What grade am I?

[georgethemusicalme]

Sorry about this post, i don't really know where to put it so it's here in the student's area. I've been playing piano for over 8 years now, and i've mastered masterpieces such as Beethoven's moonlight and pathetique sonatas etc. I'm also currently studying Chopin's fantasie-impromptu. The thing is people judge me by my grade which is unfortunately grade 4.  However that was about 6 years ago now, so whenever i say i'm grade 4 they look at me and think - hmmmmmm this guy's a nutjob - grade 4 after 9 or so years!! what grade should i say i am? 

[dana_minmin]

same here! grade 6 ten years ago.

Now I play flight of the bumblebee, Paganini Rhapsody, 2nd Hungarian rhapsody, a lot of Chopin's pieces, pathetique sonata...

I showed my interest in performing in a musician recruitment, then what? People (including one of my professors, btw, I'm not a music major) only judge me by my grade. He doesn't even have an audition, or I'm not invited to his audition. It isn't fair because I know some grade 8 'musicians' who are just...

Believe in your talent and keep up your passion. More chances are waiting for you if you're prepared.

[georgethemusicalme]

yeh i s'pose. Nevertheless - i'm still in school see - year 11 in England now so i'll go in soon and play fantasie - impromptu for them. God i can't wait to see their faces. they always seem to judge me by my grade like ppl do to you. It's sooooo irritating isn't it!

[amelialw]

do you have a teacher?

you can't claim to be a certain grade if you haven't done the exam yet. the thing is that if you do not have a teacher, you may not notice it but you may actually lack certain skills that a student in that grade would have.

[georgethemusicalme]

yeh i have a teacher - i've been playing for over 8 years now as well
AND i've got grade 4 distinction

[amelialw]

then why don't you go for more exams?

i've you have played masterpieces which are at a grade 8+ level, even if you have... you can't say you are and even so, 2 beethoven sonatas and a chopin piece is not enough. Should'nt you learn bach preludes and fugues, sonatas by Mozart/Haydn/Schubert as well, other romantic pieces, 20th C pieces and technical works?

[ramithediv]

then why don't you go for more exams?

i've you have played masterpieces which are at a grade 8+ level, even if you have... you can't say you are and even so, 2 beethoven sonatas and a chopin piece is not enough. Should'nt you learn bach preludes and fugues, sonatas by Mozart/Haydn/Schubert as well, other romantic pieces, 20th C pieces and technical works?

Amelia is right.

If what grade you are matters so much to you, you really need to actually take the exams. 

If you're young I would suggest that you do. 

[georgethemusicalme]

i s'pose but i don't really want to do grades. I just want to knwo what i should say when ppl ask me what grade i am. If i say grade 4 then they just pass me off and go to sum1 who's a grade better - but is in essence worse than me

[ramithediv]

i s'pose but i don't really want to do grades. I just want to knwo what i should say when ppl ask me what grade i am. If i say grade 4 then they just pass me off and go to sum1 who's a grade better - but is in essence worse than me

If you don't want to do grades, don't do them. 

But you cannot tell people you are grade 7 or 8 because you can play one or two pieces from that level.

If you've passed upto grade 4, then you are grade 4.

Surely if you want to impress, then the music should do that, not a number.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm only grade 1, but it does not stop me playing higher pieces.

[georgethemusicalme]

hey ppl i think i've decided to do grade 8 exam cause then it'll get ppl off my back when they ask me!!  i know it's the easy way out of it all - but eyes down and i'll be up with the top 

[nocturnelova]

This is interesting because initially I wanted to do exams merely because I thought that's what you had to do. My previous teacher was taking me through grade 5 then she left suddenly and I got another teacher who went to the Sydney Conservatory and he said that grades are pointless. I'm playing Chopin Etudes and Nocturnes and in his opinion he thinks if I work really hard next year I could try out for the Conservatorium. I am not graded. So....I never know what to say to people! heh heh 

[dana_minmin]

so it's better to tell ppl how many years you've been playing