Ask The Chief Examiner Options

[all ears]

Here's a question on the role of piano accompaniment in exams:

Discussion on another thread reminded me that most orchestral instrument exams require one or two pieces to be played with a live accompaniment (with the exception of jazz).

1) I'm curious why it is OK to play with a recorded CD accompaniment for jazz exams but not for ordinary grade exams. It really does seem odd, given the nature of jazz!

2) and more importantly, if it is so important for players of orchestral instruments to learn to play with accompaniment...why isn't it important for pianists to learn the skills of accompanying, or even just playing with other instrumentalists or vocalists (if only at higher grades)? I think that guitar syllabi include some accompanied pieces (though perhaps none where the examinee plays the accompaniment). I don't mean to sound stroppy, I just realized that the more I think about this, the more curious I am about this strange mismatch in required skills!

[JudithJ]

I just wondered if the answers were already prepared and we've got to guess the questions, or you lot have that are teachers lol.

If this is a new game, then perhaps we should move this thread to the Cafe...

[anacrusis]

Learning style is an interesting aspect to all education, and ties in too with skill and talent mix; other boards have chosen to acknowledge that talent and skill mixes vary, and have much less of a "one size should fit all" approach - does the Board see its way through to adapting a little more to this idea? I don't believe this represents dumbing down, as there are aspects of musicality which are tested by other boards which have no place in the ABRSM syllabuses - sure, improvisation may be assessed in jazz exams, but not in the classical ones as Trinity does (this is only an example of what I mean, there are others). Teachers have to adapt their approach to the particular capabilities of their pupils, why can't exams also provide a more balanced assessment of their efforts? I accept the need for a basic level which needs to be reached for each grade, but there has been an element of choice in exam papers for school qualifications for decades...even going back to the times when success rates were very much lower than they are today (ie you can't even fire out the usual complaints of dumbing down to justify the rigid structure of music exams).

[Fantasia in P major]

Is it possible for a CD to be produced by ABRSM for the guitar or other less "popular" instruments for listening to good performances. This would also help when making the choice of pieces for exam music. As a spin off it might also encourage more players to learn these instruments.

[AnotherPianist]

Is it possible for a CD to be produced by ABRSM for the guitar or other less "popular" instruments for listening to good performances. This would also help when making the choice of pieces for exam music. As a spin off it might also encourage more players to learn these instruments.

I expect, given that Christine said the AB make a loss on the CD material produced so far, even for the popular instruments, that the restrictions on this one would be that it would cost a lot to do so, unfortunately.

A question relating to younger candidates in exams: it's easy to be impressed by a young child showing technical competence to the high grade levels. Indeed it's often said that there is a big step to be made to move from child prodigy (where everyone is simply impressed that one can play the thing) to true artist, which many cannot make. I notice in the last month's response that you said there are certainly no deliberate concessions towards younger candidates (which is very pleasing to see). Examiners being human, however, do you think it's possible that a young candidate could be advantaged at the higher grades (or especially diploma levels) simply because their technical abilities may seem more overwhelming? Taking advantage of the 'child prodigy' type effect and getting more marks, rather than having the artistry that one would notice to be lacking in an older player? Even if the difference were small, say the age provides the 'wow' factor that could make the difference between getting 29 or 30 for a piece.

Do you know of any control experiments that have been done, or have the AB done any, with adjudicators/examiners listening to recordings of exams but not actually being told who is playing (or how old they are) to investigate this?

Another question relating to past exam syllabuses: the AB owns the copyright to the old syllabuses, but I notice that they don't publish the list as an entire collection over several decades anywhere. Many people are very interested in this information, either to find out how difficult a certain piece is; for repertoire suggestions at a certain leve; or maybe just to remember what they played for their grade 1 all those years ago! Since the AB hold the copyright I believe they are the only ones that could compile a list (or at least compiling a list would requrie their permission). Is there a reason, other than the obvious work involved in compiling such a list, that the AB doesn't publish this information? Obviously the information is published seperately in previous years if one digs out the old syllabuses, but the information is not available together in coherent form, and not many people have the older syllabuses around.

[skylark]

Ask Clara for advice on practising scales, sight-reading, set pieces and aural skills!

I've just posted in the Theory forum to ask for suggestions on how to learn theory terms. If Clara or Debbie has any suggestions, it would be much appreciated!

[AnotherPianist]

Just thought of two more questions:

1) Don't know if you're in charge of theory as well but... Presumably, although there are no right or wrong answers, there are guidelines to examiners (i.e. some sort of mark scheme) for how marks are awarded for the questions (adding chords, figured bass, composition etc.) in the higher theory grades. As far as I'm aware these are not made available to teachers or students (although I have seen a scheme somewhere for the grade 5 composition question). Is this a deliberate omission, through fear that the exams would be made too easy if the students knew how they were marked, or would the AB consider publishing the marking guidelines (should they exist) so that teachers have a better idea of what to aim for on these grades?

