Spring/ Summer Music and Musicians Thread

No, perfectly they don't.

(Or do people who passed grade 2 learn a grade 3 piece in 3 weeks?)

We have tears today because the child can't play a grade 3 piece perfectly after learning it for 3 weeks.

Icouldbe

I think she's gained a valuable lesson in listening and being better organised.
I don't think she was tested on anything she shouldn't be able to do and practising daily anyway. So luckily it wasn't lack of preparation as she was preparing constantly, she just didn't know she'd be tested on it because she has selective hearing/ lack of concentration. Tbh, she said she wasn't the only one who didn't know and when she went in and told some of the older ones, they hadn't listened and read the time table properly.

Fleur your DD is spot on!
I'm not worried about either DS when it comes to timing, clapping and changes in a melody as they seem pretty instinctive with that. However, they are just rubbish at the singing. I have tried and tried to get them to join school choir but they refuse.i have told them they must at least attempt the singing so the examiner can award a mark for effort! It's a bit odd as DS2 has a good ear for the cello - actually he can sing along with the cello so maybe he should try singing his scales as he plays! Their father is the same - he can tune a guitar completely accurately by ear but he Does Not Sing!

NewLife well done to your DD!

Regarding the abrsm aural app - the clapping but I tell DD it doesn't work properly as it seems to be a hit and miss, generally I can work out if she is clapping properly, harder on the stronger beat and she needs to get the 2/4 3/4 and 4/4 correct meaning that she did probably clapped right.

DD does ballroom dancing and she does know that if it feels like a waltz it is in three times, if it feels like marching it is in two times. If it is neither then it is 4/4.

Newlife that's nice to hear even if it does reinforce the message that proper preparation doesn't really matter.

TheSecond I know you from the GCSE thread. Summer term is pants for music exams because there is so much else going on. DS did one summer exam - if I'd known how many lessons he would miss on the run up to it then I'd have waited until September. I'd take a wild guess that she's worried about the school exams (she's living in a GCSE household so exams are a Big Thing) but it's safe to let it all out in the music lesson.

Only: redownloaded it last night and it works, yayyy!(silly me didnt set up the sound when there was a message asking)
Exam: might try the same here!!
Newlife: how wonderful, many congratulations.
Loose: all the best for your DS2 exam tonorrow!

newlife that's wonderful! Well done to DD! She must be thrilled!
TheSecond hugs to your DD; sounds like she's tired and a lot of things are happening at once. It can just get a bit overwhelming at that age. I think we forget how much year 7s have to deal with. Of course, Year 8s know everything, as I discovered last year with DS1!
I found the abrsm aural app for grade 3 a bit odd! The singing one shows you how close you are to the notes. if you get it right the voice says Hmm...not bad! If you get it wrong you're very much put in your place. And woe betide you if you're too quiet!
As for practical musicianship, I'll have to keep on with theory, I think. I started my homework this evening, doing the exercises on intervals in the grade 4 theory book. Still haven't finished it!
Ds2 suddenly remembered he has an extra cello lesson tomorrow at school. Just as well as that"s where his music has spent the last two evenings! Apparently, he'd memorised enough to practise last night while I was at work! Hopefully this is all a good sign for Friday's exam!

She got a distinction in her jazz assessment.
All that fuss over nothing
She was over the moon, I could tell. She didn't tell me until the end of our conversation though, as if in passing

Greenleave if it still does not work I will try to remember what I did

when dc2 did her first music exam, I tried to explain about 2/4 and 3/4. By either marching up and down the room or walzing away in our sittingroom. not sure whether it helped....
Thesecond: ha, that sounds familiar, although dc exams are before midterm. Oh, hang on , just looked at calendar that means dd1 only has one more lessons before her brass exam?????

Only: I downloaded it from itune. Will try again, thanks so much. She failed her last aural test and usually is terrible with it so I wasnt really surprised

I downloaded it from itunes btw
itunes.apple.com/gb/app/auralbook-for-abrsm-grade-1-hd/id465267146?mt=8

Greenleave where did you install it? I just downloaded straight on ipad, when running it it was saying that smth in my settings was switched off, I just followed instruction to switch it on. I think it was smth to do with sound too.
You may not get the clapping pulse right as it is a computer and we are only humans but it still should an idea how close you are and what areas to work on. It does not mean that you will fail it on exam as examiner is also a human .

exampanic I think you could be right. Her next few weeks go like this:
1 week of normal school.
1 week half-term holiday.
1 week of school exams.
1 week of normal school.
School trip to Cornwall.
Then her flute exam.

A lot of my attention has been on the eldest, who is in the middle of his GCSE exams. I have to remember that the other three need support too.

thesecond. I remember when dc1 started secondary school, he was really tired, and around this time of the year he had end of year exams as well.. He cut down on quite a few activities. Hopefully you also have midterm soon? and hopefully exam is afterwards?

Never: hahaha, I am on the same boat. We have absolutely no music gene in our blood! There isnt another way!
Thesecond: well come and hug! It happens, could be only a bad and tiring day, fingers crossed!

Only: stupid question pls, how do I get the aural apps (AMEB) which you recommended work as its just silent, its running but there isnt a sound even I have registered

We tried the abrsm aural apps last night and tonight and have never got the clapping pulse bit right. How do we clap? Whats considered right?

Sorry I'm joining the thread so late. DD's flute teacher phoned me today to let me know that DD spent half of her flute lesson in tears. This has never happened before. It was triggered by a crisis of confidence about her Grade 3 exam in a month's time. DD's scales could be better, but her pieces, aural and sight-reading are all fine. Her teacher thinks she is ready.

I'm a bit concerned, because playing the flute is usually something she enjoys, and she has never cried in a lesson before. I asked her about it this evening, and she said that secondary school is too tiring (she's in Y7) and everything is just too much.

Luckily theory is taught as a lunchtime course in dd1's school....

I think our natural abilities here lean more towards theory.

Well... yes, but given certain natural abilities it may not....

Practical Musicianship looks much harder than theory!