Who has ever sat any of the practical musicianship exams. I certainly have not, and I do not know anyone else who has either sat or taught for this. They appear to be accepted as alternatives to the theory exams (not that these should be neglected though), and look very interesting; and the title is self explanatory in what skills they should develop on top of theoretical knowledge.

Anyone with experience of these exams may say to the contrary how useful they are though. Any thoughts?

I use the Musicianship syllabus quite a lot with my pupils, alongside their practical and theory work. The ones who are good at aural enjoy it the most - there's a fair amount of singing involved. They all seem to like the 'spot the difference' tests - which I think are excellent for getting pupils to really pay attention to a score - and they generally appreciate the different approach to aural work shown in this syllabus.

I think it's great, as it gets them improvising and sight-singing right from the very beginning!

Thanks for your opinion. It also ties in with the Kodaly method, now back on our agenda. (I know there was a thread on this topic recently) Any more thoughts?

I think the practical musicianship exams look like a really good idea - though they also look pretty hard, from the syllabus! I don't know anyone who has taken them or puts pupils in for them, though. I suspect if students were taught the stuff to pass these exams - even if they didn't take them - it would be an excellent way to help them become better musicians.

Hello!

I took both Grade 5 and Grade 8 Practical Musicianship and got Distinction in both. The Grade 8 was especially rewarding because of the score-reading component. As I am a pianist and organist, this was very helpful. I also enjoyed the improvisation. However, try to find a university which recognises this useful examination. Mine (Wolverhampton) did not recognise it, and I feel this was thoroughly short-sighted. How many people actually take Practical Musicianship a year, and does the Board keep records?

Best wishes

Hugh Mackay

Can somebody explain what the Practical Musicianship exams are? I have heard of them but don't know much about them. Any information appreciated

http://www.abrsm.org/?page=exams/gradedMus...dedPracMus.html

this is the main page, and contains links to the requirements for all the grades

QUOTE (HughMackay1975 @ Jan 28 2005, 12:34 PM)

Hello! I took both Grade 5 and Grade 8 Practical Musicianship and got Distinction in both. The Grade 8 was especially rewarding because of the score-reading component. As I am a pianist and organist, this was very helpful. I also enjoyed the improvisation. However, try to find a university which recognises this useful examination. Mine (Wolverhampton) did not recognise it, and I feel this was thoroughly short-sighted. How many people actually take Practical Musicianship a year, and does the Board keep records? Best wishes Hugh Mackay

Thank you Hugh, and congratulations on those marks (however long ago they were)

Other replies more or less confirm my thoughts. Very useful for improving general musicianship, but ill understood as a syllabus that exists.

Presumably the board do keep records; you could always try and find out.

QUOTE (HughMackay1975 @ Jan 28 2005, 12:34 PM)

However, try to find a university which recognises this useful examination. Mine (Wolverhampton) did not recognise it, and I feel this was thoroughly short-sighted.

I don't dispute what you say about it being short sighted and indeed the material on the syllabus and the examination are worthwhile; but maybe the university has to ignore it because it's not QCA accredited and hence cannot use it as a substitution for entry criteria (or maybe they are QCA accredited and I'm talking rubbish...).

QUOTE (AnotherPianist @ Jan 28 2005, 11:07 PM)

but maybe the university has to ignore it because it's not QCA accredited and hence cannot use it as a substitution for entry criteria (or maybe they are QCA accredited and I'm talking rubbish...).

Valid point, but my understanding is practical musicianship is classed as a performance exam, just like piano, violin etc.

Like others, I find the PM material very useful in developing general musicianship skills in all my pupils. I am just about to prepare my first candidate - she finds written music so hard but plays well by ear on the piano and is just preparing for Grade IV singing. I think it will suit her rather well.

I don't know how many exams get taken in a year - it would be interesting to find out.

I have done the PM grade 1,3 and 5 with a pupil who is muscially very advanced but struggles with the academic level of theory. He needed to progress beyong grade 5 practical and there was no way he would cope with the theory of the same level. The improvisation was a challenge but the rest of the exam was managable. He passed with merit!
The theory is being covered but at a pace that he can cope with.
Quaver

I wonder if this is just what it says: Practical rather than theoretical. I am a primary teacher who has also been an active musician all my life, and a few years ago was asked to teach piano pupils privately.
I am always absolutely honest with the parents of my pupils, and tell them I am a qualified teacher, but that my last music exam was Grade 2.

Since most of them see that I write arrangements, and compose for our church choir, and I have been known to improvise a solo and sing it from the lectern, they know I am some kind of a practical musician. Before I started taking pupils I checked out the syllabus and sample tests, and had no trouble with them.

I know many people who have passed all the grades but never play or sing in public. I am also very involved in folk and traditional music, and there are very many wonderful musicians who can't read the dots, but believe me, the sound we make can be fabulous.

Give me practice over theory any time.

QUOTE (Quaver @ Jan 29 2005, 09:25 PM)

I have done the PM grade 1,3 and 5 with a pupil who is muscially very advanced but struggles with the academic level of theory. He needed to progress beyong grade 5 practical and there was no way he would cope with the theory of the same level.

it's a shame that the exams are often ignored, because I can totally see how they'd be useful in a case like that.

My son, who is 12 will be taking his grade 5 piano( of 5 yrs) and grade 3 cello ( of 2 yrs ) practical in the summer term. He finds the actual physical task of writing tedious and has been studying, with his piano tutor, PM, for the last few months as an alternative to theory. He is set to take his grade 5 PM in the autumn term which will pave the way for his grade 6 practical exams. A means to an end! He has a excellent ear for music, gaining full marks for aural, with overall distinctions for his last exams and he is finding the 'hands on' PM very enjoyable. His keyboard harmony skills have significantly improved. He uses the music software on our computer to compose and tinker with arrangements, which will keep him thinking about theory without actually writing it as it is printed instead. It may be that when he comes to leaving school he will have to consider theory exams once again, for a recognition in further education. In the meantime, both student and tutor are finding the PM route refreshing, interesting and most important, enjoyable. Recommended for all students who find the written hand tedious and the theory studying too much like school homework!

Hazeydaze, your reply encourages me to think that PM might be the way to go for my son too...as you say, the theory exams can come later.

What software does your son use, by the way? I'm considering buying something from the Cubase/Cubasis range as it's easily available in Japan...

My son uses a software package called 'Printmusic', which we bought him for christmas. You are able to enter notes via the software menu, the computer keyboard, a scanner or a midi keyboard connected to your computer. The music can play as you enter the notes, you can playback the wholepiece, you can compose arrangements with several instruments and playback. You can print your masterpieces with a click of a button, even if they are so complicated that you are unable to play them! My son is able to understand more of what you can do here than me and it helping him to get things down quickly without too much of a brain drain. I'm sure you will find more info about this software on the web. We have yet to explore its capabilities, but would reccomend it based on what we have done so far. My younger daughter, who has to make more effort in learning music, has even produced tunes for her recorder based on the notes she knows. I Hope this is useful info.