Scales Or Aural?which Is Your Heaven,which Is Your ######?, sorry if this has been done before, but there's a sight reading/me Options

[Alicia Ocean]

If your nice and funny, theyre nice back! remember that for your exams

But I've had all my worst marks from friendly examiners and my very best ones from the miserable ones.

[fluterocks]

If your nice and funny, theyre nice back! remember that for your exams

But I've had all my worst marks from friendly examiners and my very best ones from the miserable ones.

ditto!
In both grade 1 and 4, i had 2 really grumpy looking examiners (the sort who go, oh look, another beginner) and I got 2 distinctions. But in grade3 I had this really happy bouncy man who seemed happy to be there, and I scraped a merit! So I think that smiling/frowning doesn't have any effect- it's just pyscological that you think it makes a difference...

[Village Flute]

I think scales are far more useful. It's more than 25 years since I did my grade 8 and as someone who plays purely for pleasure rather than making a living from music I have had no use for aural since. Scales however I play every time I practice as they keep my fingers active and help with all sorts of passages in pieces. The tests may have changed a bit since I did them but I remember having to conduct time to a piece the examiner played - I didn't have any intention of being a conductor and anyway a conductor would have the score in front of him so what use was the test?

[katica]

Well, I wouldn't say scales are exactly heaven but they're easy-peasy compared to aural, which is pretty well murder. A necessary evil though.

[karslima]

I enjoyed aural until about grade 8 (so I marked it as 'enjoy'). Scales are useful as long as there aren't too many of them then learning them doesn't achieve anything. I thought the Trinity Guildhall method for scales was very helpful.

[Mad Tom]

Music is a language!

Hear, hear!!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Listen, Listen (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

[Dulciana]

When I first read the options I didn't think 'aural' in terms of what has to be done in an AB exams. If we leave exams aside, I think it's absolutely ludicrous to think that scales are more useful than aural skills. As for playing a Mozart sonata without first playing scales - well, you could certainly play scales with ease after the sonata, but the reverse is not necessarily the case. However you do need aural skills to make a good job of the Mozart sonata.

If everyone was thinking in terms of AB exams when answering the questions, the results are not a very good reflection on AB's interpretation of the word 'aural' with regard to how they test it. But I've been there many times in my arguments here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[Cyrilla]

Music is a language!

Hear, hear!!
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Listen, Listen (IMG:style_emoticons/default/whistling.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[kenm]

...The tests may have changed a bit since I did them but I remember having to conduct time to a piece the examiner played - I didn't have any intention of being a conductor and anyway a conductor would have the score in front of him so what use was the test?

The AB aural tests include several skills for which I have found no particular need as a conductor, that being one of them. TG aural has one absolutely vital one: look at this, listen to that, note the difference.

[Dulciana]

...The tests may have changed a bit since I did them but I remember having to conduct time to a piece the examiner played - I didn't have any intention of being a conductor and anyway a conductor would have the score in front of him so what use was the test?

The AB aural tests include several skills for which I have found no particular need as a conductor, that being one of them. TG aural has one absolutely vital one: look at this, listen to that, note the difference.

I do think the conducting test has its uses. It shows they know the time signature, gives it shape, and shows they know where the down beat is. And not just the test itself, but teaching for it helps build an awareness of how to recognise time signatures and feel that strong beat. It can also help establish 6/8 as a clear 2 in a bar, which is relevant to how it should be played.

I don't often disagree with kenm on the subject of aural tests! (And this is not a big issue - but if we want pupils to be able to recognise time signatures, this is as good a way to do it as any!)

[JamesK]

I used to like scales, until I discovered 6th's apart.

I've always hated aural tests simple becuase of memorising musical terms and the dreaded singing.

[Dulciana]

I used to like scales, until I discovered 6th's apart.

There are countless ways of getting better at this sort of thing in the music of Mozart, Chopin, John Field.......If you do it in real music, then exam requirements are a doddle.

[sbhoa]

I used to like scales, until I discovered 6th's apart.

I've always hated aural tests simple becuase of memorising musical terms and the dreaded singing.

Once you've got it I think it's a great trick. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

If you are the stage of playing scales in 6ths haven't you automatically been using the most common musical terms for an awful long time?

[barry-clari]

Scales on just a clarinet mouthpiece are fun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[sbhoa]

Scales on just a clarinet mouthpiece are fun (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I think I'd better stick with the conventional way for now. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)