I could do with a little virtual moral-support

My Grade Two Violin exam is around the 20th - I find out the date and time tomorrow at my lesson. This is my first exam in over 20years and I feel a mixture of dread and also excitement!

I gave myself a 'scales' test this morning and everything was fine but a little wayward on intonation although it's fine when I get properly warmed up. I also took some sightreading tests and made some very stupid fundamental mistakes so I must remember to think it all through and take my time and not rush things.

My pieces are okay although one could do with more work (although I'm sure I've played them thousands of times by now).

Who else is taking an exam this June - and how are you feeling?

The final countdown has started.....

Not taking any exams this time round. But good luck in yours.

I'm taking grade 1 but don't have a date yet!!!! when my teacher gave me my 'mock exam' he said 'mmmm, you could have gone for grade 2' but I'm quite happy to go for grade 1, am not in a hurry and because I know I am well ready for it I don't dread it and I know I will pass, and if my nerves aren't too bad and my shaky bow syndrome does not appear I might get a good mark too
so...yes, at the moment I feel fine, not nervous at all, but who knows, I might be one of these people who completely loses it on entering the exam room After this I won't enter any exams for violin until march 2008 and I'll enter for whatever grade I will be ready for be it 2 or another

taking viola grade 4 in 2 weeks, that's Trinity in this part of the world.Still feel that the scales are a disaster area, OK at one note per bow otherwise very " wayward" is a kind way of putting it. Good luck to everyone else, if only it wasn't so frightening!

I'm doing my grade 3 clarinet because I'm a coward - chickened out of grade 5 - that's for next year me thinks.

Hope to have everything to grade 8 by the end of 2008

I'm feeling ok - my exam's on the 11th and I'm getting a bit more anxious as it gets closer

Grade 8 flute next week!!!
I am particularly terrified, as I was told it would be in mid-July!!!





EDIT: just realised this is the strings forum woops!


Goodness know what I'm doing sitting at the computer.....should be practicing

'Break a leg' (as they say, not literally!!! ) and it doesn't matter this is the 'strings' forum, we can still 'pat your back' when you tell us your good results and give you a little 'emotional push' in the right direction when the nerves hit the worst spot!!!

All the best to everyone!!! go go GO GO GO!!! we can do it!

btw: I got my date today, I'll take my violin exam on 29th of June!!!

Haven't got my date yet, but I'm taking grade 5 organ - my first organ exam. Scales are OK, pieces are terrible and I can't sightread on organ to save my life. But apart from that, I'm just fine! Completely terrified of the whole thing, and worst thing is my teacher will be there on the day so will hear the whole sorry spectacle. Also doing grade 7 theory this time. Expecting to just about scrape a pass in that, which is all I need. No-one knows I'm doing it (I'm a secret exam freak) so no worries if it goes wrong!!

Good luck everyone. It will all be worth it in the end (repeat after me...)

come on, give yourself some 'credit', your pieces are probably not that terrible and your sight reading must be 'some good'
if you are tellling the 'truth' then are you sure you are fine??

I am suffering from nerves too - Grade 6 violin on Saturday 9th at 12:13. I feel like a rabbit caught in the headlights. I find practising sight-reading is particularly scary!

Good luck!! Paul

to you too!!

Everyone will be GRRRREAT!! Nothing can stop us, the sky is our oyster, the worlds the limit.....or something like that

The only thing i like about exams is that FABULOUS feeling of utter relief afterwards!! just look forward to that is what I think - enjoy playing then think "I just did grade <..grade..> on the <..instrument..>!!!! look at me!! I'm the best!! yaaay!!"

Monday 18th of June at 1.30pm Just got the date today!!!

THAT'S LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!

What on earth did I think I was playing at thinking I could take an exam on a VIOLIN?????

