Author Topic: Anyone done guitar grades? (Read 4257 times)

Crazy_Joe · « **on:** October 04, 2007, 06:02:46 PM »

I wasn't planning on doing grades on guitar but my college tutor and my guitar teacher suggested i do some, so my guitar teacher told me to buy the grade 8 book!!
The songs are playable but the exercises in the back... :o theres a sweep picking exercise which i have to say is pretty impossible for me at the moment. I gotta learn more theory too otherwise i will fail that.
Havn't done a grade since my euphonium (big brass instrument) grades!

Anyone done grade 8 guitar here? (or any grades for that matter)

badgermark · « **Reply #1 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:25:36 PM »

No and they scare me :oops:

Though I think you need a grade 5 in theory before doing the higher practical grades. Though that was what went down when my lady-friend was doing her classical grades.

38thBeatle · « **Reply #2 on:** October 04, 2007, 07:26:55 PM »

I am grade 8 on the triangle.

Tarzan · « **Reply #3 on:** October 04, 2007, 07:30:36 PM »

i've done grade 6, doing grade 8, and yeah, some of those excersises in the back are pretty scary

sgmypod · « **Reply #4 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:07:42 PM »

only made it to 5 classical

apmaman · « **Reply #5 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:11:39 PM »

I only needed to do Grade 4 to get my Higher. Grade 7 isnt too much of a challenge. I love the Jimi Hendrix rip they have in that book. Jimmys blues I think its called

Muso · « **Reply #6 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:17:21 PM »

grades on electtric guitar is just plain wrong imo! its supposed to be a totally free instrument and no one should be able to put a settng oh how something should be played, classical however is a different matter 8)

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #7 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:31:55 PM »

Are you using these books?
http://www.booksforguitar.co.uk/acatalog/electric_guitar_handbooks.html

Kind of funny as the author was the first guitar teacher I had at an evening class - way back in 1982-3!

Crazy_Joe · « **Reply #8 on:** October 04, 2007, 10:33:39 PM »

haha, no i'm using the rockschool series, grade 8 is better than previous rockschool's though because they are original songs and don't rip off other peoples riffs like in previous books.

noodleplugerine · « **Reply #9 on:** October 04, 2007, 11:00:16 PM »

Quote from: Crazy_Joe

haha, no i'm using the rockschool series, grade 8 is better than previous rockschool's though because they are original songs and don't rip off other peoples riffs like in previous books.

I was suprised reading the rock school grade 8 book - Don't want to sound like an ass, but the pieces didn't seem that hard =/

apmaman · « **Reply #10 on:** October 04, 2007, 11:46:22 PM »

A solid month or two and it would easily be under your belt. There was a metal song however that was tricky, it has a fast as hell intro on 247bmp. Repeated pattern of notes mind you but still, that one was pretty tough.

Crazy_Joe · « **Reply #11 on:** October 05, 2007, 12:11:09 AM »

Quote from: noodleplugerine

Quote from: Crazy_Joe
haha, no i'm using the rockschool series, grade 8 is better than previous rockschool's though because they are original songs and don't rip off other peoples riffs like in previous books.

I was suprised reading the rock school grade 8 book - Don't want to sound like an ass, but the pieces didn't seem that hard =/

They arn't that hard, i learnt the metal song today which was pretty easy, it's the exercises in the back mostly that are the hard part and knowing all my theory.

Though you might have had the old syllabus, they have only recently brought a new line out.

Muzzzz · « **Reply #12 on:** October 05, 2007, 12:31:19 AM »

Grades on any instrument is a fantastic idea, they're a structured and comprehensive way of getting better at your instrument. And they're good in that you've always got something to work on, there's nothing worse than being bored with your instrument because you've run out of things to do

Is 8th the highest grade?

And Joe, where are you at with your theory anyway?

mikeluke · « **Reply #13 on:** October 05, 2007, 09:08:01 AM »

Now you lot are making me feel bad....

I did Grade 5 which was fun but I was hopelessly ill-prepared for the theory bits.

The exam itself was made more enjoyable by listening to the guy before me playing a 90 bpm set piece at about 200 bpm with his amp turned way up and on full distortion. Shame that I could only hear it rather than see the examiner's face!!

Muzzzz · « **Reply #14 on:** October 05, 2007, 11:04:52 AM »

What kinda stuff do they throw into the theory section anyway?