Learning Guitar, Music Exams & Accredited Qualifications
Learning Guitar, Music Exams & Accredited Qualifications
It is a fact that people enjoy music without ever taking music exams, having music qualifications or even learning how to play a musical instrument.
Music is all around us, so it’s hard to ignore. But, for all those who want to learn a guitar, or any musical instrument, It’s among one of the questions we get asked here:
- What are the benefits of learning guitar?
- Do I need to take examinations or sight read to play a guitar?
- What music qualifications are useful?
- Can my child learn guitar and move on to examinations and qualifications at a later time?
We start hearing music from almost the moment we are born – it is possible that we engage with it before that. It can illustrate our lives and identify precious moments.
When was the last time you heard a piece of music only to be reminded of an event in your life? But, there are those, and perhaps you are one of them, who have a reason to learn to play rather than just listen. So, let’s try to identify and answer the main questions in detail.
- What are the benefits of learning an instrument? ​Learn why people of all ages can gain benefits from taking up the challenge of learning how to play a musical instrument.
- When and who should start learning to read music and why?​ Learn what the benefits of reading music are and at what point music theory matters.
- What qualifications and examinations will provide a real benefit?​ There’s nothing worse than having a qualification that isn’t worth the paper it is written on.
The benefits of learning a musical instrument.
Most people are quite happy to just listen to music, others are inspired and want to learn to play an instrument. Essentially there are five types of people, two of which will probably never go on to learn an instrument or develop a longing to:
- Those who have no musical interest whatsoever.
- Those who are just content to derive pleasure from listening to and interacting with it.
- Those who say “I wish I could play a musical instrument.” – If you’re in this category then it’s never too late to learn; seriously, it doesn’t matter how old you are. So you know what to do, book a taster lesson!
- Those who say “I wish I could play like that.” – So maybe you’ve dabbled and never got that far? Turn that yearning into something that will benefit you mentally and physically – a sense of achievement and development are always good for the human spirit.
- Then there’s those who say “learning a musical instrument was the best thing I ever did.” – You can hear this by players whether or not they can read music or not.
Don’t ever think that a disability will stop you from achieving your musical goals either; simply find out about Dame Evelyn Glennie, Kenny G, Paul Stanley, Ray Charles, Edgar Winter, Jacqueline du Pré, Itzhak Perlman or Ludwig Van Beethoven to name a few.
Music is a gift that keeps on giving to those who put time into learning an instrument, the younger the better, but it is never too late to learn.
Music & Education
Music used to be a major part of our education but it seems more and more that this is under threat. This is a big mistake for a number of reasons and very relevant to the development of a child.
So the first goal is to feed a developing intellect and engage it in the process of learning to play at whatever standard can be achieved. It doesn’t matter whether it is banging on a triangle, hitting a big bass drum or a xylophone! Engaging the intellect in the desire to love music is the first step and it never starts with learning how to read music.
Do Adults & Children Have To Read Music To Start To Play?
You can learn to play a musical instrument without learning how to read music and that’s a fact; you can learn:
- from memory by observing and practising,
- or, from an alternative written source like tablature.
The idea to start is the most important thing.
The benefits of learning a musical instrument.
Most people are quite happy to just listen to music, others are inspired and want to learn to play an instrument. Essentially there are five types of people, two of which will probably never go on to learn an instrument or develop a longing to:
- Those who have no musical interest whatsoever.
- Those who are just content to derive pleasure from listening to and interacting with it.
- Those who say “I wish I could play a musical instrument.” – If you’re in this category then it’s never too late to learn; seriously, it doesn’t matter how old you are. So you know what to do, book a taster lesson!
- Those who say “I wish I could play like that.” – So maybe you’ve dabbled and never got that far? Turn that yearning into something that will benefit you mentally and physically – a sense of achievement and development are always good for the human spirit.
- Then there’s those who say “learning a musical instrument was the best thing I ever did.” – You can hear this by players whether or not they can read music or not.
Don’t ever think that a disability will stop you from achieving your musical goals either; simply find out about Dame Evelyn Glennie, Kenny G, Paul Stanley, Ray Charles, Edgar Winter, Jacqueline du Pré, Itzhak Perlman or Ludwig Van Beethoven to name a few.
Music is a gift that keeps on giving to those who put time into learning an instrument, the younger the better, but it is never too late to learn.
Music & Education
Music used to be a major part of our education but it seems more and more that this is under threat. This is a big mistake for a number of reasons and very relevant to the development of a child.
So the first goal is to feed a developing intellect and engage it in the process of learning to play at whatever standard can be achieved. It doesn’t matter whether it is banging on a triangle, hitting a big bass drum or a xylophone! Engaging the intellect in the desire to love music is the first step and it never starts with learning how to read music.
Do Adults & Children Have To Read Music To Start To Play?
You can learn to play a musical instrument without learning how to read music and that’s a fact; you can learn:
- from memory by observing and practising,
- or, from an alternative written source like tablature.
The idea to start is the most important thing.
Is Learning Guitar All About Exam’s?
