I've just registered to get an applicant number so that I can put in my entry for Grade 7 oboe this session.

Still unable to play pieces through in front of my teacher without fluffing bits that I know I can play . But she seems to think I'll be ready. So I'm hoping it will all come together before November and that I can practise enough so that I can't get it wrong. Any tips for that?

Anyone else planning to do an exam this session?

Only entering others. Not intending to do 'cello grades 'til grade 8, I'm a long way from Intermediacy in Kodaly, and I've no idea what my actual singing standard is, beyond 'higher than grade 5'...

Grade 5 theory for me in November. Not done any theory exams before but have to get this under my belt to move on to grade 6 clarinet (which is somewhere in the distant future at present!)

I decided to delay my Grade 7 piano AGAIN but have made a pact with myself to really practise- can't delay it beyond next term due to change of syllabus- but at least I'll get the new aural tests!
Can mostly play 1 piece and 2/3rds of the second VERY SLOWLY........ and well... haven't really started the 3rd.... my teacher says I need to start it! Will I be ready by March? Ho hum.....

I hopefully will do Grade 7 piano this session. Pieces coming together fairly well at the moment. Doing TG so the scales aren't too many to master and they are not too bad either. The studies need a bit more work though.

My teacher has asked me if I want to do grade 5 theory this session. I did it about 25 years ago but so much seems to have changed (or else I have forgotten most of it!). So, that would require concerted effort for six weeks so I may defer that...for quite a while.

I'm intending to do my Grade 3 piano.
I can do all the scales, and 2 of the 3 pieces sometimes sound quite good. I'm working on changing the "sometimes" to "almost always". My third piece is still a bit ragged and far too slow..... but theres plenty of time.........

My teacher already signed in for my Grade 6 Flute in November/December (the last day to sign in over here was the 10th of September).
I am working on the pieces since january and had a little concert where I played them three weeks ago. There is still some work to do on them left over, but I needed a break with practicing them. Hopefully I will join a masterclass in little less then two weeks, where I can put some more work on them.
It will be my first practical exam ever, so I am between looking forward for it and getting stage fright.

Right now I put some work on scales and arpeggios (I randomly pick four of them every day to practice).

I've registered for Grade 8 piano ... gulp.

I am 'supposed' to enter for grade 5 theory too, not sure I'll have the money to pay the fee, am doing my best to come up with it though (and no, it's not an excuse to pull out of it )

Grade 6 piano for me - not really sure I'm ready but my teacher thinks I am!

A few of us then. Good luck to everyone - there is still a little time to get things polished off.

I've just put my entry in, nothing asked me about grade 5 theory so I am assuming they have it on record or will contact me if they need more proof.

I think I'll be ready in time:
A piece is more or less there, just about making in more secure and polishing off the dynamics
B pieces - as above, I need to speed it up a bit as well
C piece - not sure which one I'll do - have 2 of them at a level where they could be polished up in time for exam but would like to make decision soon.

Scales - I do know them all, just making them more secure and working on intonation. I have a few problems with scales in 12ths, the chromatics seem to stop at the wrong place and I haven't got my head round them at all. 12th minors I have a tendency to go up as a harmonic and down as a melodic, and vice versa, if I lose concentration! Have no problem on the 2 octave ones, only the 12ths that get jumbled up! Hopefully that will get sorted out fairly quickly, I just need to concentrate!.

Sightreading - pretty good sight reader so not worried.

Aural - I need to do some serious work on this.

I'm going to do grade 5 clarinet. I didn't pass last time, but with a new teacher for the past year and new pieces I'm hopeful I can do it this time!

Grade 6 theory for me in Vienna

Nothing for me this time (and probably ever!) but I'd like to wish Good Luck to everyone doing exams this session

Hi jan2, last year I was in exactly the same situation as yourself, and decided to write about my exam experience in case it might help others.

Here is a link to the thread. I am pleased to say that the result was very pleasing for me!

Good luck, to you and everyone else going onto the bench for Session C this year.

Thanks for that gedall40 it made very interesting reading.

