Grades: ABRSM vs Trinity vs London College Music

[Ivan]

I've been looking at websites for the above and I think Trinity is appealing due to Jazz grade up to grade 8

TomMapFumo has said good things about the London College of Music, but I wonder of that's more because they examine his first instrument, trumpet

Is anyone able to enlighten me as to their thought process in choosing one or other School or College's grade exams please?

 

[MandyH]

I did not want to take a "classical" exam, I also did not want to take a theory exam .... and my teacher is the local co-ordinator for Trinity Guildhall.
I think ABRSM only offers Jazz grades up so high (maybe grade 5?)
For TG you don't need grade 5 theory in order to take grade 6 practical.
(In the event I took my ABRSM grade 5 theory between TG grades 6 & 7 Jazz sax)

Primarily I was guided / swayed by my teacher, but there is also a lot of overlap on some of the syllabuses (syllabi?)

 

[davidk]

Hi Ivan

I wrote an article covering the UK Boards a while back. It might be of some use:

Exams - UK Examination Options

Introduction Grade exams are a good way of measuring progress. They prescribe pieces, scales and studies, and once you're competent at one grade you can move onto the next. However, this structure can be restrictive. There will be a set of pieces prescribed at each grade, and these pieces...

cafesaxophone.com

David

 

[TomMapfumo]

London College of Music is very similar to Trinity. Jazz exams to Grade 8 in sax, as well as trumpet, trombone and others. I prefer the ABRSM Jazz Grades to Grade 5 than the others. The ABRSM Grade 5 is often considered above the Classical Grade 5, so more like a Trinity/LCM Grade 6 or so. Above Grade 5 there are only the Trinity/LCM Jazz options which are both very similar, though Trinity does not to Jazz Grades for trumpet and trombone, oddly!

 

[old git]

Following the recent news, don't the northern colleges offer a more extensive examination?

 

[kevgermany]

Following the recent news, don't the northern colleges offer a more extensive examination?

Best not go there.