Level 1 Skills

Practice the exercises in Basic Drum Kit Studies to develop these skills:

Theory

  • Time signatures 3/4, 12/8.

  • 16th notes, 8th and 16th combinations.

Technique

  • Sticking patterns in 8th and 16th notes

  • Foot ostinatos

Drum Kit

  • 8th note rock beat variations

  • Open hi hats

  • 16th note fills

Level 1 Set List

Learn a selection of these songs to build your own setlist, then choose 3-5 songs for your assessment.

Beat Industry

  1. Yellow - Coldplay

  2. Vultures - John Mayer

  3. Rock Or Bust - AC/DC

  4. I Could Have Lied - Red Hot Chili Peppers

  5. It’s Tricky - Run DMC

  6. Bad Habits - Ed Sheeran

  7. Stayin’ Alive - Bee Gees

Rockschool Grade 1 2024

  1. Come As You Are - Nirvana

  2. The Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

  3. Bad Habits - Ed Sheeran

  4. Where Is My Mind? - Pixies

  5. A Message To You Rudy - The Specials

  6. Wait a Minute! - WILLOW

  7. Ignite

  8. Downtown Detroit

  9. As Night Falls

Trinity Rock & Pop Grade 1 2018

  1. Another One Bites The Dust - Queen

  2. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

  3. Fever - The Black Keys

  4. Float On - Modest Mouse

  5. Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett

  6. Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

  7. The Weight - The Band

  8. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

Trinity Grade 1 2020

  1. Broadway Bounce

  2. Gunning for Funk

  3. In Seine

  4. Soul Babes

  5. Three Wise Monkeys

  6. Count Me In

Rockschool Grade 1 2018

  1. I Want To Break Free - Queen

  2. In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett

  3. Soul Man - Sam and Dave

  4. Liberation - Wretch 32

  5. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

  6. Yeah - Usher

Rockschool Grade 1 2012

  1. Kaiser Roll

  2. Bend And Snap

  3. Jangle Road

  4. West Coast Rollin’

  5. Deep Trouble

  6. Munky Fusic

Assessment

    • Song 1 - Choose a song from the book.

    • Song 2 - Choose a song from the book or a free choice song.

    • Song 3 - Choose a song from the book or a free choice song.

    • Technical Exercises.

    • Supporting Tests: Sight Reading or Improvisation, Ear Tests, Musicianship Questions.

    • Song 1 - Choose a song from the book.

    • Song 2 - Choose a song from the book.

    • Song 3 - Choose a song from the book or a free choice song.

    • Song 4 - Choose a song from the book or a free choice song.

    • Song 5 - Choose a song from the book or a free choice song.

    • No technical exercises or supporting tests.

    • Song 1 - Choose a song from the book.

    • Song 2 - Choose a song from the book or a free choice song.

    • Song 3 - Choose one of the Technical Focus songs from the book.

    • Session Skills - Choose either playback or improvising.

    • Song 1 - Choose a song from the book (Group A)

    • Song 2 - Choose a song from the book (Group A)

    • Song 3 - Choose a song from the book (Group B)

    • Grade 1 Rudiments

    • Grade 1 Exercises

    • Supporting Tests - Choose two from the following: sight reading, unpitched aural, improvisation, music knowledge.

Further Study