Have you noticed that the music in the exams is becoming less "nice". There is a lot of weird modern music, especially in the higher grades. Why cant they put some nicer pieces in along with the horrible ones lol!

I think the whole problem is that when there are the nicer, older pieces, no-one wants to play them. They'd much rather play something jazzy or more modern. This is a real shame, because the older pieces test your ability more as a musician. I also think that you should know a bit about the piece that you are playing, i mean, you practise it for long enough.

QUOTE (purple dolpin @ Mar 11 2004, 02:30 PM)

the older pieces test your ability more as a musician

Not sure that it's true to say that older pieces test your ability as a musician...I wonder what you mean by this? I'd be interested to know!

I haven't really noticed a change in pieces in terms of how nice they are - I suppose that depends on what you think is nice! If you don't like the pieces in the set books, you can always explore the alternative pieces for that grade...

Heh, the way i see the pieces are:

A list stand for Antiquity (meaning ancient times!)
B list stands for beautiful (Mostly romances and serenades)
C list stands for Confusing! (Usally modern with strange chords...)

I have reviewed the grade 4 2003-04 list with my friend and i thought most of them were terrible except Romance in G, Ballade (Both B list) and Toccatina (A list). We also looked in the grade 5 in case they were lovely and that my friend could skip a grade but it turns out the A list is horrid there too!

QUOTE (Kees @ Mar 11 2004, 10:32 PM)

I have reviewed the grade 4 2003-04 list with my friend and i thought most of them were terrible except Romance in G, Ballade (Both B list) and Toccatina (A list). We also looked in the grade 5 in case they were lovely and that my friend could skip a grade but it turns out the A list is horrid there too!

I agree the A list isn't very nice for grade 5 but Ive tried Allegro Molto by kuhlau(A2) and im lovin it!!! I think thats the only good one in that list!!!! lol


Nat

I MUST say that i don't think that this is always the case.

sorry about that dodgy post i sent earlier, i was going to say:

i think that the saint-saens sonata for grade 7 clarinet is one of the most beautiful pieces i've played on the clarinet, and also the weber concerto for grade 6, list A (i think its by weber) is a wonderful romantic piece.

Even so, i think that some of the newer music for exams is really quite odd: for example, my teacher at saturday music school played a piece for grade 3 piano and it was eerily atonal, full of discords and everyone in the room agreed that it was a bit weird. She played it once for us to hear and then played it again, but with deliberate note mistakes (however she did keep to the rhythm.) no-one could tell the difference! it seems to me that there are probably quite a few pieces like this which you could just fake and probably still pass an exam! but i'm sure he board puts them on the syllabus for a reason.

keep playing regardless of any strange music you might happen to come across!

Bassmaster

Yeah!
I can't play any Modern pieces!!!!
Especially all those Jazzy ones!
Reason
1. They're BORING! Not music!
2. Confusing. Too many chords.
3. BANG here....BANG there!

"Yeah!
I can't play any Modern pieces!!!!
Especially all those Jazzy ones!
Reason
1. They're BORING! Not music!
2. Confusing. Too many chords.
3. BANG here....BANG there!"

I saw you put "just kidding" at the bottom of your post. Not being able to see your facial expression as you wrote the above, and at risk of being thick, please explain whether you were kidding or not

OMG?! how can u not like the contemporary pieces?????! I don't understand! I'm doing grade 8 piano at the mo and I at first thought oo not good but now they are soo beautiful! and once uv got past the dischords etc etc and u actually no wat ur doing its fine!

I also think thatJazz music is great too! especialy on the clarinet especially as if its slow and bluesy! hmmmm mebbe u shud hav a go and try the pieces out! u never no u might like them!

Happy Music!