79 replies to this topic

[Clovis]

I agree. You need to find a teacher or examiner who can do a viva in person, preferably straight after a full performance. I was full of adrenaline after my recital and found myself rather jumpy. I made one silly mistake as a result in the dip, but was much better prepared for the LRSM. This is the main challenge compared to Trinity (though the marking is much harsher too).

The first viva question is always ‘how did you put this programme together/ what made you choose these pieces?’ Have a strong and enthusiastic reply ready. The last is always ‘and do you have anything else to add?’. Having a couple of subjects to hand is a good idea, in case one crops up in the rest of the viva.

Be able to talk your way through the structure/significant modulations for each work is important, as is knowing the meaning of every foreign-language term (eg canzonetta). Be able to justify everything in the programme notes. If the repertoire is unusual then the examiners will depend more on what is written to generate their questions.

I can’t help much more, as I don’t know the sax repertoire at all. Does your daughter’s teacher have any recommendations for someone she could play to, even if you have to travel a bit?

[KiwiMusicMum]

I’m enlisting her piano teacher to run her through her viva, as well as her sax teacher. I’m a music grad so feel quite comfortable asking stuff. Here in New Zealand, Trinity diplomas seem to be much more well supported than ABRSM. Being from the UK, I feel happier with her doing both Trinity and ABRSM as in the UK, Trinity aren’t seen as anywhere near as high as ABRSM. Now the research and programme notes aren’t part of the diplomas, probably even more so.

Does anyone know whether she should talk about keys and modulations in terms of her (E flat) instrument or in terms of concert pitch?

[Clovis]

All she needs to do is acknowledge she is aware that she’s not playing at concert pitch when talking about modulations. She will have to take her lead from the examiner giving the viva, but it’s usual to have this kind of discussion with the score open in front of you. So if she wants to talk in terms of E flat rather than C, then she just needs to say so.

[The Land]

Any advice on helping with viva voce? I’ve got a list of questions so she can practise answering confidently. Would anyone who has done their DipABRSM mind posting a few questions that they were asked? I figure the more she practises her viva voce and listens to music by her composers and their contemporaries, and researches, the better, but I’d like to know she is on the right lines!

 

Here is one thread, Google will help you find others! 

 

https://www.abrsm.or...showtopic=58928

 

There's also the specimen questions in the syllabus.

 

It's pretty clear there are some standard questions:

- Why did you choose this programme?

- Explain the structure of one of your pieces in relation to the score (they will probably start with a piece in a 'conventional' format, if you have anything in sonata form or rondo form that is a good bet to be asked about, but be prepared for all of them)

- What are the differences between the instrument you are using today and the one this piece was originally written for and how does that affect your performance? (looking for understanding of the historical evolution of the instrument)

 

Otherwise, if the programme notes are good, the questions will often follow those up.

[corenfa]

Passed my ATCL. Next stop LTCL. Got to "up my game" a bit though.

[mel2]

Passed my ATCL. Next stop LTCL. Got to "up my game" a bit though.

Yay for Corenfa!

Since I got back from Chethams I've had my nose to the keys prepping for a stint in a charity recital in October. I heard a voice that sounded like mine offering to play some jazz classics. Eek.
Should be able to try the programme out at another gathering a fortnight beforehand.

[KiwiMusicMum]

Yay! Huge achievement. My daughter has found doing DipABRSM after ATCL has been fabulous, as it’s a much harder exam and great preparation for LTCL. Some of her programme for Dip also crosses over into LTCL! That also means that she has done oodles of research and has heard lots of different versions of the music and other pieces by her composers.

Here...there’s several hours of practise happening a day. She is also working on the Glazunov Concerto, Scaramouche and Hot Sonata. There’s some amazing pieces at this level!

[Invidia]

Passed my ATCL. Next stop LTCL. Got to "up my game" a bit though.

 

Congrats! 

[Clovis]

Passed my ATCL. Next stop LTCL. Got to "up my game" a bit though.

Well done!

 

I've only just worked out your name...

[corenfa]

Thanks for the kind thoughts everyone...

I've started working on my LTCL programme now. Teacher thinks some of my technique needs redoing so we are starting really slow and nothing to be played louder than mp. I have been through this process with her many times so it'll get there when it gets there. I have learnt the whole programme already so this is "just" polishing. Still going to take a while.

Clovis- horn was my main instrument for some years but piano was my first instrument. I went back to it in adulthood

[KiwiMusicMum]

Less than four weeks to go for my daughter’s DipABRSM. Everyone thinks she has come a long way since her ATCL which was at the end of last year - in which she got a distinction. So I’m hoping that this one goes equally well. She has completed her programme notes and I’m driving her to the library later to collect yet another book for her to trawl for interesting tidbits on sax stuff. It’s just got to the stage of keeping everything at the right level without it being overworked.

It has been a really useful stepping stone as with ATCL you can get away without an altissimo range and advanced techniques. She has chosen pieces for DipABRSM with altissimo, bends, growls, slap tongue, improv, and alternate fingerings. This year working for this diploma has really cemented those techniques.
Hopefully it will all show on the day.

[mel2]

It has been a really useful stepping stone as with ATCL you can get away without an altissimo range and advanced techniques. She has chosen pieces for DipABRSM with altissimo, bends, growls, slap tongue, improv, and alternate fingerings. This year working for this diploma has really cemented those techniques.
Hopefully it will all show on the day.

Ah - I missed the 'sax' word on first reading so was thoroughly confused by some of the terms used here!

I'm just wondering what was the point of bothering with the ATCL if you don't rate it. It's too expensive an exam to use merely as a stepping stone.

[KiwiMusicMum]

It has been a really good stepping stone. She’s only young (12) and her altissimo wasn’t that good when she did the ATCL. In fact, she only chose to play one altissimo note! She couldn’t double tongue. She could work up pieces whilst practising her improv and all the more difficult techniques, as well as working in her sight reading and deciding an interesting DipABRSM programme and working on the programme notes research.

She’s planning her LTCL programme now. There aren’t any programme notes to research so it’s just the recital. It means she can decide a programme and just concentrate on the recital while upping her technical skills - wider variety of tone colours, double and triple tonguing, more improv, multiphonics, extreme harmonics.

So it’s not that I don’t rate ATCL, it’s just a lower level then DipABRSM we reckon. DipABRSM is certainly a more holistic exam and seems more real world. The quick study is akin to having to step in for a player and deliver a great performance irregardless of familiarity with the notes!

[corenfa]

The Trinity diplomas' focus only on performance was exactly why I opted for them, as I have an academic music degree already and don't want to do any more writing of papers, programme notes, viva or sight reading.

Not posting this to challenge the previous post, just to underscore the point that different diplomas have different purposes for different people.

[KiwiMusicMum]

She took it today and came out beaming. She really enjoyed preparing her programme and loved doing the VV. She felt well prepared, she said and could answer all the questions (she reckoned). So now she can just continue her technicals and wait for results!
Viva voce was thorough and longer than she expected. She certainly came out later than expected - 1 hr 12 total in exam room.