Rockschool (RSL Awards) Electric Guitar · Grade 8
Rockschool Electric Grade 8 guitar
The top grade — professional-level technique, tone and stagecraft.
Books for this grade
You can pick your exam pieces from any of these books — the current one, the previous edition or the Rockschool Classics series. Tap a book to see its full song list.
Current book · 2024Rockschool Guitar Grade 8The current syllabus book — the default choice for exams today.See the 9 songs →
Previous book · 2018Rockschool Guitar Grade 8The previous edition. These pieces are still accepted in exams.See the 12 songs →
Rockschool ClassicsRockschool Classics Guitar Grades 6-8Rockschool Classics (previously Hot Rock). Benchmarked repertoire — usable in your exam at this grade.See the 6 songs →
I run these as digital exams by default — recorded in the lesson and submitted to RSL — unless a student would rather sit an in-person exam, which I'm happy to arrange.
Set pieces
Tap any piece to open its own page with a play-along video, amp settings and practice tips. You'll still need the official grade book for the notation.
Every piece across all Rockschool Electric Grade 8 books(27)
- Country Boy— Albert Lee Play
- Cry Me A River (Live iTunes Festival 2013) Play
- Dark Matter Play
- Die To Live— Steve Vai Play
- Freightshaker Play
- Kid Charlemagne— Steely Dan Play
- Lead Sheet Play
- Meet Darth Ear Play
- Mind The Gaps Play
- Native Sons— Snarky Puppy Play
- Nosso Samba Play
- Spanish Joint— D'Angelo Play
- Spain— Chick Corea Play
- Breathing Underwater— Hiatus Kaiyote Play
- Anthem— Rush Play
- Every Piece Matters— Plini Play
- Silence Of Saturday— Nili Brosh Play
- Cliffs Of Dover— Eric Johnson Play
- Copenhagen Play
- The Switch Play
- Four By Twelve Play
- You Shook Me All Night Long— AC/DC Play
- No One Knows— Queens Of The Stone Age Play
- Rope— Foo Fighters Play
- 2 Minutes To Midnight— Iron Maiden Play
- We Were Born To Be Loved— King’s X Play
- Holier Than Thou— Metallica Play
Books and exam booking
Everything you need for Grade 8 comes from RSL directly — the grade book with notation and backing tracks, and the exam booking itself. Most of my students book the Performance Certificate first.
Technical work at Grade 8
- All scales and modes at speed and in all positions
- Advanced sweep picking and hybrid picking
- Sophisticated harmonic vocabulary
- Fully independent musical interpretation
What's in the exam
- Three performance pieces
- Technical exercises
- One supporting test
- Ear tests and general musicianship questions