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grade 5 piano age 9/10

46 replies

wintertimeisfun · 13/02/2013 15:03

i know my dd isn't g&t, she's good but not that good but i was wondering out of curiosity......having just turned 10 (few weeks ago) is it average/quite standard or above average for her to be taking her g5 piano probably around may/june? just wondered how she compared (her teacher seems really pleased with her but i am wondering if she dishes this out to everyone), cheers

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OddBoots · 13/02/2013 15:04

That sounds very good to me, my dd is the same age, she plays viola not piano but she is only just doing grade 1. :)

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meditrina · 13/02/2013 15:04

Very much above average. My DSes are good, but the earliest one started Grade 5 preparation was age 12.

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ineedtochange · 13/02/2013 15:05

Its entirely dependant on how long she's been playing. Since the ages of 4-6 pretty standard but if from 8 or 9 she's doing well.

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wintertimeisfun · 13/02/2013 15:12

she started learning when she was about 7 1/2. she also plays the violin (started about 1 1/2 years ago) and is taking grade 3 at easter. tbh i am very proud of her although i keep it quiet (don't make a big deal about it, we are quite laid back in our house ie don't force her to do alot of practive, actually we are lucky if she does more than 10 minutes). my dh is a prof' keyboard player and her gran was a piano teacher and plays cello in an orchestra. she certainly doesn't (sadly) get it from me but it is a joy to listen to when she plays with her pa :)

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chocoluvva · 13/02/2013 16:11

It's very good. My DD who goes to a specialist music school now did grade 5 piano and grade 4 violin aged 11.

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titchy · 14/02/2013 09:59

It's very good! My dd has been learning piano for 2.5 years as well and is only doing G4 next month and she's much older!

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TotallyBS · 14/02/2013 10:11

DS was grade 5 at the age of 11 after 2.5 years. It's his second instrument so he had a boost because he could already read music. For others whose main instrument is the piano, grade 6-7 seem to be the norm at that age.

I am of course talking about kids for whom music is a significant part of their lives.

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newgirl · 14/02/2013 16:36

It's very good - 2/3 is more usual for age 10.

At our local very selective school though to be considered for music scholarship y6 girls need to g5 or above in 2 instruments to be considered, so there will be a handful of children if not more in uk working at that level.

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TallulahMcFey · 15/02/2013 08:18

Yeah definitely above average. My 10 and a half year old has been playing the piano 2 and a half years and will take her grade 3 in the summer. My older daughter was, I think, more musical and at this age was grade 5 recorder, grade 3 flute, grade 2 guitar and piano (having only recently started both). However, I think it is harder to achieve a grade 5 piano than recorder and she consistently got merits and distinctions on it, as opposed to the merits/passes on other instruments. I can remember though that her grade 3 flute was considered a relatively high grade for her age. However, many private school children having music lessons will be expected to reach grade 5 by end of primary. Can't personally see the hurry though and at the rate of a grade a year (if grade 3 at end of primary) they are set to do grade 5 at end of year 8 and grade 8 from year 11 onwards. I know that you aren't pushing though and your daughter is just naturally at that level.

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lottiegarbanzo · 15/02/2013 08:28

The more she practices the better she'll be and depends how early she started of course.

How good it is depends on her objective. People I know who went on to be in the National Youth Orchestra, go to music college and become professional, or try to, had done grade 8 by age 12 and practised 3+ hours a day through their teens.

To be a good and happy amateur, getting to grade 8 by 15 would be great, as then preparation for exams doesn't clash with important school exams and she'll be able to enjoy the opportunities of long teen years playing at a high standard.

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lottiegarbanzo · 15/02/2013 08:32

Just read your second post. If she wants to be really good, she will have to get into the habit of practising, a lot. There will come a point where winging it on 10 minutes isn't enough and everyone else who was as good pulls away from her, which could come as a shock.

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ZolaBuddleia · 15/02/2013 08:36

Depends on how long she's been learning. I did grade 5 aged 10 and went on to do music at university, but I wasn't good enough to be a full time professional musician. Could have been a music teacher though.

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ZolaBuddleia · 15/02/2013 08:38

It's great that she's playing with your DH, piano can be a bit of a lonely instrument. How lovely that they play together.

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FriendlyLadybird · 15/02/2013 12:17

I don't think you can say that the actual grade is good or not. It depends on how long she's been playing and what her teacher's policy is about exams. But what sort of marks has she been getting? High distinctions? In which case, very good indeed. Merits and lowish distinctions? Good but not outstanding.

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Moominsarehippos · 15/02/2013 12:19

There was a boy at DSs school concert playing grade 5 piano (beautifully). He must have been Year 5. My friend teachers and says that you can do a grade every 2 terms if you practise.

