Well, it's pretty self-explanatory!
I went straight in at grade 8, just wondered what everyone else did!
x x x x x

Grade 1

Car Expert

"Preliminary" - bit like current prep test - on the violin.

I expect that most people sat a grade 1 exam first. As for me, I have never sat an exam

I voted Grade 3. First exam on flute and piano, but with recorder I've only done Grade 8.

First EVER was on the flute - grade 3 a staggeringly long time ago.

Since I re-started music - singing - grade 5. just over 3 years ago.


Lowest grade I've ever taken - violin - grade 1 last year. But I'd done a grade 3, a grade 4, two grade 5s, a grade 8, an ATCL and a LTCL before that.

My first ever exam was a grade 1 on violin. However, on flute, grade 3 was my first.

Grade 1 on Piano.

Missssssssssssssed!!!!! My real first practical exam was grade 5. HOW COULD I HAVE PRESSED 6?!

Oh well, now for the comment.I didn't think it was that hard. If I was going to take grade 6 first I would need to take grade 5 theory.

Grade 2 piano.

First Ever wes grade 5 piano
First on violin was grade 3

Grade one clarinet, that was.. yikes, nearly 6 years ago! How time flies!

Grade 2 on recorder ( now taking grade 6) grade 1 on violin.

Grade 4 singing... way back

Prep test piano

Grade 2.... on recorder? In 1976? Trinity (not AB sorry).... then grade 3 clarinet..... in 1978?? I must be ancient, ancient, ancient!!!!!!

Grade 1 on piano, 4 years ago

Grade 5 piano.

Grade 3 clarinet, before grades 1 and 2 were invented!!!

On piano, my first grade was 2
Viola = 4
Theory = 5
Recorder = 5
Flute = 5
Saxophone = 5
Violin = 3
Singing = 1!!! (as I'd never taken a grade 1 before then - I think I was 27)

Grade 8 voice (as opposed to singing). These were different exams back then. It was "practice" before the LTCL as my teacher hadn't realised I hadn't done grades.

Yay, someone else who sat grade 8 first! =)

Grade one - Piano
hahahahaha first ever! XD

Flute grade 1
Recorder grade 4
Theory grade 3

Grade 3 clarinet in 1977!! There was no such thing as Grade 1 and 2 for clarinet then!!

OK, we'll do Grade 7 in the summer and aim for Grade 5 some time next year. You'll have to fail your Grade 5 theory before you can do any of the other practicals.

Grade 3 I refused to do the others because of confidence and only reluctantly did that. I got a pass with distinction Not to keen on doing any more

I heard you had an amazing accompaninist

Yes he was alright

hehe.... okay, I'll start buying the books and we can work on them this week! It'll be a challenge though, I can tell......

Well I played the guitar for a bit when I was about 7 or 8, and therefore did my 'Preliminary' which is like the prep test.

I stopped the guitar, and since then have taken up singing and piano. I did my grade 1 piano exam first in November, and am jumping to grade 4 in the summer. I'm going straight to grade 3 singing in the summer too.

Oh, and theory I did grade 1 and am going to do grade 4 exam fairly soon.

Laura

Soprano saxophone - Grade 6
then Alto saxophone - Grade 5
now Bassoon - Grade 2 .... the examiner won't enjoy this one much!

First Ever Grade was Grade 2 on the Cello.
On the Oboe Grade 2.
Theory was Grade 3.

Recorder Prep test - I was like 5 !!!!

I was 8 when I did my grade 1 piano...I've done every single grade since then

On which instrument?

On Piano - Grade One
On Drums - Grade Four
On Clarinet - Grade Two
On Saxophone - never done an exam

I voted Grade One though, since it IS the logical place to start!

How can someone jump right into the higher grades, I don't understand it.. ?

For example, by playing the piano for seven years and then doing Grade 8 because that's the level they'd reached, even though they had to have scales explained to them.

I have known this to happen.

My first was grade 1 piano when I was about 7. The first on flute was 5 and first on Recorder was 8.

Hmm sonataform... I do wonder who on earth you are talking about!
And scales? Now who would have played for 7 years and never done a scale?!? hehe

Grade 4 flute. That was the year I went to school in England and the first time I heard about music exams, otherwise I might have taken some before then.