Scale Requirements: Young Musicians Festival
Following are the scales you are expected to have mastered and memorized for your instrument and level. Expect to be asked to play one scale of your choice, and one or two selected at random by the adjudicators.
The scale requirements are presented first by Category second by Instrument and finally by Level.
Please note: the level at which you compete in the Festival is determined by you and your music teacher collaboratively, and is based primarily on your ability to play the required scales and the pieces from the MYMF Repertoire List. Our use of the term “Level” is NOT the same as the Milton Public Schools’ use of the term.
Also note: this web page is intended to be used online! If you want to print the scale requirements for your instrument, don’t just click “print!” If you attempt to print this web page, you will get the whole thing - all 20 or so pages of it! Instead, click on the Adobe Acrobat™ file symbol at the beginning of your instrument’s listing. Your requirements will be presented in Acrobat™ pdf format which can be printed.
Click your instrument from the following list to view the scale requirements:
- PIANO
- VOICE
- STRINGS: violin | viola | cello & bass
- WOODWIND: flute & piccolo | clarinet | saxophone | oboe | bassoon
- BRASS: trumpet | french horn | trombone, baritone and tuba
- PERCUSSION
Voice
Levels 1 - 3
Sing a major scale (using note names or solfege) ascending and descending.
Levels 4-6
Sing a major scale and harmonic minor scale (using note names or solfege) ascending and descending.
Violin
printable version of violin requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- G, D, A Major scales, one octave with corresponding arpeggios
Level 2:
- G, A, B♭, C Major scales in first position, two octaves, corresponding arpeggios
Level 3:
- F Major scale, one octave, corresponding arpeggio
- C, G, D, A, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
Level 4:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
- g, a, d melodic minor scales, two octaves, arpeggios
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scale, two octaves in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
- g, a, d, e, b, c, melodic minor scales, two octaves, arpeggios
Level 6:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, Major scales, three octaves in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
- a, e, b, f♯, c♯, d, g, c, f melodic minor scales, three octaves, arpeggios
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Viola
printable version of viola requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- C, G, and D Major scales, one octave with corresponding arpeggios
Level 2:
- C, D, E♭, and F Major scales, first position, two octaves with corresponding arpeggios
Level 3:
- F and B♭ Major scale, one octave with corresponding arpeggios
- C, G, D, E♭, D♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
Level 4:
- C, G, D, A, F, E♭, A♭, D♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
- c, g, d melodic minor scales, two octaves, eighth notes, arpeggios
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
- a, e, b, f♯, d, g, c, f melodic minor, two octaves, eighth notes, arpeggios
Level 6:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales, three octaves in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
- A, e, b, f♯, d, g, c, f melodic minor, three octaves, eighth notes, arpeggios
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Cello and Bass:
printable version of cello & bass requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- C, G, D Major scales, one octave in eighth notes, corresponding arpeggios
Level 2:
- G, F, B♭ Major scales, one octave in eighth notes, with arpeggios
- C, D Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, with arpeggios
Level 3:
- A, B♭ Major scales, one octave in eighth notes, with arpeggios
- C, G, D, F, E♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, with arpeggios
- a, d melodic minor scales, one octave in eighth notes
Level 4:
- C, G, D, A, F, B♭, E♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, with arpeggios
- a, d, g, e, b melodic minor scales, one octave in eighth notes
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes, with arpeggios
- a, d, g, c, e, b, f♯ melodic minor scales, two octaves in eighth notes, with arpeggios
Level 6:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales, three octaves in sixteenth notes, with arpeggios
- a, d, g, c, f, e, b, f♯, c♯ melodic minor scales, three octaves in sixteenth notes, with arpeggios
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Flute and Piccolo:
printable version of flute requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- F and B♭ Major scales, one octave, tongued half notes
Level 2:
- C, G and B♭ Major Scales, one octave, tongued quarter notes.
