RSL Classical Guitar Grade 2 (2022)

Overview

RSL Classical Guitar Grade 2 (2022) is the next level after Grade 1 in the RSL Classical Guitar pathway. It is designed for students who have established the fundamental skills of Grade 1 and are ready to develop greater technical control, rhythmic coordination, musical understanding and stylistic awareness.

The book combines 10 benchmarked performance arrangements with technical exercises, Sight Reading or Contemporary Improvisation & Interpretation, Ear Tests and General Musicianship Questions, providing a complete resource for Grade 2 examination preparation.

Key Features

• Official RSL Classical Guitar 2022 Grade 2 resource

• 10 benchmarked arrangements across classical and contemporary styles

• Classical, film, pop and contemporary repertoire

• Professionally recorded audio and backing tracks

• Composer and repertoire Fact Files

• In-depth Walkthroughs for each arrangement

• Technical Exercises covering scales, double-stopping, arpeggios and technical studies

• Sight Reading or Contemporary Improvisation & Interpretation

• Melodic and Rhythmic Recall Ear Tests

• General Musicianship Questions

Featured Repertoire

The 10 Grade 2 pieces are:

• In the Hall of the Mountain King – Edvard Grieg

• Song for a Friend – Laura Snowden

• We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift

• Shallow – from A Star Is Born

• Le Douze de Décembre – Ignatius Sancho

• Magnetic South – Lee Sollory

• Spring – Antonio Vivaldi

• The Harmonious Blacksmith – George Frideric Handel

• Menuet – Nathanael Diesel

• Feeling Good – Nina Simone

The repertoire gives students exposure to contrasting musical periods and styles, from Baroque and Classical-inspired material to contemporary pop, film music and jazz/blues-influenced repertoire.

What Students Will Develop

Students will develop:

• More secure classical-guitar technique

• Improved left- and right-hand coordination

• Greater rhythmic control

• More confident fingerstyle playing

• Improved tone production and articulation

• Scale and arpeggio fluency

• Double-stopping technique

• Chromatic playing

• Stronger musical interpretation

• Sight-reading or improvisation skills

• Melodic and rhythmic aural recognition

• Broader musical awareness across contrasting styles

RSL describes Grade 2 as suitable for candidates who have mastered Grade 1 skills and have subsequently developed greater use of technique, rhythms, coordination and musical understanding, while continuing to develop improvisation skills.

Technical Exercises

Grade 2 technical work is divided into three groups.

Group A – Scales & Double-Stopped Exercise

Students prepare:

• D Major – root to the 12th

• C Major – 1 octave

• D Harmonic Minor – 1 octave

• B Minor – natural or harmonic minor, candidate's choice

• Chromatic Scale starting on A – 1 octave

• G Minor Double-Stopped Exercise – 1 octave

The minimum recommended tempo is ♩ = 80. Different exercises specify tirando, apoyando, thumb-only, finger-only or combined thumb-and-finger techniques.

Group B – Arpeggios

Students prepare:

• D Major Arpeggio – root to the 12th

• C Major Arpeggio – 1 octave

• D Minor Arpeggio – 1 octave

These are performed in even quavers, developing right-hand coordination and evenness.

Group C – Technical Study

Students select one of three technical studies provided in the Grade 2 book.

Product Details

• Brand: RSL Awards / Rockschool

• Series: RSL Classical Guitar

• Instrument: Classical Guitar

• Level: Grade 2

• Syllabus: 2022

• Publisher: RSL Awards

• Product Type: Graded Music Exam Book

• Includes: Performance repertoire, technical exercises and supporting tests

• Audio: Digital / downloadable audio and backing tracks