Music grade/GCSE equivalent?

What is the music grade equivalent to getting an A* in music GCSE?
I heard from several sources that it was Grade 5, but is that a pass or distinction?

Getting an A* in music GCSE is not just about having good music theory and being able to play your instrument well. I don't know what exam board your school does, but with Edexcel music, being grade 5 in an instrument really only helps with the performance part of the course. Granted, it counts towards 30% of your final grade, but it is possible to do well by playing a grade 3 piece of music as well (playing something of grade 5 standard adds four extra marks to your final mark out of 30, but that's it).

With the listening and composition parts of the exam, counting towards 70% percent of the grade overall, having a more developed musical knowledge does help, but again, it is definitely possible to get A* in both of these sections without having reached grade 5 in any instrument. The listening exam is honestly mainly just memorising the key features in the set works and with composition, it really depends on your ideas and how you develop them.

This all said, if you enjoy music in general, don't let you not having grade 5 (I'm assuming this is what's happening) stop you from taking it as a GCSE. If you're still not sure, try asking others who have taken GCSE music about how they found it, and maybe even talk to your music teacher.

Nah m8
Just memorise the textbook and not **** up with your performance and boom...
A*

Okay, fair enough

Thanks for this information! Actually, I was just wondering because I'm finishing my GCSEs, I am taking grade 8 in music and was just wondering what music level that would put me at. But you're right in saying that most of the GCSE is not performance, but it is mostly theoretic.

Someone in my class cannot even play an instrument and is taking music. Now that really says something...

There is such a thing as musicology.

I play classical guitar and I'll be doing my ABRSM grade 4 this summer. I'll be applying to university this autumn and (with any luck) I'll be starting uni in the autumn of 2017. If I were to skip grade 5 and go straight to grade 6, and do the grade 6 theory as well as the grade 6 practical exam in the summer of 2017, would the UCAS points I get count towards my total UCAS points, or do the exams have to be done BEFORE you submit your application? (I would be doing the exam at around the same time as I do my A2 exams)

Someone in my class cannot even play an instrument and is taking music. Now that really says something...

Well, I had no idea about music whatsoever, really, until year 9, when I started piano lessons. And we had to pick options in year 9 - I don't know what I was thinking.

But yeah, that does say a lot

(Maybe they got peer-pressured like me :P )

nope because none of his friends does music...
I'd say he was a bit funny in the end... But he really pisses me off
Because he's like "sir my mac isn't working?!?!?" and he just sits there for like twenty minutes moaning and groaning when in reality the damn Mac wasn't even plugged in...
He always hates music and makes it a point and just ruins the positive vibes of our small 14 people class

I wonder why he took music if he doesn't enjoy it...

omg we are literally living the same life

What number am I thinking of between 1 and 10

yeah... Living the same life doesn't mean we're telepathic

Depending on when you were born, either you're living my life, or i'm living yours.

...
Absolutely no joke my number was 7

Well, then I was very lucky with my choice in number...

ok...I still think you are me and I am you
Who knows maybe tomorrow I'll wake up as a rapey mutant ghost chicken