Has anyone else skipped from grade 6 to grade 8. Coz ive decided to do it but im now not so sure if it was the right thing to do. Im not findin the pieces too bad but the scales are a bit of a nightmare for grade 8 flute. Im doin the Mozart concerto in G (3rd movement) and The Rutter Aria and Waltz and for my study im doin The Bach Partita. I like them its just the rest of the exam im abit worried about. Any advice would b greatfully recieved!

Thanks

Hello,

I took Grade 8 Oboe one year after finishing Grade 5 (i.e. skipping grades 6 and 7) and it worked out ok for me. I did struggle with the scales at the time (spent so much time on them since I had never practised them before), but by the time of my exams they were all under control. Also my technique has improved vastly ever since. I am sure you will reap the benefits (a good mark/better playing) if you put in the hard work. Good luck with the exam and I am sure you'll do well! (the Mozart concerto in G is a wonderful piece)

Doing all the grades can be quite expensive, if you were to do the prep test, followed by grades 1-5, then grade 5 theory followed by grades 6-8 you'd be looking at £344, add another £100 if you decided to brave the post grade 8 DipABRSM. A stepped approach seems to work better for many but i know a few students who missed the odd grade and still progressed fine. One way you could do it would be one foundation grade (grade 3) followed by grade 5 practical and theory, this is where it becomes a bit more subjective, 5 to 8 seems a bit of a leap, maybe grade 6 would be a better basis to try before grade 8, that way you get a better idea of the aural tests which are quite different from the earlier grades. This also affords you more time to learning all your scales, major, minors ect.....Good luck!

QUOTE (weejen @ Nov 27 2003, 04:08 PM)

Has anyone else skipped from grade 6 to grade 8. Coz ive decided to do it but im now not so sure if it was the right thing to do. Im not findin the pieces too bad but the scales are a bit of a nightmare for grade 8 flute. Im doin the Mozart concerto in G (3rd movement) and The Rutter Aria and Waltz and for my study im doin The Bach Partita. I like them its just the rest of the exam im abit worried about. Any advice would b greatfully recieved! Thanks

Hi there. I've just done my grade 8 piano after missing grade 7. I was a bit unsure at first aswell but once you get into it its great!!! There was a lot of scales for grade 8 piano (not sure about flute tho!!) but the best thing to do is daily practice using a scale plan.......they do come in the end!!! Do as much aural and sight reading practice as possible too!!! that'll really help in your exam. Hope i've been of some use!!! I'm waiting for my grade 8 results at the moment eeeeek

Good luck with your grade 8 anyway!!! and lots of practice......

Well I'm not as far on as you, but the first exam I did was grade three and now I'm skippin onto Grade 5.
I thought grade three was a bit steep for a first grade but I don't think I've done too badly!
If ur worried, maybe itd be safer to go back and do some grade 7 scales and stuff first? But not actually do the exam.
Wb

Skipping grade 7 is quite common. A lot of people feel that if they've got as far as 7, they could take 8 at a push, so they just go for it.

Obviously, the supporting tests are the bugbear. You can learn your three/four/five pieces and then find that scales, sight reading and aural are behind. Then you put the exam off and find you could have taken grade 7 in the time it had taken youm already!

What does your teacher say?

a member of my own family has skipped most of her grades for piano and precussion (drums) because she has such a flair for it, I believe with piano she was able to jump from grade one to five and in drums from two straight to eight. it is unusal, but if you have the talent then go for it if you can.

im not sure if my reply will be much help at all but i play flute as well and so far have skipped grades 1, 3 and5 and done2, 4 and 6. My plan was to go straight to grade 8 like you - it is very expensive after all when you do all the grades - but grades 6, 7 8 seem so much harder than 1 to 5. I am thinking now about taking my grade 7, because i want to make sure i get a good mark, and for me going straight to grade 8 would be a bit daunting, but it sounds like you're really good at music, so maybe it won't be a problem. My guess would be that it depends on how fast a learner you are, (as to if you should skip grades or not) but i bet you'll be fine - after all - lots of people hate scales and find them difficult, but i have found that if you practice enough. all of a sudden you can do them fine (or maybe thats just me being a little weird )Good Luck and i hope you pass!!!

