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ABRSM Grade 5 sight-reading introduces B minor, simple syncopation and movement up to fifth position. Syncopation can happen when a note starts between beats and continues across the next beat. The challenge is to keep counting while the note rings.

Try this original practice bar in 4/4, using notes from B minor: B crotchet; D quaver; F♯ quaver tied to F♯ crotchet; E crotchet. A crotchet lasts one beat and a quaver half a beat. The tie joins the two F♯ notes into one held sound, giving four beats altogether.

Count ‘1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and’ evenly. Play B on 1, D on 2, F♯ on the ‘and’ after 2, and E on 4. Hold F♯ through beat 3. Plucking it again on 3 breaks the tie; rushing to E makes the bar too short. First clap the rhythm while counting, then play it slowly. A better attempt keeps the F♯ ringing without another attack and lands on E exactly on 4.

Next, try a fresh short reading passage containing a tie and a position change. Keep the same count as your hand moves. This checks whether the rhythm is secure beyond the practised bar.

There is also a specific technical step at ABRSM Grade 5: fingers-only scales require both tirando (free stroke) and apoyando (rest stroke). Ask the tutor to check the sound and movement of each, rather than treating one familiar stroke as sufficient.

Rockschool Grade 5 electric and acoustic technical work includes major and minor triad sequences on the top three strings in C. A triad is a three-note chord. An inversion changes which chord note is lowest; it does not automatically change the chord’s name.

Here is a short C-major example on a guitar in standard tuning. Read each fret group in the order G string / B string / high E string.

• 5 / 5 / 3 sounds C–E–G. C is the lowest note: root position.
• 9 / 8 / 8 sounds E–G–C. E is now lowest: C major in first inversion.

Calling the second shape ‘E major’ because E is lowest is the mistake to catch. Both shapes contain C, E and G. Pick each string separately to hear whether a note is muted, then play the chord. Alternate the shapes slowly, keeping a regular pulse through the hand movement. Improvement means all three notes sound clearly and you can name the bass note without stopping the change.

These two shapes demonstrate the idea; use the complete prescribed sequence for exam preparation. Rockschool Acoustic Grade 5 requires its sequence continuously to a click at 80 bpm, so build from clear individual shapes towards steady movement at that tempo.

For ABRSM Performance Grade, preparing each piece separately is only part of the task. The programme also needs musical contrast and continuity. A technically secure opening can still feel unsettled if you rush out of the previous piece’s final note or begin the next one before hearing its tempo.

Try joining the last phrase of one piece to the opening phrase of the next. Let the ending finish, prepare the next hand position and silently hear the new pulse before starting. Listen back for a deliberate change of character: for example, a quiet lyrical ending followed by a crisp, rhythmical opening. The next entry should sound intentional rather than hurried. Then test the same transition in a complete programme run.

For a Rockschool Performance Certificate, use the same preparation idea across the five-piece set, following its own repertoire and recording rules. In a full graded exam, save time for the supporting components too. For Trinity Classical face-to-face, agree which two supporting tests you will take and practise those specific tasks alongside the programme.

Each tutor sets their hourly rate, shown on their profile. Latimer invoices on a pay-as-you-go basis after lessons, and lessons are arranged directly with the tutor following introduction. Confirm the charge for the lesson length you agree.

Include any music, audio, exam fee and equipment you may need in your budget, and ask what is covered before paying for it. When deciding on frequency, look for a clear practice task and useful feedback at the next session. A lesson that identifies why a shift or rhythm fails gives you something specific to work on independently.