No! Most certainly not, but learning an instrument has it own benefits particularly for the young.
Whether you are a child in full time education or an adult wanting to learn, let’s find out how you benefit simply by engaging with the process of learning to play a guitar:
Playing is Fun, Whatever Your Age
- All learning should have an element of fun. Schools achieve this by performing in groups whilst learning. A good teacher will make learning interesting but will also include some element that makes it fun.
- All education contributes to intellectual development; something which can be fun like playing a musical instrument with your peers, makes you and others around you happy because you enjoy it. It is inspiring and has an educational development aspect at the same time. It’s a win-win.
- Within the group environment children learn teamwork and its benefits. Working together builds relationships, contributes to cooperative behaviour and a sense of belonging.
Discipline & Development
- When you are given an instrument to master, you must have or develop a discipline to meet the challenge of learning how to play it; you must also organise time for practice.
- Mediocrity stands out. Having to produce something of a good quality and working towards it is an attitude that can be applied right throughout a person’s life to almost every aspect of it.
- Students who can play and appreciate music generally have more understanding of other cultures, have higher self-esteems and cope better with anxiety.
- Thinking outside the box is something that students of the arts seem to have. It’s creative thinking that allows for more than one answer to complex problems.
- Parents who have watched their own children play for others on the stage. The parents are usually more anxious than the children! Children overcoming the fear and anxiety associated with this is something that has benefits later in life.
Accomplishment & Sense of Achievement
- Achievement is what education has as one of its primary goals. Structured lessons allow a student to feel the sense of achievement and be proud of those achievements.
- A sense of achievement coupled with an enjoyable subject keeps children interested. Engaged students are far more likely to achieve more and pursue further education.
- With achievement comes confidence. Great for children to develop early in life.
Playing A Musical Instrument Improves The Mind
- Language and reasoning is very important. Music helps imprinting of information in the left side of the brain. The sooner people start the sooner these parts of the mind develop.
- Music helps with imagination. Developing imagination is possible with a musical instrument. The “what if” scenario – all without the aid of a safety net! Making mistakes is how we learn.
- All coordination starts in the mind. Learning an instrument develops eye to hand coordination and motor skills.
- Music is a repetition event. It builds pattern recognition that can be applied to other subjects like maths and logic – particularly useful at an early age.
- Musicians develop finely tuned auditory, sound pattern recognition and attention skills.
- Having to memorise is a skill that is needed right throughout our lives. Like learning a language, either early or late in life, it forces our minds to construct pathways in order to recall. Good for children of all ages, from 5 to 80!
- It has been shown that children who play musical instruments and, generally have a good appreciation of music, score higher on maths tests.
- A musicians spatial intelligence is usually better. This helps us picture the world precisely. It assists in the forming of mental pictures and is a skill of particular use in advanced mathematics.
Playing A Musical Instrument Combats Stress
- Playing a musical instrument competently can be very relaxing.
- Playing a guitar allows people to express emotions like love, hate, angst and regret through their music. It can be quite cathartic to use it as an outlet.
- Most guitarists spend a little quiet time with their instrument. This involves removing yourself from a toxic environment – televisions, video games and the like. Learning an instrument forces the student to organise time away from the normal aspects of daily life.
- Playing a guitar is pleasure you and others can enjoy anywhere you can take an instrument. It is a joy that calms the fevered brow.
When To Start Learning To Read Music
When to learn to sight read music? This is the big question. Let’s look at this from another perspective. When we learn how to speak we learn by necessity. We develop the basic sounds, then words and later focus on structure. Music can also be looked at as a language – you can be moved by it in the same way as a rousing speech. It has a structure and rules – some of which, like language, can be broken.
Now think about teaching a child of two or three grammar! Ridiculous and unnecessary. A quaver, semiquaver and hemidemisemiquaver are fractional elements – hard to grasp with an undeveloped appreciation of the basics. So, build up rhythm, chords, ideas, make mistakes and enjoy it before you move on to the grammar of music.
Because you should is never a reason! It is a question of:
- priorities,
- application,
- musical ambition
- & career ambition.
Generally, players who move onto reading music fall into one of the following categories:
- Those who are not satisfied by what they currently do and want to go beyond their chordbook or tablature in order to be more challenged, learn or discover more. They realise there is a wealth of material they can have access to in order to improve and motivate. It permits them to play from almost any transcript without the aid of a teacher. A musician who can sight read might only need a teacher or mentor when working directly with the composer or an orchestra – it becomes a matter of interpretation.
- Players who want to delve into the world of being musically precise. Accuracy can either be for learning and playing from musical scores or for expressing your creativity by writing your own music. In essence a musical score is a precise manual transcription that requires a musician to play and interpret it in order it to actually be heard and appreciated. In essence, It can turn a page with dots on it into the most sincere heartfelt expression and tonally precise rendition of it you will ever hear. Much, much more than an MP3 or CD player. The ultimate analogue device.
- Guitarists who want to play certain types of music like classical: Segovia for example. Those with an ambition to play technically difficult instrumentals or accurate renditions of instrumental parts.
