My Score

Part of what makes J.W. Pepper the leading retailer in sheet music is our system of grading each piece and allowing directors to search our catalog by piece grade. Accurately grading your piece will help directors better program for their ensembles. 

Follow the guidelines below to help accurately grade your Band music-

Beginning

   Music graded Beginning should introduce fundamental principals and help build techniques for early musicians. Music graded for students should utilize unison lines to help students work together and learn to play as a group. 

Easy

   Easy music should be written for musicians that are working on developing skills. This music should be building on basic technique and working to advance those skills. It is good to keep score instruments in groups that and not to have complex countermelodies.

Medium-Easy

  Medium-Easy music should be slightly more advanced branching into advanced parameters. These scores should continue building upon basic technique while introducing advanced techniques. These pieces should help musicians become more independent within an ensemble using melody, harmony, and countermelody. 

Medium

   Music in the Medium category should have similar principals to the Medium-Easy category. Medium graded music tends to be longer in length and with a wider variation of tempo. These pieces can have changing meters and explore some advanced keys.

Medium Advanced

   Medium Advanced music should be pushing musicians to explore more technical studies by introducing extended techniques, and complex meters. This music typically is longer in length with variation of structure throughout.  

Advanced

     Advanced music should be challenging and intricate, with great detail and complexity. This music can utilize extended techniques, complex meters, complex subdivisions and complex countermelodies and harmonies. This music is intended for advanced ensembles mainly in the collegiate level.

These grading guidelines are suggestions and may not accurately represent your music. Please use these guides to help make decisions on how to grade your piece.