I have my date now - 24th June at 11.19am Yeeek

Three weeks today - I have my scales written out on practice sheets so I randomly play them all each practice section. The newly adjusted neck feels fine and the new bow is great so I ought to be happy

Anybody else (Maya?) go their times yet?

best wishes lottie!!!!

I didn't practice yesterday

AAAHHHHHHH

Reading that has just made me really nervous about my exam!!

Not got the date yet but it can't be far off!

you called?

I don't have a time yet, but I do know that it is on the 27th June. Lottie I can't believe we actually did this....especially cos I'm right in the middle of my A levels but theres no turning back now.
My pieces are fine, still working on interpretation of the last one but I'm happy with the first two. Scales are all there except for the one in 3rds which is out of tune but i can play it all the way through. Sight reading is fine, aural is getting there so yeah I think I'm on track.
I guess at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what I get (this is my 4th grade 8...) my A levels are more important so although i'm giving it my best shot, as long as I get my grades to go to uni I wont be too disappointed.

x

yesterday is gone, nothing you can do about that
put it behind you and I know you'll be fine, I know you wouldn't have entered for this unless you were ready

I was supposed to be doing my grade 8 violin this term but i chickened out Filled out the form but couldn't get myself to send it off I wish i did now - now i have to wait till november!!

If you don't know the date then it's at least 2 weeks off isn't it?

15.39


scary stuff!

I'm in shock

I knew my viola sight-reading wasn't too hot but tonight I opened the sightreading book at random and started struggling around..

.. I was doing all the right things; playing the scale first, working out whether it was major or minor.. etc. I'm fine with tempo etc but it's just the notes on the viola clef that confuse me.

Anyway, I picked my way horribly through something in 3 flats thinking it was awfully difficult only to find I was on a GRADE TWO page!!!!!!!

I have my grade 3 exam in 2.5 weeks and I can't even play the grade ONE stuff smoothly!!!

I must be mad thinking I could ever read treble clef

Lottie, go and practice HERE like mad, I kind of 'challenge myself' to see the highest score I can get in the shortest time!!

I think I'm being a bit thick but which bit of that website deals with sightreading alto clef?

click on 'trainers' then on 'note trainer' then when you get there click on settings to activate all the clefs you want, I activate them all, even alto (although I am not required to learn alto)

I only have 2 more lessons until the exam and I'm beginning to get a bit worried.

AHHHHH!!!!!!! That is BRILLIANT - just what I needed!

Thanks Jo

hows it going lottie?

I had my second last lesson before the exam today...

x

Och I'm at the giving up stage.

It's only grade 3 but my scales and sight-reading are rubbish.

I can play my pieces beautifully when totally relaxed but when I think about the exam I tense up and my vibrato becomes uneven, I miss my double stopping and I foul the adjacent strings with my bow.

I feel like such a beginner!!!

But my excuse is I've been so busy with work my practising barely exists!!!!!!!

( is that the correct spelling of practising? it looks odd or am I just tired )

Oh... and I haven't even thought about the aural yet....

I know a little vibrato will give you a slightly higher mark (maybe) but it is not necessary at grade 3 (or is it with viola???) so why not just leave it out all together?

A perfectly played piece without vibrato will give you higher marks than one with a wobbly vibrato I think and it will be a worry off your mind too, just in case those nerves will play up?

by the way, how's your treble clef sight reading going? improving? doing lots of practice there?

I agree with jojo, don't stress too much about the vibrato for the grade 3. i didn't even start learning it until I'd passed my grade 3.
x

Sorry ALTO not TREBLE (was thinking in double bass mode)

I had my second last lesson tonight before the exam.

We ran through the scales and I made mistakes in each one and one arpeggio I started three times!!! Partly nerves and partly lack of time to practice but it makes me feel quite shaky. The pieces are okay though.


Now I have to try to find the aural cd...

I had my run-through with the accompanist this morning - she was terrible

She's keeping one of the pieces to practice before wednesday at my insistence! - she was just planning to "muddle through"!!!


Okay, I know she was sight-reading and it's only grade 3 but really!!!

that doesn't sound so good lottie.

i had my last lesson today and ahve my rehearsal with the accompanist on wednesday. i'm starting to get a little bit nervous.

Best of luck! And to maya3 too.

