British Columbia
British Columbia
Rockschool – Popular Music Qualifications
ALL music schools and students are welcome to be a part of the Rockschool curriculum and exams.
Rockschool music qualifications are tailor-made for the contemporary musician. Ranging from introductory grades to advanced levels of study, RSL Awards’ graded music exams ensure hard work is rewarded regardless of age or previous musical experience.
Rockschool offers qualifications for:
- Vocals
- Drums
- Piano (Popular and Classical)
- Keyboard
- Guitar (Electric and Acoustic)
- Bass
- Ukulele
- Production
- Theory (Jazz based)
Accredited with the BC Ministry of Education for passing Rockschool Grades, 4, 5 and 6
Rockschool offers qualifications for:
- Vocals
- Drums
- Piano (Popular and Classical)
- Keyboard
- Guitar (Electric and Acoustic)
- Bass
- Ukulele
- Production
- Theory (Jazz based)
Accredited with the BC Ministry of Education for passing Rockschool Grades, 4, 5 and 6
Rockschool – Popular Music Qualifications
ALL music schools and students are welcome to be a part of the Rockschool curriculum and exams.
Rockschool music qualifications are tailor-made for the contemporary musician. Ranging from introductory grades to advanced levels of study, RSL Awards’ graded music exams ensure hard work is rewarded regardless of age or previous musical experience.
Rockschool offers qualifications for:
- Vocals
- Drums
- Piano (Popular and Classical)
- Keyboard
- Guitar (Electric and Acoustic)
- Bass
- Ukulele
- Production
- Theory (Jazz based)
Accredited with the BC Ministry of Education for passing Rockschool Grades, 4, 5 and 6
Rockschool Exam Information
Syllabus infringements and resubmissions
In the event that your video submission cannot be marked because guidelines have not been followed correctly, candidates will be charged 75% of the entry fee to make a resubmission. Examples of this include:
- Audio and/or video quality is not sufficient for the examiner to be able to make a reliable assessment
- Part of the video file is missing (eg. cuts off too early)
- The video has been edited (eg. separate takes spliced together)
- Audio does not appear to synchronize visually with the candidate’s performance
- Another person (eg. parent or teacher) is offering prompting and advice to the candidate
For other more minor issues such as missing content (eg. technical exercises), wrong backing track being used, sheet music not supplied for free choice pieces, etc., examiners will mark on an ‘as seen’ basis and marking will be affected, reflecting the extent to which the outcomes of the exam were impacted by the infringement. In such cases candidates will also be able to resubmit on payment of 75% of the fee if they wish.
Resubmissions in these cases are only permitted for the same instrument, grade and exam type as the original entry.
Performance Certificate
- Read Video Format and Frame rate, Video Framing, and Important notes
- Record and upload 5 pieces (up to 3 free choice pieces)
- Video Must be recorded as a one take, unedited performance (see Important Notes)
- The candidate should introduce themselves, say what grade they are doing and what songs they will be performing for the exam
- Ensure the examiner can see the candidates face and hands in the video (please see video guidelines)
- Ensure there is a good balance between backing tracks and instrument volume
- No more than 2 restarts in the exam
- Upload the sheet music (and backing tracks if necessary) for any free choice pieces
Graded Certificate
- Read Video Format and Frame rate, Video Framing, and Important notes
- Record and upload 3 pieces (up to 2 free choice pieces)
- Video Must be recorded as a one take, unedited performance (see Important Notes)
- The candidate should introduce themselves, say what grade they are doing and what songs they will be performing for the exam
- Ensure the examiner can see the candidates face and hands in the video (please see video guidelines)
- Record and upload ALL the technical exercises outlined in the technical guidance (Checkmark icon on this RSL link)
- No more than 1 restart (pieces) or 2 restarts (technical exercises)
- Upload the sheet music (and backing tracks if necessary) for any free choice pieces
Framing Guide
It’s worth going over some simple principles, so you can be confident your submitted video is more likely to be accepted for assessment.
RSL AWARDS VIDEO EXAMS-HOW TO GUIDE
1) We need to see your face and have a reasonable view of the performance.
