Sax Exam Grades

[john]

Finally decided to take the bull by the horns and have a go at doing a Sax exam grade, possibly grade 3.
At my age, it seems a bit silly!
Reckon it’l give me more focus, also it’l stop all those players with grades from looking in down on me. lol
The other problem is a lot of small jazz bands round here don’t want to know you if you haven’t got any grades or worse still if you’re below grade 5.
I know a fellow sax player who goes to my teacher & he got grade 8 distinction, 8 years of playing & taking grades.
I asked my teacher at grade 8 does he know everything there is to know?
He replied nope – i’m now teaching theory in how to improvise for his own gigs!
I must have a very big mountain to climb!

[john]

I never did get hung up on grades etc. From what I know and remember they were all about classical music reading ability and theory knowledge. As a saxophone player I didn’t follow through into the classical world (obviously!)
The people I would get with for playing gigs and joining bands etc couldn’t care less what grade level I tested in. If you have grade 8 and they think your playing sucks having grade 8 didn’t help you there. It all comes down to playing well and sounding good…if following through the graded system helps you get there then nobody can argue against it that’s for sure. Theory is important. When I was in high school they didn’t teach it (just had band class) so I went on a bus downtown once a week and took theory lessons with a private teacher. I learned a lot, have forgotten much of it but know enough to do what I’m doing today and for the last 25 years of playing professionally. So, I highly recommend it, but the bottom line is always to sound good on your instrument… if you do, nobody will ever think of asking you what grade level are you at!

[john]

Very true that – i’m self taught on the guitar, and have a natural feel for accompanyment stlye,
half the time i dont know where it comes from.
Whereas a lot of these taught guitarists stand there look
at the sheet music and you can see them scrolling through their mind what
theyve been taught and wondering what technique to play.
And sadly what comes seems mechanical!

For me doing a grade is an itch i want to scratch. It would be a side line to what i’m doing now!

[john]

Had my Weekly Sax lesson today & discussed doing a grade.
Decided to go for a grade 2 exam in November instead of grade 3.
It only involves learning F, G, D major scales and D,A minor scales off by heart and their corresponding arpeggios!
It also involves learning a few pieces for the exam! and a few other things.
Hopefully this should improve my playing of written music.
So at some stage i hope you don’t mind me uploading them to the blog for feedback?

[Author]

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