MUSIC COMPLEXITY CHART (MC)
This chart assists composers assign grades, teachers evaluate repertoire, and publishers market
educational music effectively. Each grade subsumes all the characteristics of the previous one.
Easy Level
(Grade 1 < 2)
ELEMENTS
Medium Level
(Grade 3 < 4)
Advanced Level
(Grade 5 < 6)
OVERALL ORGANIZATION
1 part per instrument (e.g., alto sax,
French horn) or 2 parts (e.g., 1st and
2nd trumpets, 1st and 2nd violins); basic
percussion; condensed score; opt. tympani
2 and 3 parts (e.g., 1st and 2nd Fr.
horns, 1st, 2nd and 3rd clarinets); more
instruments (e.g., piccolo, bassoon, alto/
bass clarinet, bari sax, aux. percussion)
4 French horn parts; division of parts
(e.g., divisi 1st flute); specialized
instruments (e.g., contra bass clarinet,
flugelhorn, English horn, cornet)
Initially within octave;
gradually up to the 12th
Upwards of 2 octaves
Complete range of the instruments
Doubling of parts (e.g., tenor sax/
trombone, oboe/flute, cello/bass)
Brass, woodwind, strings, percussion
instrument groupings
Sectional divisions (e.g., clarinet
section, French horn section)
Whole, half, quarter, eighth and
dotted notes; some sixteenths
Sixteenth and thirty-second notes;
triplets; dotted sixteenths
Full range of notes and dotted notes
Combinations and syncopations of note
values above in melody and harmony
Combinations and syncopation of notes in
melody, counter-melody and harmony
Polyrhythmic patterns
2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8
5/8, 7/8, 5/4, 2/2, 3/2
Use of polymeters
*Melodic structure
Brief Motives and short phrases;
limited variation/development
Longer motives and phrases;
variation and development
Extended development and variation
of motives and phrases
*Melodic direction
Tonal/modal melody
Chromatic/whole-tone
Atonal/serial melody
Step-wise movement, leaps to P 5th up/down
Wider intervals (P 6th-to P 12th)
Augmented and diminished intervals
Winds: 1 sharp; up to 3 flats
Strings: 1 flat; up to 3 sharps.
Upwards of 5 sharps and 5 flats
Upwards of 6 sharps and 6 flats; use of
accidentals in place of key signatures
C+, G+, D+, A+; F+, Bb+, Eb+;
A-, E-, B-, F#-; D-, G-, C-
E+, B+; Ab+, Db+; C#-, G#-, F-, Bb-
Enharmonic keys: F#+/Gb+; C#+/
Db+; D#-/Eb-; A#-/Bb-
Tonal (major/minor) and modal
harmonies; transposition to related
keys (e.g., F+ to C+ or D- to B-)
Transposition to unrelated key; chromatic
harmonies; unrelated progressions
Atonal, twelve-tone, polytonal
progressions; aleatoric and
polystylistic writing
Binary, ternary, rondo, tone
poem, variation, overture
Sonata, polyphonic forms (e.g., fugue)
Combination forms (e.g., sonatarondo, rondo-variation)
Theme or variation of theme
in separate sections
Multiple themes or development of
multiple themes within sections
Multiple themes and/or development
of themes and/or variation of
themes within sections
1 2 movements; upwards of 4 minutes
1 3 movements, upwards of 8 minutes
1 4 movements; upwards of 12 minutes
pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff
crescendo, diminuendo
sfp, sfz; changes in dynamics
Full range of gradations (e.g., ppp
to fff); rapid dynamic changes;
sustained crescendo/diminuendo
Detached, staccato, legato, and accents
Sostenuto, variety of accents/
articulations, contrasting passages
Full range of articulations,
variety within sections
Phrasing within bars and upwards of 2 bars
Moderate phrasing (up to 4 bars in length)
Extended phrasing (up to 4 bars and more)
*Instrumentation
*Range
*Orchestration
RHYTHM
*Note values
*Rhythmic patterns
*Meters
MELODY
*Intervals
HARMONY
*Key signatures
*Keys
*Harmonic organization
FORM
*Types
*Themes
*Duration
EXPRESSION
*Dynamics
*Articulations
*Phrasing
N. B. A higher grade is assigned when most of the characteristics of the musical elements are
more complex within a level. When a few characteristics are more complex, then a .5 indicator
may be warranted (e.g., 1.5, 2.5, etc.). Outliers may be ignored if minor ones.
B. W. Andrews 2010