I'm doing one next term, so I have the summer break to forget how to play, and then plenty of time to get really worked up about it.

N

I have just changed teachers last week...
with my previous teacher I decided I was going to enter for grade 5 this winter (and it was me telling him: I am going to do grade 5 and him thinking I could do it), BUT my new teacher may have different plans, I will have to ask him what he thinks, he may think I am not ready for grade 5, in that case I will follow his advice as he seems to be MUCH more clued up than my previous teacher and all his students get distinction apparently. We'll see then

I think I'm going to pull out of tomorrow's exam.

I have a problem with my Uni coursework to be sorted by Friday and the library server is down... the dog is at the vet and I don't know when I'll have to go and get her.. I'm supposed to have a lesson at 6.30 tonight which I may have to miss because of the vet.... - I didn't have time to practice yesterday and it's now 4pm and I haven't practiced today

I actually feel quite ill.

sorry to hear Lottie, only you know if you have to/should cancel, I know if you don't do it you'll feel disappointed but from experience...'you will be alright', I had to cancel my grade 3 violin for unexpected circumstances too, it felt terrible back then but 'I got over it'

I hope your doggie's better soon, nothing too serious I hope.

Don't worry about the exam - if you can't make it then don't. You won't be the first - or last - to find that circumstances on the day get the better of you. Even professional performers occasionally have to pull out of a gig and/or get a dep if something major crops up. Nobody can do everything all the time and it sounds to me like your uni and dog priorities may well be higher on the list than 'just' a grade 3 viola exam. Missing it will not make you a different player, but maybe a happier human tomorrow night if at least everything else is sorted.

Incidentally, is there any chance that you could get hold of the rep, explain your predicament especially with the uni work and ask if there is any possibility you could do it either at the end of this week or next week?

Good luck, whatever you decide, and, whatever you do, keep playing that lovely viola.

Thank you for the kind thoughts.

The dog's okay - she spends a day at the vet every three months or so for a system of routine blood tests for a condition she has. Today I was waiting for the vet to phone to say she was okay and to come and get her... and when I hadn't heard I was starting to worry. I did phone them to find the vet has left a rather strange message on a stranger's mobile because he didn't dial mine I shouldn't laugh but he's a 'boisterous' chap so the message will be a shouty/garbly one and totally confusing for the poor recipient

My lesson was awful.. I couldn't play the scales and my sightreading was terrible: even my rock-solid sense of rhythm had departed so we gave up... my thumb was so tight my hand was all out of shape anyway.

Tonight I've played for an hour and don't sound much better If my sightreading is in sharps I'll be fine, if it's in flats I'm scuppered... don't know why - it's just spooking me.

So in the morning my neighbour is coming with me (kind of to make sure I get there) but I may still chicken-out. The library server is back up so I'm going straight to Uni after the exam. The first thing to go when I'm stressed is sleep so it's going to be a long night tonight .

Can dizzy spells be caused by stress? Oh and my self-obsessed M-i-L is hassling me too

Good to hear it's nothing serious at the vet's.

Good luck whatever you decide tomorrow. Tune your ears and hand in by playing slowly and concentrating on your bowing and tone if you have a practice at home beforehand. Then just relax and go and perform to your encouraging audience of one - remember the examiner is on your side. Remember, too, the banana half an hour before you play, then two deep breaths and a smile before you walk through the door. Sightreading?.... play everything beautifully and musically and if you slip on the key, hope the examiner's instrument is something like flute which doesn't go anywhere near alto clef!

As for the MiL - Mine's called the Outlaw..... I'm grinning and bearing for you.

Thank you I've just not-returned her last message - I can't deal with her just now.


I also told my teacher I wouldn't be taking lessons after the summer because I need to concentrate on my degree. It will be the first time in three years I won't have my lessons to look forward to and it's terribly sad. But I just wouldn't be able to practice enought to do justice to her time (which she will fill from her waiting list). Hopefully I'll be able to play a bit though and still want to join the orchestra (at the very back) for occasional practice.

Your pre-exam advice sounds spot-on so I'll try it out (will a pear work instead of a bannana - it's all I have? )

Sorry, can't help about banana/pear - it's bound to be better than nothing.

No apologies for the next bit.....

TIME FOR BED !!!!

