Someone help...
Last summer I did my Grade 5 and I actually enjoyed it (yes, I know its sad.) I would like to do Grade 6 theory, although I know that there's a big jump from 5 to 6 so I wouldn't be having a date in mind, just going for it when I'm ready, possibly November as I have a long pianoless summer when I will be bored . The thing is though, my piano teacher says its A Level standard . I'm only in yr 9 so I don't know if I should wait. Any advice???

Ok, i don't want to put you off, but i was in almost exactly the same position as you (really enjoyed g5, wanted to carry on...) Grade 6 is completely different from the lower grades - there's much more composition and actually doing things creatively rather than just writing out x scale, naming an interval etc. It is also a massive jump up. I originally planned to do it in the summer two terms after grade 5 (started working on it straight after g5 exam). I worked really hard at it for about a year, then lost momentum a bit and almost three years after i originally intended to sit the exam, i still haven't.

I've heard somewhere that grade 5 is roughly equivalent to gcse, so grade 6 will be ASish probably.

I, like you, enjoyed grade 5 theory, and want to do grade 6. I've started trying to teach myself at the moment, and am finding it really really hard. But, I think if you want to do it and enjoyed grade 5, then by all means go for it!! If you're taking music for GCSE it'll really help with composing and stuff, I'd imagine, although grade 5 would be more than sufficient at that level, as you're right, grade 6 theory content is covered in the A-level syllabus!! (Lucky me next year! Hopefully it'll make more sense when it's being taught to me!! Although I did want to get a headstart ).

I think maybe you could get yourself a couple of grade 6 books, or books to do with harmony, and begin looking at the things required for grade 6, and see how you get on. You never know, you might understand it well and be able to take the exam soon - which, if you're going to take music for GCSE and A-level especially would be really beneficial. And if you do struggle, then at least you will have made a bit of a start, and won't be a complete beginner at grade 6 when you do decide to take the exam.

Hope that helped (have a feeling I was rambling!!), and good luck for your SATs this summer (?)

Laura

I'd suggest you get a good harmony book /before/ you look at grade 6 books.

Get to grips with the basics of formal harmony before you try to apply it to grade 6 questions. Harmony in Practice is very good, and there's an answer book available for it which you'll find useful if you're working by yourself.

T.

I'd say go for it if you enjoy theory - it's 'real' theory as opposed to simply naming notes and chords etc - you get to do proper stuff! If you want to go on to higher education in music then it'll be extremely useful - I found bits of A level music really easy because I was also working on G8 theory. And if you don't, then having a proper grounding in harmony will be very good for your performance anyway.

I <heart> theory!

I'd say go for it - I persuade as many of my pupils as possible who are serious about music to do it nowadays.

Having said that, I would very much doubt you can do it by November - but don't be put off as you can make a really good start over the summer. Teigr recommended Harmony in Practice - it's a big orange book - and you can buy the answer book too. I would recommend this approach very highly. I usually make my pupils get a really good start on this before we even look at Grade 6.

It is hard, but I think it can be very enjoyable. I have a pupil doing Grade 5 theory this session who is only 11 and we are going on to Harmony in Practice after that. I'm sure she will cope with it - albeit slowly (I would expect it to be 2 or 3 years before she takes Grade 6), so don't be put off that you are young. It is possible. Plus you will have extra UCAS points when you look at uni. Also, A level music seems to me to be very close to Grade 7 theory, so you will have a huge advantage if you do that one day.

I love theory too and always did as a child. It's great for your maths, too. Good luck with it!

Is grade 6 really meant to be AS standard. I'm only doing AS at the moment and doing grade 7 theory and found grade 6 quite easy to be fair.

But yer grade 5 is just a bit of a weird grade in my opinion. Grade 6 upwards is where it gets good
So if you really enjoy it, like i do, then go for it! Get a few of the books and don't be put off my the blabble there is in some.

Ah i love my theory! My friends think i'm a right weirdo!

Thanks for all the advice. I've spoken to my teacher and she's going to do some of the writing for four parts and some other stuff with me and see how it goes. I am taking Music GCSE (and I want to take A Level too) but I don't think composing will be my strong point so from that point of view it can only be good to start now.
By the way singerpianist, I'm not doing Sats this summer, my area got rid of them two years ago So, I will have no Maths exam because I'm in accelerated GCSE so we don't do the yr9 syllabus, and everything else will just be an exam which might just be in the classroom! (PM m if anyone is interested why..)

Oh right!! Sounds good to me!!!

Have fun learning grade 6 theory then!

Laura

I decided I was going to take grade 6 theory when I saw that it was an entry requirement for the teaching diploma. I phoned my teacher that day and he put me in for the exam - it was the last day for entry and I had 1 month to get ready for the exam from scratch. However I found that I had a head start as I had done a lot of SATB writing in college, and I had also touched on figured bass and I think that was why I managed to prepare in time (although my continuing a melody and modulating wasn't really good enough for the exam but luckily I got 17/20 thanks to the nice person marking my paper!!)

So, my point is, you can either get a head start for college if you start grade 6 now, or you can wait and cover things in detail at college which will make the grade 6 syllabus a bit easier.

Be aware for grade 6 upwards you need to be good at singing things in your head, and like someone said earlier, theory gets good now!

Good luck with whatever you decide!!

P.S Get the ABRSM grade 6 book so you can see what you're in for - but be prepared for a lot of reading, it's very wordy!!

I dont think its problem that you're in year 9, by the time you take it you'll be in year ten, and anyway, I took mine when i was in year nine.

Obviously theres a big jump, but i think thats mostly cos grades 1-5 all build up to grade 5, and have similar sorts of questions, 6-8 is the same but the questions are completely different.

Also, buy the Theory Workbook. I found that much more helpful than Mtip as it takes you through each question and there are lots of useful tips.

good luck!
x

Harmony in Practice is big and very dense, but if you can cope with that, you will be well set for the higher grades - you don't need to know everything in it for grade 6, so check the syllabus before panicking! If you are working on your own, do get the answer book too, so that you can work backwards from that if need be. The AB guides to music theory (pink and blue books) are very good. It helps to be able to sit at a keyboard and play through what you have written. I've recently passed grade 8 theory nearly 30 years after sitting grade 5! I wish I had carried on with the higher grades when I was younger - I think it would have helped my practical skills a lot. Good luck!

hey
im doing a level at the moment and alot of the stuff you need for the grade 6 theory is in the music course work(or is for edexcel) if you were thinking of doing music for gcse and a level it would be good to get a jump start on it! its quite fiddly to get you head around so the sooner you understand it the easier it will be.

ive got some of the books for grade 6 theory and it doesnt seem as straight forward as the grade 5 (im like you i actually enjoyed doing the papers and things:) )

hope ive helped!