10 replies to this topic

[HarpyMum]

Hi all Emily-lous mum here
My daughter wants to skip grade 7 and go straight to grade 8 as she already knows one of the pieces very well, I think she should do grade 7 as she may miss alot it's not just about the pieces but she is confident that it will be fine, I think her aim is to leave school having done grade 8. Has anybody else skipped grades and wished they hadn't?

[Roseau]

Obviously her teacher will be the best person to advise her, but when I was young no one did all the grade exams.

[fsharpminor]

There have been other threads on this subject, not too long ago.
I skipped Grade 6 to ALCM (In twenty months) on piano and Grade 6 to Grade 8 on Organ (in 15 months), but that was when I was in my teens in the 1960's. Tried to do ATCL organ, 8 months after Grade 8 but failed, then I was off to Uni to do Chemistry.
Certainly its possible to skip grades, with hard work. I have to say that having reported above, I am sure my A level work suffered a bit when I did Grade 8 organ (ALCM was in lower sixth). I am sure that you would want 'school' work to have priority over music if music is not her intended main career direction. In my case I was never intending to aim for music as a career.
But I say 'go for it', as I did.

[Halka]

Is this Emilylou we're talking about, or do you have another daughter? Assuming we're talking about E-L, I think, from your other posts, she's 13 or 14, and took grade 5 at Christmas. Yes? If so, it seems she's got tons of time to get to grade 8 before she leaves school, whether or not she takes the intervening grades - assuming she expects to stay on for "A" levels, of course. I don't know anything about harp repertoire, but whizzing straight on to grade 8 just because she happens to know one of the pieces well doesn't sound like the best plan to me. Better to build up gradually to the grade 8 exam by playing lots of music at grades 6, 7 and 8 level, while taking teacher's advice on which of these exams actually need be sat.

[HarpyMum]

Is this Emilylou we're talking about, or do you have another daughter? Assuming we're talking about E-L, I think, from your other posts, she's 13 or 14, and took grade 5 at Christmas. Yes? If so, it seems she's got tons of time to get to grade 8 before she leaves school, whether or not she takes the intervening grades - assuming she expects to stay on for "A" levels, of course. I don't know anything about harp repertoire, but whizzing straight on to grade 8 just because she happens to know one of the pieces well doesn't sound like the best plan to me. Better to build up gradually to the grade 8 exam by playing lots of music at grades 6, 7 and 8 level, while taking teacher's advice on which of these exams actually need be sat.

Hi yes thats her, she leaves school next June, she is very keen and focused I guess she will do what ever she feels comfortable with, theory Thursday fingers crossed for that!

[gwyntdi-enw]

My elder two both missed grade 7 (and a few earlier grades before 6). Both got distinctions at grade 8, and with no detriment to school work either. My youngest is planning to do the same. None are intending a music career, but are continuing to play in amateur ensembles. All seem to have the need to feel they have "finished" the course grade-wise.

[HarpyMum]

My elder two both missed grade 7 (and a few earlier grades before 6). Both got distinctions at grade 8, and with no detriment to school work either. My youngest is planning to do the same. None are intending a music career, but are continuing to play in amateur ensembles. All seem to have the need to feel they have "finished" the course grade-wise.

Thanks for the reply gwyntdi, your children did very very well, I am sure your youngest will do the same, Emily feels exactly the same, she just wants to finish her grades so that she can concentrate on learning pieces of her own choice

[GMc]

Unless she "needs" grade 8 for further ed entry I would not be looking at rushing to grade 8 at the same time as doing final and most important year of school. Why cant she just play the pieces she wants to now one at a time as respite from school work? Depends how much school work she does I guess and what she wants to do next.

[erard]

I would second asking her teacher. I can see no good reason for doing the grade 7 exam if she doesn't want to, but that is a different matter from being ready for grade 8 next year.

The harp syllabus has a lot more overlap in pieces than I have noticed for other instruments. For instance movements from the Parry sonatas are in grade 6 and 7 and the whole sonatas on the diploma list. This makes it clear to me that the pieces need to be played to an appropriate standard rather than the pieces being innately grade 8 level.

[HarpyMum]

I would second asking her teacher. I can see no good reason for doing the grade 7 exam if she doesn't want to, but that is a different matter from being ready for grade 8 next year.

The harp syllabus has a lot more overlap in pieces than I have noticed for other instruments. For instance movements from the Parry sonatas are in grade 6 and 7 and the whole sonatas on the diploma list. This makes it clear to me that the pieces need to be played to an appropriate standard rather than the pieces being innately grade 8 level.

Thanks Errard ! useful info, she will probably decide after she has her grade 6 mark back, I personally would prefer her to do grade 7 then 8, whatever she feels confident with at the time i guess

[erard]

Personally, I found moving from grade 6 to 7 was the biggest step, though GCSEs and lack of practice did contribute. I find the repertoire is far more musically interesting at grade 7 too.