Music grades

Tigsteroonie

Cakeguts wrote: »

Music lessons are expensive and some people might be relieved to find out that they don't need to pay for any of these exams.

You can learn to ride a horse without taking any of the Pony Club tests and badges. You can learn to swim without getting Swimming Certificates.

But sometimes you like to have them, just to record what you've achieved.

Ectophile

To do grades 6, 7 or 8 music practical at the ABRSM requires at least grade 5 music theory as a prerequisite. I would hope that anyone who can pass grade 5 music theory can at least read music.

OK, music theory doesn't cover sight reading. But you can't get that far without any ability to read music.

Cakeguts

Ectophile wrote: »

To do grades 6, 7 or 8 music practical at the ABRSM requires at least grade 5 music theory as a prerequisite. I would hope that anyone who can pass grade 5 music theory can at least read music.

OK, music theory doesn't cover sight reading. But you can't get that far without any ability to read music.

People have. Not all exam boards require you to take grade 5 theory before taking grade 8.

Lavendyr

No one is forced to take music exams. If you don't want to take them (or pay for them), don't. Simples. On the other hand, they are there if you want to take them. Many children find them inspirational and motivational when learning. I certainly did when learning both piano and violin, both of which I followed through the grades (under ABRSM). But they're hardly mandatory. If you don't want to take the grades, no one is making you. Not really sure what the point of the post is.

peachyprice

Cakeguts wrote: »

The exams don't lead onto anything else except another grade. They aren't standards in ensemble playing. Entry to music college is by audition. Entry to university music courses is by audition. Which job could you get on the strength of having passed a grade?

Do you think someone would even get a foot in the door of an audition without having taken any graded exams?

peachyprice

Cakeguts wrote: »

People have. Not all exam boards require you to take grade 5 theory before taking grade 8.

And there in lies the rub.

I think most people here are talking Royal Academy of Music and the like, not some dodgy exam board where a primary school child can easily pass grade 8.

Not all exam boards are the equal, quite clearly. It's the same with dance, some schools follow RAD, others, well, don't, they make up their own grading system.

Cakeguts

peachyprice wrote: »

Do you think someone would even get a foot in the door of an audition without having taken any graded exams?

You don't need to have taken any grade exams to audition for music college. What is important is the reference from your teacher. You have to remember that most people who audition for a top music college took grade 8 (if they even bothered) years and years before they do the audition so the standard required to pass a grade is not representative of the standard that they need to be to pass the audition.

Cakeguts

peachyprice wrote: »

And there in lies the rub.

I think most people here are talking Royal Academy of Music and the like, not some dodgy exam board where a primary school child can easily pass grade 8.

Not all exam boards are the equal, quite clearly. It's the same with dance, some schools follow RAD, others, well, don't, they make up their own grading system.

It probably was ABRSM actually because they said that they had got a distinction. There is no reason why a primary school child can't pass grade 8 ABRSM with distinction. The standard required to pass is elementary. The grades are very cleverly labelled and some adults confuse the standard of the grades with playing standards. A grade labelled advanced means that it is advanced compared to other grades not that it needs an advanced playing standard to pass it.

Cakeguts

Lavendyr wrote: »

No one is forced to take music exams. If you don't want to take them (or pay for them), don't. Simples. On the other hand, they are there if you want to take them. Many children find them inspirational and motivational when learning. I certainly did when learning both piano and violin, both of which I followed through the grades (under ABRSM). But they're hardly mandatory. If you don't want to take the grades, no one is making you. Not really sure what the point of the post is.

The point of the post is that these exams are not cheap. Grade 8 in 2016 cost £87 plus the lessons to learn the music and the cost of buying the music plus the cost of employing a pianist to play the accompaniment if it isn't a piano exam. Because of all the myths surrounding these exams some people appear to think that taking them is a necessary part of learning a musical instrument. If you don't take any of these exams you will save £100s and not lose out on anything. As this is a money saving website not doing these exams if you are learning an instrument is a really good way of saving a lot of cash.

Sooler

Cakeguts wrote: »

This is a money saving website. I want to suggest that people understand what they are paying for and realise that they can save money by not paying for these exams and it won't make any difference to learning a musical instrument.

You don't need an art degree to be an artist either.