After Grade 8… then what? I’m currently practising for my…
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After Grade 8… then what?
I’m currently practising for my Grade 8 Trinity exam, which has been on my bucket list for decades. It sat in the “pipe dream” category for years until recently when I decided it’s now or never. I turn 41 tomorrow, so yeah… not getting any younger.
I’m a primary school music teacher with a music degree, so music’s always been part of my life, just not at a high-performance level.
One of my pieces is Chopin’s Valse Op. 64 No. 1. I’ve been working on it for about 6 weeks. I’ve got all the notes under my fingers and can play it through (with stops), and I’m at about 50% speed. I do think I’ll get there, but it feels like a completely different level compared to Grade 5 and 6 (which took 6 weeks and 12 weeks respectively). I’m expecting more like 18–24 months for this one.
But the thing I keep coming back to is… what happens after Grade 8?
I’ve got zero interest in going down the diploma route. I’ve got a full life with work, family, and everything else. I just genuinely enjoy playing.
I like sitting down and playing whatever’s in my head, working from chords, sight reading for fun. I play in an ensemble every other week. The music is simple, but I enjoy it.
So I guess what I’m asking is… what do hobby pianists actually do after Grade 8?
Do you still practise scales seriously? Keep a structured routine? Or do you just play what you enjoy, learn pieces, sight read, improvise, mess around?
I also saw a video recently where someone said “it’s shocking how many hours I’ve put into my instrument just to be mid”, and honestly that didn’t bother me at all. I’ve been playing piano and guitar for decades. I’m not amazing, but I can play some decent things and I enjoy it. I’m not trying to compete with anyone.
Just curious what that next phase looks like for others.
#music #audio
source
I’m currently practising for my Grade 8 Trinity exam, which has been on my bucket list for decades. It sat in the “pipe dream” category for years until recently when I decided it’s now or never. I turn 41 tomorrow, so yeah… not getting any younger.
I’m a primary school music teacher with a music degree, so music’s always been part of my life, just not at a high-performance level.
One of my pieces is Chopin’s Valse Op. 64 No. 1. I’ve been working on it for about 6 weeks. I’ve got all the notes under my fingers and can play it through (with stops), and I’m at about 50% speed. I do think I’ll get there, but it feels like a completely different level compared to Grade 5 and 6 (which took 6 weeks and 12 weeks respectively). I’m expecting more like 18–24 months for this one.
But the thing I keep coming back to is… what happens after Grade 8?
I’ve got zero interest in going down the diploma route. I’ve got a full life with work, family, and everything else. I just genuinely enjoy playing.
I like sitting down and playing whatever’s in my head, working from chords, sight reading for fun. I play in an ensemble every other week. The music is simple, but I enjoy it.
So I guess what I’m asking is… what do hobby pianists actually do after Grade 8?
Do you still practise scales seriously? Keep a structured routine? Or do you just play what you enjoy, learn pieces, sight read, improvise, mess around?
I also saw a video recently where someone said “it’s shocking how many hours I’ve put into my instrument just to be mid”, and honestly that didn’t bother me at all. I’ve been playing piano and guitar for decades. I’m not amazing, but I can play some decent things and I enjoy it. I’m not trying to compete with anyone.
Just curious what that next phase looks like for others.
#music #audio
source
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