Hi

I took grade 8 theory over 12 years ago and understand that the syllabus has changed alot since that time. I passed but didn't get a very good mark. Would anyone be interested in attempting to take it again later this year?

Andrew

You might find that some of the changes make it easier to do this time.
I think that the latest changes were from 1999. I did grade8 in 2002 so was working some past papers from before the change. The more recent ones were easier because the composition doesn't have to be quite as long, a minimum of 12 instead of 16 bars and questions 4 and 5 have sentences with gaps to fill rather than a 'trace the modulations' type question with blank lines to write your answer on (no hoping you didn't miss anything).

I am "hoping" to take grade 8 at some stage but as I am only just about to take grade 5 in June, I suspect the end of the year will be much too soon for me - I haven't gone down the road of looking at a feasible time-line for it to know what is realistic given my other commitments. Plus once I start Grade 6 material I may find I don't like it as much - I hear about the harmonic stuff and it frightens me!!! I have bought some of the books I have read about on this site and so far haven't connected with them!!!

I will keep an eye on this thread and will keep it in mind. Of course, I could well be repeating Grade 5 at the end of the year instead......... so I perhaps I should keep my ideas under control until July !!!

elizabeth

What books have you bought? Some of them are more forbidding than others. It helps if you look at the right ones.

Grade 6 harmony is really an extension of grade 5 harmony and, if you can cope with cadences and chords I, II and V then you are ready for grade 5 theory and if you pass that you are ready for more. There is no need to be frightened because you will - believe me - you will cope.

Haven't bought anything startling, just the 2 workbooks (main one plus the one with the big 6 on the front), Butterworth and ABC of harmony and I know these will have a lot of info relating to higher grades.

Are there any others you would particularly recommend????

I think I am just lacking in self confidence plus I think the workbooks seem to be set out a bit differently from the 1-5 ones and maybe once I start to work through them I will be ok. My teacher is pleased I am wanting to head for higher theory grades - and she wouldn't encourage me if she didn't think I could do it !!!

It's helpful to know that grade 6 harmony is an extension of grade 5 as I am quite enjoying that!!

Elizabeth

Might be worth looking at i'll have a look at the books. Did my gd. 5 and got a distinction. And i learn theory really fast! Learn gd.1 to 5 in 5 months but only took gd.5!

As i say i'll have a look at the books might be up for it though!!

Or may do the challenge at a later date!!!

What main one?.. I thought that the one with the big 6 was the the main one.. if you mean Music Theory in Practice then that is useful enough but cover the pre 1999 syllabus. There aren't any huge changes, more the way questions are asked and answered than content but the big 6 one is the more up to date.
A student of mine likes Josephine Koh.

Thanks so much for this ..... It's useful to know the one with the big 6 is more recent - guy in music shop didn't know what the difference was when i bought them having specifically asked this question!!! Maybe he was short on his commission for the day and needed the extra sale or maybe that's a consequence of buying music in remotest Hicksville !!!

Josephine Koh - I like her books too as I have used one for grade 4 theory and have her grade 5 one to use shortly. she gives loads more exercises as often I finish a workbook feeling I would like to work more examples before starting into papers. She does them up to grade 8 and I will be putting the ones for grades 6-8 on my wishlist!!!

elizabeth

Whats the one with the big 6 on the front i buy those "music thoery in practise" book published by the board!

and that AB guide. Looked through part 1 and can remember just about all of it!!! Will get the part 2 and see how difficult it is!

I'm not here to splash you a bucket of cold water, but by retaking an exam,you will usually ends up with the same or simliar mark...(i had that experience, i know... )

Me too

It would probably be interesting to look at the Grade 8 Theory syllabuses of all the exam boards and if they vary much choosing the one that tests the sorts of things you are most interested in.

Not necessarily: it depends how much work you've done in the meantime and how much you've changed since then. Of course if you retake the exam soon after without having a great deal of time to work on improving then you will get a similar mark (if the examination system is fair...) but with years in between and a completely different approach, a different mark is much more probable .

We shall be doing the grade 8 theory challenge at some point: it is, however, likely that YAP and I will be doing grade 7 theory at the time of your grade 8 challenge so we can't join you at that time.

Good luck .

Having looked through what i need to do don't think i'll be taking gd.8 theory challenge this winter will do it sometime though!

Thanks for all your posts.

I'll still be considering though

I took grade 5 about 20 years ago, and hope to do grade 8 , maybe next year.after the practical exams,

I took my Grade 5 last June, and have just started working on my Grade 6. I bought the Grade 6 workbook from the series that I enjoyed for Grades 1 to 5, but found that there is an enormous jump from the end of 5 to the beginning of 6.

I have now bought AB's Harmony in Practice. This is a tome, and therefore rather expensive, but it starts at the end of Grade 5 and takes you right through to beyond Grade 8. I am enjoying the work.