You may be wondering how our 1-9 sheet music difficulty levels mean and how they relate to music exam grades. Well here’s the answer!
Our music grade levels are based on ABRSM and TCM music exam grades. 1 equates to grade 1, 2 equates to grade 2 and so on and so on. The grade 9 we give is for works that are post-grade 8 standard, e.g. diploma or degree level works.
This helps clarify what music grades mean within our catalogue and how our sheet music difficulty levels align with recognised exam systems.
How Do We Decide What Grade a Piece Is?
When grading a piece, we consider several key factors that influence sheet music difficulty levels:
- Range
- Tempo
- Rhythmic complexity
However we also use our extensive experience as professional saxophonists and saxophone teachers. Our understanding of music grade levels comes not only from theory, but from practical teaching and performance experience. It also helps you choose just the right work for you, your students or your ensemble.
Some of our publications such as Street Beats, Songs of the British Isles and Dreams of You have been on exam boards for many years. More recently other titles such as Jazz Gallery, Six Exotic Studies, Five Contemporary Etudes and October Dances have also been added. This gives us a unique insight into music eczema grades and the grading requirements of the major exam boards.
Do I Have to Follow the Exam Grade System?
Working through music exam grades is of course, not essential. You could just work through works based on our music grade levels, along with suggestions from your teacher.
Taking exams can be fantastic targets to work through. The success in passing a grade provides students with a necessary tangible reward for their hard work.
They can also act as useful benchmarks for progress. The balance of pieces, scales, sight reading and aural tests also ensure a well balanced approach to improving both technical and musical ability. Higher music exam grades also raise an important question: Do music exams give UCAS points? The answer is yes. Higher grades can contribute UCAS points for students wishing to enter higher education in the UK.
How Does Grading Help When Choosing Ensemble Music?
We don’t just grade our solo works. We also try to help you choose suitable music for your ensemble by applying clear sheet music difficulty levels to all our publications.
One thing to consider when choosing ensemble music for less experienced players is overall music grade levels. It is often wise to choose music graded one or two levels below their current standard. Playing in an ensemble presents different challenges than playing as a soloist, or with a piano accompanist, such as in a grade exam.
It may be advisable to choose a work that is perhaps graded 3 or 4 so they can focus on ensemble skills. Rather than just trying to get their fingers around the technical demands of the music. Accompanists in exams can make allowances for a single student. But, a group of students will not necessarily be able to make allowances for each other!
Why Do Some Ensemble Works Have Multiple Difficulty Levels?
Some works, particularly ensemble works, may have multiple music grade levels. This is because individual parts can vary in difficulty.
For example, a baritone saxophone part may be Grade 6 level, while an alto part may be Grade 3. This approach reflects the practical reality of mixed-ability groups while maintaining clarity around sheet music difficulty levels.
How Can I Be Sure a Piece Is Right for Me?
We provide sample scores for each work to help you assess suitability and better understand our music grade levels.
If you are still unsure what do music grades mean in relation to your own playing, or how our sheet music difficulty levels align with music exam grades. Feel free to email us or send a DM via social media. We’ll do our best to help you choose just the right work.