Is Music A Levels hard?

I am thinking of taking Music A Level (either eduqas or edexcel). I haven't done GCSE music, and I just want to see how difficult would it be to do A Levels.

I have already passed Grade 8 Piano, Grade 4 Violin and Grade 5 Music Theory.
I have a current timeline of completing Grade 8 Music Theory in December of Year 12 and ATCL in Piano in the summer holiday leading towards year 13 (or, with delays, latest, the December of year 13).

I know that 30% of the subject is based on performance (8 minutes), 30% on composing (with 1 free and 1 with brief) and 40% on written exam, studying previous works.

How difficult would the parts of composing and the written exam be? How much time does that take to study all the content of written and the composing part respectively?

(also would it be wise to do the entire a level course and take the exam in year 12?)

Reply 1

greentiger

Music is quite easy, you’d be able to get at least a C even if you don’t put your full heart and soul into it like you have to do for content heavy subjects.

Reply 2

michaelaaaa

Original post by hydrogenvshelium

I am thinking of taking Music A Level (either eduqas or edexcel). I haven't done GCSE music, and I just want to see how difficult would it be to do A Levels.
I have already passed Grade 8 Piano, Grade 4 Violin and Grade 5 Music Theory.
I have a current timeline of completing Grade 8 Music Theory in December of Year 12 and ATCL in Piano in the summer holiday leading towards year 13 (or, with delays, latest, the December of year 13).
I know that 30% of the subject is based on performance (8 minutes), 30% on composing (with 1 free and 1 with brief) and 40% on written exam, studying previous works.
How difficult would the parts of composing and the written exam be? How much time does that take to study all the content of written and the composing part respectively?
(also would it be wise to do the entire a level course and take the exam in year 12?)

Music A Level is so so hard compared to other subjects like Media Studies or even English. I'm revising for Music A Level rn and I got an 8 in GCSE but Ive been getting low Cs in the written paper because there are so many set pieces to remember. Its nothing like GCSE Music. Its a big jump. I take Edexcel btw but I did Eduqas for GCSE and I prefer that exam board because it was easier and has less set works than others.

Also If u take Edexcel you might have to do something called a Bach chorale. This is like really intense Grade 6 Level music theory but applied to a song. The course however is really fun and interesting because you get to learn about lots of music styles like Indian, Jazz, Pop and Fusion which are my favourite.

All I would say is do your research of the spec before choosing which exam board to do. If your school does Edexcel and you wanted to do Eduqas for eg, I would strongly suggest asking if they can switch.

Sorry, I hope this hasn't put u off lol I'm just trying to be 100% honest. If you have any questions or need any recourses feel free to Pm me! 🙂

Reply 3

username6828106

Hi, not sure if this is for you but if you don't mind only doing music opposed to 3 different A-Levels, some city colleges offer full time music courses that tend to be a hell of a lot easier but equates to the same amount of UCAS points as 3 A*s at a distinction grade.

In my experience, it has set me up significantly better for uni than a more exam based course would, as it's all coursework and portfolio based. Because of this, I've had a portfolio to put forward for uni applications, plus some studio and performance experience in many different genres, which all went in my personal statement. I've been able to get offers from all of the unis I've applied to thanks to how this course is set out.

My UAL course allows complete creative freedom in my last project, which pretty much means you can work on anything you want so long as it's directly related to music and has explanation as to why it is relevant to the music industry.

This kind of course tends to be more suited to those who focus on trinity rock and pop grades or are looking at a super hands-on course, so maybe worth looking into?

Reply 4

Rebekah.e.t

Original post by hydrogenvshelium

I am thinking of taking Music A Level (either eduqas or edexcel). I haven't done GCSE music, and I just want to see how difficult would it be to do A Levels.
I have already passed Grade 8 Piano, Grade 4 Violin and Grade 5 Music Theory.
I have a current timeline of completing Grade 8 Music Theory in December of Year 12 and ATCL in Piano in the summer holiday leading towards year 13 (or, with delays, latest, the December of year 13).
I know that 30% of the subject is based on performance (8 minutes), 30% on composing (with 1 free and 1 with brief) and 40% on written exam, studying previous works.
How difficult would the parts of composing and the written exam be? How much time does that take to study all the content of written and the composing part respectively?
(also would it be wise to do the entire a level course and take the exam in year 12?)

If you love performing, composition, and analysing music then it will be great. If you don't have any prior composition knowledge then I think it would be difficult. Not impossible though, so go with what you feel. Honestly music a level is my biggest a level regret (Sorry to potentially put you off!) but one of my teachers hasn't been very good so that is probably one of the reasons why. I would say you really have to love it to enjoy the a level. I would talk to teachers if you can, though take what they say with a pinch of salt because they will likely frame it more positively to have people do it. Have a look at specifications I think and that should give you a feel as well. I would say the main positive thing with music (I do Eduqas) is that it's only one exam so I have 2 less exams. Sorry if this hasn't helped at all haha

Reply 5

maudsteray

Hiya, I'm in year 13 and have just done my edexcel music exam today. By the sounds of it you would be absolutely fine in terms of the performance (it's reccomended that you're around a grade 7 standard but is fine if you're below which you're not). The free brief composition is quite time-consuming but once you're set on a brief and get into a swing of it it's not too bad. The set brief is done in a 6 hour exam near the end of the second year which sounds like a long time but its a lot better than having to worry about 2 simultaneously for the whole year. For the set brief, there are 4 options and the most popular one (Bach Chorale) requires a lot of practice and a good foundation in music theory (as well as knowing a lot of rules!) so having Grade 5 theory definitely helps. As you know the written exam consists of works which they call 'set works'. For them you need to spend a lot of time going through the notes which edexcel produce themselves and the anthology which is also produced by the exam board, for example: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/Music/2016/teaching-and-learning-materials/A-level-Beatles-set-work-support-guide.pdf. There are 13 set works in total but used to be 18 (they got complaints of it being too many lol). In them you'll come across familar and unfamiliar terms and new musical concepts which I found really interesting tbh. All in all it's a great option and I would definitely reccomend it. I would say that doing it in one year could be possible but would require a lot of hard work and dedication in that time. Hope this helps :smile:

