philparker Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I've got my first exam - grade 6 in just under 4 weeks...eek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirky Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I stopped piano lessons as a kid having done grade 3. I never stopped playing though, and in my 40s put myself through grades 4, 5 and 6. Well worth it, in opinion, but I wish I could find the time to get grades 7 and 8 done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart3442 Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 I took lessons from the principal Double bass player with the Liverpool Philharmonic. Its well worth pushing yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owencf Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 [quote name='Owencf' timestamp='1375285418' post='2159305'] Though i am still learning the basics my tute knows i have no intention as yet to follow the grading process. He teaches for the most part classical and traditional styles, but seems alright with the whole not doing exams [/quote] Ahem Foot mouth insert said foot. Im booked for my ABRSM exam in June grade 1, well its better than i was 8 months ago as I had less than the sum musical talent of a rock. Still having fun and enjoying it none the less Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo1978 Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 [quote name='Rabbie' timestamp='1375313734' post='2159779'] I will not get any good at arco any time soon: my wife doesn't let me practice with the bow because she says it scares the baby...possibly only scary when I play it... [/quote] I'm with you there. I've spent the winter practicing in the garage, although it's hard to get the full range of movement while wearing 14 layers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted February 20, 2014 Author Share Posted February 20, 2014 [quote name='Owencf' timestamp='1392836882' post='2373363'] Ahem Foot mouth insert said foot. Im booked for my ABRSM exam in June grade 1, well its better than i was 8 months ago as I had less than the sum musical talent of a rock. Still having fun and enjoying it none the less [/quote] Hey, well done. I've bought the books and been swotting but haven't stuck my neck out and booked yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owencf Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 [quote name='fatback' timestamp='1392914508' post='2374143'] Hey, well done. I've bought the books and been swotting but haven't stuck my neck out and booked yet. [/quote] My Tutor did it for me I usually Aim to Misbehave but this time i will have to aim for merit as it reflects on my Tutor as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlandtrees Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I did up to grade 8 sax. I do regret it from the point of view that I never intended to play classical sax which is what the grade system teaches. It was good for my reading however. What I would suggest is to get a teacher who can play accompaniment on piano. For my grade exams I had to hire a pianist (who played with once a year). Cost a fortune. I now wish I had chosen a teacher who could have taken me through the stuff that I wanted to play in the first place and studied for the grades as a side issue. It is also extremely stressful BTW to do this as an adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart3442 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='Owencf' timestamp='1392836882' post='2373363'] Still having fun and enjoying it none the less [/quote] And thats the secret, don't be scared to enjoy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubassman Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 (edited) [quote name='mart3442' timestamp='1393968530' post='2386498'] And thats the secret, don't be scared to enjoy it! [/quote] +1 ...enjoyment really shows in the playing. Musicians sometimes seem to fall into one of two main categories 1/. those who are technically perfect but often sterile and boring or 2/. those who are brilliant interpreters who are less technical . The trick is to try to be both and irrespective of what any examiner thinks ...it just makes for excellent music if there is a sense of involvement and connection rather than just a technical display. Edited March 4, 2014 by ubassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Sharman Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Never did grades although the Bass lead me to GCSE music grade B. Never learnt to sight read until a few years ago when I took up the tenor sax. Finally opened my eyes to how much I still have to learn. Cant wait to broaden my musical horizons now. You are never too old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLoydElgar Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 focus on straight bows >.< and an open sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owencf Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Ressurection isnt just done by Lazarus. Done my Exam today, it wasnt a train wreck but my scales were pish. I can do 100 tonne lifts without breaking a sweat yet put me in a room with someone getting me to play scales ill start to shiver like a scared little girl Oh well next time i know whats coming and can prepare accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philparker Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Hey, well done for going through with it! You're right, it's 4 x as hard playing under exam (or Master Class) conditions - even more so as you advance in age. At least you will know what to expect next time, if that makes it easier. I will take my next exam in November and I've got enough time to practise on my weak areas, but it will still hit me fast and hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share Posted June 25, 2014 [quote name='Owencf' timestamp='1403541798' post='2483742'] Ressurection isnt just done by Lazarus. Done my Exam today, it wasnt a train wreck but my scales were pish. I can do 100 tonne lifts without breaking a sweat yet put me in a room with someone getting me to play scales ill start to shiver like a scared little girl Oh well next time i know whats coming and can prepare accordingly. [/quote] Total respect for giving it a go. I'm still in coward mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazybirdpete Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 I think I've decided not to take grade exams after all. They feel like a bit of a diversion at the moment. I've been teaching myself all my 2-octave major scales bowed, working out the best fingerings etc and I've made good progress with that and now I'm starting to add minor scales, chord arpeggios and so on. In order to do a grade 5 or 6 exam which is what I might be able to cope with in terms of sight reading and so on, I would have to go back and work on a small subset of scales, working on certain bowing patterns etc. That feels like a step backwards. The thing I'm asking myself all the time what is it that I need to learn next in order to make me a better player, not what do I need to learn to get through a certain grade exam. I think the answer at the moment is lots of sight reading, learning new pieces and doing as much playing with other people as I can. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 [quote name='Lazybirdpete' timestamp='1404042112' post='2488682'] I think the answer at the moment is lots of sight reading, learning new pieces and doing as much playing with other people as I can. Any thoughts? [/quote] I think this is your answer - and in doing this you'll be working on the requirements for the next exam. Two birds - one stone!!! Learning a new subset of scales and certain bowing patterns is not taking a step backwards - if it's new then it's doing nothing but adding to your overall musicianship. What you have to learn to get through a certain grade exam WILL make you a better player. In my experience of teaching I've found that the only time this isn't true is when the student does NOTHING but learn the grade requirements. By that I mean they learn the scale up and down, the three pieces and nothing else. Those students are the ones who are just trying to pass the exam and not trying to be a better musician. It sounds like you have the right attitude for learning so in my opinion you should learn the grade requirements as PART of your overall musical journey and not just the only thing to focus on right now as a means to an end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazybirdpete Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Thanks for those thoughts Gareth. Given there are only so many hours in a day, I'm asking myself what is the most valuable way to spend my practise time. I'm never short of things to work on. At the moment I'm struggling to see the particular value of the grade work or the benefit of having the grades given I'm not trying to get into music college or anything like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Lazybirdpete' timestamp='1404118852' post='2489350'] At the moment I'm struggling to see the particular value of the grade work or the benefit of having the grades given I'm not trying to get into music college or anything like that. [/quote] That's a fair point but I would look at it like this - irrelevant of going to college, the graded exam MATERIAL is worthwhile studying (without doing the exams) because, by the nature of it being graded, you have a marker of your progress. No matter what you study or how little time you have, every piece is studied one note at a time - so time, or lack of it, isn't an issue - it's the quality of the material you're studying. One benefit of the grade material is that there are plenty of examples of folks playing in on Youtube. Search for the title along with 'bass' and you'll get everything from amazingly talented 14 year olds to experienced pros. Good to get an idea of how a piece flows. By no means I'm I saying that the grades are the be all and end all of things to work on, but they simply provide a handy way to progress with material that gets progressively harder. Something else that might help is this: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simandl-Complete-Etudes-Double-Play-Along/dp/1596156368/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404120909&sr=8-1&keywords=simandl+bass+play+along"]http://www.amazon.co...bass+play+along[/url] Not a method but it does get progressively more difficult, and playing along with the piano tracks is invaluable for aiding your intonation and timing with the bow. Also check of Geoff Chalmers great site - http://www.discoverdoublebass.com He has downloadable mp3's of one and two octave scales and arpeggios. All good!! Edited June 30, 2014 by Gareth Hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatgoogle Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I think grades are a great way to track improvement and attain certain goals. Rather then just practicing have something you want to achieve and being able to break goals down into small chunks which will eventually lead to having all the equipment needed to pass another grade is great. I hadn't down grades since i was maybe 15 and playing trumpet but decided to do my grade 8(abrsm) in march and passed. Great way to see i had actually been improving. Going to do my diploma in november/december. In terms of nerves i'd recommend playing for yourself and too yourself rather then to the examiner. Try and impress yourself with your playing and don't focus on the man/woman sitting in front of you scribbling on a piece of paper. Also find yourself a good pianist to practice with every now and again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jecklin Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I decided not to do grades as an adult learner on the double bass, but wish I could do them for the contrabassoon (my current instrument). Grades only exist on the bassoon and It is doubtful they would be able to acknowledge the exam if I turned up with a contra instead of a basoon (although I should check again on this). The reasons I decided not to grades on the doube bass are precisely the reasons i want to do grades now: I'm involved in pretty niche music, where what is asked of the instruments is very specific. My practice reflects this and I have to force myself to play things that aren't to my tatse, but ultimatley doing so is making me a better player. If I could do this within a graded system it would help somewhat. I need to look into more of these music minus one books as my sight reading is very poor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Slightly off-topic but for Jecklin - check these out. They start off with complete beginner material - open string exercises - right up to beginning thumb position in book 3. Every example has an accompanying CD track to play along with. Great for pushing your reading, intonation and timing. And used they're as cheap as chips. Cheaper, actually. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Elements-2000-Strings-Double/dp/0634038206/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404129938&sr=8-1&keywords=essential+elements+double+bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jecklin Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Nice one Gareth, thanks for the heads up! They look ideal. Cheers Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owencf Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 [quote name='fatback' timestamp='1403692984' post='2485299'] Total respect for giving it a go. I'm still in coward mode. [/quote] Results in, i know its only Grade 1 but 138/150 isnt too bad for a Double bassist who has the sum total muscial tallent of a rock and the breakdown they give you on the marking lets you know what you didnt do so strongly on. Dont be feart it is relatively painless, though some tuition would help most everyone in preping for it. though i wasn't keen to do them its a great benchmarking excersise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) [url="http://www.smileyvault.com/"][/url] Congratulations; you're too modest. It's a very worthy achievement. Edited July 7, 2014 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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