Leaving Cert Music Practical

bluto63

I'm doing 25% practical work for the Music exam which means I need to play 4 pieces. I've chosen to do it alone, ie no backing track or band, but I don't know wether to do it on piano or guitar. Also I don't know what pieces to play. These are what I've thought of so far:

Piano
Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata
Radiohead - Like Spinning Plates (without lyrics)
Beethoven - Fur Elise (With a lot of practice)

Guitar
Bach - Bouree

Can anyone suggest some songs?

I feel it belongs in Leaving Cert over music because people here will know what the examiners are looking for and what is required.

PurpleFistMixer

I would say don't do Fur Elise as it's the most overplayed thing EVER. Possibly the same for Moonlight Sonata but at least that's a nice piece. : )

ninty9er

I wouldn't do 2 Beethoven....

I did piano
Garth Brooks - The River
Marc Cohn - Walking in Memphis
Trad - Song For Ireland
and a grade V peice I was doin at the time

Split the Genres....Radiohead ll be good and do 1 of the Beethoven....maybe a jazzy bit

Don't assume the examiner will like a certain thing....you could get some twentysomething who can't stand Beethoven

bluto63

I was thinking that two Beethovens mightn't be a good idea. Today I decided I might do Two part Invention No. 13 by Bach. Might be a little tough though.

I suppose I should mention I've played guitar for 5 years and piano for one. I just feel that solo guitar isn't as good as solo piano

yurmothrintites

I'm doing
1. The Pink Panther
2. Love Thee Dearest by Phil Coulter
3. A piece from grade seven
4. A piece from grade eight

Guitar is good if not alot of people in your class are playing it as well. Stick to whatever you are most confident with and you should be grand

fonpokno

if your doin 4 on piano then try to spread genres around, like do one classical or romantic, one baroque, one jazzy and then somethin else of your choice!
im doin chopin, scarlatti and two jazzy/bluesy ones! try feelin' good by brian bonsor! its a fun one and its not too difficult!

and dont just pick solo piano cos you think its more impressive, like eeeveryone plays solo piano, guitar'd be a bit more interesting probably!

ninty9er

bluto63 wrote:

I was thinking that two Beethovens mightn't be a good idea. Today I decided I might do Two part Invention No. 13 by Bach. Might be a little tough though.

I suppose I should mention I've played guitar for 5 years and piano for one. I just feel that solo guitar isn't as good as solo piano

You can always sing along and jsut have the guitar examined to give it accompaniment or you are allowed to have someone accompany you...not your teacher though I think

JackKelly

I really wouldn't do the Moonlight Sonata or Fur Elise. Both are really overplayed. Id also stay away from Satie's gymnopedie as i remember about 5 people doing it in my year. Also that piece from "the Piano". Lots of people do it.
Maybe have a look through a few Chopin preludes or noctures. There are a lot of really nice pieces that aren't too hard. As people have said. Try keep it diverse. Maybe look for a good modern jazz piece along with a romantic era piece and classical era piece. Youtube is your friend! You'll find recording of almost any piano piece you are looking for there.

bluto63

Thanks for the replies. So far I've decided to do the following pieces:

Like Spinning Plates - Radiohead
Prelude Op. 28, No. 20 - Chopin
The Pink Panther - Henry Mancini (thanks to yurmothrintites)

Not sure of the fourth though.

Tomlowe

The question of a song or piece being overplayed is irrelevant, as each candidate is judged on his or her own merits without reference to anyone else. Similarly, candidates are not judged on their choice of instrument, guitar is just as meritricious as piano.

However, the breadth of the programme performed IS important: if you play all classical pieces, all romantic pieces, all radiohead pieces or all blues pieces, you will lose marks.

I don't understand why you wouldn't do the practical elective though, if you've been playing guitar for five years, seems like an easy enough 50% to me.

JackKelly

Tomlowe wrote:

The question of a song or piece being overplayed is irrelevant, as each candidate is judged on his or her own merits without reference to anyone else. Similarly, candidates are not judged on their choice of instrument, guitar is just as meritricious as piano.