2) If a piece appears on one grade and then a lower grade 20 years later, what would be your response to the oft made statement that the exams are therefore being 'dumbed down'?

[AnnC]

This term there's been a lot of debate on various threads about how long the results were taking. We all accept the 'quality control' aspect, I think, but they do often still seem to take much longer than they really should.

For example, my pupils' jazz exams this term were held in Portland Place - the mark sheets didn't even initially need to be posted anywhere, but only had to go to another room in the same building. But the results didn't even go online until three weeks later! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

And some of you may have read about how the results from my Visit for the other practical exams didn't arrive....and didn't arrive.....in the end I phoned up and was told that because one mark form had been returned to the examiner (it had been incorrectly added up), the whole batch had been held back - the other results had been ready to go out the previous week! I believe the procedure should have been that the remainder of the mark sheets and certs should have been posted out as soon as they were ready, with an explanatory letter enclosed about the missing result.......

That happened to me once. I made the suggestion as per your last sentence...lo and behold all except the rogue one arrive the next day, and we waited a further ten days for it. Something to do with common sense, methinks!

[Malone]

Will there be, perhaps sometime in the near future, traditional music exams. eg. Scots fiddle, scots flute (simple or boehm) bagpipes etc. It seems like there is a gaping hole in this area!

[AnotherPianist]

Would be interesting to hear your opinion on some of the issues of recent debate here:

• How good do you think examiners at picking up what's caused by nerves and what's not? Do you think most candidates who are well enough prepared will be spotted by examiners as pass worthy but nervous?
• Is it possible for someone to claim they are grade X standard without taking the exam?
• What does having passed a grade tell us about someone's playing? For example the marks could be 30,30,30 + the minimum allowed to be awarded for the other sections; or could be 13, 13, 14 plus full marks for the other sections; so we can we, in fact, conclude anything certain from an exam pass?
• Further to that: you have often said the supporting tests are there because all-round musicianship is important; what do you think of the suggestion that candidates should have to pass all sections of the exam to pass it?

[snhs]

Sorry to be boring you with questions on the supporting tests all the time.
I think most people can understand the reasoning behind the majority of the tests.I can see the argument for sight reading and the D section of the aural, scales are fairly obvious and the C section is understandable, all of which contribute to forming a well rounded musician as you said.
But i've never been able to work out the justifcation behind the A and B sections of the aural.
So in what way do those components help in forming a rounded musician, when in all likelihood an instrumentalist will never require the skills they seem to teach?

[earplugs]

Can I use a 5 string viola (strung C,G,D,A,E) for a grade exam?

[YetAnotherPianist]

Can I use a 5 string viola (strung C,G,D,A,E) for a grade exam?

5. What would the Associated Board's attitude be towards a candidate using a five string viola (strung C, G, D, A, E) in a viola exam or other unconventional instruments (e.g. electric bowed strings) in other instrumental exams?

It is perhaps not commonly known that unless the regulations specifically outlaw the use of a particular instrument or instrument variation the Associated Board deals with such situations on a case-by-case basis and assesses each one on its own merits. If individuals wish to use unconventional instruments they should make a request as early as possible before sitting a practical exam.

[earplugs]

Can I use a 5 string viola (strung C,G,D,A,E) for a grade exam?

5. What would the Associated Board's attitude be towards a candidate using a five string viola (strung C, G, D, A, E) in a viola exam or other unconventional instruments (e.g. electric bowed strings) in other instrumental exams?

It is perhaps not commonly known that unless the regulations specifically outlaw the use of a particular instrument or instrument variation the Associated Board deals with such situations on a case-by-case basis and assesses each one on its own merits. If individuals wish to use unconventional instruments they should make a request as early as possible before sitting a practical exam.

Yes I asked the question last time and got the above non-reply which I put down to having slightly generalised the question. So this time I am asking precisely about the instrument I want to know about in the hope that it can be one of the cases in the "case by case basis" and then I (and others who I know would be interested) will have an answer.


But thanks YAP for being helpful and hunting down the previous post.

[skylark]

Can I ask a question about what seems to be an anomaly in the G4 Theory syllabus....

The First Steps book says the following about Ornaments (p99):

"The names which you should use in the examination for the ornament signs are given below. (More will be said about their names in the Grade 5 section of this book, where there will also be an explanation of how the signs are interpreted.)"

It then gives a "dictionary definition" of the signs, but not how you interpret them.... because it's just said that that comes in Grade 5.


BUT, in the Music Theory in Practice workbook for G4, one of the exercises (#37 in Section K) asks very detailed questions about how different ornaments require passages to be played. How can we answer those questions when "the explanation of how the signs are interpreted" isn't covered until G5 and elsewhere it says that we only need to know the names.

Edit: Exercise 42 in Section N also asks detailed questions on how to play an ornament


Clarification would be appreciated please (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

This post has been edited by skylark: Sep 26 2007, 07:14 PM