Grade 3 Violin/singing - Aural And Sightreading, Is getting the same marks for both almost a foregone conclusion if don Options

[londongirl]

Hi there, can anyone help with this. I have done Grade 1 violin and Grade 1 singing on the same day with the same examiner and got distinctions for both. I got exactly the same mark for aural and sightreading for both (low mark for sightreading of 14). On Grade 2 Violin and Grade 2 singing, the same thing happened for both. I got a merit in both exams with the exact same mark for both aural and sightreading. I actually "failed" sightreading in both with a score of 13! I'm doing Grade 3 violin and Grade 3 singing in March on the same day. I am very worried about the sightreading for both. Do you think the examiners automatically give you a low mark on the second exam if they've given you a low mark on the first one of the day - sort of a situation where they've "decided" how good or not you are at sightreading. Anyone had this before.? I'm wondering whether I would be better to do my singing exam FIRSTin the day because I am a bit more confident of the sightreading in that and maybe if I could scrape a 14 or 15 the examiner might have a better view of me when it comes to violin sightreading. (I HATE the grade 3 violin sightreading because of the 3rd position which I can't really do yet - hope it improves by March!). By the way, in Grade 2 it was truly the sightreading that kept me from the distinctions - I've have needed a 16 to hike the overall marks up so I REALLY REALLY want to get this right!! HELP.

[Digby]

It shouldn't make any difference at all as to what you did in the first exam. In fact unless they are consecutive exams, he may not even remember you.

The reasons your marks are so similar is probably because you are applying or missing the same elements in both. For example, the biggy on sightreading is not counting it, if you're nervous and just trying to guestimate the note lengths rather than being really strict with yourself keeping the beat, you will make the same fundamental mistakes on both, therefore I would expect the score to be similar. Likewise with the aural, unless you make a silly mistake on one and not the other, your fundamental knowledge is the same so you will get the same elements right on both.

Don't panic. Take time between now and the exam, to practise the aural and the sightreading and you will hopefully get really good, identical marks on both. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[AnotherPianist]

Indeed, I don't know if it's too late for this exam or not: that depends how much work you still have to do on everything else and how much tme you have to practise. After this exam though, if you want to manage to get that distinction, I suggest that you tell your teacher you want to work harder on your sightreading between then and the next exam and dedicate more time to it. That way you'll be able to come to the next exam with confidence in all of the sections (if you need to spend the same amount of time on the other sections still you might need to either practise more or take a bit longer between the next two exams (or maybe do them in different sessions to solve the problem you're having now: it must be more difficult to do two exams in the same session).

Good luck (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif).

[londongirl]

Indeed, I don't know if it's too late for this exam or not: that depends how much work you still have to do on everything else and how much tme you have to practise. After this exam though, if you want to manage to get that distinction, I suggest that you tell your teacher you want to work harder on your sightreading between then and the next exam and dedicate more time to it. That way you'll be able to come to the next exam with confidence in all of the sections (if you need to spend the same amount of time on the other sections still you might need to either practise more or take a bit longer between the next two exams (or maybe do them in different sessions to solve the problem you're having now: it must be more difficult to do two exams in the same session).

Good luck :).

thanks for this. I'm o.k. on the other bits actually, pieces are going great, scales will be fine as for some reason it doesn't take me for ever to get them good, once I know them technically. I'm at the stage where I know them technically now. But the sightreading....!!I think I'll ask my teacher to just do sightreading in one of my two weekly violin lessons. Thanks again.

It shouldn't make any difference at all as to what you did in the first exam. In fact unless they are consecutive exams, he may not even remember you.

The reasons your marks are so similar is because you are applying or missing the same elements in both. For example, the biggy on sightreading is not counting it, if you're nervous and just trying to guestimate the note lengths rather than being really strict with yourself keeping the beat, you will make the same fundamental mistakes on both, therefore I would expect the score to be similar. Likewise with the aural, unless you make a silly mistake on one and not the other, your fundamental knowledge is the same so you will get the same elements right on both.

Don't panic. Take time between now and the exam, to practise the aural and the sightreading and you will hopefully get really good, identical marks on both. :rolleyes:

thanks for this. Actually, that's a great tip, to concentrate on timings a bit more. In my grade I result they said the shape AND the rhythm were good, whereas for Grade 2 theyjust said that the shape was held well. I presume this means that I went up and down where I was meant to, but they didn't mention the beat at all so I probably didnt really count it. so thanks. Sadly, in both, they said that several pitches were wrong.

[sarah-flute]

thanks for this. I'm o.k. on the other bits actually, pieces are going great, scales will be fine as for some reason it doesn't take me for ever to get them good, once I know them technically. I'm at the stage where I know them technically now. But the sightreading....!!I think I'll ask my teacher to just do sightreading in one of my two weekly violin lessons. Thanks again.

If you have two violin lessons a week then I would imagine your teacher will have plenty of time to do some serious work on both aural and sight-reading with you.

I agree with the others that the likelihood is that you have the same strengths and weaknesses in your two studies, which is why you drop marks for the same things in both exams.

[sbhoa]

I'm wondering whether I would be better to do my singing exam FIRSTin the day because I am a bit more confident of the sightreading in that

You generally have to do them in the order they have been listed.