Looking foward to seeing you again in Birmingham

I'VE PAID!
I'm in for grade 5 theory now in November!

Well done JoJo - I'm sure you'll do fine.

No exams for me this session but maybe next time in feb. Good luck and well done to all those taking the plunge

Well done on taking the plunge. Have you got a date yet? Mine is on 3rd November at 5pm. How is your revising going? I find the hardest part is the composition section. Even if I think I've composed a beautiful tune my teacher finds something "interesting" i.e. not quite right about it! I'm hoping I can do OK on the other questions so that it won't matter too much.

the date is 3rd of november for everyone in England, 5pm
revising?
that's not me I'm afraid I only revise less than a week before any exams in my life (written exams that is not violin playing ) so I'll revise from the 31st of October

I have entered myself for grade 7 theory....









and my piano teacher has entered me for grade 2 piano! All 3 pieces sounding pretty musical, but not perfect. Perhaps they never will.

Jojo have you done all the work for the grade 5 exam? I did it last autumn and found that I needed a few weeks to brush up my theory. I didn't have a teacher but a very kind friend marked all my work for me including the past papers. It really paid off when it came to the exam.

I have already read the pink eric taylor book 3 times and the 'take 5 pass first time' book twice, I'm bored with them now, will re-read them 3 days before exam, that will do, I only need a pass, I am not after a distinction hehehehe thanks

My teacher should have entered me for grade 3 clarinet by now - gulp! First exam of any kind I've taken for several decades!

Good luck!

Good for you!
Which pieces are you doing?

I had a special visit for my Grade 5 piano resit last Wednesday. It didn't go as well as I had hoped - shaky hand syndrome struck in my Section A piece - so I have entered for it again in Session C just in case!

Whishing you, there wouldn't be the need of sitting it again in Session C.

Hi Clarimoo
the pieces I'm working on are Menuet, Hungarian Dance and Study in C.
Are there any others on the forum doing grade 3 clarinet this autumn?

I dont know the Hungarian dance but I like the other two

Good luck!!

Hi IanG

I did grade 3 clari in July, played Witches Dance, Hungarian Tale and Shanty. Good Luck with it

I'm going for G7 Clarinet this term. I'm never sure if it's worth the stress but I keep doing them so I guess I must like the certificates?

My pieces are going OK but there are so many scales and the aural gets worse and worse with each grade.

Good luck to all of those doing G3 Clarinet (there seem to be a group of you) I did Menuet, Carol and Shanty when I did my grade 3 and I still like all of those pieces, witches dance was nice too.

It's really good to hear from others who have done their grade 3 clarinet already. I'm fairly happy with the pieces (if my nerves don't get the better of me). Next few weeks I need to get on top of the scales, arpeggios oral and sight reading - I know I'm nearly there but there seems so much to remember !!
IanG

Good luck IanG - One piece of advice from someone who also sat G3 Clarinet as their first exam for about 30 years. Take a small bottle of water in with you - It gives you the chance for a 10 second break inbetween pieces, sight reading etc and also helps when you get to the aural section - I remember tring to sing back the tune the examiner played and my voice just croaked because I was so nervous and therefore dry. It's an extra thing to carry along with your clarinet and music, but I find it really helps.

Thanks for the tip smd - I remember my mouth going very dry when I tried to play in front of a few people a few weeks ago!
Hope the grade 7 goes well. I'm in awe - can't imagine ever getting to those dizzy heights for quite some time.

How is everyone's preparation going?

I've just been in contact with an acocmpanist to arrange a couple of practice sessions.

Pieces are pretty much there I think - just hoping that they don't fall apart under pressure, scales are Ok if I don't panic. But still have trouble turning round in the right place in the chromatics in 12ths. Top E and F can be a bit hit or miss, but hoping a good reed and being properly warmed up on the day will see me through.

We did some sight reading practice at my last lesson - my sight reading isn't tooo bad, so hopefully will be able to keep going at least.

