecure intonation or stumbling tempos. Stick to pieces you can perform with musical mastery.
• Treating the Viva Voce as an Afterthought: Failing to revise historical contexts or instrumental techniques before exam day. Practice answering questions with your teacher beforehand.
• Forgetting Examiner Scores: You must provide a clean, legible copy of the sheet music or lead sheet for every piece to the visiting examiner before you begin.
• Ignoring the 5–7 Minute Range: Performances under 5 minutes lose marks; performances over 7 minutes may be stopped or lead to unnecessary fatigue.
7. Summary Checklist for Exam Day
Before the examiner arrives, ensure you have checked off the following:
• Programme Timing: Total duration verified between 5 and 7 minutes.
• Standard: Minimum Grade 4 benchmark met across all pieces.
• Scores Ready: Clean, original sheet music or clear authorized copies ready for the visiting examiner.
• Accompaniment: Accompanist booked and rehearsed, or backing tracks set up at the correct volume (no doubled solo lines).
• Viva Voce Notes: Ready to discuss composer context, stylistic details, practice methods, and interpretive choices.
• Mindset: Take a deep breath, focus on telling a story through your music, and enjoy sharing your hard work!