Scales and arpeggios
Grade 8 is the technical capstone. Tempo ♩ ≈ 144 for scales. All keys, hands together, four octaves, with scales in thirds and sixths between the hands, staccato + legato, and full arpeggio inversions for major, minor, dominant 7th and diminished 7th.
What this grade asks for
Section
Scales (hands together, four octaves)
All major and minor keys — both legato and staccato.
Section
Scales a third apart + a sixth apart
Hands together, two octaves, in nominated keys.
Section
Scales in legato thirds (one hand)
Two octaves in nominated keys — right hand, both directions.
Section
Chromatic scales
Hands together, four octaves, plus a third / minor third / major third apart.
Section
Arpeggios + dominant/diminished 7ths
Hands together, four octaves, root position and all inversions, in all keys called.