To Skip Or Not To Skip (grade 7)? Options

[Perfectionist]

I’m thinking of asking my teacher to skip the Grade 7 piano exam, as I don’t really like the pieces in the syllabus, and I wonder what others’ advice would be.

I took my Grade 6 last December (thanks to support from this forum!) and passed with merit. Since then I’ve been doing Hanon exercises, scales and started playing Bach, Prelude in G (A4 in the syllabus) and Invention in D minor, which I performed at the school concert last week. I’d like to play Handel’s Queen of Sheba next! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I’m also taking IGCSE Music and I’ll do the exam next summer.

[fsharpminor]

I guess at the end of the day you can skip what you like, but your teacher may not agree !

Its many years ago now, but having done two of the easier Beethoven sonata movements in Grade 5 and 6 (LCM) (Op79 3rd movement, and Op 10 No3 2nd movement) my teacher got me learning the whole sonata Op10 No 2. Then when I was nearly there with it she told me it was an ALCM piece so I skipped both Grade 6 and Grade 7, and took ALCM about a year and a term after Grade 6. The Bach P & F and the scales were a bit of a struggle but I got there ! In the end I didnt have an Aural/Sight reading problem though.
I also skipped from Grade 6 to 8 on the Organ (ABRSM)
I guess things are a bit different now, I havent done an exam since 1965

[Robodoc]

oops - double post, sorry!

[Robodoc]

As a rule of thumb, if you got a merit at grade X you should be able to pass grade X+1. Since you got a merit at grade 6 I can't see any reason why you would want to take grade 7, even if you are going through the grades. Come to that, you can skip grades 1-7 and go straight to grade 8 if you want, there are no prerequisites for grade 8 except grade 5 theory (or equivalent).

Even then, grade 8 is only a mark of progress: If you are serious about learning to play rather than gathering qualifications you don't need grade 8 to learn the post-grade 8 repertoire (although it is a prerequisite for the Dip ABRSM and I suspect you would find it hard if not impossible to get into a music college without it). On the other hand, passing the grades can be a way of proving to yourself that you really are good enough to move on, a sort of "giving yourself permission" to move on. Strange as it may seem, that was certainly the way I felt about it, although I did skip grades 6 & 7 on the piano (with a 35 year gap) and grades 1-4 and 6 on the flute. There is certainly one school of thought that believes that the only grades actually worth bothering with are 1, 5 and 8. Not sure I believe that one, except that once you've got grade 8 no-one will take much notice of your grade 1-7 results or lack of them.

Good luck.

[BerkshireMum]

I don't think it matters about taking a grade 7 exam, but you need to do enough grade 7 repertoire (not necessarily this year's exam pieces, but something of similar standard which your teacher feels would improve your playing) to progress to the point you would have been at had you taken the exam. Then you can move on to grade 8 repertoire confident that the skills are there to tackle it well.

Talk to your teacher about it. If she thinks you have enough exams under your belt, she may be very happy for you to skip grade 7. As Robodoc says, taking grade 8 is definitely a good idea, and you want to achieve the best mark you can in that, so don't rush straight into grade 8 exam pieces. Your teacher will be able to advise you, but most people would leave 18 months to 2 years between grades 6 and 8.

[my_broken_strings]

I think it's fine as long you cover all the material in grade 7
Good luck for the preparation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Mad Tom]

There seems to be a prevalent, and I think misguided, view that one "ought" to take all the grade exams in sequence, and that it is somehow wrong to miss out any.

I mean, if you wanted to learn the famous Moonlight Sonata (Op 27 No 2) would you feel any guilt, or any need to ask permission if you did not first learn Op 27 No 1?

Truth is you can take as many or as few exams as you want to, or just those that you need (if any) for some external requirement (like getting into a music college, or going on to study for a Diploma). The significant milestones in piano are Grades 1, 5 and 8.

[Edwardo]

I’m thinking of asking my teacher to skip the Grade 7 piano exam, as I don’t really like the pieces in the syllabus, and I wonder what others’ advice would be.

I took my Grade 6 last December (thanks to support from this forum!) and passed with merit. Since then I’ve been doing Hanon exercises, scales and started playing Bach, Prelude in G (A4 in the syllabus) and Invention in D minor, which I performed at the school concert last week. I’d like to play Handel’s Queen of Sheba next! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I’m also taking IGCSE Music and I’ll do the exam next summer.

I did Grade I - IV and then stopped at age 14.

I started studying for Grade V many years later, but changed teachers before I could take it.

My new teacher told me not to bother with Grade V and I took Grade VI instead, passing with merit.

We then moved straight to Grade VIII which I eventually passed.

I was, I confess, primarily motivated by a desire to "pass" Grade VIII, and so I achieved my end. I now hardly play at all, haven't learnt a piece for ages except desultory passes at Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring.

