Information for LCM exam candidates, Summer 2026

This is a summary of requirements to help students/parents/tutors decide whether a candidate is ready to take an exam. The full official syllabus can be found at: https://lcme.uwl.ac.uk/media/e20f00st/irish-traditional-music-syllabus-2016-updated.pdf

General information

All performances to be from memory and without accompaniment.
Tune categories are: Air – slow or lively; Jig – double, slip or single; Reel; Slide; Polka; Hornpipe; March; Set dance; Fling; Barndance; Highland; Schottische; Mazurka; Harp piece.
Each tune to be played twice, with repeats where appropriate.
APC Yellow Book contains tunes suitable for Grades 1 and 2; Red Book, Grades 3 and 4; Fiddle & Pipe Books, all grades. The LCM website has sample repertoire lists for all grades. Some suggested tunes are given below.
Marking for all grades is: Performance 60%, Repertoire 20%, Supplementary tests 20%.
Use of ornamentation is expected for Grades 3 and 4.
Very important to prepare for the supplementary tests, which can make a lot of difference to the overall mark!

Syllabus

GRADE 1 (exam: 15 minutes; fee: £59)

Performance: play 3 tunes – must be of different types

Repertoire: prepare 3 tunes of different types – examiner will ask for one to be played

Supplementary tests:

Beat time to polka, double jig or reel played by examiner.
Identify instruments – whistle, flute, fiddle, accordion from a recording.
Identify tune types – air, polka, double jig played by examiner.
Describe your own instrument and name a prominent player of that instrument.

GRADE 2 (exam: 15 minutes; fee: £68)

Performance: play 3 tunes of different types, one of the tunes must be a hornpipe, jig or reel; for example 1: air – The South Wind, 2: jig – The Kesh Jig, 3: march – The Mountains of Pomeroy

Repertoire: prepare 5 tunes of different types, examiner will choose some to be played. E.g. 1: slide – Sergeant Cahill’s, 2: polka – Maggie in the Wood, 3: march – the Song of the Chanter, 4: barndance – Lucy Farr’s, 5: reel – Walter Sammon’s

Supplementary tests:

Beat time to a polka/double jig/reel/march played by examiner.
Tune types: identify an air/polka/jig/reel played by examiner.
Sing, hum or play back a phrase played twice by the examiner.
Identify instruments played on a recording – tin whistle, flute, fiddle, accordion, harp.
Name five instruments used in traditional music.
Describe your own instrument and name two prominent players of it.

GRADE 3 (exam: 20 minutes; fee: £74)

Performance: play 3 tunes of different types, one of which must be a reel, jig, slide or hornpipe, should include some simple ornamentation.

Repertoire: prepare 5 tunes of different types with some simple ornamentation, examiner will choose some to be played.

Supplementary tests:

Beat time to any tune.
Identify tune types – air, polka, double jig, reel played by examiner.
Sing, hum or play back one phrase of a tune played by examiner (twice).
Identify instrument from a recording – whistle, flute, pipes, fiddle, accordion, concertina, harp.
Describe your own instrument, name two prominent players of it and one prominent group.

GRADE 4 (exam: 20 minutes; fee: £81)

Performance: play 3 sets of 2 tunes, one set must have a slow air followed by a dance tune, all should include simple ornamentation; e.g. 1: air – Bruach na Carraige Báine / Greencastle hornpipe 2: jigs – An Seanduine Dóite/Slieve Russell 3: reels: The Humours of Tulla / The Blacksmith’s Daughter

Repertoire: prepare 5 tunes of different types, to include simple ornamentation, examiner will choose some to be played. E.g. 1: slide – The Brosna Slide, 2: slip jig – Humours of Derrykrosane, 3: hornpipe – the Humours of Tuamgraney, 4: reel – Rolling in the Ryegrass, 5: barndance – John McKenna’s Ballroom Favourite.

