Summer Term Music, Musicians and Music Exams thread

Interesting discussion re cello. I spoke to my son's teacher the other day and her view was that unless I was mad keen on him doing exams, she would prefer to wait until G2 (absolutely fine by me). It appears he is already working through the G2 syllabus - I simply wasn't aware of it. In comparison, DS completed the G1 trumpet exam in December and is already being entered for the G2 exam now. Different teachers = different approaches. I watch on the sidelines with interest.

Don't see any problem with skipping exams - sometimes there isn't a big jump in the early grades and if a child is already learning another instrument it doesn't always make sense to take 2 exams. My experience with percussion is the same as drummersmum's as timing means DS would either have got bored with pieces he knew really well or have an insane rush to meet the deadline. He plays several instruments and has skipped exams in all of them!
I think cello grade 2 is a big jump - DS2 took grade 1 last December but won't be taking grade 2 until next December. He's got grade 2 piano this term and at the moment I am all for him not doubling up on exams! Also I think ensemble playing is really helping his cello and increases repertoire so that has been more important than an exam in my view. Interesting to hear it's common to skip grade 3, though.

Chauffermummy - dd did g1 and g2 cello in consecutive terms and it was not a big jump but mainly because her teacher had held back the g1 exam until dd2 was already doing g2 syllabis etc. we are so musically uneducated we didn't even realise what she was doing. So it was all very natural progression and dd was very relaxed and got a big confirdnce boost from the experience and she then skipped g3 (seems a significant majority of kids skip g3 cello
)

The problem with exams is the huge gaps between period and period and the having to register so much in advance. DS is now onto gr7 piano as well as percussion. He has sometimes been short of a month to be ready for an exam so didn't dare to book, but then he can't move on and has to wait months and if he doesn't keep practising the pieces occasionally then they go rusty. So I hate the whole thing. Best thing he's ever done is when he has skipped grades!

Hi chauffeurmummy, personally I don't see any issue with jumping the grades. So long as your DD is covering off scales, sight reading and playing at that standard, not sitting the practical should not present an issue. Many teachers actually don't like exams, some presenting their students at mid points like 3, 5 etc. My DD's violin teacher hates ABRSM exams with a vengeance but ensures she covers work with technical studies and wide repertoire.

Conversely, her piano teacher is a stickler for going through each grade which works for that instrument..

Out of interest can anyone tell me whether it's a big jump between Grades 1 and 2 cello and piano? Dds school don't really like the children taking more than one exam per session so although she knows her Grade 1 cello pieces (although they are not polished) she won't be sitting her G1 cello this term as she's doing G2 singing. I was wondering whether it made more sense to skip G1 or whether it was important to do the first grade? Likewise with piano - she doesn't have the pieces yet so quite the same situation.

thats a relief then, I shall let her get on with not doing it!

Miss 11 is just finishing up the past paper for grade 6. She is really loving that she can move on to grade 7 - because she is worried her little sister is catching up.

Missymew - duets work well for my children - and playing things from my shelf that they know - cats, Joseph, queen, - just pick an easy key and if the rhythm isn't quite perfect then don't sweat it.

kitten if she's done well at grade 5 then i suspect that half an hour a week is fine. My dd joined a post-grade 5 theory class in September having never done formal theory before (she couldn't read the bass or tenor/alto clefs!). She has one 45 min lesson a week and apart from the first month she has never done any extra work. Nevertheless the teacher reckons she's caught up just fine. Learning theory is a cumulative process, so someone with a recent grade 5 should be in a good position.

dd is doing grade 6 theory cos she really enjoyed grade 5. absolutely no work seems to be going into it other than half an hours lesson each week. Im a bit concerned...

Hi, it's been a long time since I did a music exam and my daughter is doing her prep test in piano next month. I understand she can't fail this and that's its a useful experience. She's only be playing for 5 months and has really taken to it. Just wondered if anyone had any tips on keeping her playing fun over the next month. She is only 8.

Wow Wafflenose you are going to be busy.
Miss 8 got her grade 5 theory certificate today and is really pleased to have it all behind her.
Good luck to all those entering and taking exams this time round.

Cooroo I'm another adult learner, piano around grade 3, and allegedly doing the exam later this term although I am not sure and the deadline is looming! Also DS2 will be doing G2 and I'm a little worried about the combined stress levels...
I work from home a lot so it's quite nice to fit practice in just before doing some work or while the kettle's boiling. And I have headphones so the family can't hear me if I'm not doing too well or learning scales!

