I have been re-learning the flute for the last four years or so having had a break of about 25 years before then. Can't really remember why I stopped playing way back then, but had a young family and I don't think I had a great deal of interest. Since picking it up again, I have loved it all. Played it heaps and then decided to give myself a reason to play and a goal to aim for, and that maybe sitting some exams would be helpful.

So last year I sat Grade 5 and attained a merit pass. This year I sat Grade 6 and attained a pass. Most of the comments from the examiner relate to intonation, rhythm and tonal variation. Obviously, Grade 7 is going to be harder with higher expectations and I don't think I will be able to pass it unless I can address the issues raised. Bearing in mind how much passing Grade 6 cost me in terms of time, effort and emotional input I am strugging to figure out if I can go on and if it is possible to do so.

What do other people think? Is it possible for me to come back from this or do I just need to face up to the possibility that really I am not a flute player and should give it up?

Has anyone else been in this position and/or does anyone have any advice?

I've not played it since the exam. Firstly because I played it SOOO much prior to the exam and secondly because I am feeling quite sad by the whole thing, I can't really face it at the moment.

Hi and welcome Neenee.

A pass is still something to feel proud of. From the sounds of it you could benefit from lessons with a good teacher so that you can be corrected and guided on the issues the examiner pointed out. If you enjoy playing then there's no need to feel that you should stop just because of the result of your grade 6. Have you considered finding a local amateur ensemble that you can join? That way you can be encouraged to work on your playing whilst also playing with others.

Good luck! Lucid

if you still love to play you could continue to play but not do the exams.

I was going to suggest this too - it is a great way to enjoy playing without the pressure of exams. If you have passed grade 6 you are already a good player. You may find that it also helps your intonation and rhythm!

I did grade 5 flute at school, scraped a pass and my teacher told me that I would never be a flute player, that my tone and intonation were terrible, any group that I joined would be better off without me, I was wasting my time and should sell my flute. I didn't listen to her but I stopped having lessons. I kept playing in the school windband due to the efforts of the far more encouraging music teacher who ran it. After I school I continued playing in various church music groups. I had lessons again in my late twenties and ended up passing grade 7 with distinction! I am so glad I didn't give up!

So keep enjoying your playing and the rest will follow.

Intonation - What sort of flute do you have? Has it been serviced? These things can make a big difference to intonation.

Rhythm - Your rhythm is something your teacher could work on. It should have been in place on exam pieces before you were entered. Do you mean in sightreading?

Tonal variation - Again this is something for teacher to worry about. (It's something I worry about.) My pupils need to firstly have a flute capable of tonal variation and then we work on producing different tones.

Is your teacher a flute specialist?

(Sorry, lots of questions there. )

Thank you so much for your replies so far.

My flute is a Pearl, a student flute I believe. I have had it for about 30 years, although it has been in storage for a lot of that time. I have had it serviced a few times in the last thee years or so.

My teacher is excellent and I am very lucky to have her. She was principal flute in the orchestra previously and has been a teacher for some time I think. She teaches in schools and privately.

I was aware before the exam that there were some intonation and rhythm issues but not to the extent they turned out to be, but looking back my teacher did pull me up on those issues from time to time,but perhaps I didn't really hear what she was saying.

I have the opportunity to play with a group who play celtic music - most of them play the violin but are looking out for and are happy to have other instruments. I will play with them for the first time this Friday (11th) and see how it goes.

Thank you so much for your encouragement. I feel a little more hopeful now that maybe I can pull myself out of this and enjoy playing again.

This is the thing you need to find - enjoying playing again. And if enjoying playing turns out to be a celtic music group, or a local orchestra, or playing easier music for a while, or investigating something different like jazz (with or without exams!)...well, basically, enjoying playing and progressing in your playing doesn't have to mean 'Grade 7 next'.
Of course, it can be, but there's a whole musical world out there beyond grade exams so don't tie yourself to them for the sake of it (and I'm saying this as someone who personally like the whole exam-external-measure system!) - and especially not if they aren't making you happy!

This will certainly help your rhythm and intonation - but be aware that if this group is playing the music properly, you'll probably have to play it all by ear, you'll have to learn all kinds of ornamentations that you won't be used to doing (and will be really rather difficult on a silver flute instead of a keyless wooden one) and that some things will directly contradict what you play in classical - tonguing for example is almost never used in Irish and Scottish playing - with everything being played legato, using pulsations in breath to obtain an off-beat stress.

On the other hand, you may discover a new passion for music - that's what happened to me - I was playing classical violin to a reasonable level, but never found it all that enjoyable. Then I joined a group of Irish musicians (made a huge fool of myself at first by thinking the music was easier than classical because the tunes appeared simple) - perservered with it and have honestly never looked back. I hardly play any classical stuff these days!

