What grade should I be at? (2 Viewers)

[moon_styla]

but if u play twinkle twinkle little star PERFECTLY with awesome emotions will u get full marks?

 

[ujuphleg]

It goes without saying that one should display SOME degree of musical dexterity and musicality.

It isn't a good idea to exceed your limits, but neither is it a good idea to dumb them down.

 

[Jazz Man Tim]

the idea is to show off to the examers, if an easy piece does that then fine. but it probably wont

 

[soulshine]

absolutely agree.
I am playing at an L-mus level, and am doing a jazz piece (which u cant really grade) an really difficult L-mus piece, and a grade 5 piece. It sounds odd that i am doing a grade 5 piece, but i think that if u play ANY piece right, then u will succeed. This piece is technically very simple, but it evokes emotion and is (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful pieces ever written for the saxophone. So it depends on how you play it.

If you have good musical perceptions, maybe playing something slow and emotional will be good for you (even if u havent been playing for all that long.)

I dont know but....

what beautiful piece is that?

 

[pristine]

im playing a diploma level piece on piano, an 8th grade level and probably a nothing grade level on drums. its funny though.

 

[Emma-Jayde]

I don't think it really matters what the technical standard is, just as long as you can perform the piece well
I'm singing some 6th and 7th grade pieces, but one of my pieces is probably only about 4th grade. I'm singing it because it's a fantastic piece and I can do it well, it nees a lot of emotion to make it work properly.

 

[demosthenes]

what beautiful piece is that?

Eugene Bozza's "Aria"

 

[Abraxus]

the examiners dont look to much at technicality. i had ppl in my class that only started playing their instrument when they did the high school music course. i completed my AMEB in '03 (actually i failed 8th grade so i wouldn't called that completed), and my HSC pieces were all 5th-6th grade pieces. i ended up with a band 5. its more than just hitting notes, they look at musical interpretation and passion.

 

[JoeysBoy]

Don't forget to practice =)

 

[Eslyssa]

I want to agree with what everyone's been saying.

I'm mostly doing AMus or LMus pieces, but I'm also doing a piece I did for my sixth grade exam, years ago, which really came off well. I played it in my assessment, and got full marks - woot! - so I think that that's the way to go.

 

[bart69]

During the HSC when you have to perform the practical piece, at what grade should you be at in order to be able to play for the examiner and do well?
I'm in year 11 right now and I'm in grade 1 for the violin and I'm not sure if I'd be able to do well in my HSC if I played at say, grade 3.

At what grade are most people at when they do their hsc?

Im doing music 2 and play the violin as well. Im doing my AMUS A but I know some pretty cool 3rd grade 4th grade songs that u could play. You need to know how to play in 3rd position, thats all. You should do music 1.

 

[pristine]

i'm doin' piano as major for music 1 & pretty much everyone in my class who does piano is 8th grade or above..then there's the music2's who've basically played an instrument there entire lives!!

good luck!!

 

[Apparently]

Well... I play flute at a 7th grade level... But i don't think you need to be that high to do well... As EVERYONE is saying... Just pick a piece you do well! I also sing and i'm having trouble deciding wether to just play flute, or sing, or both for the HSC...

 

[AmenoKitarou]

play ur piece well~ if not...sing~~~~...get someone else to accompany you~

 

[MikiRei]

Originally Posted by Hermzie
During the HSC when you have to perform the practical piece, at what grade should you be at in order to be able to play for the examiner and do well?
I'm in year 11 right now and I'm in grade 1 for the violin and I'm not sure if I'd be able to do well in my HSC if I played at say, grade 3.

At what grade are most people at when they do their hsc?

Well...I haven't read the entire thread - just the first post really.

Anywayz, technically, it's best to be at least at grade 6 or above. Why? Because by then you've learnt more than the basics and can show off some technical flare. The pieces you can play also broadens and hence, you get more of a chance to show off your musicality.

That's not to say you CAN'T show off musicality at lower level - you just have to choose your pieces well. Have a contrasting program - that works INCREDIBLY well. If you're gonna be in grade 3 by your HSC, I recommend you do Music 1. You'll be up against mostly Extension students if you do Music 2 who'll no doubt be in Amus or Lmus at least (i was in Lmus by the time I did my HSC music - in fact, during my year, I was up against this Scott's guy who was in the semi-finals for Sydney Piano International Competition - now, THAT'S just freaky)

In terms of the pieces you choose - by contrasting, choose over various of genres or even era. ORDERING your program is also quite important. Have a fast piece right after your slow piece - or vice versa. Play a 20th century piece right after a Classical or even Romantic (for best contrast, Baroque then 20th - now THAT'S big contrast)

Well, I don't know whether you can do that in Music 1 - from memory, the people who did Music 1 at my school get to choose more modern pieces.

Ok - I'll stop now - blabbed long enuff

 

[steamroller60]

It doesn't matter what level you're at, it's all about how you interpret the music.


if you are at a beginner level and play a suitable piece WELL you can get the same marks as an Lmus student playing a hard piece well.

it's more about interpretation than sheer quality.

 

[187]

It doesn't matter what level you're at, it's all about how you interpret the music.


if you are at a beginner level and play a suitable piece WELL you can get the same marks as an Lmus student playing a hard piece well.

it's more about interpretation than sheer quality.

That could be an advantage for less able performers such as myself, but it also seems unfair in many ways. It's like comparing a Grade 1 beginner to an international musician and saying that they both deserve the same amount of praise because they look like they're playing with the same serious expression on their faces. Just because someone looks like they know what they're doing doesn't mean that they didn't just make the piano explode.

Are you completely sure about that allocation of marks, steamroller60? In fact, does anyone have concrete guidelines which would help? I've already raided the Board Of Studies web site, so anything from there is unnecessary.

With HSC performance, how knowledgeable are the examiners? It would of course be presumptuous to assume that they know nothing about non-piano instruments, but are particular markers assigned to different instruments? For example, if I plan to perform a guitar piece, will I receive a guitarist as my examiner?

As a side note, my teacher was showing me the records of successful AMus candidates (I've forgotten what year it was for), and only one guitarist was listed. In Music 2, how common and qualified are the guitarists? Does the Grade 6 recommendation still hold for that instrument?

 

[MikiRei]

Are you completely sure about that allocation of marks, steamroller60? In fact, does anyone have concrete guidelines which would help? I've already raided the Board Of Studies web site, so anything from there is unnecessary.

I may be late saying this now but I'll say it anywayz. I remember that the Con holds a special three day course (i think it was three day) where they get past HSC examiners to go over certain skills you can use during your HSC music exams. They also give you the chance to present your composition and one of your performance piece where you can receive feedbacks. Since these feedbacks are from HSC examiners (and they actually tell you how they mark), it's EXTREMELY useful.

For more information, check the Con - I saw the brochure when I went there to have a lesson with my teacher and enrolled like, 3 days before it started. It proved to be EXTREMELY useful 'cause they also gave you some study notes and certain techniques to use in the exam (and not GENERAL tips - specific tips for the HSC music exams) I might put them up if I can find them again.....

 

[jishdafish]

you should play some fully weird contemporary piece where you bow under neath the strings and scrape your nails up and down the strings on the fingerboard and play your violin upside down and make lots of strange noises.

ahahahaha classic.... u should definatley take this advice

 

[araminta]

for real? Have you got a copy of that essay handy? I think it would make an interesting read!

Would it be possible for me to grab a copy of that essay too? It sounds absolutley awesome! I'd love to see how you analysed it! It would take a dedicated and clever person to do 3000 as well as it sounds you did. 4:33 haha. John Cage you pro.