Amateur Chamber Music Society Inc.
Instrumentalists' Self-Grading Guide

ACMS members grade themselves into five levels of competence (numbered 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest)).

This simple self-scoring test sheet will help you assess your level.

It may be easier to save and print this page, and then complete it off-line at your leisure


Answer the eight questions below, and add up the scores indicated in brackets after each answer.
When you have added up your score, grade yourself according to the following table:

As an indication for grouping, could violinists please indicate whether they are prepared to lead a quartet by putting 'L' after their classification. eg level 2 violinists prepared to lead would give their classification as 2(L).

NOTE: Don't send in this form with your membership application! It's yours to keep.


  1. Do you practice daily?

  2. How often do you play in a group?

  3. How often do you get lost?

  4. If you get lost, do you find your way back?

  5. How good is your sight-reading

  6. With how many of the following works are you comfortable?
    1. Strings: Quartets by Haydn and Mozart (Early) (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)
    2. Winds: Baroque Trio Sonatas; Haydn Divertimento ("St. Anthony Chorale"); Dittersdorf and other pre-classical composers (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)
    3. Pianists: Haydn Trios; continuo parts in trio sonatas by Bach and Handel (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)

  7. With how many of the following works are you comfortable?
    1. Strings: Quartets by Beethoven (Op.18); Quartets by Mozart (late); Quartets and Quintets by Dvorak; Sextets by Brahms (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)
    2. Winds: Mozart Serenades; Beethoven Octet; Quintets by Reicha, Ibert, Milhaud (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)
    3. Pianists: Trios by Beethoven(early), Mozart and Schubert ; Quartets by Beethoven and Mozart; Quintets by Mozart, Schubert and Dvorak (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)

  8. With how many of the following works are you comfortable?
    1. Strings: Quartets by Beethoven (middle and late), Brahms, Debussy, Ravel and Shostakovich (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)
    2. Winds: Quintets by Hindemith, Nielsen, Barber and Ligeti; Clarinet Quintets by Brahms, Bliss; Piano Sextet by Poulenc (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)
    3. Pianists: Trios, Quartets and Quintets by Brahms; Trios by Beethoven (late), Mendelssohn, Ravel and Shostakovich; Quartets by Faure and Schumann; Quintets by Schumann and Shostakovich (or equivalent)
      • Almost all . . . (3)
      • Many . . . (2)
      • Few . . . (1)
      • None . . . (0)

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