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Secondary education

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Original poster

Music GCSE- how hard is it ?

48 replies

ssobia · 13/03/2019 16:52

My daughter has been learning piano for about 2 years now. She started late ( changed a few teachers till we found one that worked for us) . She is due to sit her Grade 1 now at the age of 12.5 years.

She really wants to do Music GCSEs but her private tutor thinks its a bad idea and she will struggle to get to grade 4/5 in 3 years. The problem is her Head of Music at school seems to think its a brilliant idea for her to do music and is really pushing for it. He says that GCSE Music grades are not related to or any other music qualifications and he thinks it doesn't matter if she doesn't make it through her ARBSM in time. He tried to convince us that Music GCSEs have changed now she would score a good grade. I cannot find anything about the GCSEs in music changing and desperately need advice on someone who has recently been though all this drama.

I really wanted her to take Art instead and still continue with music outside of school. To me that makes sense, but to her it does as she is being encouraged by her school, who haven't got the time to call me /or convince me of why I should let her go through with this. Help!!

OP posts:
RollingRivers · 13/03/2019 17:17

Music gcse now is about performance of an instrument and theory . I know plenty who have gone into gcse music as a beginner and gotten grades 7/8. Grade 1 piano doesn’t relate at all too GCSEs if I’m honest

Original poster
ssobia · 13/03/2019 17:33

Hi RollingRivers, thank you for that answer, I think what I was trying to say was she hasn't even gone past grade one in her ABRSM, so I am concerned how she will be able to cope for the GCSEs music instrument exam. So if I understand correctly, her teacher at school is right in encouraging her to do music as she is able to score good grades. Thanks for clearing that up!

OP posts:
RollingRivers · 13/03/2019 17:38

She will improve , they usually have pianos or keyboards in music rooms during lessons which she may be able to use. Learning notes ( which is part of the curriculum) may also help her throughout. I wouldn’t be too worried

Boyskeepswinging · 13/03/2019 17:45

You could show the syllabus to her piano teacher and ask what they think the chances are of performing the listed pieces for piano in Y11. G4 is the "standard" level for GCSE performance and then I think marks are deducted if anything below that level is played. And extra marks for playing at G5 level.

Boyskeepswinging · 13/03/2019 17:47

NB It's not an instrument exam, its a performance.

Taffeta · 13/03/2019 17:53

Interesting I've just been discussing this with DDs extra curricular music teacher.

He was saying there's an individual performance, an ensemble performance - and presumably theory as well. He said to get a really good grade you'd need to play a very good distinction level G5 piece rather than a patchy G6.

bsc · 13/03/2019 17:55

If she's G1 now, in Y8, she should be ok by Y11 for the performance aspect, which is around G4 standard (G6 for A Level). Don't forget, performance may also be in voice, and many children sing long before they pick up an instrument. If she had a decent ear for music, and works on her sight reading, she shouldn't struggle.

Original poster
ssobia · 13/03/2019 17:57

Hi Boyskeepswining! This is exactly what her private tutor has warned me that she is expected to perform atleast at G4 level and that it would be tough to get there in 3 years. My daughter is a 'soft' player and has some issues with dynamics from the onset. I don't discourage her at all, but when her tutor advised us that we should consider not choosing Music at GCSEs, I kind of trust her judgement as she teaches several kids who are sitting the GCSEs in Music and also the Music Grades. So how is it that school feel differently and that kids are not expected to perform at a certain level Confused

OP posts:
TereseGT · 13/03/2019 17:58

i think hard

Boyskeepswinging · 13/03/2019 17:58

There is a lot of performance in GCSE Music now which is why I'm surprised that a beginner would get a good grade. Some schools require a minimum of G3 in Y9 to do GCSE Music.

Original poster
ssobia · 13/03/2019 18:00

I should add here that she is terrified of singing and is a shy kid! My concern here is for her keeping up with this as a serious subject. I am waiting to see how she passes her G1 exam next week as it involves some vocal test too.

OP posts:
Boyskeepswinging · 13/03/2019 18:11

That sounds like a good plan. Has she done any theory?

Original poster
ssobia · 13/03/2019 18:14

Boyskeepswinging, she scored 96 in her G1 music theory.

OP posts:
Boyskeepswinging · 13/03/2019 18:34

Well that's pretty good isn't it?! If she continues with the theory and the practical she could well get to G4 playing standard. Certainly, having G5 theory makes that side of GCSE Music straightforward.

RedSkyLastNight · 13/03/2019 18:39

DS has a boy in his gcse group who only started playing in Year 9. I don't know if it varies between exam boards but for DS performance is 30%, composing 30% and listening 40%. So even a mediocre performance (not saying she would) coULd still be a decent grade. DS chose music as his "relax" subject. It's certainly a good house in terms of not too much revision for exams

Boyskeepswinging · 13/03/2019 19:35

If you look at the grade boundaries for 2018 GCSE Music you'd really struggle to get 7 or 8 if you got mediocre marks for performance. And, yes, whilst you only need to revise for the listening paper there is a lot of coursework for Music. Mind you, there's even more for Art!

RollingRivers · 13/03/2019 19:36

Some schools have completely scrapped course work apparently for gcse music.

Boyskeepswinging · 13/03/2019 19:37

So how do they do the composition paper?!

Boyskeepswinging · 13/03/2019 19:38

D'oh, just realised, they'll do it all at school. Of course. D'oh!

RedSkyLastNight · 14/03/2019 07:58

Just realised I am on MN where the definition of a good grade is different to anywhere else. I was considering a good grade to be a 5/6 (which would be perfectly fine and not restrict the OP's DC in any future way unless they want to study music further). Perhaps OP needs to clarify what she means.

KittyMcKitty · 14/03/2019 08:42

My dd is studying gcse music. The Director of Music at her school says the performance level is about ABRSM Grade 5 but you can get nearly full marks with a perfectly performed grade 4.

Does she have Grade 5 theory? I think that helps a lot with the theory certainly the people who don’t have it find theory harder.

Composition is quite rigorous- they are currently working on compositions in different classical styles (I think currently romantic).

Music is quite a big subject at dd’s School (2 x gcse classes) - dd really enjoys it but it is a rigorous subject. She chose it above art.

Michaelahpurple · 14/03/2019 08:48

Among children I know music is seen as a good creative choice and not too hard, but is gnerally taken by pupils who have passed grade 6/7/8 by the end of year 8, and grade 5 theory ages ago. Arguably children startinf grades when they are older can be expected to progress more quickly than the standard one per year but she will have to work at it. Does she practice daily?

HotpotLawyer · 14/03/2019 09:35

Is her piano teacher trying to tell you she doesn’t have aptitude?

Loads of my Dc’s Music GCSE peers didn’t have a long history /achievement in playing an instrument but they did fine.

But they need a good ear and a good understanding.

If she has a reasonably competent musical ability she should be fine grade wise.

SilentSister · 14/03/2019 11:09

But they need a good ear and a good understanding

This, more than anything. DD in the end didn't do music, but she could have done, without any grades. She does play clarinet and piano, but for fun, not for grades, and never did any theory. Her music director really wanted her to do the GCSE as she is a talented musician, in that she has a good ear and understanding, but DD wasn't particularly interested in the composition part, and that is what put her off.

flissfloss65 · 14/03/2019 11:18

My dis dis gcse music in 2016. He started playing piano in Year 7 and was grade 6 by the time of the exam. He didn’t do theory just playing.

His teacher did not prepare them well for the written theory and he got an E grade. He was saved by his performance and composition grades and ended up with a C. He was really disappointed. So do make sure the department is well run. His school scrapped it after 2916.