Another music GCSE question

[bookmarket]

I don't want to detail the other thread so I am starting a new one.

DD is in Y10 and takes music GCSE. She plays piano grade 4 standard and is working towards grade 5.

She's finding the music theory difficult and starting to hate the GCSE. My DH and I had no music education as children. DD started piano at almost 9. Her GCSE class is small and all the other students are music scholars, having started playing instruments at a very young age with the reinforcement of lots of music at prep school. This is not my DDs background. She's actually pretty good at the composition side and performance.

Due to lockdown, classes are now all theory and DD is losing her way as the lessons are taught to the highest children's ability. Which is everyone else but my DD.

I am sure it is just because of lockdown that they are having to do exclusively theory and perhaps tearing ahead with that part of the course so they have plenty of time for the other parts, and revision when they are back in school. But I don't want my DD to disengage and dread the lessons.

tl:Dr Can someone point me in the direction of videos or resources which will help my DD get her head around the theory required for music GCSE.

Thank you

It must be very difficult - like you say, if it's going to run at all in the state system, it's got to work for those who have not had all the individual private lessons. We're caught the other way round - DD's school has only one music teacher, who does a very good job of making the subject appeal to the self-taught musicians, but doesn't do so well on attracting those with more experience. The private schools have enough trained musicians to appeal to them and write off the rest - which is also a great pity.

I think you're right about many instrumental teachers doing little on the aurals, although kids in musical families and who do a lot of playing in ensembles cover rather more. For a while I did weekly aural practice with DD and her friend, because I realised that while DD got her practice in the car, her friend's family aren't musical so she was reliant on what her piano teacher managed to fit in. I think both piano teachers were delighted to leave it largely to me!

I can't talk to the GCSE but second the pp recommending "Take Grade 5 Theory and Pass First TIme" - I've put loads through Grade theory and use this all the time - it s an excellent book written by a dad who coached his children through the exam.

I feel her pain! I used to play three instruments at a reasonable level, but I absolutely hated theory with a passion. My brothers breezed through grade 5 theory but I refused to take it. It caused me so much worry. Looking back I think I was over thinking it and was hindered by lack of confidence rather than lack of ability. I hope someone comes up with a god resource for you! x