Those of you who have taking a diploma on a woodwind instrument, what is like? Is it in a horrible key with loads of accidentals, with changing time sigs and random rhythms? Also, which books did you use to practice?

From what I remember of my flute one (a long time ago now) it was in three distinct sections, ABA I think. The sections were not at all similar musically, so part of the challenge was to make it sound like one piece. I don't remember the key being difficult, but the piece started with a triple-dotted note.

works it out..... 1 and 7/8 the note value......great!

Yes - if I were doing it now I would know it was a 15:1 proportion and play it accordingly, but at the time.

Eek, maybe it is time to rethink!

If its any consolation, this is the area that freaks me out about my LRSM... you are given a good deal of time to prepare for it. The advice I've received from prople who passed was not to rush and use all the time.

Thanks, I am sure you will be fine jod. Someone with as much experience and knowledge such as you will fly though it, I am sure, I have every confidence in you. Woop woop.

The piece I had was in binary form - first half in G minor, second in G major. There were a few accidentals as well, and some of the fingerings needed weren't always the most obvious fingerings for a given note (long Bb, anyone?). It was also titled "gavotte", probably to wrong-foot those clarinettists who aren't familiar with Baroque dances.

The approach I took was to buy some of the study books from the Grade VI syllabus (Dip QS is, allegedly, a Grade VI standard piece). I don't know what the sax equivalent is, Scaramouche, but I found the second of the Chris Allen Progressive Studies books to be very useful - about the required standard of difficulty, and (with the benefit of hindsight), not dissimilar in musical style as well. I think the syllabus blurb is something along the lines of "pieces are especially written for the exam, but may be in a pastiche style", which I interpreted as "likely to be modern".

The other advice is don't panic! Five minutes is enough time to play through the piece a couple of times and to focus in on some of the more difficult bars.

Oh, and don't be self-conscious about making lots of noise during the run-through. Although you'll still be in the same room as the examiners (which I found a very experience), they really aren't interested in what you do during your preparation time, and are likely to use the five minutes to read your programme notes before your interrogation cross-examination viva.

Scaramouche: I always wondered about the quick study section too .

Mine was the teaching dip but it's supposed to be the same. It was filled with accidentals, had some bad leaps, and some hairy demisemis, a bit like grace notes. I considered it more like grade 7, not grade 6. Highly advisable to practise some grade 7 studies as well, then you should be beyond the level needed when the pressure is on.

Are you doing the dip this term?

I'm not, no, I was just asking a general question.