Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
A couple of weeks ago I asked you guys to wish me luck for my Grade V flute exam, taken on my beautiful ol R&R 8-key. (Here's the thread.)
I just got the result. I got 127!!!. That's a very good merit. Just 3 marks short of a distinction!. I honestly thought I'd barely scraped a pass. It must be you guys' good wishes that made the difference. Grade VI here we come!
Tell us something.: in two words, Rudall & Rose. but since a minimum of 100 characters is required, I should list a number of makers I found extremely interesting… I don't even know how much are 100 characters...
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
Oh, and I've started practising my Grade VI scales already. Did you know that I have to do a two octave scale of B major? Yes, that would be third octave B up the top there ...
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
The numbers have never seemed to make sense to me, but, like any other exam, it's a gradation, a scale (no pun intended), and, once you accept that, it's just about intelligible. Basically, the total available marks is 150. A pass is 100, a merit is 120 and a distinction is 130. There are three pieces, which score a maximum of 30 marks each, scales get 21, sight-reading gets 21 and aural tests get 18 marks.
In addition to requiring 100 marks overall to pass, the following minimum marks are required for each part of the exam:
20 marks for each piece
14 for scales
14 for sight-reading
12 for aural
If you get less than thsoe minima on any one thing - so, say, if you totally and utterly mess up one of the pieces - then you fail, whatever your overall mark may be.
Do they record it for review, or are you left with just your memory of how you did. I have had videos taken of my language proficiency tests but I don't know which is better or worse.
"Be not deceived by the sweet words of proverbial philosophy. Sugar of lead is a poison."
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
Do they record it for review, or are you left with just your memory of how you did. I have had videos taken of my language proficiency tests but I don't know which is better or worse.
If you don't mind me asking, how did you get started taking the graded exams? I had thought one must be enrolled in a conservatory or music school or registered as a student of some kind to participate.
My Flutes:
James Galway JG3 Spirit Flute
Gemeinhardt 2sp Student Flute w/ Custom Series S Headjoint
19c Antique German Orchestral Flute - Huller/Lyon-Healy/Meyer 13 key - "Frankenflute"
Aulos A440 Grenser Traverso
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
Over here, anyone can go if for the exams, although it is easier if you get put in for them by a teacher, who would be registered with the ABRSM (that's the Board for the exams I'm interested in which, for my money, are the best there are for beginners through to advanced amateur level) to enter people for the exams. I got a friend of mine, who is a silver flute player and teacher, to enter me for the exams along with her own students. I've taken two grades so far - Grade III last year after 15 months on flute, and now, a year later, Grade V. I've gone to my friend for two lessons before each of those exams.
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
In fact, thinking about it, I would think that exactly the same rules would apply anywhere in the world, since the ABRSM is actively trying to promote its exams as an international standard.
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