Hi

I just did my Grade 5 piano exam and wondered how many people play or sing back that short piece the examiner plays for you. Personally, I play it back - I was hoping others would too as I've heard it's very rare to do so.

I always sing back! I'm rubbish at playing things back, and I like singing so it's a welcome break!

I always sang back in my exams (never knew you had the choice) but probably would have been far better at playing back (if I had known). This was a long time ago so perhaps you didn't get the choice then...

Willobie

Depends what instrument. In my clarinet and sax exams, I played it because I was confident of all the intervals and notes. In my recent violin exams (grades 3 and 4), I sang because I didn't want to hit the wrong string or note just because I was relatively inexperienced at playing that instrument.

since i play a Bb instrument i often get confused with pitches so i sing it back - not that im any good at singing!!!

As I can usually pick things up relatively well by ear, I always play it back. This is also because my voice doesn't follow my brains instructions as to which pitch to sing so I usually end up putting myself off and getting quite embarrassed. Playing back is much safer I think.

I always sing back, since I find it safer than playing it back. Even though I'm pretty rubbish at singing. What makes me laugh is that you can make "any" vocal sound - or even whistle it!

I have only taken one ABRSM grade, but for that I played it back, because I went on the principle of "I'm more likely to get it by guessing on my instrument than by randomly singing something, because I couldn't pitch a note if my life depended on it".

I attempt to sing, but never get it right

I always used to play them back but now I've got to do the two-parts I find it easier to sing them.

I always sing it back but I've always gotten next to no marks on the singing bit because I'm so bad...i think i will try to play back when i next practise..

I would never be able to play it back, I'm not too sure how to. I can't sing and I can't whistle, I'm sort of hopeless at aurals so I can expect a big fat zero for it.

You can't be THAT bad..even I'm not THAT bad...lol but i think i got something like 14 for grade 6 and i thought i'd failed because the examiner laughed at my singing.

How cruel!

I remember when we had to do some end of year test. We had to write a poem, I remember two teachers going behind me, laughing at my poem and it's unique style .

They always seem to think it doesn't hurt... I'd rather go out knowing i was rubbish but have the examiner give me a fake cheesy smile...

The good news is it's not possible to get zero if you make any sort of attempt at each of the questions (anything random at all). If I recall correctly a big fat 6 is the worst one can get . Just looked it up, the criteria for getting marks in the range 6-8 are:



Not sure how they decide whether to give 6 or 8: everything wrong doesn't seem to be too wide a margin .

Incedentally the marks for doing anything for all of the sections are:

10 per piece
7 for scales
7 for sightreading
and 6 for aural.

A grand total of 50 marks for walking through the door .

I'm sure that you're not as bad at aural as you think though .

Just pretend you know what your on about lmso!


No seriously, as with the singing/playing I recall reading once a student had a grade 5 exam, and the examiner played the aural phrase to the candidate, then the candidate went to play the phrase back, and the examiner never removed the music…

I personally sing back, and one examiner said to me "Oh you must sing in an opera choir!"

But there are still 50 MORE marks to get until you pass...
I got 12 for grade 3 sight reading because the examiner said he was pleased that i had played through to the end and not given up.

If one wants to be pedantic there are actually just 50 more marks not to lose in order to pass since the examiners start at the pass mark and add/deduct marks accordingly, rather than going up from zero or down from full marks. Still it's not bad though, half of the marks required to pass just for turning up .

But... you can get 0 for "No work offered". So you could turn up and just stand there and refuse to play.

That would scare the examiner .

But a good idea.....lets refuse to do the aurals

its silly, i told my friend that i played back the melody in my grade 4 bassoon exam and thought he should do the same, come the exam (Grade 4 Piano) he had to SING it why?! although he is a very good singer but still

I didnt know that...


My friend (who has now quit piano) used to do exams with Guildhall, though she took Grade 5 piano with ABRSM but she got something like 101 so decided to take it again but changed boards. Apparently in the exam the examiner asked her a load of aural stuff that she'd never been taught so she just didnt do it, and in the end she failed.