Is this helpful? Probably not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Edward

[Perfectionist]

I guess at the end of the day you can skip what you like, but your teacher may not agree !

Its many years ago now, but having done two of the easier Beethoven sonata movements in Grade 5 and 6 (LCM) (Op79 3rd movement, and Op 10 No3 2nd movement) my teacher got me learning the whole sonata Op10 No 2. Then when I was nearly there with it she told me it was an ALCM piece so I skipped both Grade 6 and Grade 7, and took ALCM about a year and a term after Grade 6. The Bach P & F and the scales were a bit of a struggle but I got there ! In the end I didnt have an Aural/Sight reading problem though.
I also skipped from Grade 6 to 8 on the Organ (ABRSM)
I guess things are a bit different now, I havent done an exam since 1965

You've been a serious musician! I worry about my aural, but mostly sight reading development too. In sight reading, I hardly get half the points, and I know that the higher the grade, the more it matters (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Thanks for sharing your experience! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

As a rule of thumb, if you got a merit at grade X you should be able to pass grade X+1. Since you got a merit at grade 6 I can't see any reason why you would want to take grade 7, even if you are going through the grades. Come to that, you can skip grades 1-7 and go straight to grade 8 if you want, there are no prerequisites for grade 8 except grade 5 theory (or equivalent).

Even then, grade 8 is only a mark of progress: If you are serious about learning to play rather than gathering qualifications you don't need grade 8 to learn the post-grade 8 repertoire (although it is a prerequisite for the Dip ABRSM and I suspect you would find it hard if not impossible to get into a music college without it). On the other hand, passing the grades can be a way of proving to yourself that you really are good enough to move on, a sort of "giving yourself permission" to move on. Strange as it may seem, that was certainly the way I felt about it, although I did skip grades 6 & 7 on the piano (with a 35 year gap) and grades 1-4 and 6 on the flute. There is certainly one school of thought that believes that the only grades actually worth bothering with are 1, 5 and 8. Not sure I believe that one, except that once you've got grade 8 no-one will take much notice of your grade 1-7 results or lack of them.

Good luck.

I agree with the way you look at exams, as proof that I've reached a certain level. My worry is that I have only 3 full years at school left and I'd like to have grade 8 by year 13. I care both about playing and having something to show for.

Many thanks! :]

I don't think it matters about taking a grade 7 exam, but you need to do enough grade 7 repertoire (not necessarily this year's exam pieces, but something of similar standard which your teacher feels would improve your playing) to progress to the point you would have been at had you taken the exam. Then you can move on to grade 8 repertoire confident that the skills are there to tackle it well.

Talk to your teacher about it. If she thinks you have enough exams under your belt, she may be very happy for you to skip grade 7. As Robodoc says, taking grade 8 is definitely a good idea, and you want to achieve the best mark you can in that, so don't rush straight into grade 8 exam pieces. Your teacher will be able to advise you, but most people would leave 18 months to 2 years between grades 6 and 8.

This is exactly the alternative I have in mind: do equivalent pieces and cover the scales, aurals and sight reading too. My teacher (who is a 'he' by the way! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)) has planned so I can comfortably take grade 8 by year 13. Of course I wouldn't rush into grade 8 pieces, it would be suicide! If my teacher says no to my suggestion, I trust him. There's no bargaining with him! haha

Thank you!

There seems to be a prevalent, and I think misguided, view that one "ought" to take all the grade exams in sequence, and that it is somehow wrong to miss out any.

I mean, if you wanted to learn the famous Moonlight Sonata (Op 27 No 2) would you feel any guilt, or any need to ask permission if you did not first learn Op 27 No 1?

Truth is you can take as many or as few exams as you want to, or just those that you need (if any) for some external requirement (like getting into a music college, or going on to study for a Diploma). The significant milestones in piano are Grades 1, 5 and 8.

I did miss out grade 2! About Moonlight Sonata, you've read my mind! It's my ambition to learn (eventually!) the whole thing, one way or another! I suppose what matters is if you have the necessary background.

Thanks for the advice!

I’m thinking of asking my teacher to skip the Grade 7 piano exam, as I don’t really like the pieces in the syllabus, and I wonder what others’ advice would be.

I took my Grade 6 last December (thanks to support from this forum!) and passed with merit. Since then I’ve been doing Hanon exercises, scales and started playing Bach, Prelude in G (A4 in the syllabus) and Invention in D minor, which I performed at the school concert last week. I’d like to play Handel’s Queen of Sheba next! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I’m also taking IGCSE Music and I’ll do the exam next summer.

I did Grade I - IV and then stopped at age 14.

I started studying for Grade V many years later, but changed teachers before I could take it.

My new teacher told me not to bother with Grade V and I took Grade VI instead, passing with merit.

We then moved straight to Grade VIII which I eventually passed.

I was, I confess, primarily motivated by a desire to "pass" Grade VIII, and so I achieved my end. I now hardly play at all, haven't learnt a piece for ages except desultory passes at Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring.