A session in the pub with friends and a few tunes is excellent!

Have fun.

Firstly try to remember that music is not about exams though it can be satisfying to have them as markers along the way.

Did you start playing in order to do exams or because you wanted to play?
A dip in energy and enthusism following an exam is not unusual even if you do really well.
Try, with your teacher, to use the examiner's comments in a positive way. You now have a reminder of the areas you need to focus on if you want to push your playing on further. Some of these things may need a little backtracking to consolidate your bascic technique before moving on.

My teacher (clarinet) doesn't remind me of those things from time to time but all the time.

Hi Neenee. I was in the same situation 3 years ago. I passed my Grade 5 with a merit, and it was a horrendous experience . So I joined a local amateur orchestra, and since then improved in sight reading and rhythm tremendously. I also changed my teacher and that has helped very much too.
Since last year and my new teacher, I have been playing music around the Grade 5-7 mark, and just enjoying it. Also playing in a few forum concerts and with other flute players has helped in confidence.
I now feel that I really am at a Grade 5-6 standard overall, whereas before I just played the 3 pieces for the exam. The theory paper at Grade 5 helped too.
I hope you enjoy the Celtic band, and get to grips with playing by ear quickly. That is hard for me because I am quite deaf.
All the best to you.
Beverley.

I don't think she liked teaching very much, she certainly wasn't very encouraging! Needless to say I enjoyed playing a lot more after I stopped my lessons!
That sounds like great fun! Hope you have a great time - and let us know how it goes!

^ well said!

Neenee, even if you never take another exam, you can get so much enjoyment out of playing. I've taken precisely two exams in 14 years of playing the flute (I loathe exams!) but, although the exams I have taken encouraged my progress in areas I maybe wouldn't otherwise have seen as much improvement in, they have always been an add on, and I have continued to progress (with the odd year or two of hiatus sprinkled among the playing) the whole time.

Play for the joy of it, take up some of the great suggestions, and IF you want to take another exam at some point, great, but don't let fear of exams or concerns about your technical progress stop you playing.

You play the flute, ergo you are a flautist. Taking or not taking grade 7 is neither here nor there

11th Sep - I went to the Celtic group tonight. They are all violinists and some of them were really good. A harp was there for a short time and disappeared off somewhere.

However, to be frank, not my kind of music. Fast and repetative and sounds great on the violin but it's play along (you know, in unison together), I didn't think it was great flute music, and really didn't float my boat unfortunately.

I'm desperate to find a group to play along with and particularly want an amateur orchestra or woodwind group. I'm in Auckland, New Zealand. Does ANYONE know of such a group? I have looked everywhere.

Thanks for all your comments to date - much appreciated.

Two community groups:
Auckland Wind Orchestra - no flute vacancies at the moment but why you might like to be on the waiting list? http://www.awo.co.nz/

Auckland Symphony Orchestra: http://www.aucklandsymphony.gen.nz/

If these are too "big and impressive and scary", you could drop an email to them - because they may well know of smaller or more local amateur/community groups. They'll have a better grasp of your local music scene than I do (given that I'm on the other side of the plant )

Sorry to hear the Celtic group didn't work out for you.

Hope you manage to find something! Also maybe have a chat with the people in your local music shop - they may know of some local ensembles too.
Good luck.

Thanks for your suggestion. However, the Symphony Orchestra is for professional musicians, not amateurs like me. I also tried the Manukau Symphony Orchestra, but they only take musicians at diploma level. There is (or at least, was at one stage) a group in Wellington called Wellington Winds, which I went to a couple of times years and years ago, and maybe the Wind one you mentioned is the same. If so it would be perfect for what I am looking for now. I will contact them and see what the criteria are.

Thank you Maizie. Through your suggestions I have tracked down a group and went for a first practice last night. No vacancies for flutes right now, so I am on percussion and really loved it. Will help with my rhythm too and I'm back to practicing my flute again. Just the kind of group I have been looking for - all woodwind (and percussion) and it's GREAT.

I am not sure how much of the syllabus is available worldwide, but certainly in the UK there is more choice than just the "grade" examinations these days. If you want a measure of your performance and something to aim for but there is an aspect of exams you don't like then look at the alternative options such as performance assessment, music medals, Trinity Guildhall thingies that I can't remember the name of but it's just in 3 levels with no technical exercises or anything. You can always branch out to jazz or practical musicianship grades, or enter for festivals. It's easy to get stuck into the progression of the original grade exams, but it's useful to come outside the box every now and then and look at the broad range of examination and certificate options which are not grade 7 but which are the next stage from grade 6.