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Leaving Cert Music Practical Tips

  • 18-04-2012 12:30pm
    #1
    DJC Barry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12 ✭


    Can anyone give me tips for music practical LC.Its on Friday.Will I be Playing my 6 songs in a row.Im playing electric guitar and its higher level.Im doing my higher elective in performance so will be able to get up to 50% in practical.
    1. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
    2.Razor Light - America
    3.Dire Straits-Sultans of Swing
    4.Nirvana -Smells like teen Spirit
    5.Beatles -Get Back
    6.Jimi Hendrix -Purple Haze

    What do You think of my choice .


Comments

  • #2
    Malice
    Registered Users Posts: 15,065 ✭✭✭✭Malice


    I'd say if you can play Sultans of Swing well then you should have no problem passing. I've no tips to offer with regard to the exam as I only did Music as far as the Junior Cert and I don't want to depress myself by thinking about how long ago that was :).


  • #3
    rcaz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭rcaz


    Do you know any classical guitar pieces at all? Or maybe some spanish or jazz? If you could play anything to show you can play stuff outside pop music, that'd be a big plus. Having said that, that isn't a requirement at all, and if you play through your list well you'll have no bother.


  • #4
    Herb Powell
    Registered Users Posts: 3,097 ✭✭✭Herb Powell


    Yeah, if you know anything else of a different style, throw it in for the sake of diversity, or else learn/adapt some piece to play.

    It doesn't matter too much though, as long as what you play is played well you'll be fine


  • #5
    DJC Barry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12 ✭DJC Barry


    DJC Barry wrote: »
    Can anyone give me tips for music practical LC.Its on Friday.Will I be Playing my 6 songs in a row.Im playing electric guitar and its higher level.Im doing my higher elective in performance so will be able to get up to 50% in practical.
    1. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
    2.Razor Light - America
    3.Dire Straits-Sultans of Swing
    4.Nirvana -Smells like teen Spirit
    5.Beatles -Get Back
    6.Jimi Hendrix -Purple Haze

    What do You think of my choice .
    How many minutes exactly do you get to play your songs and how long is full practical test ?


  • #6
    rcaz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭rcaz


    DJC Barry wrote: »
    How many minutes exactly do you get to play your songs and how long is full practical test ?

    Ask your teacher?


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  • #7
    DJC Barry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12 ✭DJC Barry


    rcaz wrote: »
    Ask your teacher?
    I'm teaching myself guitar outside school.Have 6 songs picked for higher level but need to make sure have enough time !!


  • #8
    off.the.walls
    Registered Users Posts: 1,298 ✭✭✭off.the.walls


    Far as I remember you have 20 mins for your practical, but its always advisable to have a wide selection of pieces not just the same genre as they do mark on variety.


  • #9
    Malice
    Registered Users Posts: 15,065 ✭✭✭✭Malice


    DJC Barry wrote: »
    I'm teaching myself guitar outside school.Have 6 songs picked for higher level but need to make sure have enough time !!
    That doesn't answer his question. Does your school not have a music teacher or something?


  • #10
    rcaz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭rcaz


    DJC Barry wrote: »
    I'm teaching myself guitar outside school.Have 6 songs picked for higher level but need to make sure have enough time !!

    As Malice said, I meant your music teacher, not your guitar teacher. They should have all the info - I won't speak for anyone else, but I can't remember much of the Leaving :pac:

    Is it Raymond Deane or Gerald Barry this year?


  • #11
    M.R.B
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭M.R.B


    rcaz wrote: »
    As Malice said, I meant your music teacher, not your guitar teacher. They should have all the info - I won't speak for anyone else, but I can't remember much of the Leaving :pac:

    Is it Raymond Deane or Gerald Barry this year?

    Barry....hows it really considered music still is beyond me! At times you can "sort of" see what he tries to do, but honestly, he's just trying to be controversial for the sake of being controversial, it in no-way re-defines music !

    OP, seeing as the practical is tomorrow(unless its next Friday) I wouldnt suggest changing pieces at this late stage. What Id say is go in extremely confident, regardless if youre bricking it. On the marking scheme for the practical, the only marking "band" which mentions confidence is in the A grade.
    Other than that make sure you set up and clear up quickly, no-one likes to waiting for ages in between candidates. Oh and finally make sure you know which track each of your songs are on the cd. And what level you need to have the cd player at, to have a sufficient blend of you performance and the backing track.

