What do you need to learn for Music?

Moi!

Ok, I know it might sound like a stupid question but i have no idea!

My music teacher is pretty useless. She can't handle the class at all and whenever we do some work, its in her own little notes! We have done a little bit on Irish music and a few of the set and choice songs.

I'm desperate to do well in Music cause I really do love it and am doing grade 6 piano so I know I should be capable on the pratical side.

But its the overall theory of music that I have no clue what to learn.

We have the book "Tuned In" but don't really use it unless refering to songs. Should I just learn the book inside out or am I wasting my time??

What is it I should learn? I'm in second year so I know I have some time but I'm totally frustrated cause I have no idea what to do!

Sorrry for the bit of a rant!

Luno

Moi! wrote: »

Ok, I know it might sound like a stupid question but i have no idea!

My music teacher is pretty useless. She can't handle the class at all and whenever we do some work, its in her own little notes! We have done a little bit on Irish music and a few of the set and choice songs.

I'm desperate to do well in Music cause I really do love it and am doing grade 6 piano so I know I should be capable on the pratical side.

But its the overall theory of music that I have no clue what to learn.

We have the book "Tuned In" but don't really use it unless refering to songs. Should I just learn the book inside out or am I wasting my time??

What is it I should learn? I'm in second year so I know I have some time but I'm totally frustrated cause I have no idea what to do!

Sorrry for the bit of a rant!

Don't worry about it's not a rant you're worried about it and that's completely natural!

I'll have a guess that you have went over set songs,works and choice songs?

I have Tuned In as well, don't find it the best book we use other set songs as opposed to the ones in the book, best bet for you would to be learn features of all the songs and have a pretty good knowledge of them.

In second year music we didn't do much, spent a lot of time just singing and doing practical but we really are knuckling down and things are beginning to look a bit more easier.

You'll probably get a general study from your teacher to learn off which is easy marks imo, you should be fine though just learn features of Irish music, set songs etc.

Moi!

M&S* wrote: »

Don't worry about it's not a rant you're worried about it and that's completely natural!

I'll have a guess that you have went over set songs,works and choice songs?

I have Tuned In as well, don't find it the best book we use other set songs as opposed to the ones in the book, best bet for you would to be learn features of all the songs and have a pretty good knowledge of them.

In second year music we didn't do much, spent a lot of time just singing and doing practical but we really are knuckling down and things are beginning to look a bit more easier.

You'll probably get a general study from your teacher to learn off which is easy marks imo, you should be fine though just learn features of Irish music, set songs etc.

Thanks for that. I have a better idea now of what has to be done.

Luno

Moi! wrote: »

Thanks for that. I have a better idea now of what has to be done.

Oh and if you're a grade 6 piano you should have no worries about general music problems such as key signatures,
Dictation is something that I find I struggle most with do ye do that much in class?

spurious

Look over old exam papers - you'll see what is asked.

Moi!

M&S* wrote: »

Oh and if you're a grade 6 piano you should have no worries about general music problems such as key signatures,
Dictation is something that I find I struggle most with do ye do that much in class?

Not really. The odd time we do a bit but not very much. I know there are still people in the class who can't tell what the stave notes are.

bluejay14

Don't even get me started on dictation.I couldn't do it to save my life.No one in our class can.We usually end up begging our teacher if we can do something else instead.

Luno

bluejaymraz wrote: »

Don't even get me started on dictation.I couldn't do it to save my life.No one in our class can.We usually end up begging our teacher if we can do something else instead.

Dictation is actually ridiculous we were doing one from the exam papers on the CD and the time it gives you to fill it out!
Then my teacher telling us do the rhythm first? Confuses me even more!

Ash_M

Just know your set & choice songs, features and basic info on them, eg time signatures, composer/writer etc. and know a good bit about your set works.
General study is basically learning a page for 20 marks, I did jazz, and we literally learned off a page in Tuned In, and all got full marks for it.
Irish music, know the characteristics, some performers, how it has changed, styles, just a lot of general information about it. The more you know, the easier it is to pick up your marks.
Apart from that, practise your dictation, learn your melody writing rules, and have fun with the practical.

@M&S*: Yep, rhythm first because it's easier, and you'll pick up more marks that way, because of the marking scheme.