I must be bonkers (AND I couldn't practice today because of a big fat migraine )

grade 8 theory on the 16th

aaawwwhhh Lottie! I had a huge migraine too this afternoon (after my earlier post when I announced my exam date!). I have been out all day, got back home at 4pm, keen on practicing both piano and violin (an hour each), got started at piano, 25 minutes in....was feeling way too sick and dizzy (but no headache at this point) had to lie down...then MASSIVE HEADACHE with sickness! I only just started feeling better now at 10pm but too late too practice as all are in bed now! so I missed on my practice for the same reason as you!!!
18th of june is in 13 days time and 11 days before me!!! you'll be ok

Haven't got my date yet - maybe in my lesson tomorrow.
This will be my first ever music exam at 60.
Doing grade 1 on flute.
Practice this week seems to have gone from quite acceptable to
Why did I let my teacher talk me into this?!!!
Thinl I'll break a leg.

you are fantastic HazelKay!!!

Goodness - how do you find the time to practise all those instruments?!

I may be taking grade 1 cello but that'll be in July...

Good luck.
Its great that you can play so many different instruments

Not strings this time, but I am doing grade 7 flute, and grade 7 recorder. Starting to panic slightly, but reckon *fingers crossed* it well go ok. (Ha, my attempt at positivity!)

Daughter No2 is taking Grade 2 Violin on Friday 13th July, hope it's not a bad omen lol!

I took my Grade 8 flute on 13th July (1974, I think). It turned out very well for me.

Actually, in some places (countries) friday the 13th is luckly but friday the 17th is not (I think in Italy it's that way round so tell your daughter to pretend she's taking the exam in Italy..... )

Grade 6 cello on the 29th i'm really worried about scales as i just cannot seem to 'implant' them in my brain and i realise now that i only have, like, urmmm....29-11=errr...17 .......17 days to go. I am sooo scared. Luckily my SR is good and my pieces are fine...it's just scales and Aural. I probably should be doing that now, but my excuse is i have stomach ache

Oh, and G6 theory on 16th...which is this Saturday This is really terrible!

Wish me loads of luck, please

and good luck to you guys, too!


edit:Sorry-just noticed the wacky amount of smilies int this post!

Seven days to go and for some reason I'm feeling all emotional!!! It just seems like such a huge thing!! One day this week my husband has agreed to sit in front of me while I play the pieces along with the CD and then he's going to test my scales. We're trying to 'practice' nerves

I'm just feeling all wobbly because my very elderly, frail dog is suffering with lack of oxygen reaching her brain and it's terribly hard to watch her struggle. (Don't worry, the next minute she's fine and her quality of life is still good; she enjoys her food and the garden so we're not quite at 'that' terrible decision.. but it's hard )

Jazz flute exam tomorrow, cello grade one mid July.

Why do we do this to ourselves??

Three full days left... AND... I discovered yesterday I DON'T KNOW MY ARPEGGIOS!!!!

I've just been playing them after the appropriate scale but yesterday my teacher asked me to play them on their own AND I COULDN'T.

PANIC? Yes, I am.....

it's ok Lottie, you'll see to that in no time I am sure, you wll be ok

IT'S TODAY!!!! IT'S TODAY!!! IT'S TODAY!!!!

I met my accompanist yesterday and ran through my pieces. She's absolutely lovely and follows me very well. We played the pieces twice and each time the second playing was much better. She says we'll have time to do that again today before I go into the exam room so I'll be playing each piece on it's 'second' run so I'm pleased about that. She also tested my scales and arpeggios and they were fine

Now, what to wear? Given I'm nearly 40 and the other grade two is 8 should I wear pigtails and a little dress???

NO I THINK NOT Although I can't decide whether to tie my long hair back so it doesn't block my view of the piano?

I'm going to play my studies this morning and a little Bach for fun and then listen to the aural test CD again. I doubt I'll get any ordinary work done today! My friend is coming with me and we're planning to go for coffee and cake after the exam (she's highly amused at what I'm up to ). I'm also going to the city this week and I'm going to buy the grade THREE book (and a couple of theory books too as a refresher.)

Well here I go....

GO LOTTIE GO!!!!! Show them what you're made of! (with your pig's tails and all! )

Good Luck Lottie - stand tall.