Aural is my biggest concern, but have been doing some practice with Paul Harris book and my teacher has lent me the Aural training in Practice CD too to have a go over half term.

Hopefully not too long till dates come out.

I am already working on my pieces since january. I played them for an audience and it worked out not too bad. Now I got them polished in a Masterclass. But still there is a lot of work to do on them (in fact things I have to work on anyway, like intonation, dynamics, fingering and so on).
Scales becoming better (I wrote down each scale and arpeggio on an index card, shuffeld them and take four or five of them every practice session, afterwords I put a mark on each card I practiced, after one round I shuffle again and start again).
Last lesson my teacher gave me some sight reading pieces and I struggled with the one with changing rhythm.

This week my teacher anounced a special lesson for scales and aural wich will take place on wednesday.

Last week I phoned the lokal representive for germany to ask if he can already say something about my exam date. He told me my exam will be in the beginning of december, so still a few weeks to work for it.

If I get the date of my exam I can find out, if my former piano teacher will be able to accompain. If, I will try to arrange some practice sessions with her, otherwise I will have to find someone else.

Got my examdate today. It will be the 4th of december! Jay!!!!

Good luck Schraeubchen - You've got around 6 weeks to go but the time will fly by.
Last time I didn't get my date through until about 2 weeks before - I hope i hear soon, I requested the week before you so will hopefully be at the end of Nov.

best wishes schraeubchen

I'm doing grade 3 piano on 17th November - the first day of exams at my centre.

am a little scared because my teacher has moved to the other side of the country and I haven't had a lesson since July...... I felt I had to enter for the exam though because I've been playing the pieces for ages and couldn't bear to play them again for 4/5 months until the next session. Thought it would be better to start afresh on grade 4 with new teacher (If I ever find one)

Sounds like I was lucky to get the date known so early. And yes, I am shure that time will fly by. The good thing is, that I am really looking forward to the exam, so yesterday I was just jumping around in joy.




Thank you, Jojo. One milestone on the way to FRSM




Respect!!! Wishing you all the best for it and good luck with finding a new teacher!

I'm expecting to hear any day now when my grade 3 clarinet exam is.
The last couple of lessons I've started practicing sight reading and the aural tests - I have this feeling they're not going to be my highest scoring parts of the exam

I found out my exam date - 11 November -exactly 3 weeks today.

I am quite glad to have an early one and get it out of the way. Had a good practice with accompanist today, didn't seem to be too many awkward entries, so hopefully will do OK.

My teacher has lent me the Aural Training in Practice book plus CD so I will be doing quite a lot of aural work next week I think!

best of luck everyone!

Wish you luck to get the date soon. And for the sight reading and aural. Maybe it will be far better then you think.




Nice to hear, that you are happy with your exam date being this early. And nice that the practice with your accompanist went this well.


I will know by the beginning of next week, if my former piano teacher will be able to accompaign for my exam. I hope so, because she will have an calming influence on me and I wouldn't have to find someone else.

And for me there is also a lot of aural training to do.

Best luck to everyone!

I'm doing my Grade 6 theory this Wed (27th) - how kind of them all to have brought it forward a week when there was only 3 weeks to go......

And I am waiting for my Grade 8 singing date - it says Nov/Dec so I am hoping for Dec to give me time to work on the aural and sightsinging once my theory is done! we have an examiner here in Gibraltar for one day!!

I am still changing technique here and there on singing and trying to find more vibrato, it's coming bit by bit. After singing like a choirgirl for 30 years it's been a shock to the system. Still hope I can find a bit more before the big day, as I haven't got any baroque in my pieces!!

I'm looking forward to a recital in 2 weeks to at least try out my new voice in public before the big day and find out what I need to get over nerves wise.

Firstly lets get the theory finished!!

Good luck for your theory and for the recital. And for shure for the Grade 8 singing.

Going for my Grade 7 flute - lets see ..........

Good luck Trudi, hope it goes well. Do you have a date yet?

Dawnmc71 - how was your theory exam yesterday? Hope it went well.

Hope everyone else's prep is going OK.