Can anyone explain LC music to me (marks division)?

hatrickpatrick

I'm vaguely thinking about taking it up (probably not though since I'm in 6th year already ) but I'm hearing you can do different parts of it (Technology, singing, etc) for different ratios of marks? How does it work, an what are the sections you can do?

Daysha

For the vast majority of people the exam is divided into a music practical (50%) and the written exam (50%)

There are two papers in the written exam. Paper 1 has 1 long question on one of the four set works you have studied and 3 other medium sized questions and your 3 other works. The 4 works on the course for this years sixth years are Mozarts Piano Concerto in A major (K488), Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique, Raymond Deanes Seachanges and three songs from The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Theres also an question on Irish Music on that paper along with an unseen work.

Paper 2 is the composing. Do one question on melody writing and one on harmony. You are given options in both sections but Im nearly sure both are 16 bars long.

For the practical, maybe someone else can answer that for you. Its confusing enough

lilmissprincess

LC Music....
In our school we have 50% practical, 50% written. Our teacher is considerably crap, so excuse me if this explanatuon is flawed, its what she told us.
You can do eight pieces, 4 on one instrument and 4 on another, these are marked easier than if you do it the other way(apparently).
The other way is six pieces on one instrument, and apparently are marked very harshly.

Léan

There's the tech option too.
This means you're not just banking on your music practical. Instead of 50% practical, it's 25% practical , 25% tech.

We haven't started the tech stuff yet but it's supposed to be very easy. Basically typing notes on the screen. I think they use the Finale programe. Easy enough to do well in methinks

PurpleFistMixer

In my school if you do tech it's on Sibelius, it's part of the perfomance elective anyway. You just need to be able to input.. 2 2-part pieces or so, and be able to do some "edits", ie transposing, etc.

As far as I am aware, the marks are as follows:

25% Core Listening, set works, irish music, all that jazz.
25% Composing, 1 melody (40% of this paper), 1 harmony (60%) (thank jesus, I hate writing melodies)
25% Performance (because I'm doing performance as my elective, as with most of the people in the country, I'm not entirely sure what it entails if you don't do it as an elective...)

And everyone has to do those.
For the final 25% you can do either,
Listening Elective (I believe you have to do a project on a piece of music, not entirely sure)
Composition Elective (.. Composition basically, I'm not sure but I think you've got to do a piece some number of minutes long, send in the score and a recording possibly)
Performance Elective (What, I believe, almost everyone does... as someone else said, you either do 2 instruments, 4 pieces on each, or 6 pieces on one instrument... Music Technology is counted as an instrument... aside from the obvious, you can use percussion I think, as an instrument, singing in a group, playing in a group.. that kind of thing.. personally I'm doing violin and group singing).

Other things about the performance practical is.. well if you've ever done grades on a musical instrument I believe it's similar enough, gotta do sight reading and aural tests, that idea. There's also an option within that I think to do improvisation.. I recall reading the examiners report about it, personally I'd never ever do it but if it's your thing you'd probably be rewarded well for doing something so obscure.

This is all of course, speaking about Higher Level, no idea what Ordinary Level is like. (And it's quite possible I've made a mistake here... I spent more time playing violin today than I did sleeping last night >.<)

fonpokno

one random tip for the practical - do the sight reading if you're doin an instrument (i did piano), it is sooooooooooooo fabulously easy! and loadsa people dont do it and end up with screwy rhythms to clap, seriously its like amazing!

kisaragi

If you don't do performing as your elective don't you do 3 pieces?

And yes, music tech is verrrrrrrrrrry simple, you either input (16 bars of...) one 4 part scrore or two 2 part scores into any music editting programme you like. Then, you must make six changes, this can be for example changing the metronome time, changing a p to a mp, changing a harmony not (eg C to E if that bar is in C maj), chaning a rhythm (eg changing crotchet to 2 quavers) BUT they must make sense, you don't change a C to a D# etc. All very simple... But of course they mark you super hard and it's easy enough to make a slip. But if you focus it's grand.

Also you do sight reading/sight clapping/singing from memory/sight singing or improvisation. Almost everyone in my class did the clapping, it's 8 bars I think, I did the playing and it's easy enough, samples are available on the examinations.ie website

And that's pretty much it as far as the practical goes... And our examiner was SUPER nice and gave compliments etc after each piece. Unfortunatly our school didn't turn off the bell so in the middle of my waltz it went off xD...

And the standard is supposedly around grade 5 (ie you've been taking music for five years). But if you can play better, you should And also it's critical that you play contrasting styles, I played 4 pieces on the piano - A Baroque Sonatina (Scarlatti), A Classical Sonata (Mozart), Romantic Waltz (Brahms) and a modern piece (from a video game ). Last year a guy played a piano interpretation of Ghetto Gospel so you can play pretty much whatever you want as long as there's musical merit...

S.I.R

as far as i recalled its 25 % practical , 25 written then 50 % you can dedicate to either ( or a figure relative to that )

our teacher said that we should stick it on practical.... but im not to sure with my scary barry white style singing voice... works with b.b king but nothing else



also my bonus tip for practicals - Go for it , don't sit down and get comfortable , just perform and you will have great crack... also pray you dont get a crazy old woman like i did :X