    Good Luck !


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  • #12
    DJC Barry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12 ✭DJC Barry


    Do you have to bring a backing track(CD or whatever) in to leaving cert music practical ?Know some people are but do you have to?Also going to play Dee by Randy Rhodes.Does anyone know this and do you think it would be good contrasting song?Any other tips appreciated . Cheers everyone for comments last couple days.Practical 2mor.DJC..


  • #13
    M.R.B
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭M.R.B


    DJC Barry wrote: »
    Do you have to bring a backing track(CD or whatever) in to leaving cert music practical ?Know some people are but do you have to?Also going to play Dee by Randy Rhodes.Does anyone know this and do you think it would be good contrasting song?Any other tips appreciated . Cheers everyone for comments last couple days.Practical 2mor.DJC..


    You don't have to bring in a backing track, its adviseable, as it plain and simple sounds better.Instead of just having chords, you have a fuul accompaniement, also it may help you to keep in time.

    Dee would be a nice contrasting piece, especially if done on a nylon or acoustic guitar. But its fairly short If it was me Id repeat it once or twice, seeing as when Randy Rhoads played it, it was about 45secs long...:)


  • #14
    DJC Barry
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12 ✭DJC Barry


    M.R.B wrote: »
    You don't have to bring in a backing track, its adviseable, as it plain and simple sounds better.Instead of just having chords, you have a fuul accompaniement, also it may help you to keep in time.

    Dee would be a nice contrasting piece, especially if done on a nylon or acoustic guitar. But its fairly short If it was me Id repeat it once or twice, seeing as when Randy Rhoads played it, it was about 45secs long...:)
    Cheers for advice.Pratical went well . :)


  • #15
    run_forest_run
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭run_forest_run


    Doing my music practical on monday (23rd of April) im singing 6 songs...any tips for a successful performance? :)


  • #16
    rcaz
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭rcaz


    M.R.B wrote: »
    Barry....hows it really considered music still is beyond me! At times you can "sort of" see what he tries to do, but honestly, he's just trying to be controversial for the sake of being controversial, it in no-way re-defines music !

    It's not even controversial, he wrote it in 1992, it could have easily come out in the 50s at Darmstadt or something. Did they say something about him trying to redefine stuff? :pac:
    I have no idea why they teach the music they do. If you want to get students into contemporary music, you don't throw them into stuff like Barry and Deane, not even contemporary music fans like Barry and Deane :pac:

    I swear, put me in charge of the leaving cert, I'll make you a ****in' unreal syllabus of tunes :P


  • #17
    abbevilleson
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭abbevilleson


    Hey
    Had my practical yesterday... I did 4 singing and technology... I realsied when i was doing my edits to the technology i transposed it from Bb to C and it went down the octave meaning it was out of range for a descant recorder... Do ye think ill lose many marks for this??


  • #18
    M.R.B
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭M.R.B


    rcaz wrote: »
    It's not even controversial, he wrote it in 1992, it could have easily come out in the 50s at Darmstadt or something. Did they say something about him trying to redefine stuff? :pac:
    I have no idea why they teach the music they do. If you want to get students into contemporary music, you don't throw them into stuff like Barry and Deane, not even contemporary music fans like Barry and Deane :pac:

    I swear, put me in charge of the leaving cert, I'll make you a ****in' unreal syllabus of tunes :P

    You and me both mate. Its so backwards in so many ways, but then again we have to take into accpunt the great knowledge that the 89 year old nuns who have been teaching music for 45 years, and obviously they know more than us ! :rolleyes:


  • #19
    Meehanmeehan
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭Meehanmeehan


    run_forest_run wrote: »
    Doing my music practical on monday (23rd of April) im singing 6 songs...any tips for a successful performance? :)
    Gesticulate with your hands while singing, much more interesting that a singer clinging onto the mic stand like it's a life raft, and bring water.


  • #20
    Meehanmeehan
    Registered Users Posts: 27 ✭Meehanmeehan


    rcaz wrote: »

    I swear, put me in charge of the leaving cert, I'll make you a ****in' unreal syllabus of tunes :P
    Entire sections of the exams devoted to Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5.


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