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perspective · 15/02/2013 19:08

Yes, I think this is good but not wholly unusual as an earlier poster said. My dc Year 6 is preparing for G 5 on 2 instruments, piano and a string. He achieved distinctions in his other exams. I know of 1 other in his school preparing for G 5 and a couple who were Year 6 last year. At our local music school ( reasonably sized town ) there are around 20 kids at Grade 5 or so.

She would def be on track for a scholarship though!

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Haberdashery · 17/02/2013 21:57

I don't think it's unusual but it's good. Not sure about scholarships, though. At the selective secondary school I went to (not a music school but with a strong music tradition) I entered with grade 6 in my first instrument and grade 5 at my second (both distinctions). I was absolutely nothing special (most people had grade 4 or 5 or 6 in at least one instrument on entry) and it wasn't even a music school - I had been treated as quite the genius at my very ordinary primary school so it was a bit disappointing! Anyway, I ended up a second violin in the school orchestra and the leader of the first violins is now a professional musician (I believe she is near the back of the second violins in a symphony orchestra that most of you will have heard of).

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Schmedz · 18/02/2013 23:03

She is obviously musical but it is astonishing how many other children of that age are at a similar level in two or three instruments. As long as she enjoys it and is making progress, it sounds like she is experiencing what music should be about! I am a music teacher and the most exceptional child I've ever taught was Grade 8 distinction in cello and grade 7 piano before she turned 11. And she was a real musician, not just one of those children who churn through the grades only playing 3 pieces for their exam and passing with adequate technique and not much else! Once you get to intermediate/advanced levels in particular there is so much more to playing than just passing grades. The difference between 'being grade x' and learning to be a musician... Best to always focus on the latter, compose and create your own music, and work hard at perfecting technique. Balance that with playing for fun too.

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TotallyBS · 19/02/2013 07:20

For scholarships, at least at the more selective schools, a pianist is expected to be grade 7 whereas a violinist for example is 'only' expected to be grade 5.

I mentioned the above just in case the OP has one eye on a scholarship.

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MoppingMummy · 19/02/2013 07:31

She sounds like she's doing well. My dd is 9yrs old (yr4) and will be taking grade 5 violin in 4 weeks. It's likely she'll have taken grade 7 by yr6 (possibly grade 8).

This sounds really good, but we attend a conservatoire for lessons and it's full of amazing, gifted musicians and we often feel like we're trying to keep up!!! There are a few Chinese children who took grade 5 in yr3 and will have definitely done grade 8 by yr6 and most of them play two or three instruments! It's amazing.

Next step will be grade 5 theory.

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hardboiled · 23/02/2013 12:19

For scholarships, at least at the more selective schools, a pianist is expected to be grade 7 whereas a violinist for example is 'only' expected to be grade 5.

totallyBS sorry but just wanted to correct you here...because this is something I keep hearing and almost put us off trying for a music scholarship. My DS received five music scholarship offers a week ago. He played Grade 5 piano in his auditions.

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Schmedz · 23/02/2013 15:41

Hard boiled, he has done well. Must be a very musical boy, especially to be offered with piano!
You must be really proud - hope he enjoys his choice of school.

There is no hard and fast rule, BS. Schools out of London tend to have lower minimum standards advertised (not necessarily lower calibre applicants) whereas grade 5 or 6 for piano/strings and slightly lower for w'wind/brass/percussion is not unusual. The junior college/academies get so many pianist/violinist applicants they tend to insist on higher minimum grade for those instruments.
It also sometimes depends what instruments the school is lacking in its student body. Any half decent oboist, trombonist, French horn, double bass, viola or bassoon player is pretty much a shoe-in!
Also, some schools have lower minimum grade standards because they realise not all children learn from an early age. To achieve Grade 5 by Year 6 is the least I would expect from a musically inclined child who started learning when they were 5 or 6 , but if someone began a few years later and reached that standard, that would be super-impressive!

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Schmedz · 23/02/2013 15:42

Hardboiled...does he also play any other instruments/sing?

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wintertimeisfun · 23/02/2013 17:31

thank you hardboiled. dd was going to try on the off chance for a music scholarship but after reading some of the posts on here i wasn't going to bother. a big well done to your ds!! you must be over the moon/very proud :)

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chocoluvva · 23/02/2013 22:32

My DD got into a scottish music school at grade 5 piano aged 11. The auditions involved aural tests, mini lessons, ensemble playing and discussing music played by the testers as well as playing on two instruments.

Her friend started playing french horn as a third study aged 12 and is now playing with NYOB at the age of 16.

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