.....
where you have to visualise yourself enjoying yourself performing your pieces really well as you go to sleep.
Good luck,
M

Two hours to go. I've run through everything I'm playing, done my finger stretching exercises and a little meditation.

I still feel ill. This hasn't happened for years and it's horrid - I doubt I'll ever take another exam again.

I can only get my scales right if I trust my instinct and don't try to think-through them.


I think I'll go and hang some washing and play with the dogs.

That sounds like a very good idea.
And keep on remembering that all that's happening is you are playing in front a different person. OK, that person is going to be marking you, but it doesn't actually matter what they say. The world will not end tomorrow if you get a scale wrong, or your sight-reading has flats in and you decline to even have a go [I can be optimistic now; come November, you can get me back when I'm fretting!]

How'd it go, Lottie?

Well....

I got there. A good start!

The pieces were fine - actually I was quite pleased because the run-through before was awful with horrendous bow-shake but when I walked through the door I though to myself 'I have nothing to lose now', so they went quite well with no glaring errors.. just a little shake because the accp went too slow in the Gershwin and I had lots of long bows. Vibrato was good and steady and dynamics were 'landed safely'!

Then I played my scales too fast. I made one error in one of them.. and then he asked for Eflat major. I started it and lost it on the 3rd note. Then I started it again and lost it. Then again. And again... I was just about to give up when I got up it on all the wrong notes.. and then made about four errors coming down It was just gone - the scale did not exist in my brain. Arpeggios were a bit squeaky but okay. Doms and Chroms okay.

Then he did the aural and I made a mistake with the first one!!!! I said 4/4 when it was 2/4!!! He even looked up at me! Then the echo was really fast and my voice wouldn't pitch the correct note 3 or 4 times.. it was also too high!! The other two bits were okay.

And the sightreading?..... it was in E FLAT MAJOR!!!!!!!!! What kind of cruel evil man was he?????? Did he do that on purpose???? So I played myself the scale (it was fine) and then managed the 'mood' and tempo okay but made 2-3 note errors...but there was a 'trip-up' note and I got that okay.

So. There. Finished.!!!

What a lovely man the examiner was! He really put me at my ease and was quite chatty and very positive about what I was doing. At one point he called Pan a 'violin' so I apologised but corrected him and said I was very proud of my viola and he laughed and said ".. well a violin wouldn't make such a lovely deep sound." !!!!!!!! Yayayayayaya... I hope that reflected my playing I also apologised about my singing and lack of 'voice' and he said "no, there's a lovely little singing voice in there.."... twice!!!!

I reckon I have a low range merit which is just fine. I will be perfectly happy with that.

But now I'm off to walk the dogs and shoot into the Uni library because I have sooooooo much work to do by Friday Pan and Martha will have to entertain themselves for the next few weeks

(but, on the whole.. )

Sounds like a good exam. Well done for getting through it Lottie, hope the Uni work goes OK in the next few days.

Hey Lottie, it sounds like it went really well

best of luck for the result lottie!

I've only just read through this thread, lottie, and I felt so sorry for you in the days just before the exam. It must be so good to be the other side of it! Hope you get a great result!

Well done for being brave. Even though I am a professional teacher and performer, wild horses would not drag me into an exam room in order to lay myself bare. It's bad enough when I accompany for my early grade pupils!

Fingers crossed for the result, but, whatever happens, think of all the progress you've made in the last few months and especially since you discovered the viola. Keep playing, just for fun and especially to wind down around your uni work. Is there any possibility that you could just have the odd 'ticking over' lesson with your teacher, say, once a month, just to give your playing a little bit of a focus next year? - even if it's duets and fun repertoire, it's always reassuring to know that you can have a bit of help every now and again.

Yes I think that's what I'm hoping to do. I'm still planning to join the local orchestra in August with my violin so I'm hoping to keep in touch with my teacher for fingering/bowing advice although apparently people in the orchestra will help out.

I'm even planning to take a lunch-break today and fit in some Telemann violin Fantasias...

Sounds like it went really well despite your worries, hope your result comes soon and then you can put it behind you. It's an achievement to have done all the work to exam standard anyway, whatever it says on the marksheet!

Anyone else doing violin G7 next term? I'm just in the process of choosing pieces; there are a lot I like.

N

I've just been remembering I also lost my beat in the sight-reading and it was common time . With that and the E flat scale debacle I still think I've passed but can drop the merit off the menu.

