Table Of ContentBass Trombone
Scales, Arpeggios  
& Exercises
for Trinity College London  
Bass Trombone exams from 2015
Grades 6–8
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Grade 6
Candidates to prepare i) Lip flexibility exercise and chromatic scale
Lip flexibility exercise (from memory)
Play the exercise slurred, using the slide combinations given.
Chromatic scale starting on low Eb (two octaves, from memory) (tempo, dynamics and articulation as for scales below)
Candidates to prepare in full either section ii) or section iii)
either ii) Scales & arpeggios (from memory) — the examiner will select from the following:
Candidates should prepare scales and arpeggios from the following 
tonal centres:
Low Eb major, low Eb minor tongued, 
D major, D minor legato–tongued 
using plug  two  or staccato–
Plus: range Eb, D octaves q = 72—120 tongued as  f or p
Whole-tone scale starting on D requested by 
Dominant 7th in the key of Ab the examiner
Diminished 7th starting on Eb
Augmented arpeggio starting on Eb
When the examiner requests a major tonal centre, the candidate should play in succession:
  The major scale
  The major arpeggio
When the examiner requests a minor tonal centre, the candidate should play in succession:
  The melodic minor scale
  The harmonic minor scale
  The minor arpeggio
or iii) Orchestral & brass band extracts
See current syllabus for details
i) Lip flexibility exercise and chromatic scale
œ play three times
       q = 144 bœ œ œ œ œ
? c œJ .. œ œ .. b˙.
slide 1
Repeat (descending) using the following slide positions:
3rd  —  5th  —  6th
C?hrobmœatincœ scalœe s#taœrtinœg o#nœ Eb (œtwo# œoctaœves)œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ
? bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ
2
Grade 6 continued
ii) Scales & arpeggios
D major scale (two octaves)
?## œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
D major arpeggio (two octaves)
œ
œ œ
?# œ œ
# œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ.
D? habrmœonicœ mœinorœ scaœle (œtw#oœ ocœtavœes)œ œ œ œ#œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
D melodic minor scale (two octaves)
?b œ œ œ œ œ nœ#œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ#œ œnœbœ œ œ œ œ œ nœbœ œ œ œ œ œ
D minor arpeggio (two octaves)
œ
œ œ
? œ œ
œ œ
b œ œ
œ œ
œ œ.
Whole-tone scale starting on D (two octaves)
bœ œ œ œ bœ
? bœ œ œ œ #œ #œ #œ #œ œ œ œ bœ
œ œ #œ #œ #œ #œ œ œ.
Eb major scale (two octaves)
?bbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3
Grade 6 continued
Eb major arpeggio (two octaves)
œ
œ œ
? b œ œ œ œ
b b œ œ œ œ œ œ.
Eb harmonic minor scale (two octaves)
?bbbbbb œ œ œ œ œ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ œnœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
E?b mbeblobdbibcb mœinoœr scœaleœ (twœo noœctnaœvesœ) œ œ œ œnœnœ œbœbœ œ œ œ œ œbœbœ œ œ œ œ œ
Eb minor arpeggio (two octaves)
œ
œ œ
?bbbbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ.
Augmented arpeggio starting on Eb (two octaves)
bœ
œ œ
? bœ œ œ bœ
œ œ
bœ œ œ bœ.
Diminished 7th starting on Eb (two octaves)
∫œ bœ∫œ
∫œ ∫œ
? ∫œ bœ bœ bœ bœ∫œ
∫œ ∫œ
bœ bœ
bœ bœ
Dominant 7th in the key of Ab (two octaves)
œ œ œ
œ œ
? b b œ œ œ œ œ œ
b b œ œ œ œ
œ œ
4
Grade 7
Candidates to prepare i) Lip flexibility exercise and chromatic scale
Lip flexibility exercise (from memory)
Play the exercise slurred, using the slide positions given.
Chromatic scale starting on low C (two octaves, from memory) (tempo, dynamics and articulation as for scales below)
Candidates to prepare in full either section ii) or section iii)
either ii) Scales & arpeggios (from memory) — the examiner will select from the following:
Candidates should prepare scales and arpeggios from the following 
tonal centres:
Low C major, low C minor tongued,  f or mf 
Low Db major, low C# minor using  legato–tongued  or p or 
cresc./dim. 
Plus: plug  two  or staccato–
Chromatic scale starting on low C# range  octaves q = 80—126 tongued as  (p– f –p) 
Whole-tone scale starting on low C and low C# C#, C  requested by  or 
Dominant 7th in the keys of F and F# the examiner dim./cresc. 
Diminished 7th starting on low C and low C# (f –p –f )
Augmented arpeggio starting on low C and low C#
When the examiner requests a major tonal centre, the candidate should play in succession:
  The major scale
  The major arpeggio
When the examiner requests a minor tonal centre, the candidate should play in succession:
  The melodic minor scale
  The harmonic minor scale
  The minor arpeggio
or iii) Orchestral & brass band extracts
See current syllabus for details
i) Lip flexibility exercise and chromatic scale
       q. = 86 œ œ œ , œ
bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ.