Cooroo - I forgot to add that never having had a musical education at all DH took the flute up last year at 49. He is doing really well .

I find it interesting about sharing ideas, I know what I like and what I want to play, I did Gr8 theory, albeit a long time ago and I think that I am far more 'closed minded' to things I don't like, whereas 30 years ago I would have done what I was told.

My teacher pulled out some jazz pieces today, I hated them - wouldn't have had the nerve to hate them before and would have ploughed on regardless.

Julie I'm glad other adults are doing this! I find it a very different experience. My teacher and I are exploring pieces together, sharing ideas. I am motivated to practise - actually I practised scales like a fiend as a teenager, no idea why. I'd recommend anyone thinking of starting or returning to an instrument as an adult to take it up, it's very therapeutic. That said, I am very glad I learned to read music as a child while my brain still worked!

Musicmom1 my sax-playing dd is older, but rather petite and has really small hands, and reach isn't an issue. I think a student coming to sax from another wind instrument should find the transition very easy. DD played descant and alto recorder as a younger child - was grade 5 ish when she gave up 3 years ago - she's already at a similar level on sax even though it is very much a third instrument in terms of the time she dedicates to it.

Cooroo,

My youngest student ever was 2yo on piano, but I currently have two adult violin/fiddle beginners (approx. grade 1 and the other has just had one lesson) and two adult violin returners (formerly scraped-through-grade-4 and was-about-grade-7-but-no-exam). I have an adult pianist starting from scratch this week.

I self-taught flute at 17yo as I wanted something to muck around on. I then didn't play it for about ten years and have recently picked it up again (repertoire grade 6+ but not fast pieces!!!). I am vaguely self-teaching cello, lever harp and wire-strung harp (different techniques), and jazz piano (I play 'regular' piano fine), at the moment - by which I mean I dabble on all of them but don't really practise. I took grade 6 theory last year and managed a merit having passed grade 5 when I was 10... I have a music degree but it was mainly history and I was hopeless at analysis and composition. It was the first exam I'd taken in years and was kind of scary... and I was in a room with all the kids doing grades 1-5.

Hi there,
we are doing exams this term too:
DD1 might be doing G3 piano, DS1 is doing G3 violin and they are both doing their theory (G2 and G1) as DD1 has started working towards G5 violin and we are trying to catch up on theory before it's too late!!!!!

Thanks Shaky - that's really helpful. Your dd must be pretty amazing to get that far with that score is young!

Hi music mum. Yes - she plays on a full size alto and has done since she was seven. She is eight now. She started on a Trevor James alphasax when she just turned five. She has always been very tall for her age.

She couldn't reach the right hand when she first started and the wonderful teacher just gave her music which contained only the notes she could play. Now, at eight she has no issue with stretch or weight. She does use a full harness - and I am careful that it fits her properly. It hasn't held her back. She got 140 in her grade 5 practical!

mom17 I don't know your Ds teacher so it would be hard for me to comment if his/her approach is the right one.

Dd's teacher is ideal for us because she adjusts to the rhythm my dd is capable of. She also said to me from the beginning that it can take 2 years to get to grade 1 sometimes more but it depends on the child a lot. How much practice they do and so on. When she was entered for grade 1 one year after starting piano lessons she explained to me that was an exception because she is so committed to piano.

I guess it depends a lot what the teacher is looking for when teaching new pieces.

Even though my dd's teacher said she'll do grade 3 with her next she is still teaching grade 2 level pieces or easier ones to ensure tehnique is covered.

Also I don't really question her decisions because she did say she doesn't want to put her off piano by asking too much of her even though she may be capable of doing it.

I guess it is hard as a teacher to find the right balance between pushing a child to his abilities and also making it fun.

Hi Shaky - interested to know if your dd is using a full size sax? Dd (9) tried one but found it heavy and also quite challenging hand stretch- she is quite tall. So would be note rested to know as dd even to experiment over the summer (she plays clarinet)

Fleurdelise , I wish all piano teachers are like your DD's teacher. My DS has almost finished lesson book 3(AP) and teacher has started giving him pieces from level-2 book of other method which are really easy and DS is not ready to try them enough. He just does it for sake of showing teacher. Ds's teacher objected to me giving him new pieces and books suggested by me and now he is trying to slow him down so much that I am afraid DS will loose all interest. But because of lack of Piano teachers in this side of world, I am just supposed to sit back and tolerate all this. Just hoping teacher realizes this and make him use his full potential.