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 6

basefour4

You should be fine to do Music A-Level. I have my Grade 8 piano as well and it will make the performance part very easy, plus playing piano as an instrument lends to being quite good at composition, as it's easier to visualise the theory. If you're planning on doing Grade 8 theory, I found it was super helpful, if anything overkill, for composition, and the ear training you get doing it helped as well. The biggest jump would probably be the appraising, but it's certainly not impossible at all. Music has been my favourite subject (unlike the person above me lol), and I found it to be the easiest of my 4 A-levels, the others being maths, further maths and physics. I'm still waiting on results though after having done my final A-level music exam today, so who knows I could get a surprise U but really it's been great fun doing it as a subject.

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 7

Acron1

Original post by hydrogenvshelium

I am thinking of taking Music A Level (either eduqas or edexcel). I haven't done GCSE music, and I just want to see how difficult would it be to do A Levels.
I have already passed Grade 8 Piano, Grade 4 Violin and Grade 5 Music Theory.
I have a current timeline of completing Grade 8 Music Theory in December of Year 12 and ATCL in Piano in the summer holiday leading towards year 13 (or, with delays, latest, the December of year 13).
I know that 30% of the subject is based on performance (8 minutes), 30% on composing (with 1 free and 1 with brief) and 40% on written exam, studying previous works.
How difficult would the parts of composing and the written exam be? How much time does that take to study all the content of written and the composing part respectively?
(also would it be wise to do the entire a level course and take the exam in year 12?)

Hiya,

I was in a really similar position when choosing A-levels, I hadn't done Music GCSE but I had done Grade 5 Music Theory, Grade 8 Cello and Grade 8 Classical Singing.
I just had my Music A-Level exam today, so I've officially finished the course (AQA).

I don't know if this is helpful, but I can say a bit about my experience of studying Music A-Level and how it might relate to your situation?

I personally found Music A-Level really tough but it was definitely the right choice for me, I wouldn't change it if I could.
However, I know it was the right choice because music is what I want to go into. If I were to choose agin but I wasn't set on making music my profession, I don't think I would take it for A-Level - it is very complex, has lots of content, and challenges your skills.

I think this choice depends on your motivations for taking it - Do you want to pursue music? Do you think it will be an easier subject than others? Are you interested in the areas of Study? Does the course play to your skills?

In a nutshell, I found starting the course was awful but by the end of the first year I'd managed to get myself a predicted A or A*. It took hard work, but it's not impossible. You seem to have a really good understanding of Music, so you might not find it as hard as I did.

I'd say that the most difficult aspect of adjusting to A-Level Music without having taken the GCSE was learning how to write about and analyse music in essay forms, as I really wasn't used to this and my brain doesn't naturally take to Music Theory. That being said, even if you're confident with all the theory, I still think it's difficult to develop the skill of writing about music at A-Level. If you know you have technique for writing about music, are really confident in the technical terms used on the course (there should be a list of terms for sections of the course for your board), and know you have good critical listening skills, then that adjustment might not be an issue for you.

I personally felt that I'd really missed out on developing those skills from not having done GCSE Music. At first, it was difficult and a slow process to develop these skills. I felt very insecure, especially compared to students in my class that had done Music GCSE and that were very skilled at Theory. However, once my understanding grew, I was able to take on and process information much more quickly. I'd say that my understanding has developed exponentially in the past year, specifically.

So in relation to your situation - it may be that if you are adept at Theory, that hurdle might not be so large for you. Planning for Grade 8 Theory will put you well in good stead, as a Grade 6 level of understanding is usually required for A-Level. Have you had any experience of writing essays or responses for music? I'd recommend giving it a go - search up a past paper and listen to something, then try to jot down a sort of essay plan by identifying features. It might help you get an idea for how comfortable you might be with those sorts of questions, and that might inform then how easy or difficult you might find the course.

For AQA, at least, there is quite a lot of content. I personally wouldn't advise trying to do it within one year - the two-year structure really does help to develop your abilities and understanding of a text, and it gives you time to familiarise yourself with each set work. The composing and performance aspects of the course are not just small feats either, I found them very time-consuming. Not necessarily the performance so much, but composition is tough.

In my experience of A-Level Composition, as someone who'd never attempted composing before, my first attempts absolutely hopeless. I had no idea where to start or what to do. As we analysed more music and I understood structures and compositional techniques better, my composing improved. We practised composing new things often, and every time I tried something new it got better, although it really doesn't come naturally to me.
This is why I'd recommend the two-year structure again - it will give you more time to develop your skills, so your finished product will be more advanced. All the skills that you develop in A-Level Music are connected, and adequate time to better can really impact your understanding and grade. It's not just memorising content, it's also applying skills and knowing exam technique. That being said, again if you have a very high level understanding of Music Theory then that might not be an issue for you. As for timings/spread of teaching, I'd speak to your teacher. We roughly did one lesson in composing per week, but in the weeks before the deadline it was all that we did.

Is there any particular reason that you'd like to complete the course in one year? :smile:

I'd really recommend searching up the course structure of your chose exam boards, try to find some example essays, look at a past paper and see how you find writing about Music.

Sorry if I written quite a lot, and good luck with your decision. Whichever choice you make will be the right one.

Please let me know if I can help shed light on anything else x