Hi!
I started having singing lessons about 6 months ago I was wondering exactly what the grade 1 exam entails. One of my friends is doing grade 1 and she is really good. Any advice welcom!

Hi Shimmer

the syllabus requirements are here.

Basically you need to sing three accompanied songs and one unaccompanied traditional song (instead of doing scales), and then have sight-reading and aural tests as for any other instrument.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Katyjay

Hi! Do I really not have to do scales?!! Thank you very much, you have made my day!!! Scales are the bane of my life!!!

As a non-singer, if I could ask: in the light of the fact that they're not examined, why are singers in films, television dramas and the like always depicted as spending lots of time singing scales and arpeggios? Is it just a fallacy that has become standard as something that people can identify with and presume that's what singers do?

I think it's a bit of a stereotype, really. It's just one exercise you could use to warm up (and I know a lot of singers who do warm up with a scale or ten) but in my view it's not the best activity - unless you're working on a coloratura passage or something like that that needs you to be able to do a scale-like movement.

And basically, it's a bit pointless testing scales - either you can sing the pattern or you can't, regardless of the starting note given, and it's unreasonable to penalise a singing student for not having enough range for one scale or another.

But having said that, I always warm up with the arpeggio exercise I described on the "Help!" thread yesterday evening.

Cheers

Katyjay

Well I was thinking that...


I think I've heard that one if it's the one you used in Manchester.

Thanks for the help .

That's right.

Cheers

Katyjay

make sure you practice sight-singing as much as poss in your lessons, that is usually the worst bit of the exams, but if you think you've messed it up (like i usually do) don't worry, just concentrate your best on your songs.

Rosie
:-)