Guitarists, bassists and keyboard players should capture both hands in the video frame. Singers should fill a significant part of the image. Getting a single camera shot of a drummer can be challenging, so try and find an angle that allows the examiner to see both hands movement clearly and get some sense of what your feet are doing too – a slightly elevated position with the camera pointing slightly down towards the drummer can work fairly well, as it can make the sticking clearer for your examiner. Whilst it is good from a video point of view for the shot to be slightly behind a drummer and capturing the skins of the drums, it can make recording audio very difficult, with the volume of both cymbals and snare drum resulting in distortion from most phones and cameras. Striking a balance between video framing and audio may take some experimentation, but a compromise can be found.
A more detailed shot of your body and hands can be achieved when using an electronic kit…
2) The shot needs to be reasonably well lit.
Please try and avoid shooting in very dark environments, as this significantly affects the video quality. If you can record your performance in a space with good natural light, or have access to good quality photographic or stage lighting, the end result will be better. Please avoid coloured or moving lights in your videos too – we need to see you clearly.
3) Keep your footage as steady as possible.
If you can use a tripod or some other kind of camera mount, that would be ideal. If you do need someone to hold a camera or phone, please ensure you keep the video as stable as possible and avoid zooming in or out during the exam.
Take a look at the photos below, to help guide you when setting up to film your RSL graded syllabus exam:
Good Practice
Bad Practice
Audio Guide
The help videos will provide more detail, but following these simple guidelines should help you create videos with reasonable audio
1) Don’t set your volume too loudly when using amplifiers or PA speakers.
Mobile phones and video cameras record sound fairly well most of the time, but struggle with high volume sound sources. This can prove especially challenging when trying to record the sound of drums – so please read the Recording drums for RSL exams section below for further guidance
2) Spend some time getting a good balance between your performance and the backing track.
RSL needs to clearly hear your performance when examining, but equally we want your performance to feel connected to the accompanying backing track. It is worth experimenting and producing some test recordings to ensure the balance is good.
3) Avoid very noisy or reverberant (echo) spaces.
Your examiner wants to give your performance their full attention, so avoid recording your exam in a space where there is likely to be significant background noise. Also, whilst it may sound creatively pleasing, please avoid capturing your videos in very reverberant places. We want to hear as much of your signal as possible. If you do opt to use a microphone for vocal recordings avoid using excessive amounts of reverb and avoid long reverb times.
Pro Tip
While you can record reasonable audio using a mobile phone in most instances, there are a number of devices you may wish to consider if you want to ensure your audio is of a good quality. Please see below for a list of devices and apps that RSL recommends that can help you improve audio quality when creating your video exam.
Recording drums for RSL exams
The acoustic drum kit provides some challenges when trying to capture clear audio, especially when filming with a mobile phone. Whilst it is possible to record usable audio with a mobile phone with care, RSL highly recommends that drummers use a video device where they can have full control over the microphone’s sensitivity and volume. Mobile phones do not allow you this control by default, so it is worth installing an app that gives that that control, or using a microphone designed for use with a mobile phone that allows you to control the volume of the incoming signal. Please see below for a list of devices and apps that RSL recommends to help you improve audio quality.
We are also advising that, should you need to record your exam directly into a mobile phone, you avoid capturing your acoustic drum performance whilst playing to an audible backing track – the volume required will almost certainly make the recorded audio difficult to hear or result in audio distortion. In this instance, it is permissible for you to record a video of your drum exam with the backing track fed to you via either headphones or in-ear monitoring. RSL will synchronise the backing tracks to your performances for marking – but you will need to provide stick clicks to audibly mark the final bar of the count in before the performance begins, so we can easily synchronise the audio to the video. Please see the drum exam video video for a demonstration.
Alternatively, you may wish to consider performing your exam to video using an electronic kit, where you will have greater control over your volume balance. Many electronic drum modules provide the facility to plug in an audio device directly and allow the user to blend a backing track with the drum kit. However, we recognise that many drummers will prefer to play acoustic drum kits during assessment, so this approach is entirely optional.
