I got my results today! I took grade 4 in July and FINALLY... today I called up my education department (who are holding my results) and they said I could come and collect it. When I arrived, it crossed my mind that I might even have failed and not to be too expectant of a pass (although some of you may recall I predicted I'd get 112 right after the exam, with the terrible performance I'd put up )
Anyway when I was holding the envelope in my hand, I carefully slid out the bottom bit of the marks form. And I peaked at the general comment at the bottom first. It said, 'Well done....' so I thought, 'ok.. looks like I've passed, it can't be too bad after all'. Then I looked at the mark given. My heart stopped, I got 126!! i couldn't believe it, I jumped and squealed there and then in the education dept grounds. (Lucky only one person was there, and she paid no attention )
Am so relieved! I got the same for my grade 2 year before last, and I thought I did much better then! Am chuffed then!

Still no full marks for aural, Sarah, but it's my record highest, a 17!
Anyway thanks guys for being so consoling and comforting when I wasn't too happy with my performance. Wouldn't have made it without you, it seemed like such a loooooong wait for the results!

Very well done Ann! That's a really great result!

Cheers

Katyjay

Congratulations!

YAY Well done!!!!!! Can we see the breakdown???

Well done, thats fab!

WELL DONE!

That's great Ann! You must be so happy!

Well done!

Well done and well deserved based on your recording .

Well Done!

Well done Ann! Many congrats to you.

Well done, you did a really good job!!

WELL DONE ANN!!!! <Hands out celebratory cake!!!>

Gee, thanks everyone! *takes cake and eats it* And thanks CPPF!
Thought of running through the house with shirt over head aka football goal-style, but thought the better of it!

Erm.. the recording probably sounds better, AP, hee!

And why yes, Jane, sure! Here's the breakdown of my marks and the comments..

A2. (Rondeau by Purcell) The tempo was well chosen & the dynamics were varied although you could have made more of these for full effect. The playing was smooth, but not always quite clean, intonation was mainly good. 24

B2. (Hindu Song by Rimsky-Korsakov) This was smoothly played; intonation was insecure at times. There was a little dynamic variety more was needed again, to add colour & shape. You showed a good sense of rhythm. 25

C5. (Yesterday by John Lennon and Paul McCartney) This was played with a singing 'cantabile' legato, but there were small rhythmic slips. Graded dynamic shaped the piece - again you could have made even more of this. Intonation was mainly secure. 24

Scale & Arpeggios. The tempo was bright & there was a feeling of musical shape; minors were not all quite in tune; there was a second attempt. 18

Sight-Reading. The key was grasped after a shaky start; rhythms were mainly secure & the pulse was generally steady. 18

Aural Test. A prompt & accurate response with just a small slip in test B. 17

General comments. Well done, a very good result. Now aim for a wider dynamic range for more colour and contrast in pieces.


Now I'm going to turn myself into a pretzel my first yoga class is on Thursday

Just understood what you meant there! a pretzel! HEEEE!!!! I quite like yoga, not had classes though so can only do the simplest stuff...

Really useful comments, I guess some of the intonation slips etc were due to nerves anyway. I had a second attempt at an arpeggio but the examiner didn't mention it on the notes. It was a bit funny really. I played it all wrong and then looked at him and said "oooh that was a bit wierd" and he said "do you want to play to again" so I did and it was OK.

I agree about the useful comments, Jane.
Hee hee! I did the same thing for the scale I was supposed to play. I went down all major and came up all minor and said, 'oops! May I try that again?' My colleagues had a good laugh at that too when I told them.

Well done! Thats a great result.

Thanks noodle! Here's a bit of the cake that CPPF made!
*Hands noodle cake on a plate*

Thanks! Very nice cake.

Well done Ann! Great mark....

Hey you're back! That means you can have more cappucinos in the cafe now! Thanks about the results

And welcome about the cake, noodle! Glad you made it for the parrrrr-tayyyyy!

Congratulations (and celebrations)!

I never miss a parrr-taaaaaaayyyy!!

Many many congratulations to you! 126 is high for grade 4! Looks like your examiner is quite particular about dynamics

Yes! But I'm happy she wasn't too strict on the intonation and screeching and squealing. Still compared to my last exam, I think I improved a bit on dynamics, thanks to all of your advice and help on the forums. And tess and sarah for the tips on scales!

Yay, that's great! Well done.

lol... you know where to come when you need scale tips, ann! I'm sure you'll be glad not to have to concentrate on them for a while, even if you start learning the new grade 5 ones!

Oh yes, and thanks to jane too! Almost forgot. Now have totally forgotton my scales, so I'll be sure to post again Now to concentrate on what quartet jane is trying to tell me about which I'm confuzzled... am I doing the canon or the K156?

K156, I believe, full answer in the other thread

Well done, violin-ann and many many congrats!!! I'm so happy for you. *smiling from eye to eye* You really deserve this great result!

Well done violin-ann!

Car Expert

Well done violin-ann!!! Yep you definitely do deserve the groovy result!

Awww I'm sure your scales will stay in there somewhere even though you may not practice them so much for a while. Must be easier to relearn than to learn, surely!

Thanks, Tess, Car-Expert, and CD22! Am overwhelmed.
If you say so Sarah. I hope so! G major, 3 octaves sounds like a killer already

Its not too bad. You know 2 octaves already!

So I guess I need to learn 4th and 5th positions. And more chromatic notes. Now that is one confusing thing. Especially when it's ups and downs and keeps changing accidentals in a piece of music.

Yes, thats right. Do you have a book called 'The seven positions of the violin?

Nope! didn't even know it existed. *sigh... will burn pocket buying books again...

Oh my goodness! G major 3 octaves is SOOOOOOOOOOOoooo hard! Poor V has just started it and it is a REAL killer. I felt so so sorry for her! *feels like crying* Will take forever to learn, I'm sure.

It'll come with time. Mine 3 octave scales are rusty, but I can still play them (8 years or more since I last had a lesson on violin or viola) - and I was never a very good violinist!

Oh poor V. Am shuddering to think now about learning it. C major and minor were bad enough! Anyway on with the forums quartet first before thinking about that. I began learning my scales in probably 6 months, one a week.

Well done that is fab!!

Thanks Nat! You did great for sax too! Maybe we could do a violin/ sax duet when you get back

Anything to get me to record!

We'll keep trying, nat...

Will you now?

Yes we will!

Try all you might