Do you think he gave me sightreading in E flat because I messed up the scale and he was testing me? My teacher thinks so. At the start of the sightreading '30 secs' I played the E flat scale to myself with no problem(!) and he must have heard me. Why on earth did my brain do such a wobble????

Also, he asked me heaps of scales... far more than I was ever asked to play for my violin grade 3. He asked me two different chromatics and two different dominants even though I played them correctly.... I thought the scales part would never end!!!!

Anyway I googled him and here he is http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/APS-332-CLIVE-HARRIE...0618156002r3940

The photo must have been taken 20 years ago though But he was a lovely man All of my examiners have been organists and really charming people... I hope they are as gentle with the kiddies

well done lottie!

I have mine tomorrow and I'm nervous!

I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine ... you're clearly a fine violinist already so I'm sure you play viola beautifully too.

Good luck - enjoy yourself and tell us all about it as soon as you can

Maya:
best wishes for your grade 8 viola.

Can I ask you something?
How many hours a day do you have to play to 'maintain yourself' at grade 8 on the violin and piano? and how long do you play the viola each day?
Does having grade 8 on 3 instruments mean you do nothing else but play with your days?
I play violin an hour a day and bass 45 minutes a day 6 days a week and finding it hard to keep it like that because I work long hours and was asking myself lately if I am 'fooling myself' and 'will I ever reach grade 8 on both of these?' seeing that I physically cannot find more than 1hr and 45 min a day to spare

thank you for sharing your experiences

Thank you for your luck!

At the moment, I'm doing 45 mins per day on viola. Thats about the same as what I did when working for my grade 8 violin. I've also had A levels this term so music hasn't really been my priority.
To maintain at grade 8, well violin has been rather neglected over the last month or so, mainly due to exams and so the little time i did have to practice being spent on viola, but when i do practice, i probably do 45 mins to an hour. Piano I probably do half an hour a day. I reckon I do each about 5 times a week. Also, I do lots of orchestra which helps, I was doing 4 hours orch per week on violin and 2 hours on viola.

When I was at school, I left the house at 7.30 and the earliest I got back was 5, but normally 6. I would eat, do a couple of hours work, and then do music. I tried to fit in one instrument during the school day in frees or something. I do stuff other than music, I have a part time job, I ice skate and so on, I don't know where I find the time really! I guess I jut don't watch that much tv or anything. I do love playing so it is my form of relaxing.

5 hours to go.
x

Hope it goes/went well, Maya. What pieces did you do? I love a lot of the G8 syllabus, but reckon it'll take a good 25 years before I can do anyof them justice!! Good thing I don't mind really.

thanks elisabeth, jojo and especially lottie for all your support and to lottie for convincing me to do it!

Elisabeth - I did the Bach prelude (suite 3), glazunov elegie and leroy anderson fiddle faddle.

So.
My pieces, small mistake in the middle of the Bach but the hard bit was in tune so I'm happy with that, elegie went very well I was a little shaky cos of nerves but I'm happy with my performance. Fiddle faddle, well, I knew it was my weakest piece so yeah I don't really know. I was never very happy with how it was going but my teacher was so we'll just have to wait and see.

Scales, mostly fine, tonality of my Eb minor was a little dubious and a couple of my arps were out of tune. Made a small mistake going up in my chromatics and had to do a dim 7th twice. She asked me all (!) of the double stopped scales, 3 were ok, 2 had slightly odd intonation but yeah. I think they were ok.

Sight reading I thought would be fine but it wasn't. It was a theme and variations, the theme was all chords in a mix of treble and alto clef and as soon as I'd got my head around those she asked me to start. Oh well.
Aural, well what are the chances of getting the same singing back a melody not only in your fist grade 8, but in the second? And then the same one AGAIN in your third? Still didn't sing it back right *sigh* but at least I know i got the candence and identified the chords correctly. Sight singing was fine, one mondulation was fine the other was not. Talking about a piece, well hard to tell really. she didn't ask me anything just told me to tell her about it and when I stopped talking she said thank you and that was the end of that.

All in all I think it was ok, pretty sure I passed, may even have scraped a low merit but that might be wishful thinking. I only started the viola in september and had A levels as well this term so I'll be happy to pass.

x