RSL recommended audio / video devices and apps
Microphone for use with mobile phones (check for handset compatibility):
- Zoom iQ7
- Shure MV88
- RØDE iXY
- RØDE VideoMic
Mobile phone video apps that allow manual control of audio
- FV-5 (supported Android devices)
- Filmic Pro (IOS devices and some supported Android devices)
Dedicated video cameras for recording high quality audio
- Zoom Q4
- Zoom Q2n
We hope this set of guidelines has helped you understand the RSL graded syllabus video exam process and provided a clear set of guidelines for capturing and submitting exam material.
Understanding Digital Video
We understand that it can get very confusing just trying to understand all of the words and codes used by companies to try and sell us their latest gadgets. You are likely to have come across terms like 720P, 1080HD or 4k – but may not know what any of the numbers or letter stand for. This part of the guide should help you navigate through the jargon and make the process easier.
With this in mind, please read the guidance below in full to help you have the best chance of submitting a video that we can accept for submission and allow you complete your RSL exam successfully.
RSL AWARDS VIDEO EXAMS-HOW TO GUIDE
What frame size should I set my equipment to use?
As a very rough rule, the larger the number stated, the more detail is captured within each video frame you record – but there is a downside. More detail often means bigger digital files – which require more storage and take longer to upload to the internet.
4k video can, and often does, look fantastic – but the file sizes are big and can cause some compatibility issues too. At the other end of the spectrum, if the frame size is too small, the images can look blurry or pixelated when you try and view them on computer monitors or tablets, so it is best to go for a happy medium – striking a balance between detail and file size.
Full HD (often referred to by the names 1080i or 1080P) is a very good happy medium. However, 720HD video can still look very good (720i or 720P) and will produce noticeable smaller file sizes. As a result, RSL is asking for a minimum of 720HD videos and currently setting a maximum of 1080HD, to ensure your picture quality is good whilst keeping the file sizes manageable. Please note that the current file size limit is 2GB.
What does the ‘i’ and/or ‘P’ after the numbers mean?
The ‘i’ stands for ‘interlaced’, meaning that the video file captured refreshes every other line of pixels every frame, so the video file actually contains half the amount of data. It refreshes very quickly, so you can’t see the interlacing in a perfectly set up system. However, most mobile phones and cameras now only give you the option to record in a progressive format – meaning every line is captured. It’s probably best to avoid interlaced formats if you can. If your settings don’t mention it and your equipment is relatively modern, it’s more than likely to be a progressive video format.
But what do those numbers actually mean?
Look at the chart below to see how each frame size relates to each other. This should also explain why 4K is so detailed, but why the file sizes are so big:
What frame rate should I use?
This figure refers to how many frames your camera captures every second. A camera that captures 30 frames per second (30fps) is essentially capturing 30 images which, when played at the correct speed, gives a good impression of natural movement.
Frame rate has an impact on the perceived quality of video to an extent – a very low frame rate will result in jerky video. However you don’t need a huge amount of frames per second before things start to look pretty smooth. Feature films, for instance, typically use 24 frames per second. This is important, because mobile phone and camera manufactures are currently increasing the frame rates that their devices can capture, largely so extreme slow motion video can be produced. Whilst this is impressive, Rock School don’t need this – and the more frames your video contains, the bigger the file sizes get again.
So, its for this reason RSL is asking you to set your frame rate to somewhere between 24 fps (frames per second) and 30fps. Typically this will be a choice between 25fps and 30fps, depending on the hardware. This will generate video that is smooth but should keep your video file size manageable.
What video format should I use?
Mobile phones and consumer cameras largely gather video and process them and store them in a file, which makes it easier to share using the internet. The results vary, but a well designed video format can do an excellent job of retaining a good sound and image while squeezing it into a small package. The most common formats are .MP4 files which are a good choice, as they are both quite small and open across lots of devices, but .mov files and .avi files are also pretty well supported. If you are at all confused or concerned, it may be worth contacting RSL to check that your submitted video files will open.
