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Junior Cert Music Practical - What do you have to do?

  • 26-07-2011 08:01PM
    #1
    StevieNicksFan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 217 ✭✭


    Hey all

    I'm teaching my brother the guitar and he told me he would like to perform it for his junior cert next year. Since I did my junior cert music in 2003, i'm a bit rusty with regards to what is expected in the practical! Am i right in thinking it is four pieces on one instrument, four on another or eight all together on one?

    Any help appreciated! :)


Comments

  • #2
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 27,434 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    I went back and did JC Higher Music a couple of years ago.

    I played four pieces on the concertina and did the clapping exercise. You can either clap back a few examples of a rhythmic piece that is played for you, or sing back the melody of some pieces played. I'm making them sound a little bit more complicated than they were. There may have been another option that I didn't do - possibly sight reading(?) but don't quote me on that.


  • #3
    MegGustaa
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 232 ✭✭MegGustaa


    I did HL JC Music in 2010, played two pieces on flute, two on piano and flute sightreading (I'd say it was around grade 2-3 standard? I was on 4 at the time and it was very doable) and got an A - I'm certain the practical brought me up because I came out of the written paper quite unsure I'd done well at all :P

    For HL you need 4 pieces. Either 4 on one instrument or 2 on 2. Doing two instruments is preferable because you're marked at Ordinary Level on both, apparently (that's what I was told in 2nd Year when we had to start giving it some thought). Then there's a choice of sight reading, sight clapping (I think?) and clapping back a rhythm. All quite manageable.

    Singing and group singing count as an instrument, too. For group singing not everyone in the group is necessarily being examined - I was a 'helper' in one group even though I wasn't actually singing for my exam :) Group singing is a good option if available - halves the number of pieces he'd have to learn on guitar too!

    In terms of the standard of piece, I was advised something around grade 3 would suffice for the exam. My piano pieces were about Grade 4 (I pretty much taught myself, not from an RIAM standard book) and flute were Grade 5 and 8 respectively, but I'm doing them again for my Leaving Cert exam so obviously that standard wasn't necessary.

    (The 4 + 4 is for Leaving Cert HL if you're doing two instruments; you need 6 if you're only performing on one :D)


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