music grades are they equal in difficulty for different instruments

[ReallyTired]

Ds has recently started one to one singing lessons after years of singing in a church choir. The teacher wants to prepare him for grade 5 associated board singing exam. Ds has been learning guitar for three years and will soon take grade 3 guitar with Trinity Board.

Looking at the music I get the impression that grade 3 guitar (Trinity) is harder than grade 5 singing (Associated Board). Certainly my son thinks that his guitar grade is harder. Traditionally Associated Board exams have carried more snob value, but I feel this is unjustified.

So if there are any music teachers out there or anyone else with loads of musical instrument experience: Are grade exams for different instruments and boards equal?

Theas - reminds me of ours a bit - they did Green Grow the leaves as their folk song in every grade from I think 5 - 8.

I agree with recording. I force them to be videoed the week before each exam. The boys a few years ago aged 12 with that voice you can have at that age and then lose and never get back in the same way again is very special to keep.

I did grade 8 singing and grade 8 piano the same term I sat my A Levels. I got 97 for piano and a Distinction for singing. Singing was pretty effortless TBH. Then again, I think people only bother with singing exams if they have a natural talent for it, whereas instrument exams can be passed with hard work (or not, in my case ) Passed the A Levels though.

This is interesting. I did ABRSM grade 8s in piano and clarinet as a teenager, then have recently done grade 7 singing (at 50+) having started singing lessons to learn how to do it properly after decades of singing in choirs. I wouldn't describe any higher grade as "a piece of piss"! Piano was difficult because of all the notes, clarinet because of the articulation and need for a good embouchure to produce a nice tone. The hardest part of the singing for me was having to perform the songs from memory and in two different foreign languages. I'm no linguist and was terrified that I would have a memory lapse, or that my voice would quiver, pitch would be all over the place etc. You really need to be able to sing in tune with a lovely tone in all parts of your range to get good marks, and even if you are blessed with a great instrument all this needs work. Sight singing and aurals were the same.

To answer the original question, some instruments (voice, flute etc) are only capable of producing one note at a time. Other instruments like guitar/piano are capable - and required to - produce multiple notes simultaneously. A simple analogy is rubbing your head vs rubbing your head AND belly. Both are possible, and easy once you are through the learning curve, but they are not the same difficulty when you first try them. Add inthat in the exams you will be required to hear single notes vs multiple notes simultaneously and be able to recognise/name them and my own view is that single note instruments are significantly easier than multi-note instruments. Mastery of any instrument is equally hard, but to get exam grades there are definitely easier choices.

The rhythmic complexity varies, my DD plays a wind instrument and piano. Grade 3 on wind is far more complex to work out the rhythm but once you know that, easier to play. The piano is more straightforward musically but harder as two hands. For many young children, holding a violin up and coordinating left hand, and bow pretty tricky, cello may be easier. Double bass music looks way easier but harder to make a beautiful sound.