Obviously in theory it's irrelevant how many times a piece has been played that day, but the point is, you are trying to impress the examiner,and playing the same piece that has been played 5 times already, isn't going to accomplish this. You wan't the examiner to be interested, so pick something he or she hopefully hasn't heard

Tomlowe

you're not trying to impress the examiner, you're trying to display a certain level of proficiency in the instrument. In fact, they're more likely to notice your mistakes if they are interested in what you're playing. Even if they were more interested, you're not actually going to lose any marks, i'd imagine that even the stupidest examiner will be able to detach themselves from whether they're interested in what you're playing or not. Otherwise, you'd have examiners giving marks to pieces which interest them more because they like a certain genre, and we know that's not allowed.

At the end of the day, it won't do you any harm to pick something a bit strange, but I wouldn't break my heart trying to learn something completely different.

JackKelly

Again, officially everyone could play the same 4 pieces and expect to all be graded individually, but in reality, the examiner is still human. You may as well do everything to your ability to make a mark on his or her mind i.e. picking something "original".

exiot

I played the Piano and tin whislte, sister accompanied on the harp, examiner was amazed by the Harp, id say I got near full marks just because of the harp ha ha

dhaddock

i played 4 pieces on guitar

Racer X - Technical Difficulties
Blind Blake - Black Dog Blues
Romanza
Classical Gas

my examiner was dancing and bopping and all!

HungryJoey

I did mine, accept I did music technology Full Elective. Handiest 50% i've ever done in my life, the examiner seemed so interested in what I was doing and was so intrigued! I also think she was a complete newbie in this department and she said so herself. It was brilliant and I'd really recomend it to anybody else thinking of it next year. I'd say I got an A in that no problem.

EDIT: Forgot to mention the examiner, just like the junior cert was very welcoming and kind.

Hj

FunkZ

Mine went terribly!

I played: Bourree.
Canon in D Major
Knockin' On Heavens Door
Hotel California
Partita For Violin in B Minor
A Few Riffs I Made Up#

Messed up badly on the day due to nerves... Ahhh!

elefant

I did
Piano:1 GRade 6
1 Grade 7
1 Grade 8

Button Accordian: 2 Jigs
2 Reels
March

Think I did ok

kisaragi

I played on piano -

Nobuo Uematsu - Find Your Way (Final Fantasy VIII piano collections )
Scarlatti - Sonata in A major
Brahms - Waltz
Mozart - Sonata (can't remember which one but it's easily recognisable)
Sight-reading

Then I did the music technology elective which is SO simple Examiner was lovely too! I messed up my sight reading though And the school bell went of in the middle of my waltz! How terrible is that? Overall I'd say I got about 45% out of the 50 though

Aard

Music tech- what a joke.

Practical:
Webern: Variations: II
CPE Bach: Solfegietto
Chopin: Funeral March
Beethoven: 'Moonlight': I


OP: Did you play the whole Moonlight? I was going to do the 3rd movement but I was a bit out of practice with it. Also it's hard (for me) to paly both soft and fast on a piano I don't know. Went well in the end but.

Sauron

Played drums with a group and our songs were:

"Someday" by the Strokes
"Come Together" by The Beatles
"Say it ain't so" by Weezer
and "High and Dry" by Radiohead

Went great methinks. The examiner laughed after the beatles and pointed to each of us in turn saying:

"Right: you're Paul, you're John, you're George, you're Ringo"

Was about the best compliment we got from anyone
We all felt great after that.

roast

Sauron, you are a ****ING LEGEND for doing come together!!!

I played: (On guitar and vocals)
Metallica - Seek And Destroy
Oasis - Live Forever
Guns N Roses - Sweet Child Of Mine
Nirvana - Lithium
And did the Music Tech thingy too, that was handy enough.

bluemusic97

well lads, doing my leavin cert music practical next april, think ill do four marked on singing and four marked on guitar, as my teacher says ive a good voice but my guitar teacher thinks id be sorted playing the guitar, so far for the guitar i can play a couple of tunes, landslide by fleetwood mac, blackbird by the beatles, universe and you by kt tunstall, i want you back jackson5, im yours jason mraz, hey soul sister by train, im learning under the bridge by the red hot chili peppers, mr brightside, and then like a few tunes thats are much too simple for the practical but like id just like some other different songs that i could be practising so i have a wide variety to choose from. somthing with a bit of difficulty, the songs that i dont choose to play on guitar o will probably use for the singing, but if you know songs that would suit an alto vocal range please dont hesistate to suggest some new artists!!! thanks all advice is greatly appreciated.. also suggestions on doing 8 pieces? would i better off to sing four/play for on the guitar and do the music technology??