How hard is Music GCSE if grade 4 piano?

[Mabs49]

Just that really. DS can take German or Music at GCSE. He’s not sure which one to pick. I feel like Music may be easier as he can already read music. Is it a hard GCSE? What sort of things do you have to do?

Do you have to perform a piece?

Do aurals, like for ABRSM?

Thanks for any advice.

With my DDs exam board there's 2 performances. They were told it needs to be grade 5 standard

Is this for next year (hoping so). Ask which board so you can check the spec. But yes, performance, sight reading, composition and a written exam.

As an MFL specialist I would say do German haha but in fact he should take the one he prefers. No GCSE will be easy tho obvs grade 4 is a good start.

My dd took music (old spec tho) and was grade 6 IIRC by the end of yr 11 but she found the composition element tough.

German is a great GCSE to have and the spec is testing but good IMO. Any qus specific to that pls ask.

You need to be grade 5 level as pp said. My son is grade 6 piano and got a grade 7 GCSE this time. He had to do a solo performance and a duet. Tbf his teacher wasn’t actually a music teacher (and was quite clueless as she was drafted in last minute) so he really had to go it alone a lot and find things out for himself. Finding a piece to play for the duet and a suitable partner who could play to grade 5 was hard work. I’m assuming your child would be more supported than this scenario.

DS has just done WJEC GCSE music. He got an A*

He’s only got as far as taking grade 4 but can play higher level pieces (guitar).

He had to do a group performance and an individual one - his private guitar teacher was fabulous at supporting with both of these. The composition was a challenge but school put in a couple of extra sessions during the Easter holidays to brush that up which was really valuable. I think I’m right in saying that there was only 1 written paper.

Check which board your ds’s school uses and look at the syllabus carefully.

GCSE music consists of performance, composition and music appreciation.

My DS liked the performance aspect but found the rest not to his taste. Your DC really needs to consider whether they like the aspects other than performance as well. (Grade 4 currently is fine for that)

DS just got a 9 in GCSE music. He was around grade 4 flute when he started, he is now Grade 5 and taking grade 7 this autumn. When he started I thought this would be a GCSE that he took because he enjoyed it, and didn't expect high marks, but he loved it, has put in a huge amount of work, and will now do music A level.

There was a composition element and a performance element, and the exam.
On the other hand, DS2's school wanted him to do music GCSE even though he can't read music and plays no instrument (he has singing lessons but more because he isn't v good at singing than because he is, and he wants to be better). They said he would be able to pass even with that - but he decided he would want more than a pass, which I agree with in his case, and he is going to do drama, which he loves

German is a lot of work and a serious commitment is needed to study it if you want a 9.

Music - he sounds like he’s nearly at the required standard (?) although there are plenty taking that GCSE already at grade 8 standard. My ds’s friend was grade 8 standard in 2 instruments and got a 9. neither of my kids took music.

My piano pupils sometimes do GCSE music and most are around grade 4-5 in their main instrument. The composition element puts a few of them off so that could be worth consideration if it would worry him. All except one music student i know from this year's entrants were v disappointed in their grades and the teacher is sending them for re-marking.

It's certainly v different to my day, when I was told not to bother with GCSE music when I'd reached grade 6/7.

You don't have to be grade 5. That's utter nonsense. I've been teaching Music for 30 years, the vast majority of that including GCSE.

All exam boards have the same broad requirements: 30% is performing - 2 pieces, at least one of which has to be an ensemble; 30% composing - 2 pieces, one of which is to a set brief; 40% listening/appraising. Where they differ is how they define ensemble, how they define "more difficult" in terms of the level of performance, how they grade composing, and the specific areas of music they focus on in the listening paper.

As an example, to access the highest grades in performing, you need to PLAY or SING a piece of grade 5 standard with Edexcel (Pearson) but grade 4 with Eduqas. There is no requirement to have taken any grades at all.

I wish people would stop spouting the "have to be grade 5" thing. Perhaps some schools insist on it, but it is not necessary, and actually really annoys me.

My children were both advised (at separate schools) not to "waste" a GCSE on music because they were doing grades-both grade 6( I think) at that time and expecting to do more.

German is a lot of work and a serious commitment is needed to study it if you want a 9.

I mean I wouldn't disagree with that but then I am pretty sure that's true for any GCSE. Certainly my two DC who gained 9s (not in music or MFL) put in a lot of work to gain them. Is that true of music as well @Malbecfan ? or is it a walk in the park?

Surely the whole point of a grade 9 (which is after all not the only target worth aiming at by a long way!) is that it is challenging? If someone has skill in German and has worked hard in KS3 then a good grade is perfectly achievable.

I'd think it's fine. I was about grade 4 on piano and I got an A back in the day. Reading music is v important to it which I could do, so if your child can do that then it's all good.

