As someone who was largely self taught for most of their learning, I was at first never that keen on teaching grades. But while I was getting my first taste of teaching at Clives Rock and Pop School in Lymington I could see the benefit in having clear and specific course material to follow. I quickly realised that I would need to be able to teach grades in my private lessons for students who would be interested in this.
I think using the grades is a great thing for students to do. It's a simple and rewarding way to see yourself improving and to give students something to aim towards. My main choice of syllabus is the Trinity Rock and Pop grades but I can also teach Rockschool too. With the grades you get a great selection of well known songs to learn while picking up vital techniques and skills along the way. It's also great to help improve your ability to read drum notation as all the songs are accurately notated out in their books for you to follow.
There are other benefits too such as the later grades giving you UCAS points. Plus if any student was interested in studying music at A level or university standard, then having grades under their belt would definitely impress the courses they are applying for.
I like to stress that the grades are not the be all and end all of drumming and they are only an option for people who want to do them. You dont need to learn the grades to be an accomplished drummer, but they certainly can help you achieve that! There is no time frame for completing a grade - meaning you can take as long as you like learning the peices before you perform your exams. It's important to remember this and stay patient. I never rush my students and only put them forward for their exams when both myself and the student feel they are completely ready. So far my students have a 100% pass rate and I plan on making sure that continues!
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