Grade System?

[carolannd]

Hi I am new here!

I am a Canadian currently studying at Acadia University, my instrument being piano and my major is composition. I was browsing through some of the pieces and topics posted here and I am assuming this is an American site, so you are going by a different grade system that we use in Canada. We use RCM which goes up to grade 12, I'm pretty sure.

What is your grade system called and what does it go up to? Also, could you give me an example of a piece from the highest grade?

Thanks!

[Bob]

Nils is from Switzerland, but I think the server is based in Texas now.

I don't think there's a formal system used here.  It's 1-8, easy to hard.

I'm in the U.S.  I've never used any kind of grading system for piano music.  There are always exceptions and oddities whenver you have a system in place. 

If you look in the music section, you can search by grade level. 

The systems I've seen are based on rhythm, scales used (or not), key, lines, techniques used, maturity of piece, etc. 

Or search around, esp in the PF board on the bottom.  People have asked about it before. 

[nilsjohan]

The levels on this website (which BTW is published from Sweden!) are similar to the British ABRSM system, i.e. 1-8 where grade 1 generally corresponds to the first few years of study and level 8 is approximately the minimum expected when applying for a full time piano university program.

The level of difficulty can be very varying within our 8+ category but here are a few random examples of the more difficult pieces:


https://www.pianostreet.com/piano_sheet_music/Beethoven-42/Sonata-29-Hammerklavier.html
https://www.pianostreet.com/piano_sheet_music/Brahms-184/Sonata-3-op-5-F-Minor.html
https://www.pianostreet.com/piano_sheet_music/Chopin-117/Etude-op-10-2-A-Minor.html
https://www.pianostreet.com/piano_sheet_music/Liszt-249/Sonata-B-Minor.html
https://www.pianostreet.com/piano_sheet_music/Rachmaninoff-2623/Piano-Concerto-3-op-30.html
https://www.pianostreet.com/piano_sheet_music/Prokofiev-79/Toccata-op-11-D-Minor.html

[amelialw]

We use RCM which goes up to grade 12, I'm pretty sure.

What is your grade system called and what does it go up to? Also, could you give me an example of a piece from the highest grade?

Thanks!

haha...sorry i can't help it. You are in a music school and you don't even know the grade system there?? grade 12...lol

to correct you. RCM goes up to grade 10, afterwhich you can choose to take your ARCT either in performance, teaching or theory.

[perfect_pitch]

Hey... Here in Australia they have the AMEB (Australian Music Examination Board) grades which go from 1 - 8, plus a further three grades which are names Associate of Music, Licentiate of Music and Fellowship of music...

For a sample of repertoire used for the Fellowship exam, the signature says it all...

[tds]

just a quick note:

i dislike grade system. and i like nasi goreng

[carolannd]

haha...sorry i can't help it. You are in a music school and you don't even know the grade system there?? grade 12...lol

to correct you. RCM goes up to grade 10, afterwhich you can choose to take your ARCT either in performance, teaching or theory.

Not all people go through RCM.
Actually, I stopped at grade 8 a long time ago. I have chosen not to conform to the RCM standards and I do not really concern myself with going through the levels. My piano teacher respects this and thinks it great. I believe that they are restricting to piano students, however I think they are great for those just starting out. I am more interested 20th and 21st century piano music which is relevant to my composing. Mature students rely on these levels to determine whether or not they are 'good' which is completely missing the point. I think it is also important to realize that music exists all around us not only in a certified RCM book that we ..... purchase, another issue, RCM is a company making money off of alllll of this while new composers are not....

I didn't plan on getting into my views on RCM, and I understand that they are probably quite different from most students, which is fine. I was just curious about grade system used on this site because I noticed that they only went up to 8 and then 8+ and the free music is also great for teaching with.

Thanks!