I used to do well in my theory exams...distinction from G.1-4..I went out of key in the last question of Grade 5 so i only managed to pass. I am worried about grade 6.

Hello.....anyone there?
I got 67 for my trial(0 for Q.3)

2 more weeks!!!!!help!

CALM DOWN!!!

Hi
I think you need to chill out and dont get so stressed about getting a distinction.It seems like you are putting too much pressure on yourself to get high marks-obviously we all want to get a distinction, but wouldnt you rather just get a pass than fail?!

You say you got 0 for question 3- what is question 3?

As for going out of key just take your time and really concentrate hard. If the key signature for example had 4 sharps it would either be Emajor or C# minor. Then look for any accidentals in the piece coz you would know if there were B#'s then the key would be C#minor. If there arent any then its E major.

Just take your time in the exam and im sure ull get a good mark. Let me know how you got on!!!!

Nat

Don't worry, you'll be fine.

That's all I can say.

I'm in the odd position of taking Grade 8 tomorrow... really I should have taken it a long time ago when I would have found it easy. As a teacher, a lot of the things on the grae 8 theory syllabus aren't much use to me, so I've had to teach myself a lot of things I'd forgotten! So I know how you feel... I don't know if i'll pass, because I don't know if I'm a good grade 8 theory teacher... I'm my first grade 8 Theory pupil!!

Question 3 is the composition.
See my reply to Alice B under theory on this board.
It might help

I was lucky in a way..... my teacher would not consider entering me unless I was scoring around 80 on several past papers.
This gave a huge margin for error.

Yeah....composing melodies...I got zero for forgetting to put slurs.
My teacher said(Q.2 SATB)that once you get 1 consecutive, your marks are down to 10.
1 wrong chord, your marks are down to 5!
Now I am really woried.

Thanks sbhoa!
By the way, my teacher said that I could put an interupped cadence in bars 7-8 and make bars9-10 a perfect.
So, I have a choice to either do 8 or 10 bars.
Which do you think is better?

No.......I failed my 2nd trial exam.*cry*
Guess what....got 0 for composing again just because I got the rhythm wrong for 1 bar.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
4 more days.....I am dead!

I'd go for whichever you feel most comfortable using.

QUOTE (tzl_tzl @ Mar 5 2004, 06:02 AM)

Thanks sbhoa! By the way, my teacher said that I could put an interupped cadence in bars 7-8 and make bars9-10 a perfect. So, I have a choice to either do 8 or 10 bars. Which do you think is better?

Sounds like your teacher is trying to control your composition too much. Just compose either form numbers, or something which looks nice, and oftne it'll sound nice.

P.S. Getting 0 for forgetting to put slurs is ridiculous, in composition it's your choice whether to put slurs.

ok now i',m confused.... you said you lots ALL the marks on the composition because you didnt slur or got the rythm wrong in one bar? Am i understanding this right? Do the Associated Board really mark this harshly????

I've not put anyone in for grade 6 theory yet so I dont know anything about it, and when I was doing grade exams I stopped at grade 5 (got Music degree though so I'm guessing I've covered everything at some point!)

I don't think you are likely to score 0 if you have at least completed around 8 bars.
I know that there is a bit of a gap between 5 and 6 but I have a list of guidelines for marking gr. 5 theory based on guidelines to examiners.
For composition is suggests that for any complete working of up to 7 bars in length a minimum of 5 out of 15 should be awarded.
I think if you manage to have a sense of key and the correct modulation along with correctly grouped notes etc. you should get somewhere round a 'pass' mark.

lol thanks david guess you;'ve just answered that one!