Hi everyone. I was just wondering if anyone has ever missed out one of their grades. I want to miss out grade 2 and go to grade three as grade 2 is to easy and grade 3 looks like my standard of music.

I don't see why you shouldn't skip a grade if you and teacher agree that you will be able to cope with the work. I wouldn't recommend it to grades above 4/5, but at grade 1/2, it's not so bad.

I have a friend who took her grade 2 piano and passed with merit, and my teacher and her agreed that the grade 3 syllabus was pretty easy for her and so she has gone straight on to grade 4 and is doing well there.

Give it a go. If you find it too hard, just go back a bit and try grade 2.

NM

If your teacher feels you can handle it, and that you feel that you can handle it, I don't see why you shouldn't be able to skip grades.
I have skipped grades before, from 3 to 4 and 6 to 7. I just felt I didn't need to do them, and that I wanted more of a challenge at that time.

i skipped from 1 to 3... that was for the same reason as matilda its a good idea, takes less time

I skipped grades 2, 4 and am skipping 7 so i only did 1, 3, 5, 6 and am doing 8.Its best to ask for teacher's advice before you skip though...they know best whether you will pass or not.

There's no problem with skipping grades IF your teacher feels it's right for you. There's no rule that says you have to take them all.

But - don't regard the pieces as the only deciding factor. You should check the other requirements too. Look at scales and arpeggios. Get hold of some specimen sight-reading examples, and check out the aural requirements.

Skipping grades isn't a problem as long as your teacher agrees is best for you. Even though a grade 2 exam might be skipped, all the technical work still needs to be covered. Some students would rather do grade 2 for example and get distinction than skip it and pass grade 3 with 101.

noodle and maggiemay have pointed out the important thing - it should be in consultation with your teacher, who should have a good idea as to whether it is a good diea or not. But it is definitely "allowed" and not uncommon.

Its like skipping theory...if you know your up to a higher standard theres no point in taking a test to see whether you are at the lower standard as long as you still learn the stuff.

I know you have to do 5 theory before and other higher grades but do you need 5 practical to do 8?

No, just the theory; but the experience of having sat the grade 5 exam would probably be helpful.

I think it should be okay at lower levels, provided the teacher is qualified and thinks you're capable. At higher levels (5+), it gets much harder so I would never recommend skipping, say, from 5 to 8 (to pick a completely random example ).

I would say is OK to skip the graded exams as long as you do the technical work in between. Otherwise it is possible to miss a scale out I guess .

At first I thought this thread was about grades for skipping I know Nat and Helen have Grade 6 distinction for that

It depends also on where you're approaching the exam from, ie someone who's been playing for a long time but only recently started taking exams may "ease themself in" on a lower exam to gain confidence, but then may skip a grade or two because they are actually playing at a significantly higher level.

I do know someone who went from no lessons and only a little practical knowledge of the piano to doing grade 5 and then grade 8 within a year of starting lessons, but he was (is!) somewhat exceptional and looking back says he wouldn't do it again!

edit: he got 130 for grade 8 heaven knows where he'd've got by now had he started as a young child...

I passed Skipping grade 5 but could never do doubles backwards so I failed grade 6.

Somewhat?!?!

Did he have to practice loads or was he just naturally very good?

I know he did practice a great deal, but he's also very talented. Not at all a case of just rote learning the pieces, although he said he did end up with an appallingly narrow repertoire. I think he may have needed the grade 8 to go to uni, in a short space of time realising that the course he was on for teacher training DIDN'T suit him, and falling in love with music. He had to do a good deal of "filling in" work afterwards, and as I said, he would say now it's not something he would recommend, but you don't get 130 at grade 8 without having some sort of musical and technical talent and expertise to back it up, and certainly I can assert that his playing now is beautiful and extremely musical.

There's no doubt he's exceptionally talented musically, especially on the piano (even just playing for the hymns at chapel, I can tell whether he's playing before I even get into the building), but also has got pretty advanced in a short space of time on several instruments (competent violinist, got distinction almost totally self taught on the clarinet (he had one lesson a few weeks before the exam ) and plays several other instruments).

Essentially, a ridiculously talented guy (the kind you would dislike if they weren't so nice with it) who also worked very very hard that year.

I did my grade 1 and 2 piano, then learned the pieces and scales etc for the grade 3 syllabus but didn't actually take the exam as I didn't feel the need. So I went straight on to grade 4, and got merit. Although skipping grades is useful and most people skip a few anyway. Part of me kind of likes the thought of having a certificate for every grade, though, I don't know why I just think it would be cool!! XXXXX

Yeah, I agree. I have all my certificates on my bedroom wall with a gap left at the bottom for when (if?) I get my Grade 8. It feels nice to have gone through the whole system.