Zofan

dictation is hard - don't worry too much about getting the notes bang on, the rhythm and general direction of the music will get you a fair few marks!
For your set songs make sure that if you were given a title you could list off a few basic things like key signature, form, features etc
Set works require a bit more knowledge, you'd want to know what's coming in where etc
I thought the listening exercises were the trickiest, do as much practise of them as possible esp. picking out instruments
the easiest marks are the practical and all the theory questions, backing chords and melody writing - all should be no problem for Grade 6 piano, even if your piano teacher does very little theory (like mine!).
Good luck - don't stress too much about Music anyway, it's not the worst of exams by a long shot - most of us were finished with plenty of time to spare:)

Blue_Seas

We've finished our course so we've been told many times what's coming up

Know features and the like from your Set Songs, key signatures too. Know what they are just from hearing them because that's all you're given.

For Set Works you need to know each part of it (Like for the Peer Gynt Suite know which is Morning and which is Anitra's Dance simply from hearing it) and some features. Know some background information also.

Choice songs and works are unheard so know the categories, names and a few features of each.

Irish music is very important here as it comes up as essays in different sections. Know about Sean Nos singing, The Belfast Harp Festival, a Composer and a Collector. Also know information about a Group Performer and a Solo Performer.

There's that essay at the end... can't remember the name of the question but we had to learn of Jazz Music as ours.

There's triads and backing chords (at least that's what we did, there's some options here) and that response to a given piece of music where you fill in the extra bars. Knowing the musical stave is essential here and in triads, I can't believe some people in your class are still unfamiliar! I hope they at least know some basic things like the length of each beat?

For practical you'll be fine at a grade 6 and you probably are good at triads and such already from that. There's dictation to know (you hear it 5 times or something, get the rhythm out first. There's always a dotted-crotchet-quaver rhythm around the second or third bar and the last bar usually ends on a long note doh) and a section where you can sight read or clap back a rhythm. As you're grade 6 I would say do sight reading for sure. This practical aspect we don't do for our mocks but you do it for June. Clapping back the rhythm is an absolute pain and I can't do it well because I keep thinking "Oh, this sounds like this song! *clap said song*". The sight reading level for Piano is around grade three so I would recommend doing it.

God that was a long post... If you've managed to read through it all and still have questions feel free to PM me, I'm pretty sure I know the questions inside out by now XD

Luno

My general study was reggae and we done Bob Marley Two Little Birds & Stevie Wonder Happy Birthday!

Quite happy with them as my teacher wanted to do medevil music!:eek:

bluejay14

Our class did our general study in groups of two so everyone had a different one..Our teacher told us that we could do anything basically so we went with rock for some reason.We used Kings of Leon and Muse.

Luno

bluejaymraz wrote: »

Our class did our general study in groups of two so everyone had a different one..Our teacher told us that we could do anything basically so we went with rock for some reason.We used Kings of Leon and Muse.

Lucky ye got to pick what ye do? :eek:
Makes more sence cause you'll remember something you're familiar with. I'm just glad we didn't get stuck with renaissance music

Blue_Seas

bluejaymraz wrote: »

Our class did our general study in groups of two so everyone had a different one..Our teacher told us that we could do anything basically so we went with rock for some reason.We used Kings of Leon and Muse.

You lucky little..! We have to do Jazz music and I hate Jazz with a passion.

bluejay14

Blue_Seas wrote: »

You lucky little..! We have to do Jazz music and I hate Jazz with a passion.

.It was just a whole lot more interesting when we got to pick what we got to do instead of having to do something that we hated.

Blue_Seas

bluejaymraz wrote: »

.It was just a whole lot more interesting when we got to pick what we got to do instead of having to do something that we hated.

Yeah, I have to know "The Entertainer" and "Take Five". I've never even heard of "Take Five"!
Actually I haven't heard it in general.. no point listening to it if I don't have to pick it out on a tape

bluejay14

Blue_Seas wrote: »

Yeah, I have to know "The Entertainer" and "Take Five". I've never even heard of "Take Five"!
Actually I haven't heard it in general.. no point listening to it if I don't have to pick it out on a tape

Take Five is one of our Choice Works I think.

clairek6

we did the beatles for our general study the teacher wrote it up for us

Steve Collins

Q1. Set songs - 8 songs you have to study (like features and stuff, your teacher will give them to you)
Q2. Set works - a couple of pieces you have to study, same as set songs really just longer pieces.
Q3. Irish Music - couple of listening questions, and a couple of written questions.
Q4. Dictation (hard) - write down what you hear.
Q5. Choice Songs and Choice Works - study same chosen songs in a couple of different genres.
Q6. Triads (piss)
Q7. Answering Melodies - (piss)
Q8. Backing Chords - (piss)
Q10. General Study - a page to learn, same every year, piss.