Remember that the GSCE exams are nearly two years away. I think you need to play Grade 5 pieces to get achieve the maximum possible marks but there's got loads of time to get there. And it's still perfectly possible to pass with Grade 4 standard.

@clary good question! The 3 who got 9s this time were all excellent performers. They managed full marks in their performances and 2 of them had full marks for composing too. The listening is more challenging. We did manage to get half the group with an 8 or 9 and there were more than 20 in the one group.

I also need to point out that the mark scheme for performing is not the same as for e.g. ABRSM exams; indeed I have had post grade 8 students perform to me and told them to go back and learn a grade 4 or 5 piece because they wouldn't be getting full marks, despite them being a grade 8 with distinction performer.

My DS did GCSE and got a 9. I think he had done grade 7 and was preparing for grade 8 by then, but the pieces he played for his GCSE performance were much easier than that. His teacher said there was no advantage to playing pieces above around grade 4-5 and it was better to do something less complex and do it really well.
What I do think made a difference to him is that he also had music theory lessons outside school. I think that really helped him with the composition, which seems to be the part that most pupils find hardest. The fact that DS had a reasonable understanding of theory and is also something of a computer nerd so picked up the programme that they use very quickly made it easier for him and he really enjoyed the composition element.
My DS enjoyed and didn't find it particularly difficult but music was his main hobby anyway so it was no hardship to do more of it. You don't need to be a brilliant musician to do the course and get a decent grade, any more than you need to be a top flight athlete to pass GCSE PE, but I think you do need to have a genuine interest in the subject as it's quite a bit of work which if you don't enjoy would be hard going. My DS and his friends met up outside school to do extra practice on their group performance for example. Obviously it helps with any subject if you have a real interest, but I think it is harder to put up with the creative or practical subjects if it's not your thing than it is to tolerate an entirely theoretical subject that you don't enjoy.

@clary "Surely the whole point of a grade 9 (which is after all not the only target worth aiming at by a long way!)"

Mumsnet heresy!!!

Haha yes indeed. My own DC are an utter disgrace tbf with 996AAAAAAB and 9888777666

@Malbecfan great grades from your students, well done!

Find out which exam body your school uses for each of them and look at the GCSE specification on the exam body website to find out the content covered. We did this for all of the options DD had, for some whilst she had enjoyed parts of the syllabus in KS3 the sections covered at GCSE weren't of interest to her and this was really useful in selecting what she wanted to study

If he already has grade 4 then it will probably be quite easy for him tbh.

When I did GCSE music (albeit 15 years ago) I had grade 1 violin that I got when I was 10 and I still got an A

DS only took one instrumental exam - grade 1 baritone horn - and got a 7 at GCSE music.

It’s the theory part that I found really difficult. You have to learn all about harmonies, musical composition and learn about some composers. This may have changed as I did an O level course!

DD got an 8 in Music GCSE this year, she started with grade 4 instrument by year 8 and ended up playing grade 5 level pieces in her performances, but didn't take her grade 5 exam. She didn't find the GCSE hard, and it was mostly over via course work with just one written exam at the end.

depends on the syllabus but if grade 4 in y9 he’s in a good place.
when I did it was a mix of performance (had to do short recital), a writer paper which would have been a mix of questions some pertaining to set pieces and a listening element, and composition. It’s the last part which is the hardest but not necessary in all syllabuses
any theory experience will help a lot eg if he ends up doing grade 5 theory to do grade 5 instrument.

i found it all quite easy (got an a*) was musically pretty literate and at grade 6+ standard in two instruments when I did it. Music a level OTOH was rock hard.

My DS did GCSE music with no grades or lessons or any real musical background. I think he was inspired to take music solely based on me randomly buying him a keyboard in a last minute Christmas panic, and finding he picked it up quite quickly and enjoyed playing. He was given piano lessons throughout the two years of the course (half an hour per week) but never did any grades. I would say he's pretty competent on piano and can sight read quite well, but usually plays pieces that last no more than a minute or two. He got a distinction 2 for his GCSE (a BTEC) and is kind of disappointed not being able to do A-level music as there is only one provider locally and he didn't like the college all-round so decided to go elsewhere. He was offered a place on a higher BTEC course at another college but they seemed geared up to rock and pop and being in a band, whereas his interest is in jazz and classical.
He's not a natural performer, but managed that part of the GCSE course ok, and managed the second half of the course pretty much on his own as his lovely first year teacher left, then the second year there was no teacher at all until the final few months and she was apparently terrible! Out of all of his GCSEs he enjoyed music the most. I would advise your DS takes a fun GCSE as something nice amongst the academic hard work! I'm not saying it's not hard work, but you know what I mean :)

My daughter has been learning guitar since year 2 and has had singing lessons for two years. She is taking music GCSE from next year with the strong support of her school but has only ever taken her guitar grade one. Neither music teacher has put them through gradings since covid.

she is still very confident in her ability to well and so is she more importantly.