January to March 2019 music thread (Title edited by MNHQ)

[CruCru]

Hi all

Here is the new music thread for January - I hope no one minds me starting it.

I am mum to a son (7) who is learning the piano and trumpet and a daughter (5) who is learning the piano and violin. I am having piano lessons and played the trumpet as a child.

Some of the people on these threads (and their children) are fantastic musicians. Some are more like me. All are welcome.

Thank you to Wafflenose for all the time she has spent managing these threads.

I got DS the "Improve your sight reading" book for his grade Queenmabby - there are ABRSM and Trinity versions. He was trying to do exercises from the Trinity graded book but they're just too hard at the moment, so hoping we can edge up to it with IYSR. Or do you mean aural resources? I don't know about that, I was hoping I could leave it to his teacher. Do most people do aural at home?

We have the sight reading book and she’s pretty good at going through stuff. It’s the aural really. Her teacher does do it with her it’s just that while we have a quietish week ahead (for once!) I thought it wouldn’t harmful to do a bit here and there.

For a month I have been discussing the possibility of music lessons for DS and DD. My stepdaughter (5) is learning the piano. She is currently working on her own technique and skills during lessons at home.

My goal is for her to eventually do ABRSM graded exams as she is a quick learner. She can handle the pressure. We started out with five finger exercises and basics were also covered. Now she is working on different pieces each week.

Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

I’m a big believer in aural and scales being easy marks. They just need lots and lots of practise. When I taught music at secondary school, some children would come for practise several months before. Some would leave it until a week before. You can guess who did well! They really are something you can work on at home. I guess when they are younger, some of that is familiarity with what they are going to be asked.

I’m even writing down what elements of sight reading she is covering so that we cover stinky keys, swing, nasty rhythms, atonality, long phrase work, etc. My hope is that when it come to the exam she’ll just consider it easier than what she has practised!

Shaky yes, scales should be easy marks - with a lot of practice! I'm hoping to get DS2 to focus on those and do some sight reading over half term. We don't have a date for G5 piano yet but the pieces are fine so it's a really good chance to get the other sections sorted!

QueenMabby is it ABRSM or Trinity? ABRSM have aural practice books with CDs and specimen aural test books also. For Trinity, DD2’s teacher told us to sign up to an app called Hofnote for online practice.

littlelad I’m hoping that your ds packed appropriately for half term?

DS also working on grade 3 piano and has been working hard on sight reading. His teacher likes the Join the Dots books but he's less keen! We recently started Paul Harris' new 'Piece a Week' book. It's excellent. It's geared towards improving all the things DS was finding hard and he's doing brilliantly with it. He's started to pick up other pieces more independently & quickly as a result.

AMRSM also have apps for both aural & sight reading. They're not free but there is content up to grade 5.

Doubleup - she’s doing ABRSM. We do have the app but it’s not brilliant I don’t think. Will have a look at the book. Thanks.

Also (sorry for the double post) what difference is there between Trinity and ABRSM? At her comp yesterday in the graded classes most of the children were clutching Trinity books - she seemed to be the only one playing from the ABRSM syllabus!

Yes thank you double, he's getting the hang of it now!

Hi everyone, old poster here.

I have a 11 yrs old who plays violin and piano(very low key), she has theory, violin and piano exam next term. We havent started yet, may be after next week. My soon turning 5 years old other daughter has also started on the violin, there hasnt been any practice, still learning to hold the bold, she loves the poking bits though :).

LLD, don't you dare nc, I'll have to strop not sure how to do that.
I'm hoping that Grade 5 Piano is eventually going to get the practice, we live in hope.
Oh we're all so Blaze atm, almost horizontal ito being laid back, but better than being pressured and stressed. Loose exceeding all predictions from baseline tests, which I hoped would happen. No SATS results is done from Yellis, Mellis, and the other one . Not out of the woods yet, but a huge improvement of 2 levels in some subjects.

Romany that's brilliant!
Green welcome back! Lovely to hear dd2 is playing violin!

I saw this and thought some of you 'Prodigal Pianists' may be able to help!

twitter.com/CrossEyedPiano/status/1097528323826241537?s=20

Littleladsdad, thanks for your link, I cant play yet :) so will give it a miss!
Hi Loose, main reason for her to start with the violin because its easy for us to combine the girls lesson(and cheaper too). How are your sons doing and hope they keep their drums in the poshed shed

I think it makes perfect sense, Green!
Drums are still being used and still in the shed. DS1 says the bass pedal has come loose so we need to replace that!

Boykeepsswinging just catching up and ready your comment about somebody assuming snare drum meant not reading music. Encountered similar comments. Should show them something like Asventuras and see how they get on. Actually even some of triangle and other "simple" percussion parts like sleigh bells in symphonies are deceptively tricky with the rhythms and very exposed. People only realise when they see somebody mess it up :)

Morning all - agree that percussion is tricky. At our school’s last informal concert there was an 11 yo on the drums. It all looked so complicated and there’s no way I could get both hands and a foot all doing different rhythms! Makes patting your head and rubbing your tummy look like child’s play!
Music practice started again this week after a day off on Sunday. Piano getting lots of love but the cello remains in the case...

Only parents of percussionists know the hours and the self organising it takes to cover practise on so many instruments
Exactly! And the ability to play two things at once and dash between instruments. How they know where they are in the music when they've run from snare drum to xylophone never fails to impress me. It's a totally different skill set to most other instruments where you sit there and play your (one) part. The teamwork in a perc section is something else.

Percussion is incredibly complicated and definitely requires a lot of teamwork. It's also fascinating to watch!
I had a go, once, in sixth form for a school production . I was only there to help out but I know from that experience just how difficult percussion is!

Agree with all of the above about percussion, especially the teamwork- the percussionists always look like they are having a great time, and seem a really supportive bunch!

Right I'm totally confused, thought Zac had nc, so now I still don't know who folks are.
All I know about percussion is Zac dc seems to be very busy