? 6 œ œ œ œ œ Œ.
8 bœ bœ bœ
bœ bœ
slide 1
Repeat (descending) using the following slide combinations:
2nd  —  3rd*  —  4th*
*Candidates may play an octave higher on these pedals
5
Grade 7 continued
C?hromœat#icœ scaœle s#tœartinœg onœ C #(tœwo oœct#avœes)œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ
? œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ
ii) Scales & arpeggios
C major scale (two octaves)
C major arpeggio (two octaves)
C harmonic minor scale (two octaves)
C melodic minor scale (two octaves)
C minor arpeggio (two octaves)
6
Grade 7 continued
Whole-tone scale starting on C (two octaves) (cid:4)
(cid:3) (cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:4)
(cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:1)(cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:4)(cid:2)
Augmented arpeggio starting on C (two octaves)
Diminished 7th starting on C (two octaves)
(cid:3)(cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:3)(cid:4)
(cid:1) (cid:2)(cid:4) (cid:2)(cid:4) (cid:2)(cid:4) (cid:2)(cid:4)
(cid:3)(cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:4) (cid:3)(cid:4)
(cid:2)(cid:4) (cid:2)(cid:4)
(cid:2)(cid:4) (cid:2)(cid:4)
(cid:4) (cid:4)
Db major scale (two octaves)
?bbbbb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Db major arpeggio (two octaves)
œ
œ œ
? b b œ œ œ œ
b b b œ œ œ œ
œ œ.
C# harmonic minor scale (two octaves)
?#### œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
C# melodic minor scale (two octaves)
?#### œ œ œ œ œ#œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ#œ œnœnœ œ œ œ œ œnœnœ œ œ œ œ œ
7
Grade 7 continued
C# minor arpeggio (two octaves)
œ
?#### œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ œ œ.
Chromatic scale starting on C# (two octaves)
? #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ
? #œ nœ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ
Whole-tone scale starting on C# (two octaves)
? œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ #œ #œ #œ #œ œ œ œ œ
#œ #œ #œ #œ.
Augmented arpeggio starting on C# (two octaves)
#œ
? #œ ‹œ ‹œ #œ
#œ #œ
‹œ ‹œ
#œ #œ #œ #œ.
Diminished 7th starting on C# (two octaves)
bœ #œ bœ
? œ œ œ œ
bœ #œ #œ bœ
œ œ
œ œ
#œ #œ
Dominant 7th in the key of F (two octaves)
œ œ œ
? œ œ œ œ
b œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
Dominant 7th in the key of F# (two octaves)
œ œ œ
?###### œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
8
Grade 8
Candidates to prepare i) Lip flexibility exercise and chromatic scale
Lip flexibility exercise (from memory)
Play the exercise slurred, using the slide positions given.
Chromatic scale starting on pedal B (two octaves, from memory) (tempo, dynamics and articulation as for scales below)
Candidates to prepare in full either section ii) or section iii)
either ii) Scales & arpeggios (from memory) — the examiner will select from the following:
Candidates should prepare scales and arpeggios from the following 
tonal centres:
Low B major, low B minor
Low Bb major, low Bb minor tongued,  f or mf 
using  slurred– or p or 
Plus: plug  two  tongued or  cresc./dim. 
Crabwise scale from F and pedal Bb  range B,  octaves q = 88—132 staccato– (p– f –p) 
Chromatic scale starting on low Bb and low D  ped Bb tongued as  or 
Whole-tone scale starting on low B and low Bb  requested by  dim./cresc. 
Dominant 7th in the keys of E and Eb   the examiner (f –p –f )
Diminished 7th starting on low B and low Bb
Augmented arpeggio starting on low B and low Bb
When the examiner requests a major tonal centre, the candidate should play in succession:
  The major scale
  The major arpeggio
When the examiner requests a minor tonal centre, the candidate should play in succession:
  The melodic minor scale
  The harmonic minor scale
  The minor arpeggio
or iii) Orchestral & brass band extracts
See current syllabus for details
i) Lip flexibility exercise and chromatic scale
œ , œ œ œ
        h = 72 bœ œ bœ œ
? 2 œ œ œ œ
2 bœ bœ bœ
œ œ
bœ b˙
(T1)
slide 1 (T1)
Repeat (descending) using the following slide combinations:
2nd —  3rd  —  4th
Chromatic scale starting on pedal B (two octaves)
? œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ
? œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ
9
Grade 8 continued
ii) Scales & arpeggios
Chromatic scale starting on D (two octaves)
? œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ #œ
? œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ
Dominant 7th in the key of Eb (two octaves)
œ œ œ
? b œ œ œ œ
b b œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
Dominant 7th in the key of E (two octaves)
?# # œ œ œ œ œ
# # œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
Bb major scale (two octaves)
?bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Bb major arpeggio (two octaves)
œ
? b œ œ œ œ
b œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
œ œ.
10
Description:Bass Trombone. Scales, Arpeggios  Bass Trombone exams from 2015. Grades 6–8 . Augmented arpeggio starting on low C and low C#. When the