- Those who want to develop a career in music and move on to educational institutions requiring it from the performer. Symphony orchestras spring instantly to mind here and universities demanding a certain standard of entrance points through the official Universities and Colleges Admissions Service – UCAS.
When To Start Learning To Read Music
When to learn to sight read music? This is the big question. Let’s look at this from another perspective. When we learn how to speak we learn by necessity. We develop the basic sounds, then words and later focus on structure. Music can also be looked at as a language – you can be moved by it in the same way as a rousing speech. It has a structure and rules – some of which, like language, can be broken.
Now think about teaching a child of two or three grammar! Ridiculous and unnecessary. A quaver, semiquaver and hemidemisemiquaver are fractional elements – hard to grasp with an undeveloped appreciation of the basics. So, build up rhythm, chords, ideas, make mistakes and enjoy it before you move on to the grammar of music.
Because you should is never a reason! It is a question of:
- priorities,
- application,
- musical ambition
- & career ambition.
Generally, players who move onto reading music fall into one of the following categories:
- Those who are not satisfied by what they currently do and want to go beyond their chordbook or tablature in order to be more challenged, learn or discover more. They realise there is a wealth of material they can have access to in order to improve and motivate. It permits them to play from almost any transcript without the aid of a teacher. A musician who can sight read might only need a teacher or mentor when working directly with the composer or an orchestra – it becomes a matter of interpretation.
- Players who want to delve into the world of being musically precise. Accuracy can either be for learning and playing from musical scores or for expressing your creativity by writing your own music. In essence a musical score is a precise manual transcription that requires a musician to play and interpret it in order it to actually be heard and appreciated. In essence, It can turn a page with dots on it into the most sincere heartfelt expression and tonally precise rendition of it you will ever hear. Much, much more than an MP3 or CD player. The ultimate analogue device.
- Guitarists who want to play certain types of music like classical: Segovia for example. Those with an ambition to play technically difficult instrumentals or accurate renditions of instrumental parts.
- Those who want to develop a career in music and move on to educational institutions requiring it from the performer. Symphony orchestras spring instantly to mind here and universities demanding a certain standard of entrance points through the official Universities and Colleges Admissions Service – UCAS.
Why Take Accredited Graded Examinations?
Accredited is the keyword here. There is no point having a qualification unless it is worth the paper it is written upon. It should be valid for presenting to any future employer or further education establishment like a university.
There are several exam boards to choose from, but only a few are accredited.
Grading Systems
The grading system goes from Initial or Debut right through to Grade 8. After that there are diploma exams; these are available to any student. These are recognised structured systems guaranteed to progress a student through the steps required, gradually, with structured goals and objectives.
Quite a number of students who have been taught at Teach Guitar Preston over the years, have worked their way through all the grades and the progress they made became evident with each successful examination.
Choosing the Correct Examination Board.
Teach Guitar Preston use Trinity College London. They are a leading international examination board and independent education charity which has been operational since 1877.
- Trinity’s graded qualifications are recognized the world over.
- Grades 6 through to 8 carry UCAS points.
Other exam boards who are accredited include:
- Rockschool
- Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM)
Which Exams Are Right For Me ?
Trinity and Rockschool both offer the student dedicated examinations exploring Rock and Pop music. Utilizing contemporary music ranging from The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Green Day to name a few.
Needless to say this material is all fantastic and it’s fun to play as well as helping the student improve and develop those all important techniques required to play this challenging material.
ABRSM is very Classical and Jazz based so if any student is seriously considering specialising in these particular genres then the Associated Board is essential.
The Bottom Line
Not everyone wants to go down the graded examinations route which is fine.
- Several ex-students of Tech Guitar Preston have been accepted to study music at Manchester University and LIPA in Liverpool. Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is a performing arts university founded by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty. Opened in 1996 it is patronized by Sir Paul McCartney, so its as good as it gets !!
- All Teach Guitar Preston students to date, have taken their Trinity College Exams and all passed with either a Merit or Distinction and that helped them secure a place each at these prestigious music education establishments.
- Here at Teach Guitar Preston I can successfully help any student pass these exams. I have a 100% pass rate and over the years I have helped hundreds of candidates achieve their goals.
The Bottom Line
Not everyone wants to go down the graded examinations route which is fine.
- Several ex-students of Tech Guitar Preston have been accepted to study music at Manchester University and LIPA in Liverpool. Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is a performing arts university founded by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty. Opened in 1996 it is patronized by Sir Paul McCartney, so its as good as it gets !!
- All Teach Guitar Preston students to date, have taken their Trinity College Exams and all passed with either a Merit or Distinction and that helped them secure a place each at these prestigious music education establishments.
- Here at Teach Guitar Preston I can successfully help any student pass these exams. I have a 100% pass rate and over the years I have helped hundreds of candidates achieve their goals.
So whatever accredited music qualifications you need to acquire or examinations you need to pass to further your musical ambitions, give me a call.
Contact Me Now At Teach Guitar Preston
Use the contact form below and I'll get back to you. Or, give me a call on 07979-710-400.
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