When will my child be ready for the grade 1 exam? This is the most common question that I get from parents. Here is a detailed description of the skills that one needs to attain before attempting the grade 1 exam. Hope that it clears all your doubts.
| Early Beginner | |
| Pieces | Able to play a single-line melody using both hands alternatively |
| Technique | Able to play with legato (smoothly), staccato (detached) and two-note slurs |
| Sight-reading | Able to read notes from C to G in treble clef and C to F in the bass clef in middle C position |
| Rhythm | able to clap and play(after hearing or reading) simple rhythms including crotchets, minims and semibreves |
| Aural (pitch) | able to differentiate between high and low sounds, loud and soft, going up and going down |
| Mid-Late Beginner | |
| Pieces | Able to play both hands with a RH melody with a 2 or 3-note block chord in the LH |
| Able to play both hands with a non-chord harmony in the LH | |
| Able to play in at least 2 different fixed positions C, F, G position | |
| Technique | Able to do simple finger turns, finger stretches and finger substitutions in exercises |
| Able to play a melody with RH legato and chord changes in the LH | |
| Scales | Able to play at least 2 scales in one octave, separate hands |
| Sight-reading | Able to read notes from one octave below middle C to one octave able middle C or in both C and G positions and able to sight-read in these positions |
| Rhythm | Able to clap and play rhythms including quavers and dotted rhythms |
| Aural (pitch) | Able to differentiate between steps and skips in sound |
| Grade 1 (before registering for exams) | |
| Pieces | Able to play a melody both hands with a broken chord accompaniment in a fixed position (at least 2 different types of broken chords) |
| Able to play a piece with the melody both in the LH and RH | |
| Able to play a melody both hands with a combination of 2 or more different positions using finger turns, stretches and finger substitutions | |
| Technique | Able to play both hands with one hand legato (usually RH) and one hand staccato (usually LH) |
| Scales | Able to play at least 2 scales in two octaves, separate hands |
| Sight-reading | Able to read notes in all lines and spaces of the treble and bass clef |
| Able to sight-read intervals (must be able to tell interval at first sight, not count) | |
| Rhythm | Able to clap and play simple syncopated rhythms |
| Aural (pitch) | Able to differentiate between the first 3 tones of each major scale (Do, Re, Mi) |
*LH = left hand, RH = right hand, BH = both hands, SH = separate hands
*For grade 1, it is not necessary to have all the skills listed as some will be taught while learning the exam pieces, but student should have at least most of the skills. For each level, student should be able to play at least 3 pieces from that level fluently (performance standard) – that means accurate notes and rhythm, even speed and tone, and confident playing.
*Note that the requirements stated above are only requirements for a secure pass in the Grade 1 exam, not a distinction.
You would have noticed that I did not state down the amount of time required for a beginner to be ready for the grade 1 exam. This is because the amount of time varies greatly between different children. This is not only due to how fast each child learns and how much he/she practices, but also how much parental involvement the child receives from the parent, especially for young beginners. I personally have six year olds who took less than a year to be ready for grade 1 exam and older children who took years to be ready for the exam. ABRSM suggests 1.5 years to be ready for the exam, but this is only for an average child starting at around primary school age who has sufficient practice and parental involvement.
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