Hi

I did Grade 1, skipped 2, did 3-6, now going for grade 8 (piano). Grade 6 results just out couple months back, pretty much done the three grade seven pieces I had chosen, so thought why not give grade eight a shot directly. Scales seem ok (haven't started actually doing them though).

Are Grade 8 aurals really difficult?

Ah...I've just recently skipped Grade 7 and I'm giving Grade 8 a shot. I play the piano, so I guess the scales for Grade 8 are vastly different from Grade 6, which was the last exam that I took. I think most people take the Grade 6 exam and just skip 7 altogether. Afterall, it's the Grade 8 certificate that matters, especially if you're going to do the DipABRSM. I'm not sure about the flute syllabus, but I think that if you're willing to practice a lot, it's worth giving it a try. Good luck!

I am doing my grade 7 flute exam at the end of febuary. After grade 6 I felt I wanted to go straight on and do grade 8, but my teacher advised me to do grade7. I am glad now I am not skipping grades as my sightreading has come on loads and as for the scales, theres not such a big shock at grade 8!!!
Plus I like the idea of having all my certificates running through from grade 1...hopefully onto grade 8. Fingers crossed!

yes - I play piano.....the BEST INSTRUMENT EVER ( plus I play cello and percussion !!! ) anyway.I did grades 1,2,3,5 and then am now working for grade 8 piano !!! It is hard - but I love the challenge !!!
Good luck !! I'm glad to see that other people have done the missing grades fiasco !! Iam in year 10, and hope to have done grade 8 by year 11.
love piano_ellie

hello

i did grade 8 flute but i didn't skip any grades (the 1st mozart concerto is beautiful)! however i skipped from grade 5 to grade 7 on my sining and got a merit. so it can easily be done
i would advise you see the grades as a standards, and if you've reached a standard before you expect, go for it!


good luck in your exam

I'm in Lower Sixth, and my singing teacher today mentioned me doing Grade Five at some point. I can only assume that she feels that taking lower grades would be a waste of time/money. Quite looking forward to it- already got one of my pieces chosen.

Hi! A few years ago I skipped my grade 6 piano and went straight to grade 7 and It was ok. I had learnt th egrade 6 stuff though, so It wasnt too much of a jump. If you think you can do it-go for it!! Ive only done my grade 2 and 5 on my clarinet and that was a really big jump, but it was just that the teacher didnt have enough confidence in me. Go for it.

for me, I skiped grade1-4, to have a grade 5 descant recorder exam....but I taught by me... so the marks is low, 114/150....and scale part was failed.

and I will have grade 6 violin exam this year, of cause I skiped grade.1-5 exam.

Hi,
i now have my doubts about doing grade 8 piano next Christmas, after missing out grades 6 and 7. The last exam i did was grade 5 in 2001 !!!! I can do the pieces and sight reading fine - but the scales and aural are soooooooooooo hard !!!
What shall i do ? should i do grade 6 in the summer, then grade 8 at Christmas or just do the grade 8 at Christmas !!! ???? Help me !! I am really stuck !!!
I am in year 10 and don't want to be doing grade 8 when i'm doing A levels !!!

someone please reply soon !!
love Ellie

hiya.
i have just chosen 2 skip grade 7 piano. i know what you mean about the jump being quite alot 2 take. i have allready done grade 8 violin, and i know how many scales you have 2 do i find scales frustrating and boring sumtimes especially as my teacher concentrates on them mainly. i suppose all we can do is listen because in the long run they know more of what they r talkin about then we do!!! n e way i wish you the best of luck with your exam and music in general!!!!

Well, I did a Grade 1 violin exam, and I've skipped Grades 2-4 and I'm now preparing for the Grade 5 exam.

And with my flute, I skipped Grades 1 and 2, then passed Grade 3 with merit.

Really, though, I think it's Grade 8 that's really important.