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Extra-curricular activities

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

Original poster

Summer term 2019 music

855 replies

thirdfiddle · 01/04/2019 14:50

A new installment of the long running music parent threads. Everyone is welcome from complete beginners to grade 8 and beyond. Thanks as ever to the lovely waffle for starting the threads up and looking after them for years. What are your plans for the coming term? Any exams, auditions, festivals, new instruments? Please come and chat.

OP posts:
TaggieOHara · 13/08/2019 12:16

gb.abrsm.org/en/theory2018/free-practice-materials/

is what you need @Comefromaway

Don’t stress about the terms though. DS2 didn’t learn them specially and did fine on grade 5 from what he had seen on music he’s played

Comefromaway · 13/08/2019 12:51

That's his issue Taggie. Most of what he is playing/singing is contemporary musical theatre so he hasn't come across many of them. He knows the basics p f mf diminuendo & crescendo and thats about it. He doesn't even know moderato, andante, allegro etc (well he does now because I taught him them this morning! He says the scores he plays from tend to have metronome markings rather than expression markings. He just left all those questions blank.

folkmamma · 13/08/2019 14:54

We didn't bother with learning tents for G5, it's worth so few marks.

Comefromaway · 13/08/2019 15:06

It was a full 10 marks altogether on the sample paper he did. The difference between a merit or a distinction.

folkmamma · 13/08/2019 15:29

Grade 5 changed about 18months age, the weighting is different.

folkmamma · 13/08/2019 15:29

Ago!

Comefromaway · 13/08/2019 16:00

It was the new style paper. One 4 mark question and 1 6 mark question. The terms questions are now multiple choice. I told him to at least take a guess. He has asd and it never occired to him to take a guess at a question he didn't know.

folkmamma · 13/08/2019 16:19

I thought only G5 had changed?? Sorry, thought you said G4. I'm sure my daughters paper only had about 4 marks for terms and they were really common ones, so maybe just cover the basics.

TaggieOHara · 13/08/2019 18:32

DS only had three terms in his paper - all multiple choice. He knew two and guessed the third. I guess it varies a bit.

But, in any case, the online quiz should sort him out.

Alakazam8 · 16/08/2019 00:07

At the beginner end of the scale, I’m looking for advice on how best to support theory when working towards grade one clarinet. We have a sight reading practice book but could do with something else to provide a little extra- is there a book, app or video that would help or any ideas that help at the beginning to help them learn the basics?

Comefromaway · 16/08/2019 00:09

Ds had an amazing time tonight sitting with the band in the pit of a touring show. A huge thanks to those who facilitated it.

Boyskeepswinging · 16/08/2019 06:08

Hi Ala Yes, there is a Grade 1 Theory book by the ABRSM and also useful apps. You may also want to investigate Theory lessons. Our local music service has group Theory lessons on Saturday mornings. The kids work through the books and a teacher helps them when they get stuck. The more experienced kids also support the beginners so it's a nice convivial atmosphere and a bit less dry than sitting at home on your own (obvs if that's the way you like to learn, some kids prefer to do it by themselves).

Thistly · 16/08/2019 08:05

Hi, as my dc progress they are needing to learn other clefs, having both started instruments on treble.
Anybody got any app recommendations or other techniques for building confidence with other clefs? Teachers have said just have faith, you will get there but I’m feeling like some practical support would help.
Thanks

Doubleup · 16/08/2019 09:07

Thistly it comes with practice. DD2 started on treble clef and then switched to bassoon which is mainly bass, but switches in and out of tenor clef. Repetition and practice!

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 16/08/2019 09:43

For learning clefs - playing an instrument in them would be favourite :) But failing that I found the exercises here helpful:
www.musictheory.net/exercises/note
You can adjust it to use a narrow range of notes to start with then expand as they get the hang of it.

OP posts:
Alakazam8 · 16/08/2019 23:37

Great thanks- apps would be great as lessons wouldn’t fit unfortunately with other things she does. Will give that book a try if apps don’t work. Is there an app that is particularly fun/ aimed at younger children? Will have a look myself but would be grateful for recommendations. We are doing sightreading pieces as part of practice and she seems to be learning some notes through that. We’ve got plenty of time before exam so would love to make it fun. Sidetracking a bit but how long is average from beginner to Grade One?

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 17/08/2019 00:44

How old is your DD alakazam? I don't know about apps but DC started tinkering with theory with Lina Ng "theory made easy for little children" books which are pre grade 1 and have stickers :) They're pottering through her graded books now which also seem friendly but I don't know what other books are like to compare with.

Not sure if it's obvious but it's not vital to do theory separately at this early stage as they will learn what's necessary for music reading as they go along and e.g. Italian terms as they come up in the music. I like to have a bit ticking over for general knowledge especially as DS does Trinity exams so he'll never get the impetus from "need grade 5" unless he changes teacher in which case it may come suddenly!

I've heard people generally say 2 years for grade 1 then a year a grade is good progress. If they're younger it can be longer, second instruments tend to be quicker.

OP posts:
Thistly · 17/08/2019 19:08

Hi, thanks for your comments, double and third. They will be doing them with instruments, but that web page looks really good. Thanks!

Alakazam8 · 18/08/2019 06:57

She’s 10 but has some learning diff so wanted a way to reinforce what she’s doing by playing.
She is practicing well and will take grade one in just over a year from starting so maybe I should just let her learn as she goes.

Original poster
thirdfiddle · 18/08/2019 22:08

Ah probably a bit old for stickers then!

OP posts:
horseymum · 19/08/2019 07:25

We have switched over to the blitz your theory books, the layout seems a bit more friendly than the abrsm ones. Currently just letting all 3 just work through them at their own speed ( which is quite slow!) Just need DD to do grade 5 in the spring I think so no rush. I think they have the answers online but DH and I can keep up at the moment so not tested that.

TheWildRumpyPumpus · 19/08/2019 13:29

Just hopping on to ask if anyone else is yet to receive results from ABRSM summer practical exam round? He took it on June 24th.

DS has his lessons at school so I only have email contact for his teacher which I tentatively sent a couple of weeks ago but didn’t really expect her to reply to over the holidays - I’m sure normally he’d have had something back by now!

horseymum · 19/08/2019 19:17

Hi, am guessing it's an English school so won't be back for a while. School teachers probably won't look at their work email all summer I'm afraid, think you might unfortunately have to wait. That's tough. Maybe you can investigate entering yourself so you can find out sooner in the future?

horseymum · 19/08/2019 19:18

I didn't mean that to mean tough as in tough luck, but that it is hard for your child to wait, mine would hate that!

cocopops · 19/08/2019 19:29

Wildrumpypumpus- my DD sat an ABRSM practical at the same time. We are in Scotland so school broke up end of June. Usually DD’s piano teacher would email results over the holidays but this was an oboe exam and she doesn’t get lessons at school - only sits the practicals there.

5 weeks later- no news from school. I phoned ABRSM and they were able to tell me when results had been sent to the school. I then phoned school and said where are the results- the head of music then appparently (!) had to come into school to get me them. I say apparently as I’m sure he could log on from home and check. The thing is if you need to appeal and have to wait until you go back to school for results, you are time barred.

I’ve told my DD from now on I’ll be entering her myself!

Good luck....