If I did refuse, it wouldn't make much difference to the mark I actually get for aurals!

Edit: On second thoughts... they'd probably give me more marks for not inflicting my singing on them.

Well they'll give you 7 marks for attempting it so it's got to be worth a try

Huge. There are minimum marks awarded to candidates attempting an answer to a test, however badly they try or however incorrect their answer. The only way to score zero in anything is to refuse to attempt it.

Study the details below, which are lifted straight from the assessment criteria section of 'These Music Exams' (sorry about the display - I copied this from a pdf document). This makes everything clear.

Steve

18  Quick and perceptive response
15–17  Good response
 Minor errors or hesitation
12–14  An adequate response
 Some hesitation and error
9–11 Below Pass standard
 Slow response
 Inaccuracy in majority of tests
6–8  Very slow response
 Inaccuracy in all tests
0  No work offere

I've got 16 for all my aurals apart from grade 5 when I had a harsh examiner who gave me 12! I like to sing it back though, I tried playing it back and it always seem to sound like I'm playing Mary had a little lamb for some reason... And don't worry Sue, I got 13 in sight reading for grade 3! The examiner put something like 'Well done Louise you have very strong talent but just focus on strengthening your sight reading.' When I get asked stuff like what story does this piece tell or something I give really random vivid descriptions and kind of go off the spot!

I'd probably get 6 for trying them, and 18 if I didn't put the examiner through my singing and awful answering of questions

I whistle back... I got 0 for singing last time

Sorry I didn't ask this earlier, but I'm confuzzled as to what this thread is about!

Car Expert

It doesn't apply to you yet - when you start doing Grade 4 aural, you get the option of playing back the phrase which is played to you, instead of singing.

Oh, I see! Thanks Jo!

Car Expert

Yep, theres me.

When I did an ABRSM exam, the examiner told me that none of the people she had ever examined had chosen to play it back.

OK, slightly confused now. If you get 0 for doing nothing and 6-8 for attempting anything, however bad, how can you get 1-5? Is it even possible? Surely those marks must have some purpose...

I don't think you can, unless you are special like me

I got 12. And only because i played until the end and didnt give up.

I'm interested to know what most people do for the 'sing or play bass part' in grade 8 aural as am having own dilemma and need advice.

I attempted to sing mine in grade 8...but got it completely wrong according to the examiner

Loving it

But, if you did refuse to do aurals (or failed them ) do you fail the entire exam??

No, you'd just get zero for the aurals

I'm bringing this thread back up as i kind of need help...I've decided to play back for grade 8 test A.
Like Mwl1 said, would the examiner thinkit was weird i played back? For G6 i played my pieces before my scales (Don't do it..BIG mistake...) and the examiner was like 'really??? ok... then, and gave me a look like 'you random crazy freak'..lol

For playing back, I'm also scared that once the examiner has played the thing twice and i move to the piano by the time i've sat down i'll have forgotton the tune.

My big concern too was about whether I'd forget the tune when I have to play it back. I've only done the Grade 5 aural one but that was enough to give me an insight into how bad a situation can turn if you forget it. Sometimes when I went to my lesson quite tired, I'd remember the beginning but would be not too sure on the ending, just having a vague idea.

I also hope that after the examiner plays it twice I won't forget it. Some tunes are quite easy to feel the flow of and are quite pattern-y, others are just horrendous. I think the main point that needs to be stressed is focus - often I find myself thinking (at the same time as having to remember the melody being played) about forgetting the piece, which often happens if I lose my focus

I always sing back - I never found it to be hard, and though I'm sure I could probably play it back for most instruments, I find singing it back easy so why bother

Just wondering whether anyone knew what sort of things they look for in this part of aural? Is it the notes that are most important, and if so do you have to play back in the same speed/rhythm? And do they note how quickly you react and stuff?

I have always sung back but when I do my grade 5 violin I hope to play it back as I don't like singing

I think it is meant to be as accurate as you can in notes AND rhythm.
Quick repsonse gets better marks but if you don't respond quickly you are very likely to forget it anyway.

Yep you have to be both quick AND accurate to get the top marks