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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

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Original poster

Autumn Term Music and Music Exams Thread

388 replies

Wafflenose · 01/09/2014 11:03

Hello everyone. My children went back to school today, so I decided it was time for an Autumn Term thread. Please jump right in!

I have DD1 (MiniWaffle) aged 8, who loves music but knows her own mind!! She is currently playing Grade 6 and 7 Recorder pieces and trying to get her Treble up to scratch. Her second instrument is Flute and she's been hovering around Grade 4 for a while. I have no idea when her next exams will be, or what grade, but none this term that I'm aware of. She is auditioning for the NCO in October though. DD1 also sings, tinkers with piano and ukulele, and has just started the Grade 3 Theory book. I tend to find this one the biggest jump, and if you can do this one, you can manage Grade 4 and 5 easily. Usually. I hope.

DD2 (BabyWaffle) is 6, enjoys music and is going at a completely average pace. I can say this with some confidence, as I have about 120 pupils of my own. She's been playing the recorder for about 18 months and the cello since March. She wants to do Grade 1 Recorder and Initial Grade Cello this term.

Looking forward to hearing about how everyone else is getting on.

OP posts:

Mistigri · 08/10/2014 13:08

I'm not allowed to make comments or suggest improvements either (though funnily enough DD is quite happy to correct ME when I am playing the guitar ;) ). Most of the time there's not much I can help her with tbh, but I've tried suggesting that she look at the score at bit more when playing the piano (she plays absolutely everything from memory) and that just results in screaming.

On a related note can anyone suggest progressive sight reading materials (for piano)? Ideally I'd like a book that spans roughly grade 3-4 sight reading materials. She is comfortably playing pieces around grade 5-6 now, but her sight reading is held back by being slow at reading the bass clef.

Bramshott · 08/10/2014 13:31

Thanks all for quick responses! I will definitely try to praise first, and go lightly with the corrections. The error we fell out over yesterday was her playing EEEE when it was EEDD so it wasn't something I could leave for her teacher to correct really! But her sense of rhythm and pulse is so much better than it was even just a week ago, that I could start by saying how well she's doing on that I guess and see if I still get the same "but I AM playing it right" reaction...

LooseAtTheSeams · 08/10/2014 13:51

Yes, you're right about the EEEE EEDD - in those cases I just point to the music and say oh, look, it goes down a note there, and hope for the best! Definitely point out the improvement in pulse, that's impressive at this stage and teachers pick up on it, too.

A bit further down the line, when you have grade pieces, youtube can be useful for hearing how it should be played - just be a bit wary of which version she listens to. It was the only way I could prove to DS2 what tempo one of the pieces should be played at (otherwise it would have been the slowest 'March' ever!)

On the sight-reading, the series DS2 and I both use is Improve Your Sight-reading by Paul Harris (Faber Music). They are graded exercises to prepare for exams and develop the skills needed. I would get the grade 4 one Mistigri as the first part of the book would recap skills from grade 3 before it moves to more advanced stuff.

Bramshott · 08/10/2014 14:05

There is a reason why we refer to DD2 as "the mini-despot". She is very small (think 7 yr old the size of a 4 yr old) but is a force to be reckoned with!!

Good tip about YouTube for the future!

SpringHeeledJack · 08/10/2014 14:12

oh Bramshott

this is me and BOTH my dds

however gently I point out a missed note or slightly off rhythm, even if I bury it in a load of praise, I just get wails of YOU THINK I'M RUBBISH etc etc

what's worse is if the OTHER twin offers the practising twin a bit of friendly advice. Then I have to nail stuff down

LooseAtTheSeams · 08/10/2014 14:43

"mini-despot" excellent!

And to nailing stuff down! I admit defeat when it comes to twins. We sometimes joke about how much more exhausted and oppressed we might be if DS2 had been twins. And then turn very pale... DS1 wisely never comments on his practice although though he has recklessly attempted to play the piano himself before now amid cries of "No! That's MY piano!" and reminders that no, it isn't!!

ealingwestmum · 08/10/2014 15:29

When things have got heated in our house re not accepting wrong notes/playing wrong dynamics etc, I've taken to using the ipad (thankfully DD's very vain and loves filming herself) and then low and behold, she gets it!

I think this is possibly limited at the lower grades...

Re insurance, we are with Endsleigh - violin, bow and case as we've now got some serious kit compared to last year!

SpringHeeledJack · 08/10/2014 15:36

yy- filming/recording is good

one of my DDs (exhibitionist) loves being recorded/playing back. Also a useful tool in getting her to practice- easy to see results after just a week

and yes, youtube v useful, too

sometimes I think I'd really struggle without technology!

Mistigri · 08/10/2014 17:33

DD won't be filmed unless the piece is at performance standard so that's a no go here. But YouTube is incredibly useful, in fact she basically taught herself to play guitar using it and got off to a good start on the piano that way too.

She'll need youtube again this week as she has just come out of her piano lesson where she started work on a new piece that will challenge her sight reading abilities and which personally I think is miles too hard. I'm saying nothing though!

