If I am to do my teaching diploma I need grade 6 in either theory or Practical Musicianship. The theory exam is cheaper, and AFAIK I have everything I need to know, but since my theory book doesn't come with any answers who knows if I am right or wrong! Practical Musicianship it's rather hard to test yourself because the only way I can record the things for the spot the difference and the play and repeat is to play them myself then wait a few days and listen back, but I have still seen the scores. PM is also so much dearer than theory. The other thing is that if I am to take the LRSM in a few years I will need grade 8, so is grade 6 an economical way to go or do I go straight in at 7/8? I can probably do 8 PM straight off and 8 theory with some work to do on modes, and that gets the kaboodle of the way.

So then I see these things and I think hmmm, wouldn't it be nice to put certificates with all those things I know I can do, a grade 8 recorder would be nice (or more likely Trinity Advanced Cert), so would a piano exam to be finally down on paper, perhaps I should take my grade 8 violin while I am on the bandwagon, and I wonder how useful any of that would ever be to either my own sense of satisfaction that yes I really can do these things or to an external person who wants proof of my standard for any reason. But they are sooooo dear to take. Perhaps for a laugh I could take a new instrument and see if I can get a grade 1!

What to take, what to take. Theory or PM? Grade 6, 7 or 8? Not sure if I want to do extra work (while getting ready for a diploma) or just get certification for the stuff I can already do.

Start with the theory exam, because you need that to take any Grade 8, and you need Grade 8 to take a diploma.

I did Grade 6 PM before I did my DipABRSM in Teaching. Although it was more expensive, it was more suited to the kind of musician I am. I've put in this term for Grade 8 PM in case I should want to do the LRSM in the future.

If you think you already know the Theory required for Grade 6, then in some ways, doing the PM exam would be another 'string to your bow' as it were and would develop an extra set of valuable skills.

David

In each case it is either/or, for exams above grade 6 it's grade 5 theory OR practical musicianship, for the diploma it's grad 6 theory OR practical musicianship. In that sense it doesn't make any difference. Except for the cost! If you are more of a doing person than a writing person then grade 5 PM gives you a useful alternative possibility.

It's hard because you have to enter so far in advance, I wouldn't want to put in for grade 6 and then 3 months later when I get the exam date I could have got grade 8 instead. For a compromise I could put in for 7, but in many ways 7 is no use as I need 6 for the ARSM and 8 for the LRSM, 7 isn't worth any "extra" than 6.

PM and keyboard harmony finally gives me an advantage to being rather poor at the piano, I have been playing from Fake Books, electronic keyboard books and guitar tab for years, putting a harmony line under a melody based on chord figures is absolutely second nature! I am pretty useless at that repeating a melody back thing, though. I always forget half of it. Practice, in this
instance, does not appear to make perfect, practice makes frustration.

I have been checking through the regulations but I can't find anything relevant anywhere, is it possible to change the entry after the closing date if you pay the upgrade fee? I.e if I put in to do grade 6 and by March I reckon I could do the grade 8 instead is it possible to change it? A lot of things are theoretically not possible to do but you can do them really, I'm not sure if this is one of them, or if I will be totally stuck with the grade I put down on the form in January.

Though I doubt that the regulations say that it is possible I can tell you from experience that I have changed a practical musicianship entry at the last minute. Logically there seems be be little reason why you can't take the exam at a lower level than you entered (which is what I did) - since both the fee and the time needed for examining will definitely cover the lower grade. Without checking I couldn't be sure but you might find that if you attempt the reverse the fee you have paid is insufficient and/or the time scheduled for the exam is insufficient.

In my case I realised about a week or ten before that I had bitten off more than I could chew. I rang the Board as was told that a substitution would be OK but to make sure that I told the marshall so that I was examined on the correct syllabus.