Violin - is there a difference between doing level 1 and grade 1? And if so, what it is?

[emkana]

Getting confused! And could somebody experienced also tell me what the most important thing is to focus on in preparing for the grade 1 exam?

Thanks very much!

Most music exams along with dance, speech and drama are now levelled according to the QCA so that the higher Grades can accrue UCAS points etc.

The QCA has levels which are:
Foundation or Level 1 - Grades 1-3
Intermediate pr Level 2 - Grade 4-5 GCSE equvalent
Advanced of Level 3 - Grades 7-8 - A level standard

Each exam board has different criteria so difficult to answer your question on what to focus on. In the pieces then fluency in the notes and musicality I guess.

IME the most important thing to focus on in preparation is getting your child to bloody practice.

thanks. Dd1 is practising every day, but not improving on her pieces as much as I would like.

Emkana, my dd plays both piano and violin and we're only familiar with the ABRSM grades. (thanks islandofsodor for explaining the levels ).

I guess all aspects of the exam are equally important. DD is taking grade 3 piano next month and she is having to work quite hard on her pieces in particular. But to do well the scales, sight reading and the aural part are important too.

Her violin teacher isn't putting in for exams, I think she prefers to wait until about grade 4 or 5. She'd rather get on with the teaching.

Annasmami, dd will be doing grade 1 violin this term and I can't wait to get it out of the way - I don't think I can bear to hear anymore Toodle Pip or Country Chimes!
I was not keen on exams but her teacher thought it would be good to enter her and dd does not seem too fazed by the prospect - in fact she seems to look forward to it.
I don't think she will do an exam every year but I get the feeling that she'll be taught the exam syllabus anyway which I have a problem with. Although useful, surely a wider repertoire can be more inspiring?

Does your dd's teacher follow the ABRSM syllabus/teach beyond those parameters?

Maggie, while I am not that familiar with the exact ABRSM syllabus, I think dd's violin teacher seems to broadly follow it in terms of teaching dd the necessary technical skills and getting dd to play a few pieces of the respective exam pieces. But she does not (not at this stage anyway) spend time going through all the scales, arpeggios, sight reading etc. She'd rather get on with teaching dd more technical skills and expanding her musical repertoire. DD really enjoys learning new pieces and just trying out new things.

On the other hand, her piano teacher tends to put all her pupils in for an exam once a year. While dd generally enjoys the piano, she is less keen on having to perfect her scales, exam pieces and the sight reading, which has been the main focus for the past 2-3 months. She would much rather just make music and have fun on the piano.

So, I guess taking some exams is probaly a good idea, while too much emphasis on them probably isn't .

Sounds like a sensible approach rather than slavishly following the syllabus.

Many teachers will stage their own 'test' for Grade 1 instead of doing an exam. There are many reasons for this, but the main ones are cost (many parents wouldn't be able to afford £50 for Grade 1/£100 for Grade 8) and the ability to play lots of pieces rather than just exam pieces.

BTW, if your child is practising but not getting any better they are not 'practising'. They are playing through their pieces & making the same mistakes over & over! Practise is knowing which bits of the piece you can't do & practising exercises until you can do them. Their teacher is probably nagging them every week about the same mistakes but the child finds it much more pleasurable to play it all through & gloss over the mistakes- sorry to be brutal but best to be honest!

pugsandseals, you're right and that's exactly what I said to dd. However, she had her first lesson since before the Easter holidays on Friday and the teacher has given her helpful pointers how to improve and it has made a big difference, so all is not lost!