You have probably heard a friend or colleague who plays an instrument make reference to something called a "grade." These grades refer to music exams that form part of a structured way of learning musical instruments. Many people like to learn this way because it gives the m motivation and purpose in excelling at their chosen instrument.
So who is responsible for awarding these music grades? The three main examination boards are London College of Music, Trinity College London and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). The ABRSM is by far the largest and most utilised of all these examination boards. The board was set up in 1889 and is accredited by Ofqual. This means it can award grades and diploma qualifications through the UK's National Qualifications framework.
The most popular exams offered by ABRSM are definitely the practical exams. These can currently be taken for any of a range of thirty-five different instruments. All practical exams start at grade 1 for beginners and go up to grade 8 for experts. However, ABRSM also offer exams in practical musicianship, music theory and jazz.
During the actual practical exam every student will have to pass four different sections. This is irrespective of what grade or instrument you are taking. The first section is called set pieces. It involves playing three set piece from the course syllabus. Each student is allowed to bring the sheet music for this pieces into the exam room. They are expected to have practised these pieces thoroughly before the exam. Each piece is marked out of 30. A minimum score of 20 is required to pass on each piece.
Scales and arpeggios is the next component and carries a potential 21 marks. Quite simply the examiner will verbally request a number of scales and the candidate must play them back. There is no sheet music allowed for this. The pass mark is set at 14 for this component.
The third component is the aural. As the name would suggest, it involves listening comprehension. In this part, the examiner will play a short melody on the instrument and then question the candidate over it. The aural carries 18 marks with a minimum of 12 required to pass.
Sight-reading is often the most feared part of the music exam. This is because the candidate must play from sheet music that they haven't ever seen before. They will be presented with a short piece during the exam and are allowed half a minute to look at it and prepare. They are encouraged to have a quick run-through during this time. After that they must play the music as best they can for the examiner. Sight-reading carries a total of 21 marks. The pass mark for it is fourteen.
If we add up all the marks from all the different sections, we can see that the exam carries a total of 150 marks. In order to be awarded your grade you must score at least 100. However, you can gain a pass with merit if you score over 120. Additionally, a pass with distinction is awarded for scoring 130 or over.
So who is responsible for awarding these music grades? The three main examination boards are London College of Music, Trinity College London and the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). The ABRSM is by far the largest and most utilised of all these examination boards. The board was set up in 1889 and is accredited by Ofqual. This means it can award grades and diploma qualifications through the UK's National Qualifications framework.
The most popular exams offered by ABRSM are definitely the practical exams. These can currently be taken for any of a range of thirty-five different instruments. All practical exams start at grade 1 for beginners and go up to grade 8 for experts. However, ABRSM also offer exams in practical musicianship, music theory and jazz.
During the actual practical exam every student will have to pass four different sections. This is irrespective of what grade or instrument you are taking. The first section is called set pieces. It involves playing three set piece from the course syllabus. Each student is allowed to bring the sheet music for this pieces into the exam room. They are expected to have practised these pieces thoroughly before the exam. Each piece is marked out of 30. A minimum score of 20 is required to pass on each piece.
Scales and arpeggios is the next component and carries a potential 21 marks. Quite simply the examiner will verbally request a number of scales and the candidate must play them back. There is no sheet music allowed for this. The pass mark is set at 14 for this component.
The third component is the aural. As the name would suggest, it involves listening comprehension. In this part, the examiner will play a short melody on the instrument and then question the candidate over it. The aural carries 18 marks with a minimum of 12 required to pass.
Sight-reading is often the most feared part of the music exam. This is because the candidate must play from sheet music that they haven't ever seen before. They will be presented with a short piece during the exam and are allowed half a minute to look at it and prepare. They are encouraged to have a quick run-through during this time. After that they must play the music as best they can for the examiner. Sight-reading carries a total of 21 marks. The pass mark for it is fourteen.
If we add up all the marks from all the different sections, we can see that the exam carries a total of 150 marks. In order to be awarded your grade you must score at least 100. However, you can gain a pass with merit if you score over 120. Additionally, a pass with distinction is awarded for scoring 130 or over.
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