- E♭ and F Major Scales, two octaves, tongued quarter notes
Level 3:
- C, G, D, B♭, A♭ Major Scales, one octave, slurred eighth notes
- F, E♭ Major scales, two octaves, slurred eighth notes
- One octave chromatic scale
Level 4:
- C, G, D, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major Scales, two octaves slurred sixteenth notes
- Corresponding harmonic minor scales, one octave
- Two octave chromatic scale
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales, two octaves slurred sixteenth notes
- Corresponding harmonic minor scales, two octaves
- Three octave chromatic scale
Level 6:
- All major scales and corresponding harmonic minor scales, two octaves slurred
- sixteenth notes
- Three octave chromatic scale
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Clarinet:
printable version of clarinet requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- C, F, G Major scales, one octave quarter notes, ascending and descending
Level 2:
- C, F, G, B♭, D Major scales two octaves in eighth notes, ascending and descending
- Chromatic scale, two octaves C - C
Level 3:
- C, F, G, B♭, D, E♭, A Major scales two octaves in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, two and ½ octaves E – C
Level 4:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales two octaves, eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, three octaves E – E
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, E, B, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ Major scales, two octaves, eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, three octaves
Level 6:
- All Major Scales, two octaves
- Chromatic scale , three octaves
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Saxophone:
printable version of saxophone requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- C, F, G Major scales, one octave quarter notes, ascending and descending
Level 2:
- C, F, G, B♭, D Major scales two octaves in eighth notes, ascending and descending
- Chromatic scale, two octaves C - C
Level 3:
- C, F, G, B♭, D, E♭, A Major scales two octaves in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, two and ½ octaves E – C
Level 4:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales two octaves, eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, three octaves E – E
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, E, B, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ Major scales, two octaves, eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, three octaves
Level 6:
- All Major Scales, two octaves
- Chromatic scale , three octaves
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Oboe:
printable version of oboe requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- C, G, and F Major scales, one octave in quarter notes
Level 2:
- C, G, D, F and B♭ Major scales, two octaves in quarter notes
Level 3:
- C, G, D, F and B♭ Major scales, two octaves in quarter notes
- Chromatic scale (C) two octaves
Level 4:
- C, G, D, A, F, B♭ and E♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (B♭-D) two-plus octaves
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭ and A♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (B♭-D) two-plus octaves
Level 6:
- C, G, D, A, E B, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭ Major scales, two octaves in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, any, two - three octaves
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Bassoon:
printable version of bassoon requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- C, G, D and F Major scales, one octave quarter notes
Level 2:
- C, G, D, F, B♭, and E♭ Major scales, one octave quarter notes
Level 3:
- G and A Major scales, one octave eighth notes
- C, D, F, Bb ,and E♭ Major scales, two octaves eighth notes
Level 4:
- C, G, D, A, F, B♭, E♭, and A♭ Major scales, two octaves eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (C) two octaves
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭ Major scales, two octaves eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (B♭) three octaves
Level 6:
- G, D, A, E, F, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭ Major scales, two octaves eighth notes
- C, B and B♭ Major scales, three octaves eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (B♭) three-plus octaves, ending on high C
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Trumpet:
printable version of trumpet requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- C and D major scales, one octave slurred in quarter notes, ascending and descending
Level 2:
- C, D, and G Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
Level 3:
- C, G, D, A, F, B♭ Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (C) one octave and 1/5 (up to G)
Level 4:
- F, B♭, E♭, D, E Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
- C, G, A Major scales, two octaves
- Chromatic scale (G) two octaves
Level 5:
- F, E♭, D, E, B Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
- C, G, A, B♭ major scales, two octaves
- Chromatic scale (G) two octaves
Level 6:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, Eb, A♭ Major scales, two octaves slurred in eighth notes