Supplementary tests:

Beat time to any tune.
Identify tune types – air/polka/double jig/reel/march played by examiner.
Sing, hum or play back a tune extract played twice by examiner.
Identify any instrument from a recording.
Name two prominent players of your instrument and two prominent groups.
Name three types of dance tune and give their time signatures.

GRADE 5 (exam: 25 minutes; fee: £89)

Performance: play 3 sets of 2 tunes, one set must have a slow air followed by a dance tune, and a wide range of ornamentation is expected.

Repertoire: prepare 3 selections of 2 tunes, with wide range of ornamentation; examiner will choose one selection to be played.

Supplementary tests:

Name and demonstrate 3 different ornamentation types appropriate to your instrument.
Beat time to any tune.
Identify tune types – air, polka, double jig, reel, hornpipe, march.
Sing, hum or play back tune extract played by examiner (polka, double jig, march or reel).
Name four types of dance tunes and give their time signature.

GRADE 6 (exam: 25 minutes; fee: £103)

Performance: play 3 sets of 2 tunes of different types, must include a slow air followed by a dance tune. Wide range of ornamentation expected. E.g. 1: air – Sliabh Geal gCua /hornpipe – The Plains of Boyle, 2: jigs – Garret Barry’s/ Rambling Pitchfork, 3: reels – The Wise Maid / Fermoy Lasses

Repertoire: prepare 4 sets of 2 tunes of different types with wide range of ornamentation e.g. 1: mazurkas – Seamus O’Kane’s /Jackie Donnan’s, 2: slip jigs Give us a drink of Water/Hardiman the Fiddler, 3: set dance /reel – The Downfall of Paris / The Reel of Rio, 4: air/march – Lament for Aughrim/Battle of Aughrim, 5: slides – The Star Above the Garter / Merrily Kiss the Quaker’s Wife

Supplementary tests:

Name and demonstrate 4 different types of ornamentation used on your instrument.
Identify polka, march, reel, hornpipe, slide, double jig, slip jig played by the examiner.
Sing, hum or play back a phrase of a tune played by examiner.
Play a phrase from a tune of your choice, then play it a second time with simple melodic variation.
Name and describe three different regional styles.

GRADE 7 (exam: 30 minutes; fee: £112)

Performance: play 3 selections of two tunes of different types, including a slow air followed by a dance tune. Must include a wide range of ornamentation and simple melodic variation.

Repertoire: prepare 5 selections of different types with wide range of ornamentation; the examiner will choose several to be played.

Supplementary tests:

Identify any tune type.
Describe simple variations played by examiner.
Sing, hum or play back two phrases of melody played by examiner.
Discuss one prominent player of your instrument or any prominent trad group. Be prepared to name and play tune examples associated with your chosen musician or group.

GRADE 8 (exam: 30 minutes; fee: £128)

Performance: play 3 sets of two tunes showing wide range of ornamentation and variation. Must include a slow air, followed by a dance tune. At least one dance tune must have three or more parts. E.g. 1: air –Táimse im Chodladh/hornpipe – The Cuckoo’s Nest; 2: reels – The Galway High Reel/ Over the Moor to Maggie; 3: jigs – Queen of the Rushes/The Cat’s Meow

Repertoire: prepare 5 sets of 2 tunes to include ornamentation and variation; examiner will choose several to be played. E.g. 1: reels – Splendid Isolation/Lawries Reel, 2: marches – The Rose in the Gap/ March of the Meenatotten Bull, 3: slip jigs – The Kid on the Mountain/Drops of Springwater, 4: barndances – Kitty Seán’s/If there weren’t any Women in the World, 5: hornpipes – The Harp and Shamrock/Kitty’s Wedding

Supplementary tests:

Identify any tune type played by examiner.
Describe variations played by examiner.
Sing, hum or play back 2 phrases played by examiner.
Discuss a prominent player of your instrument and a prominent group of your choice. Be prepared to name and play tunes associated with the player and group.