ABRSM grades

[BoliverAllmon]

are these grade books necessary here in the usa? are they even looked upon nicely here. My teacher use to be in the guild here in america when she was younger, but she says that no one really cares about it anymore. so besides being a good structuring device are they worth it?

boliver

[ricwyk]

i dont know. But i can tell u sth about ABRSM in north america (canada)

i moved to canada in summer, i took abrsm before, but no one here knows what ABRSM is. ( except for a profession teacher i met once )

[piano_learner]

so besides being a good structuring device are they worth it?

boliver

What is the system used in the USA for Piano level?

[faulty_damper]

It's commonly the ABRSM which is used in many countries including the UK.

From my own observations, students and teachers who chose to follow this grading system really become inept at teaching how to teach the piano because it slows progress significantly.  Students find no use for it because it isn't relavent to them.  Teachers follow them because it's just easier to teach the same pieces that will be tested.  Even my teacher has fallen out of the use for these exams because they do more harm than good.  Yet parents still request their kids me graded.

[Spatula]

I wonder why Canadian said hell with it and went RCM...maybe to show some sort of independance that we could come up with a system (even though I don't think it's all that prestigous).

[piano_learner]

It's commonly the ABRSM which is used in many countries including the UK.

From my own observations, students and teachers who chose to follow this grading system really become inept at teaching how to teach the piano because it slows progress significantly.  Students find no use for it because it isn't relavent to them.  Teachers follow them because it's just easier to teach the same pieces that will be tested.  Even my teacher has fallen out of the use for these exams because they do more harm than good.  Yet parents still request their kids me graded.

My teacher gives me plenty of other pieces to learn and encourages me NOT to only stick to the pieces I will do in the exam. So is the harm caused by the ABRSM system or the ineptitude of those who "teach" it? 

[pianowelsh]

The ABRSM system is as good as any 'SYSTEM' It structures and motivates musical artistic and technical development from the absolute beginners level through to a postgraduate level (FRSM diploma). Arguably there could be more flexibility in it - show me a perfect system?! But one has to remember what they were instituted to do and that is essentially raise the standard of amateur music making and improve entry standards for the Royal Schools as they were then. JOB done!  All systems are totally reliant on how they are taught  - undeniably there are teachers who sit back on the requirements of the exam and use them as an excuse for a narrow curriculum and weak foundation. One has to ask, I think legitimately whether the same teachers would be anymore successful without such a system or not  - I fear possibly not?!  You are right though there are areas where ABRSM is not so commonly recognised Canada is one Japan is another and large chunks of the middle East. But it is still the worlds largest and most prestigious external music examining board. Although now that Guildhall and Trinity exam boards have merged there new exams may be a force to be tussled with  - watch this space!