Mistigri · 08/10/2014 17:35

PS Loose at the seams thank you for the sight reading book suggestion. I'll check that out.

JulieMichelleRobinson · 08/10/2014 22:35

Mistigiri -

Same sightreading suggestions here. I used a similar book for violin way back when grade 6 and find the logical progression through the skills helpful. OTOH, I can't get my students to actually work through the thing so am recommending the ABRSM's app.

Shakyisles · 09/10/2014 02:29

Bramshott - miss 10 is still like that. Cries over anything because most things come so easily to her. We both have perfect pitch and I bite my tongue over intonation as we can clash so easily over note intonation, when others can't hear the difference. She is no better with age - she just cries because her vibrato isn't quite right or her loud isn't quite warm enough, etc. She cries when I say something and she will be upset when I leave her to her own devices. So - I sympathize!

She's using the improve your sight reading grade 7-8 book for violin. I think they are a great series and it has certainly got her thinking more about getting over the character of the piece as well as everything else!

We youtube stuff too. It's nice to see how others play the same music. Miss 10 hates us recording her. Miss 7 is on there a lot for sax. Just different characters.

Bramshott · 09/10/2014 11:16

It's so reassuring to know that we're not alone!! Maybe there's something about the musical psyche which also tends towards perfectionism and independence. I was hoping that the piano would suit DD2 in the end because of her very independent personality.

troutsprout · 09/10/2014 13:55

I think you are right Bramshott
We also have a mini despot!
I think the our saving grace is my musical ignorance as i can't help her so it saves us locking horns too badly.
If something sounds wrong I sometimes draw her attention to it but pretend it is probably my " bad musical ear" and that "it's probably right anyway". Invariably she plays it again an makes an adjustment.
Then I usually say "oh yes I think it was my bad ear for music coz that sounded fine then"
If it doesn't improve I say " It's probably just me.. But ask your teacher"
Apart from saying.." oh that sounds beautiful! .. Play if for me again while I'm..." I try and keep out of it as much as poss tbh

troutsprout · 09/10/2014 13:59

Thanks for the other insurance providers too... Will take a better look when it's renewal time next year

JulieMichelleRobinson · 11/10/2014 00:23

Student S (7) just passed her bronze music medal on violin - with excellence unless I get moderated down. She played much better than the last one I entered! Playing for about a year, I think she started at around the half term lags academic year. No aiming for grade one, we like the medals as there's no pressure. Wish they existed for piano!

Theas18 · 13/10/2014 23:47

Creeping in to say hi.

Trouspout do you mind saying what instrument your DC went for in the end? I suspect we will have yo fork oyt for a grade 8 plus clarinet before long. Fortunately dd has just get a buffet E series on loan from wind orchestra having got to grade 7 standard on a Yamaha I bought for her big sis on eBay about 10yes ago lol.

I have no " right " to be in the thread really as we've no exams this term and oddly might only have few left ever- and I kind of miss it!

mom17 · 14/10/2014 10:01

An offline qs: How much time it takes on an average to move from Step-1 to Grade-1 piano ?

Theas18 · 14/10/2014 11:49

mom17 very child/age dependent.

If very young (6 or7) then may be 6-12 months (a very broad brush average is a grade a year basic progress . If it's a 10yr old they may well do it in a term.

mom17 · 14/10/2014 11:59

Thx Theas18.

JulieMichelleRobinson · 14/10/2014 12:00

I'd say at least a year, looking at the level of the LCM Step exams and assuming a child doing them is fairly young (especially if prep, step 1, step 2, grade 1). I reckon a year between Prep and Grade 1 for 6/7yo beginners. But also depends on practise and coordination when it gets to real hands together playing. Grade 1 piano is surprisingly hard. :)

JulieMichelleRobinson · 14/10/2014 12:01

When the parents of the 5yo beginner ask "When can he do grade 1" I usually play them a couple of grade 1 pieces and they gawk a bit... it explains why it will take more than a term or so ;-)

LooseAtTheSeams · 14/10/2014 12:58

Not sure if this helps but DS2 did ABRSM prep test last Christmas and then grade 1 in the Summer term. This was on 20 minute lessons in a shorter term than the normal school one (it's now 30 mins). Two terms meant he could play the pieces well, was solid with scales and had prepared well for the sight reading. I'd like to say that he was also well prepared for the aural but as he refused to practise singing I would say he got away with it because of a great sense of rhythm!

LooseAtTheSeams · 14/10/2014 13:06

Also should add that it was at least a year from scratch to the prep test and I would say there is a big jump in standard from prep test to grade 1!

Mistigri · 14/10/2014 13:36

It depends a lot on prior music experience as well as age and general hand coordination/ fine motor skills. DS did a year of piano as a 5 year old, he didn't take any exams but I can confidently say that he was nowhere near grade 1 standard! He has generally good coordination and he worked quite consistently. OTOH his sister, as an older beginner (12) with solid music experience has progressed very fast. Older kids tend to have more stamina for practising too.

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