On Sun, 11 May 2008 10:48:00 GMT, performingchimp
<performingch
...@spam.spam> wrote:
>Adrian Clark wrote:
>> *shrug*
>> The Rock School and RGT exams have been around for years, and I don't
>> see any decline in electric guitar playing. Some people just like an
>> objective benchmark of how well they're doing.
>> adrian
>Yes, David, Adrian's right! Don't worry a jot, it'll make no difference.
>Grades are very different now too - they have a good deal more practical
>use to a learning guitarist than the old grades did for non-classical
>guitar. They were too similar to the classical model. I'd happily teach
>someone to the syllabus WITHOUT them doing the exams! It's a good
>syllabus (I'm talking here about the electric version of these new
>acoustic grades).
>Although, I am 100% with you. I don't think exams are what learning
>music should be about at all. THere is simply no need for them with
>talented and creative pupils. They do serve a purpose though, and that
>purpose is NOT "grading" the pupil. The purpose is maintaining
>motivation to pratice because of a somewhat imposing goal.
Hear, hear!
I really don't think it matters how you learn guitar - or anything for
pleasure come to that - as long as it's enjoyable and it works for you
and helps you achieve whatever incidental goals you may have.
However, some people like the discipline that syllabuses like
Rockschool offer and, having used it for the past year intensively in
one school I teach at, it isn't at all restrictive as far as the
electric aspect is concerned. There's an importance attached to improv
and although theory is involved, what there is is practical and useful
to know.
At the same time, I teach kids who just seem to be able to provide the
necessary structure themselves and are very goal-driven in terms of
personal achievement - with some it's just a question of me pointing
them in certain directions and being there to answer any queries along
the way.
We all approach learning in a variety of ways - either separately or
in combination and grades simply offer one such approach. I'd hate to
see the whole process reduced to formal methods, but I really don't
see that happening and I don't think it's anyone's intention to
establish the 'one true way'.
In fact, it's helping to establish the guitar - outside of the
classical sphere - by paying some limited lip service to those who see
the instrument as somehow not worthy of academic status when it comes
to integration into the exam system. I've seen GCSE Music and B Tech
courses achieve far more success for kids who used to have to struggle
to submit guitar solos. Now the examiners are far more open to the
rather less restrictive nature of the instrument as they now have a
score to relate the performance to. Previously it was a real struggle
to stop kids trying to submit aimless solos and chord sequences that
really didn't constitute a solo performance. Now the examiners seem
far more prepared to accept what is becoming a truer representation of
the instrument in terms of a slightly more structured format.
I think that's essentially a good thing and it certainly doesn't
preclude personal goals and achievements.
Steve.
