Flute levels

[dancemom]

Dd started playing flute about 2 years ago.

She played a wooden / traditional flute for about 18 months and has recently begun playing the classical flute. They are very different so really was like starting over for dd!

She has lessons in school for approx 20-30 mins a week from an external teacher so not someone I see regularly or can easily talk to.

There is a woodwind group that meet weekly that dd is interested in joining however they state you must be approximately grade 1 level to join and dd believes she's not at this level.

Her flute teacher has never mentioned grades or exams or anything to dd and dd doesn't want to ask her (typical pre teen!)

Dd is working her way through abracadabra(?) flute book and can play several pieces very nicely, most recently Away in a Manger!

Can anyone advise on levels / grades and what she would need to master to be approximately grade 1 level?

[Wafflenose]

It sounds like your daughter is really enjoying her flute. It's great that she wants to join a group, because that will help her develop further and learn new skills. Off the top of my head, I think that for Grade 1, they need to be playing all the notes (naturals/ 'white' notes) from low D up to middle G (so from just below to just above the lines on the stave) and playing some dotted and tied notes correctly, plus rhythms of half, one, two, three and four beats. If she's playing Away in a Manger, she's probably not far off. I have a pupil who's just gone past that, and will start some Grade 1 things towards the end of this term, aiming to take the exam in the summer.

I'll get the book out in a moment though, and will tell you approximately how far the book they'd have to be for me to consider entering them for Grade 1 (I don't stick to one tutor book, but use several).

[Wafflenose]

OK... in my version of Abracadabra (which is 4 or 5 years old) that tune is no.40. She's not far off. I'd try them on some Grade 1 level pieces once they reached no. 60-64ish, then enter them for the exam the following term, probably. Does she understand key signatures, so B natural, B flat, F natural, F sharp? If so, I think she only has a couple of middle register notes to go, and might cope with some pieces at that level. I think next term would be a reasonable target to aim for with the wind group. :)

If she were my pupil, the next steps would be to learn middle F, F sharp and G, followed by the F and G scales/ arpeggios. Learning the patterns will help with sight reading and ensemble playing.

[dancemom]

Thank you for your response wafflenose

I know nothing about music but I asked dd about these notes and she knew what I was saying and was suitably boosted that she is more advanced than she thinks!

Thanks again for looking into it