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French Horn:
printable version of french horn requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- B♭ and F Major scales, one octave slurred in quarter notes, ascending and descending
Level 2:
- C, F and B♭ Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
Level 3:
- C, F, B♭, E♭ and D Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (F) one octave
Level 4:
- C, D, A, B♭, A♭ Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
- E♭, F, G Major scales, two octaves slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (G) two octaves
Level 5:
- C, G, D, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major scales, two octaves slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (F) two octaves
Level 6:
- C, G, D, A E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ Major scales, two octaves slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (A) two octaves
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Trombone, Baritone and Tuba:
printable version of low brass requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- B♭ and E♭ Major scales, one octave slurred in quarter notes
Level 2:
- F, B♭, and E♭ Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
Level 3:
- F, B♭, E♭, A♭ and G Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale (G) two octaves
Level 4:
- E♭, D♭, D and C Major scales, one octave slurred in eighth notes
- F, Bb, A♭, G, and A Major scales, two octaves slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, any in two octaves
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, F, B♭, and A♭ Major scales, two octaves slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, two octaves
Level 6:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, and A♭ Major scales, two octaves slurred in eighth notes
- Chromatic scale, two octaves
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Piano:
printable version of piano requirementsMemorization required for all scales
Level 1:
- C, G, and F Major Scales
- One octave quarter notes, two octaves eighth notes, ascending and descending
Arpeggios one octave quarter notes ascending, descending
Level 2:
- C, G, and F Major and relative minor scales a, e, d
- Major scales one octave quarter notes, two octaves eighth notes,
Major arpeggios one octave quarter notes, two octave eighth notes
Minor scales all 3 forms one octave quarter notes
Level 3:
- C, G, F, D, A Major and relative minor scales a, e, d, b, f♯
- Major scales one octave quarter notes, two octaves eighth notes
Minor scales all 3 forms one octave quarter notes
Level 4:
- C, G , D, A, E, F, B♭ Major and relative minor scales a, e, b, f♯, c♯, d, g
- Major scales two octaves eighth notes
Minor scales all 3 forms one octave quarter notes
Level 5:
- C, G, D, A, E, F, B♭, E♭, A♭ Major and relative minor scales a, e, b, f♯, c♯, d, g, c, f
- Major scales two octaves eighth notes
Minor scales all 3 forms two octave eighth notes
Level 6:
- C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ Major and relative minor scales a, e, b, f♯, c♯, g♯, d♯, d, c, f, b♭
- Major scales four octaves eighth or sixteenth notes
Minor scales two octaves eighth notes
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Percussion:
printable version of percussion requirementsLevel 1, 2 and 3:
- SNARE DRUM
- required rudiments
- Moderately open long roll with dynamics ff>p or p<ff
- 5 and 9 stroke roll
- 7 stroke roll, lead on left
- flam accents 1 and 2
- flam tap
- single and double paradiddles
- criteria in evaluation
- Rudiments
- Knowledge of tuning snare drum
- Technique
- Rhythm
- Sticking
- Dynamics
- required rudiments
- TYMPANI
- requirements:
- Single stroke roll with dynamics ff>p or p<ff
- Students should be prepared to tune tympani to the desired pitches required in a piece
- criteria in evaluation:
- Rolls
- Technique
- Tuning
- Rhythm
- Dynamics
- Sticking
- requirements:
- MALLETS
- Mallet players should be prepared to play an adjusted octave in range on the audition piece depending on the equipment available
- required scales:
- B♭, F, C, G, D played at moderate tempo in both directions
- Chromatic scale of two octaves
- criteria: similar to that of timpanists
Level 4, 5 and 6:
- SNARE DRUM
- required rudiments
- Moderately open long roll with dynamics ff>p or p<ff
- 5 and 9 stroke roll
- 7 stroke roll, lead on left
- flam accents 1 and 2
- single and double paradiddles
- single drag
- ruff
- double ratamacue
- flamacue
- criteria in evaluation
- Rudiments
- Knowledge of tuning
- Technique
- Rhythm
- Sticking
- Dynamics
- required rudiments
- TYMPANI
- requirements:
- Single stroke roll with dynamics ff>p or p<ff
- Students should be prepared to tune tympani to the desired pitches required in a piece
- criteria in evaluation:
- Rolls
- Technique
- Tuning
- Rhythm
- Dynamics
- Sticking
- requirements:
- MALLETS
- Mallet players should be prepared to play an adjusted octave in range on the audition piece depending on the equipment available
- required scales:
- 4 sharps to 4 flats, played at moderate tempo in both directions
- Chromatic scale of two octaves
- criteria: similar to that of timpanists