Is this helpful? Probably not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Edward

This is VERY helpful! You bring out the difference between getting a qualification for the sake of it, and enjoying making music. I think the trick is to get a balance between the two. It's a pity you don't put your investment to use, I'm sure you could play pretty much anything you like!

Why not give it a shot! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I think it's fine as long you cover all the material in grade 7
Good luck for the preparation (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Thanks a lot! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

[anacrusis]

If you have particular difficulties with sightreading or other supporting tests, then sitting the grade 7 exam might actually "get in the way" for you - providing you feel you can master the pieces, why not save the time you'd have to put in learning the grade 7 stuff and focus a little more on those areas you feel are more dodgy? Grade 7 is a big jump up from grade 6, but grade 8 probably not proportionately higher still, and if your time is better invested in a particular area then do that. The other thing is that only exam repertoire can be a bit dull to work on, and since it is advised that musicians work on non-exam material too, you might well be better off spending your time broadening your scope whilst preparing those supporting tests.
On sightreading in particular, it is great fun to heap up a stack of music and just plough through the lot, not focusing too much on the detail. Since the graded exams will set their sightreading exercises about two grades lower, you should be able to find appropriate material to work with. I also picked up a good few sightreading skills by playing songs, which sound daft if you stop to get a chord right.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif).
Good luck for your attempt on whichever grade you do opt to do, and I'd echo what the others have said - there is no need to collect a full set, and if grade 8 is your ultimate goal and you have such a sound basis to start from, why not work towards that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

[Perfectionist]

If you have particular difficulties with sightreading or other supporting tests, then sitting the grade 7 exam might actually "get in the way" for you - providing you feel you can master the pieces, why not save the time you'd have to put in learning the grade 7 stuff and focus a little more on those areas you feel are more dodgy? Grade 7 is a big jump up from grade 6, but grade 8 probably not proportionately higher still, and if your time is better invested in a particular area then do that. The other thing is that only exam repertoire can be a bit dull to work on, and since it is advised that musicians work on non-exam material too, you might well be better off spending your time broadening your scope whilst preparing those supporting tests.
On sightreading in particular, it is great fun to heap up a stack of music and just plough through the lot, not focusing too much on the detail. Since the graded exams will set their sightreading exercises about two grades lower, you should be able to find appropriate material to work with. I also picked up a good few sightreading skills by playing songs, which sound daft if you stop to get a chord right.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif).
Good luck for your attempt on whichever grade you do opt to do, and I'd echo what the others have said - there is no need to collect a full set, and if grade 8 is your ultimate goal and you have such a sound basis to start from, why not work towards that (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

Thank you for your advice! I had my piano lesson yesterday, and my teacher says I'm sitting the grade 7 exam! I'll certainly play other pieces as well. I plan to learn the Queen of Sheba for my IGCSE ensemble and hopefully Moonlight Sonata too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I agree with what you say about sight reading. The thing is, when I know what the piece sounds like it's so much easier, but at the exam I'm clueless!

[maya3]

I skipped grade 7, and got a merit at grade 8. If you want to do it there's no reason why you shouldn't. The only problem I had was scales and sight reading took longer than they should have done to learn, as I hadn't done the grade 7 requirements so come grade 8 there were suddenly scales not only in 8ves but 3rd and 6ths as well.
x

[jojo]

Thank you for your advice! I had my piano lesson yesterday, and my teacher says I'm sitting the grade 7 exam!

I certainly don't want to get in the way of you and your teacher and I am about to 'just' express an opinion.
If I made up my mind that I wanted to skip grade 7 and go for grade 8 when I am ready and my teacher told me 'I AM sitting grade 7', I would tell my teacher that he could go to sit grade seven on his own because I am not going there (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
Again, I am NOT saying that this is what you or anyone should do, I am just saying that we all have opinions/views and if one does not want to sit grade seven I don't see why they should unless they needed the bit of paper for some purpose. Not sitting grade 7 does not mean you refuse to learn any of the skills you may need to be able to sit such exam, it just means you don't like the pieces on the syllabus and you rather not do it! you can still learn pieces at that difficulty and all the scales/blah blah/aural/sightreading. Of course if you said I don't want to learn anything at grade 7 difficulty then it would be different.

Ok, glad you are happy to go with your teacher's opinion anyway, you found what 'you should do' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[my_broken_strings]

join grade 7 discussion (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
grade 7 '09 candidates

[anacrusis]

If I remember rightly, the requirement to sing at sight is still included in the ABRSM grade 7 exam - practise this, and you may well find that some aspects of the sightreading test also fall into place, because if you have worked on singing out something, you are also working on trying to hear it in your head. I don't have absolute pitch, or anything remotely near it, and I can't easily sing at sight either, but I have got the ability to guess at the rough shape of a piece of music just from reading it, and am sure this has helped my sightreading too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).