I did 2, 5 ,7. 8 without doing the missing grade Aural and Scales. I think that is the reason I never pass my aural apart from G2.

Maybe I'm too mean to buy more frames, but i just put the latest certificate over the top of previous ones.

Me too, it's much cheaper that way .

I've got one frame with nine certificates in; at least that way I won't lose them

As far as exams are concerned I just did grades 4,6 and 8. Id say if your teacher thinks your up to it then go for it, but there will be alot of work involved.Do work through grade 2 stuff aswell, dont just go straight from playing grade 1 pieces to playing grade 3 ones. And theres also the scales, aurals and sightreading to think about.

hope this helps

Sorry about going off at a different angle here... but whe I read the title of this tread I had an image of people taking grades in jumping over a rope....

Exactly what I do!

But I fear my grade 6 is going to end up being the last. Don't think my scales and sightreading will ever be up to scratch to tackle grade 7 and 8!

does anyone know what the scales, arpegios and broken chords are for grade 2 please

totally off the subject but i see what you mean! We should get a little chant going...any ideas?

and i was wondering...why dont they do broken chords past grade 4...or is it grade 3?

Quite. Like I said I couldn't do doubles backwards because the rope kept getting caught in my heels.

They're here.

my computer can't read that
just tell me please

Um, mine aren't framed at all, so I don't have to buy any new frames

Since you asked so politely .

Scales: major and minor (melodic or harmonic at candidate’s choice):
(i) in similar motion with hands together one octave apart, and with each hand separately, in the following
keys:
G, D, A, E, F majors E, B, D minors (two octaves)

(ii) in contrary motion with both hands beginning and ending on the key-note (unison), in the keys of C and E majors (two octaves)

Chromatic Scale: with each hand separately, beginning on D (one octave)

Arpeggios: the common chords of G, D, A, E and F majors, and E, B and D minors, in root position only, with each hand separately (two octaves)

They are...

Major Scales, 2 Octaves, Hands separately and together an octave apart - G major, Dmajor, A major, E major, F major.

Minor scales melodic or harmonic (it's your choice), hands together and separately an octave apart - E minor, B minor, D minor.

Major scales in contrary motion, hands together in unison beginning and ending on the same note, 2 octaves - C major, E major.

Chromatic scales, hands separately 1 octave - Beginning on D

Arpeggios of major and minor common chords in root position, hands separately, 2 octaves - G major, D major, A major, E major, F major, E minor, B minor, D minor.

Phew!

P.S. You do know that there is a book that you can buy?

Anyways if you can't find it, copy all this down and ask your teacher to see if he/she can write them down for you or something like that.

Wow someone beat me too it when I was trying to find the book.

I cheated and copied and pasted it from the web link I gave!

i m 16 and i skipped from grade 1 piano to grade 4.

so theres no broken chords in g2?
Thanks for the syllabus

Personally, I have really enjoyed doing the grades 1-7 without missing any out. Although it is my ultimate goal to reach grade 8 (another 18 months to go) I have not rushed through the grades and I believe I am a better pianist as a result. If fact, I may be at a loss when I do reach 8 although I have no intention to go any further with diplomas etc.

However, I am not trying to get a grade 8 in order to do a degree and I also have alot of free time on my hands so that may make a difference.

Shelton

I rarely put pupils in for exams so they often skip grades - there's no point in going back to do grade 2 years after they did grade 1 (for example) if they've already worked up to grade 4 level.

That's right, there isn't. But they do make a return in G3, in a slightly different form...Am I remembering wrongly, or did the G2 syllabus have broken chords once upon a time?

I've skipped lots of grades - Violin I did Grade 1 then Grade 4 and I'm awaiting Grade 6 results.
Clarinet - I did Grades 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8.
Sax - I haven't done any grades but I'm hopefully doing Grade 8 at Christmas.

As long as you're technically secure then I think it's fine to skip grades.

Suzymac, I have a feeling they did too.

I'm always relieved to move on from those grade 1 broken chords (I suppose they are like that to accommodate small hands??) to the more straightforward pattern at grade 3, but I loathe and detest the two patterns to learn for grade 4!

!

i skipped because i start it late, and i want to make it faster.since i started it at 14.what bout u all?

Or in my case not being taught the second pattern and fighting out in the exam that it exists.

I had issues with the grade 4 broken chords too: I'd learnt both the patterns but didn't know which one was number 1 and which one was number 2 so I had play a bit and then say 'is that number 1?' in the exam....

Wow, that Fight Club must have really got to my brain. I meant to write "finding out in the exam".

I never really saw the point in broken chords. They sounded pretty nice, but were just a variation on arpeggios really.

I only took Grade 3, 5, 7 and 8 on piano. Took grade 3 after 6 months of lessons and went from there.