Working through the ABRSM piano grades

[bass_dinger]

5 hours ago, SumOne said:

@bass_dinger you've inspired me to do ABRSM grades....well, at least to have an introductory lesson with a local teacher that is in a great local Jazz/Funk band.

"If that buffoon @bass_dinger can do it, then surely i can, too!"

 

5 hours ago, SumOne said:

 

My target is to pass Grade 1 within a few months (as it was so long ago I did it I think it'd be worth doing again) and Grade 2 by the end of 2026.

 

If you elect to put yourself through the small Hell that is the face-to-face exam, then the timetable is April and October/November.  So, Grade 2 by the end of 2026 is entirely achievable. 

 

And the really good news is that you can spend the price of a nice bass amplifier on lessons and exams, yet not exclude yourself from the 2026 Gear Abstinence Challenge!

 

However, if it is focus, purpose and a direction that your want, then the ABRSM grades and lessons will give you that.  From reading your musical biography, we both had the same background  - playing chords, but nothing much of the fancy stuff (so, just like an acoustic guitarist, then....).

 

You may find that you can teach yourself a lot of the stuff - with fingering annotations for the scales, it's just a case of working through them, and having a lesson every other week to help you play the pieces. 

 

Well done for taking the leap! 

 

Robert 

 

 

[LawrenceH]

On 20/11/2025 at 15:41, bass_dinger said:

However, if I carry on at the current rate, I will be taking Grade 5 piano by March 2027, so should l want to aim for the Theory exams soon?

 

 

Don't take this as a dampener, but rather a way of avoiding disappointment due to unrealistic expectations - the ABRSM grades are not designed as a linear progression as far as hours put in per grade. The estimated Total Qualification Time for preparing for grade 5 is 3x that for grade 1, with 2x the Guided Learning Time (ie lessons). See page 6 of the piano syllabus if you want more details, or not, because the estimated are optimistic IMO and especially so for an adult learner once you hit the higher grades!