I am currently following the Jazz Clarinet grade one and would like at some point be able to take the exam.

My problem lies within two areas, firstly I am self taught and secondly I can't read music or at least not quick sight reading. I have to literally sit down with a piece of music and translate from a fingering chart in order to be able to play it.

This leads me to the enevitable problem of the sight reading part of the exam, which I simply can't do, it just wouldn't be possibly due not only my inability to read music but also my dyslexia and the fact that at the age of 26 learning to read music would be a strain on my time which I could do without.

Is there anyway around doing the sight reading part of the exam or at least another way of being able to take the grade one without having to worry about the reading aspect.

I know there is a Jazz performance assessment which I am seriously considering, but I would like to be able to say I have a graded exam no matter what level it may be. Just one of those nice things.

Thanks
Nik

Hi

I dont take the jazz exams but I think that before you consider taking grade 1 you should either really work on improving your sight reading, you can get a maximum of 21 marks for it( i think its the same for jazz exams but not def sure)
Or and get yourself a good jazz teacher who can maybe just give you hints on how to play the pieces, what the exam is like, what you need to be able to do etc...

Hope this helps let me know how you get on!!

Nat

The sight-reading element of the Jazz exams takes the form of a 'Quick Study', which can be done either by sight or by ear, so you should be OK!
If by ear, the examiner, after some preliminaries, will play a short passage to you twice - at Grade 1 it's only 2 bars - and then give you 10 seconds to try to work it out (you are given the starting note). This bit isn't assessed.
Then it's played for you again, and you get another chance to try the passage.
Lastly you are counted in and have to play what you've heard, and then continue by improvising an answer to it so that it balances the first bit.
Hope this helps!

I'm not a jazz person myself but the board do apparently make some concessions for people with dyslexia "not in marking but in the way the exam is conducted" see:

http://www.abrsm.org/?page=exams/regs/ukIr...kIre_03_17.html

They suggest that people contact them to find out more.

I suspect that their answer in this case would be to do the playing by ear if you struggle with the sightreading though, as jo.clarinet said which should hopefully solve your problem.

Good luck if you decide to do it.

Hi Nik

As mentioned, in the Jazz exams you can choose to sight read the quick study part or play it by ear instead.


If you are ######r in one particular area, then concentrate on the things that you ARE good at.


But... Still practise sight reading, it will improve with time and effort. It will be worth the effort.


But to repeat, you won't need to sight read in the jazz exam.

Many thanks!

Nice to know I won't have to worry about a sight reading aspect, just have to get practcing with the aural aspect instead which is where my strength lies.

Will be a bit of time before I get round to the exam, but then I'm not worried about getting it done quickly, I play for the enjoyment more than anything, just nice to say I have a grade in jazz clarinet

once again many thanks