Recording drums for RSL exams
The acoustic drum kit provides some challenges when trying to capture clear audio, especially when filming with a mobile phone. Whilst it is possible to record usable audio with a mobile phone with care, RSL highly recommends that drummers use a video device where they can have full control over the microphone’s sensitivity and volume.
Mobile phones do not allow you this control by default, so it is worth installing an app that gives that that control, or using a microphone designed for use with a mobile phone that allows you to control the volume of the incoming signal. Please see below for a list of devices and apps that RSL recommends to help you improve audio quality.
We are also advising that, should you need to record your exam directly into a mobile phone, you avoid capturing your acoustic drum performance whilst playing to an audible backing track – the volume required will almost certainly make the recorded audio difficult to hear or result in audio distortion. In this instance, it is permissible for you to record a video of your drum exam with the backing track fed to you via either headphones or in-ear monitoring. RSL will synchronise the backing tracks to your performances for marking – but you will need to audibly mark the final bar of the count-in before the performance begins by clicking your sticks together, so we can easily synchronise the audio to the video. Please see the drum exam video for a demonstration.
Alternatively, you may wish to consider performing your exam to video using an electronic kit, where you will have greater control over your volume balance. Many electronic drum modules provide the facility to plug in an audio device directly and allow the user to blend a backing track with the drum kit. However, we recognise that many drummers will prefer to play acoustic drum kits during assessment, so this approach is entirely optional.
Please note that where there is evidence from the video that the candidate is not listening to a backing track while performing, this may affect the marks awarded, as performing to a backing track (where one is provided) is a requirement of the exam.
Rockschool Exam Entry Form
*Please hold on to your pre-recorded Rockschool Video exam until you receive your results. We can only take payment of e-Transfer at this time. Please fill out the form below for further instructions or contact us here
Music Production
A 25+ year history of innovation throughout music education, providing aspiring producers and engineers with the most accessible music production graded syllabus.
On completion of a Rockschool Music Production grade, every candidate will own a wealth of technical, practical and theoretical knowledge that they can apply to real-world scenarios – whether it’s in audio production, electronic music production, mixing, editing, mastering or sound for media.
Music Production
A 25+ year history of innovation throughout music education, providing aspiring producers and engineers with the most accessible music production graded syllabus.
On completion of a Rockschool Music Production grade, every candidate will own a wealth of technical, practical and theoretical knowledge that they can apply to real-world scenarios – whether it’s in audio production, electronic music production, mixing, editing, mastering or sound for media.
Music Production
A 25+ year history of innovation throughout music education, providing aspiring producers and engineers with the most accessible music production graded syllabus.
On completion of a Rockschool Music Production grade, every candidate will own a wealth of technical, practical and theoretical knowledge that they can apply to real-world scenarios – whether it’s in audio production, electronic music production, mixing, editing, mastering or sound for media.
REPLAY
The next generation of interactive music books, Replay has some amazing features designed to give you absolute freedom and control over your practice. Practice at your own pace, stay motivated to practice and keep learning whether you’re a pro or just love to play.
Replay features a collection of digital tools that will help take your practice to the next level.
E-books
Enhanced Audio
Tempo Change
Synthetic Performances
Metronome
Fretboard & Keyboard View
REPLAY
The next generation of interactive music books, Replay has some amazing features designed to give you absolute freedom and control over your practice. Practice at your own pace, stay motivated to practice and keep learning whether you’re a pro or just love to play.
Replay features a collection of digital tools that will help take your practice to the next level.
E-books
Enhanced Audio
Tempo Change
Synthetic Performances
Metronome
Fretboard & Keyboard View
External High School Credit In BC
Rockschool is accredited with the BC Ministry of Education.
Rockschool students who pass grade 4, 5 and 6 exams can receive external High School credit (4 credits for each of these grades).
Simply bring your Grade 4, 5 or 6 certificate to your High School Counsellor and ask them to use the BC Ministry Trax Codes below for 4 extra credits on your High School Transcript:
Grade 4 : UROK10 (Grade 10 credit)
Grade 5 : UROK11 (Grade 11 credit)
Grade 6 : UROK12 (Grade 12 credit)