If it possible to skip a grade from Grade 5 to Grade 7? Because I don't wish to waste any more time.

it is possible... I'm skipping from grade 5 this year to 8 next year... but I don't know what the results will be...

Hi Pianoplayer,

Wow, that is great. I, also would love to do the same but I don't have any confidence.

Czaire

it's possible to skip grades...i think i'm doing grade 6 organ (first grade exam for organ) next year and then to grade 8 the year after...

I did grade 5 and then moved to grade 7, it took over the normal year and I still achieved a merit both times.

I went from grade 5-7 in a year and got a distinction for grade 5 and a merit for grade 7.

Skipping grades shouldn't be a problem if you're prepared to put in the hard work. I did grades 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 in clarinet and 1, 4 and working towards 6 in violin. I'm also doing Grade 8 sax at xmas and have never done a sax exam before!

I'm willing to put in extra effort. But skipping from grade 5 to grade 7 or grade 8, how do I determine which grade to choose?

QUOTE (czaire @ Aug 10 2004, 10:40 AM)

I'm willing to put in extra effort. But skipping from grade 5 to grade 7 or grade 8, how do I determine which grade to choose?

Have you thought about why you are taking exams?

If you could equally well take Grade 7 or Grade 8 I suggest you wait until you are thoroughly ready for Grade 8 and take that. Then you can feel that you've "completed the set". Learn as much of the repertoire as you can, and choose a set of pieces that makes a well contrasted programme and that you really enjoy playing. If there's no rush, you might like to learn anything from the Grade 7 repertoire that appeals to you too.

You didn't say what subject you are taking. For some instruments there's very little recent repertoire in the ABRSM syllabus so you might like to broaden your repertoire and your musicianship before you think about taking another grade. If you are playing piano and don't already know the "Spectrum" series of books I strongly recommend that you explore them (book 2 has the easiest pieces, books 1 and 3 are probably more or less equal). There's also a 'cello book now which I haven't seen yet.

Good luck!

Hiya, I think that skipping grades is a good idea as long as you are prepared to put in an awful lot of work!! I skipped from grade 5 to grade 8 and to be honest i regret it because i'm going to be in my gcse year next year and well i have to do my exam in march at the latest which is a complete nightmare as i've only been learning the pieces sice last february!! aaaaaaaaaaargh!!

Hi to all,

Skipping grade is a good thing, but if you are to do so, a lot of time and effort has to be put in to practicing. Some of the biggest changes that you will most certainly feel if you are skipping from say grade 5 to 7 or 8 would be in: the sight-reading, technical requirements and AURAL.

If often feel that when people skip grades, the Aural aspect is often not addressed as well as the pieces. So, it is important that if you decide to skip a grade that you know what you are doing and that you feel confident in your answers, especially in the general aural part at the end of the aural tests.

Unless your Sight-reading is very very good, you might struggle in achieving the requirments for a pass at higher level sight-reading. However, sight-reading requires practice, and as long as you practice upto and including the standard of the grade, you should be fine.

As far as scales go, tempo plays an important role, so make sure you are playing at the tempi indicated in the scales books.

If you can do these, skipping a grade won't seem like to much of a leap. Without such preparations, you could struggle and find yourself taking the higher grade at a time that you might have been taking it if you were not to skip grade.

Skipping grades is possible, my first organ exam was grade 7, and that was only having learnt for one year!

Hope this helps, and sorry its so long.

yea... i agree... aural is the most worrying for me...

I did grade 4 for my first exam and grades 6 and 8 in the following year and got honours in all three.It is possible to skip grades as long as you are willing to put in ALOT of practice.Also, be sure to do alot of work on scales,sightreading and aurals.Good luck

grade 8 oral is horrible...though i've already passed two grade 8s...

QUOTE (ethnomusicologist @ Aug 11 2004, 01:37 AM)

Hope this helps, and sorry its so long.

Hi ethnomusicologist,

Don't worry, it isn't that long.
Your opinion really help, it give me an idea on which area I should concentrate on and the problems that I'll be facing. Thank you.

Hi, My teacher told me to skip from grade 5 to 7 but when she found out that i failed it she told me to do grade 5 instead as i wouldnt get ma thoery n grade 7 done apparently. i was rly confused so i was just nodding along.

But yeh its depends if you papare to put in all da hard work basically

my teacher told me to do grade 5 or 6 piano , skipping the grades below

but im in a 'situation' now so grade 5 or 6 has to be done

+ i do agree that practise + hard work = acheivement

P.s- im so afraid of scales + aural

With the viola, I was going to take grade 2 or 3 at Christmas as I only started in March/February, but I got seriously bored so I'm taking grade 5, and after that I'm skipping to grade 7, I don't know how long it'll take me to get to that standard technically, my sight-reading will hopefully come naturally as I play in a sting quartet and we sight-read new stuff every single week, and I'm joining an orchestra in September so that'll hopefully get me up. So yes, I believe it is possible.

QUOTE (BabyBanana @ Aug 12 2004, 08:16 PM)

Hi, My teacher told me to skip from grade 5 to 7 but when she found out that i failed it she told me to do grade 5 instead as i wouldnt get ma thoery n grade 7 done apparently. i

Do u mean Grade 5 theory?

QUOTE (missfabflute @ Aug 12 2004, 08:38 PM)

+ i do agree that practise + hard work = acheivement

fully agree. I'm afraid of Aural.