i'm on grade one in violin and im gonna take music for gcse next year. im coming up to grade two too.

can i still take it or should i just quit while i'm ahead?

thx

See my reply on the other GCSE topic

I will give just the statement that if you are at such a low grade on your first instrument, an A* WILL be out of the question. I hope you're ok with a lower grade.

QUOTE (DavidMusic @ Mar 13 2004, 06:33 PM)

I will give just the statement that if you are at such a low grade on your first instrument, an A* WILL be out of the question. I hope you're ok with a lower grade.

Will it really? How come? It's been well over 15 years since I took O level Music, and at the time I had Grade 2 Violin, but I got an A.

I'm trying to remember what I had to perform on the violin at the time, but it's so long ago I can't remember!

Yours curiously, Carys.

QUOTE (sparkal @ Mar 13 2004, 04:16 PM)

i'm on grade one in violin and im gonna take music for gcse next year. im coming up to grade two too. can i still take it or should i just quit while i'm ahead? thx

Do you mean not take Grade 2, or give up violin altogether?

If you enjoy the violin, you should keep playing. You don't need to take the exams, but they do give you a goal to aim towards.

I stopped taking the exams after Grade 2 (but still continued to play in the school orchestra). I regret it now.

Dont give up violin- if you don't want to do any exams just gradually work through different fun pieces.

You can still take grades on the violin while doing GCSE music if thats what you mean?! Im quite confused by what exactly you mean!!!!

Nat

When I was choosing my GCSE topics last year my music teacher told us all that when you take GCSE music you should be grade 2 odviously you can be higher but you were on track if you were grade 2 when you started GCSEs.
obviously though your GCSEs take two years so you will probably be grade 3 standard when you take your exam. I am taking music and although im grade 4 on piano and violin most other people taking it are only about grade 2 on their instruments and doing fine. If you enjoy music especially composing then go for it. Trust me you wont be really backward and im pretty sure you can get an A or evenA* it depends how well you play the piece you choose not how difficult the piece is.
good luc wateva u choose!!
XXX

I don't play the violin but I took GCSE music without any prioir instrumental tuition (except learning the recorder in primary school but I doubt that was past grade one) in anything (and none in parallel either); I got an A.

Go for it

Another pianist- just interested to know what instrument/pieces you played for the performing part if you couldn't play anything when you 1st started the course?!!!!

Nat

I played the recorder and the piano I taught myself two recorder pieces and a piano piece for it: the pieces were given to me by the school music teacher.

Recorder pieces one was a theme and variation (possibly by Bach) for piano and recorder; the other was an arrangement of Scott Joplin's 'The Entertainer' for piano and recorder.

The piano piece was 'Walking in the Air' from The Snowman.