*Waves goodbye*


*Steps into the car with Claudia's case clutched nervously on her knee*


('March to the Scaffold' playing quietly in the background.....)

Can you BELIEVE I put a c sharp in my G MAJOR SCALE!!!!!!!


UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!

And I think hesitated for a split second in my sight reading and my bow bounced on one high note.. just the one!!!! But everything else was ok yaaaayyyy!!!


Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed my exam and wasn't nervous at all!!!! I'm amazed because I was expecting to be shaking like a leaf and I wasn't!!!

The examiner was lovely; he looked like a chuch elder and we had a lovely chat about adult learners and about Jo Brand playing the organ (which I suspect was his instrument ) He said he thought it was great so many adults were taking up instruments and I wasn't the oldest he'd met. It was such great fun really and I came out grinning like a Cheshire cat

In between two pieces the examiner sniffed the air and said he could smell cooking... so I looked out the window and told him we were directly above a funeral parlour ... he and my accompanist just fell about laughing and I nearly dropped Claudia because I was giggling too much!!

I'm off to order my grade 3 book because I'm definitely doing this again

Congratulations! So good to hear a nice exam story for once! Hope you get a really good result, sounds promising.

Well done Lottie.

Good to hear it was such an enjoyable experience and that it also went well! I hope it will be just as entertaining during my exam

Doesn't that just go to show what a big difference the examiner as a person can make? Let's hope we all get ones like him!

When are the results out?

My husband (38 yrs old!!) and my 7 yrs old boy took their AB grade 5 violin exam on 8th June, today, the teacher rang with the results, husband got 131 and son got 139!! I am so pround of them.

G5 at the age of 7, wow!

They both did fantastically well, kudos in large amounts to them both.

Good to hear that they didn't have to wait long for the results, only 11 days!

Oh what a nice way to start your exam career as an adult!!

congratulations to both of them, how lovely!

Wow, well done both!

I've just realised that I need to start practising again for my cello exam... it's fallen by the wayside this last few weeks!

Fantastic. Great results for them both.

I have my date for my grade 1 flute exam - June 28th at 3.44 (3.44!) very precise.
Have had my flute serviced. I thought I would sound much better - but alas it must have been me!
Have to conduct a residential meditation course for the three days before - no musical instruments allowed.
Practising my scales and my middle register three times a day.
Keep wondering why I have let myself in for this - should I not just be using my bus pass and enjoying the countryside?

Good luck.

I'm sure you'll be fine.

hillyb

Good luck!

I have my ALCM exam next wednesday at 9am

Better practice...

good luck Malone - have a ball

DONE AND DUSTED!!!

My violin grade 1 exam was today at 17:09! and indeed I was called in at 17:07 and started by 17:09!! wow!
I was very impressed with that

I was the only one eating a banana in the waiting room and the only one above the age of 9!!

Anyway, I think I did pretty well overall.
Just a couple of tiny tiny mistakes in the pieces (due to nerves only) with VERY QUICK recovery, I did not slow down or 'tripped' any further LOL

Then the only other 'slip' was with my slurs in my G major scales, on my way up my slurs went 'funny' like they never did before, I 'think' and I 'think' I did 3 notes in a slur instead of 2 (this was down to nerves too as I can usually do it in my sleep with no mistakes )

Sight reading went well, kept to key signature, tempo overall kept within it, correct notes and I observed the slurs, the only thing I 'ignored' is the dynamics!

Aural went very well (easy peasy lemon squeezy as my son would say)

All in all what do I give myself? I think I will get a merit, any more? I don't know, but I enjoyed the experience a lot and will do it again (piano is next in november).

OH and YES, the examiner asked me for a A major arpeggio 'slurred' and I said:
'Are we supposed to do that at grade 1?' (knowing full well he was wrong)
and he said:'Oh no, forgive me, it's the end of the day and I got mixed up!'

Now waiting

what about you Lottie? let us know when you hear about yours
bye for now