Skipping Grade 1 piano?

34 replies

PyjamaMamma · 30/09/2021 12:12

Hi there - just looking for a bit of advice. DD started learning the piano last October and according to her teacher was ready for the grade 1 exam over summer. I booked the exam but DD decided she didn't want to take it, so I cancelled. DD's teacher was not best pleased but accepted that DD was anxious about it and they continued to practice with a view to take the exam this autumn instead.

Last week her teacher told me the exam bookings would open this week and asked me to book it. I asked DD if she was ok to take the exam this time and she said she wouldn't mind taking the exam but isn't bothered by having the certificate. Then she had a piano lesson yesterday and her teacher offered two options: taking the exam in November (she is ready for this) or skipping grade 1 and going straight for grade 2 next summer. DD is happy to just skip ahead and prepare for the summer exam.

Now, I am not a musical person and don't have much of a clue about exams at all, so I would like to ask all you knowledgeable people if there are any advantages to having all grades or if it's fine to skip. Is grade 1 particularly important? Any advice welcome. Please and thank you

OP posts:

thirdfiddle · 04/10/2021 13:54

Even better. Know your place, parents! We're just here to pay the bills really

squintsoftheworldunite · 05/10/2021 08:36

For piano, my kiddo did initial (trinity equivalent of prep grade), g2, 4 and 6. Won't do another til g8.
For second instrument, has done 3 and 5 exams. On g7 work but won't do anything til g8.
Third instrument, there'll be nothing til g8.
For main instrument, went straight in at g8.

I do think when they've never done a music exam, the easier grade that they're super prepared for is a benefit. The confidence boost and the positive experience are worthwhile.

londonmummy1966 · 06/10/2021 23:28

Skipping exams is quite normal . If DD wants to skip onto Grade 2 you could look for a local music festival where she could run her Grade 2 pieces before the exam. SOme offer non competitive classes where you just get feedback rather than marks and places if that suited her better.

Original poster

PyjamaMamma · 08/10/2021 07:45

@londonmummy1966

Oooh this sounds cool, I will look into it! Thanks

OP posts:

londonmummy1966 · 08/10/2021 16:54

@PyjamaMamma - this website has details of most of the UK festivals and when they are so you ought to be able to find something near you. Last year some went online so might be worth seeing if any still are as then you can take part with out having to go in person.

www.federationoffestivals.org.uk/festivals

The downside is that there are usually a handful of festival "groupies" kids that seem to do nothing but learn flashy music to go along and play at festivals. You need to tell your DD that it is not about the winning/getting high marks but about having a dummy run to play the music to an experienced adjudicator who may well also be an examiner and getting their feedback.

My DD got so fed up with the groupies that she either took along pieces that were a work in progress or entered the non competitive classes. Her younger sister was a born show off however so took to the flashiness like a duck to water and did very well on it.

AliMonkey · 08/10/2021 17:00

DD, who isn't in my view naturally musical, skipped grade 1 and also a later grade (though that was largely Covid-related as couldn't take it and got bored of same music!) so perfectly reasonable - but in my view it's good to treat it as a practice run. And she might say she's not bothered by the certificates but I expect would still be quite proud of herself if she got it. But equally do make sure that her playing and lessons aren't always focussed on exam music and she can sometimes just play for fun some music of her choice.

Asiama · 08/10/2021 17:04

I see you already have made a decision n I skipped grades 1-4 and so my first exam was grade 5. I covered the syllabus and the exam pieces in my lessons, just didn't have the hassle and expense of exams.

MrsAvocet · 08/10/2021 17:17

I'd let your DD choose. Having or not having grade 1 is not going to have any real impact on her life is it? If she wants the experience of doing the exam and the recognition of a result, let her do it. If not (which sounds to be the case ) don't bother.
I think a PP made a very good point about the grade 1 pieces probably being boring by now. A friend of mine is a dance teacher and her school was ready for exams which got cancelled due to Covid. When they did get back to class she said it was hard to motivate the pupils to do the grades they were on and that the exam results when they did do them weren't, on the whole, as good as she would have expected if they'd done them at the planned time. Her theory is that as well as obviously missing lessons, they'd lost the enthusiasm for the grade work, got a bit over familiar with the exercises and just didn't show themselves to their best advantage in the exams. She says with hindsight she wishes she'd just moved everyone who would have taken exams up to the new grades when classes restarted and forgotten about the missed grades.

holidaynearlyover · 08/10/2021 17:20

I skipped and went straight to grade 5 (I think then it started at grade 3 for some reason). In my mind if she can do a different grade why bother with earlier ones

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