Do A-level colleges teach Music Theory to Grade 8 ?

[stickygotstuck]

Just that.

DD wants to study Music A level, and also wants to get up to grade 8 in both her main instrument & theory.

I'm wondering if she should find a teacher who can teach her Theory to grade 8 (she has grade 5) or whether she would be able to learn at college as part of her course. Or at least have a teacher mark exercises/past papers in preparation for the exam.

Any experiences?

TIA 🙂

@Nat6999 well done to you DN. But yes, we've been disappointed throughout secondary school that not a lot of music is taught in music .GCSE. it's all private lessons which I find mind-blowing.

@Throwawayagain1234 , your description of the g8 exam makes me twitchy 😁. DD does like composition but I m not sure it's a passion, more of a keen interest at the moment.

I have a DD whose whole life revolves around music - mainly composition.

She struggles with the theory - not in terms of practical application - but in terms of exams and academic side of it, and her dyslexia affects musical notation.

I found a great theory tutor via SuperProf and she did nearly a year of 1:1 classes with him just focusing on the theory she actually needs for the type of composition she wants to specialise in, and getting it to the point where it was just second nature and she really understood what she was doing.

Probably couldn't write you an essay on it, but can use it effectively in her writing.

That might be a more pleasant path if she's looking to use the knowledge rather than an exam grade?

DD's school don't do instrumental type music in GCSE classes - but they do provide teachers for the students (the music scholars get them free and have to take GCSE music to keep the scholarship and I think they arrange for anyone else who takes it and doesn't have access to external teachers).

I don't think there would be time to do that kind of music alongside the composition, theory and set works?

My 12 year old is currently doing Grade IV theory, private lessons outside of school because as above its part of learning the practical.

It continues to Grade V theory (generally sit exam age 13/14) and they continue then to the higher grades if they wish to. The higher grades (ie above Grade V) take two years each to complete so I'm unsure how old they would be by the time its completed.

@OhCrumbsWhereNow , that's a good approach and one DD may end up talking. It's the knowledge that she needs I think.

I think that is the important thing to work out... why are they thinking of studying something?

Is it to get a certificate to add to the collection or prove to the wider world they are at x level? Or is it so that they have that knowledge at their fingertips? Or do they need the knowledge for practical purposes?

DD is interested in composing, and the help she got means she has just focused on the particular bits that she needs on a daily basis, and has given her a very solid grounding. If she decides to write something in the future that needs advanced knowledge of some obscure bit then she can just go and learn that as and when.

The tutor she had was young, fun, a working composer and into pop music and she came away having enjoyed the lessons and seeing theory as a tool rather than a dull and complicated chore (unlike the G5 tutor who made Latin grammar look exciting in comparison).

It's worth looking for online tutors where they have a nice bio and you can see what their interests and training are to find a good fit.