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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

Does anyone ever fail a music grade??

21 replies

kitnkaboodle · 12/07/2017 16:10

My son's just come back from a woodwind exam today - grade 4. He had practised fairly regularly, but never for long. I got the impression he wasn't really putting much effort in. He says it went badly and thinks he's failed. On further questioning he thinks the pieces went well but really messed up most of the scales, messed up the 'singing' part of the aural test and messed up the rhythm of the sight reading. Doesn't sound like a total disaster to me. I've never heard of anyone failing. Doe's it happen? Don't you need to get 100/150?

OP posts:

VivienneWestwoodsKnickers · 12/07/2017 16:16

Yes, you can fail. Is he doing ABRSM or another school?

Littlewhistle · 12/07/2017 16:18

Yes I failed Grade 4 piano

happyinherts · 12/07/2017 16:19

I think it's more that teacher don't tend to enter candidates unless they're fairly confident the pupil will pass - rather than no one fails. Sure, anyone can have an off day, but I do think teachers cater for that by only entering candidates who have a good leeway of passing.

Wheresthattomoibabber · 12/07/2017 16:20

Yes you can definitely fail! It's broken down into sections though so possible to pass but have done very badly in a couple of sections. I got a distinction for grade 5 and failed the scales section.

xyzandabc · 12/07/2017 16:21

Yes you can. I failed my grade 7 and grade 8 any moons ago (different instruments). I just didn't practice nearly enough.

The pieces are worth 90 in total so if he did well in those, he could afford to drops marks in the scales/aural/sight reading. Unless he played nothing or have no answers, he'll get some marks for them. Could take him over the 100.

I don't think they'd ever fail a grade 1 but by grade 4 you really do need to put the work in.

Wheresthattomoibabber · 12/07/2017 16:23

My sister failed her grade 1 violin.

SunnySomer · 12/07/2017 16:38

Yes, I failed grade 7 clarinet. Like a previous poster, I didn't bother to practise enough.

Original poster

kitnkaboodle · 12/07/2017 16:44

Ahhh ... fair enough. Yes, abrsm. I feel he may have scraped through on the pieces. Bit of a wake up call re. the jump from the lower grades to the higher...?

OP posts:

MaroonPencil · 12/07/2017 16:45

I failed Grade 5 piano and Grade 7 music theory . I had reached my musical limit.

Confutatis · 12/07/2017 16:46

Yes, it is possible but if his pieces went well (enough) he will probably pass! Don't worry too much this time around, but as the grades get more advanced, so does the extra stuff! He needs to put in the hours on these earlier in proceedings, it sounds to me. Get him to address this long before he is entered for the next exam and maybe ask the teacher about how he can improve his rhythm/reading of rhythms asap.

RatherBeRiding · 12/07/2017 16:48

Yes you can easily fail ABRSM if you're not properly prepared. The examiners are pretty strict. Most music teachers, for that reason, don't enter pupils unless they feel they will pass.

Pass or Fail - take it, like you said, as a wake up call. ABRSM is well thought of, and passes are worth having.

Wheresthattomoibabber · 12/07/2017 17:42

Grade 5 theory equivalent to music gcse apparently

LooseAtTheSeams · 14/07/2017 08:03

It does happen and there was a thread a while back about a little girl who failed grade 1 violin twice before changing teacher and then motored successfully through other grades! A friend's dd failed grade 6 clarinet but retook and got a merit (booked some lessons with a different teacher).
I passed grade 4 piano despite failing scales by 1 point because my pieces were ok, sight reading was ok and aural was more right than wrong so although your DS may feel it went all wrong, more likely it wasn't as good as usual under exam pressure. My advice would be to really work on scales, which is what I'm doing so that if I ever take grade 5 I have a bit more security!

elfonshelf · 16/07/2017 18:42

Yes... I failed Grade 3 violin... twice...

DD's school just sent a letter home about violin tuition and I have a feeling I still have residual PTSD given the cold sweat I broke out in at the thought of having to attempt to tune the wretched thing.

Helenluvsrob · 16/07/2017 20:11

Dh teaches music and puts in a day of pupils for exams a term or thereabouts. I guess 2 a year approx fail.

dollybird · 16/07/2017 20:27

DD failed her grade 5 cornet last year, and is due to resit on 24/7. I think she was maybe not quite ready, but she also said it was too hot which made it hard to play, although I don't know if that's an excuse. She has put in a lot more practice this year, although still doesn't practice every day.

MrsJoBangles · 16/07/2017 20:32

I failed grade 3 flute. I had tonsillitis, couldn't do most of the aural, knocked the music stand over with my flute and was just generally a disaster. I have never ever passed the aural section of any music grade. I am truly hopeless at it.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 16/07/2017 20:32

DS failed Drumkit 6 after passing everything previously with flying colours. His tutor, a really experienced session drummer who was standing outside the exam room door insisted it was a nonsense. I think he might have made some sort of complaint. DS didn't bother resisting and passed grades 7 and 8 with merit.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 16/07/2017 20:33

Resitting.

MirandaWest · 16/07/2017 20:36

My friend failed grade 4 piano and my XH failed grade 7 piano.

Tfoot75 · 16/07/2017 20:37

I failed grade 6 piano twice, apparently after grade 5 you need to play with expression and feeling/passion etc not just technically correct notes, which apparently at the tender age of 14 or so I was sadly missing! Luckily I kept on playing for pleasure and think I can play songs that I actually like and want to play with a little bit of feeling nowadays (if I ever got the chance to practice without kids taking over!)

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