Grade 8 Piano

aine-maire

Hey, i'm doing grade 8 next month...can anyone help me with the requirements for the ear tests? My teacher doesn't really have a clue, and I want to be prepared! Like, when they say you need to be able to sing the intervals (minor third, diminished fifth, major seventh, etc), do they play the lower note/both of them/nothing?
Help!

marshmallow

annmariek wrote: »

Hey, i'm doing grade 8 next month...can anyone help me with the requirements for the ear tests? My teacher doesn't really have a clue, and I want to be prepared! Like, when they say you need to be able to sing the intervals (minor third, diminished fifth, major seventh, etc), do they play the lower note/both of them/nothing?
Help!

I just did my grade8 exam a month ago..
I got asked to describe the interval, 2 notes played together. Usually you're asked to sing it back singing, each note separately obviously, but I didn't

A piece is played three times & you are asked to sing one line back.
ie you are told to sing the treble clef line back, you hear the piece three times with harmony, you must sing back chosen line unaccompanied.
Rhythm & pitch is what you have to look out for.

Singing at sight - I HATE THIS!
You are shown a line of music & you have to sing it. Arpeggio of the key sig is given aswell as the starting note.

Pianist2891

Hello there. What Gr 8 are you doing? Royal Irish Academy or Associate Board? I'm an examiner with the RIAM so PM me if you have or need any help but I'd say there are a couple of other people on the board (you know who you are) who will always be able to offer you some help.

Best
K

Doshea3

Best thing to do is familiarise yourself with the sounds of various intervals. I'm not exactly sure if they'll ask you anything way out, but certainly try to play the intervals and recognise the different sounds by separating the two notes in your head. They generally play the notes together and not one after another, so this is a skill in itself to hear the difference. Once you get used to this it's not too hard. For tricky intervals, it's handy to have musical references, say, major sixth in the opening of Liszt's Liebestraume No. 3 (random example just came to mind!) or, say, the perfect fourth that opens Moore's "The Minstrel Boy".

A good knowledge of the sounds of intervals makes singing at sight much easier. Tonic solfa is also a help, depending on the person. (For example, do-ti is an easy way to think of a major seventh.)

As Pianist says, we're always willing to help.

Pianist2891

On the subject of intervals - musical references that also work are:

Major Second - Chopsticks!
Minor 3rd - Greensleeves
Major 3rd - Mary had a little lamb (starting on the 3rd)
Perfect 4th - That Mexican Hat Dance tune!
Perfect 5th - Twinkle Twinkle..
Major 6th - Liebestraume no 3 or My bonny lies over the ocean
Minor 6th - The opening theme of the film "Love Story" (if you even know that)
Major 7th - The theme to the original Superman films!
Minor 7th - There's a (being the interval of a 7th) place for us - From Westside Story(Somewhere)
Perfect Octave - Somewhere over the rainbow!

Replace these with musical references that YOU would remember (some of these are bit "Dated" :-)

An important component of the ear tests is the Aural/Visual Observation test where a musical extract will be played for you while you get to look at a copy of it, then you'll be questioned on the structure and style of the piece, and answer questions related to its key structure, modulation, cadences etc. Pick up the Sample Ear Tests book in any music shop if you don't have it already.

Doshea3

Excellent examples Pianist2891! Particularly for the minor 6th and 7th. I'll definitely make up a list of simple musical references for students to remember their intervals, because if you can sing something it's totally true that it's easier to understand.

aine-maire

Thanks lots, that was really helpful (I'm doing royal academy btw)
Especially like idea of using well known songs to help me remember the intervals!

Lazairus

Why in earth is singing anything to do with playing piano. ?????

I cannot fathom this??

vriesmays

What happens/options after grade 8.

Fluorescence

Hi Lazairus, please don't post on really old threads, this thread is from 2008 (!). You can use your own thread to ask questions about piano gradings. You may get better advice if you ask a specific question or two.

Thread closed