Those of you who have musical kids or kids taking grade

[Beetroothasbeenforgotten]

1. Make sure they are getting aural work in the lesson - and if not try to find time yourself to do some with your child. Aural is a part fo the exam and an easy way to get marks if the work is put in before hand.

1. Get them going on theory early - sme great books around. They will come unstuck at grade 5 as they have to have their grade 5 theory before goign on to grade 6 instrument exams. It creeps up and can be a real pain!!

A mother talking from bitter experience!!!

Agree beety!

Ime of teaching theory, it SHOULD be something you can pick up by playing, but the exam is of a nature where it tests things in a 'tricky' way - it tries to catch you out, which I think is missing the point. Things like asking you to write a scale of C# minor, but slipping it into the tenor clef.

It's much better to do it as you go along, rather than waiting for Grade 5 as you say beety - unfortunately most people don't and then get a nasty shock! I wonder if that's why there's such a hike from Grade 5 piano to Grade 6 piano, to allow for the time taken for the theory exam.

And aural should ALWAYS be done in lessons.

well cross your fingers for dd. She is taking Trinity board which does theory and aural in the exam. And she has only bveing doing them for the last week!!

Her playing is perfect but she won't getmuch more than a pass if she does not know the rest

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blimey 315 pounds for grade 5 theory!!! clunk!

Ds1 is at a speicalist music school already so in theory he should be gettignall he needs here. However it would seem we have to be pushy and he has to do some work at home.

I want a summer school for mine though!

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what do they have to do for grade 1 aural? DD has been learning piano for a year and is really enjoying it but i couldn't imagine her being ready for an exam, esp not sight reading as she still tends to learn things by heart/ear rather than reading the music. She is 9 btw. Incidentally, I did A level music with recorder as my instrument!! Am now learning piano with dd!

the sight reading bit for grade 1 is very simple, not both hands together. I have no ideda what the aural is - my kids alldid it but I never helped them with it. It only seems to have becoem and issue for us further up the scale or doing a different board -Trinity- which requires a hell of alot of theaory and aural knowl=edge.

Snorkle - I will get the others to do at leaset one theory before they do their grade 5 - have been remiss with ds1. he is so busy being a choirster, it is difficult to fit much else in!

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what is his exam snorkle?

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good luck to him. How old is he? and is it his only instrument?

Aren't there some boards children have to do because they can't cope with the grade 5 theory? I always thought that was a bit of a cheat but I suppose those in the know know which are the easier boards.

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dd is doing grade two recorder and ds1 is doing grade 5 percussion. He tookd grade 5 piano and drum kit in June so now we are stuck!!!

I know trinity do not do aural tests but do it as they go along xenia

same age as my ds

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yes we have one of those - although I am tempted to get an electric one - well i was until I saw the price!!!

beety, I am that their music teacher/s haven't sorted this already - it can't have come as a complete surprise to them, surely? ( again!)