Music Practical?

lcstress2012

So, what's everyone playing for their leaving cert music practical. I play piano and just done my Grade 8 piano exam a few weeks ago and came out with honours. Delighted! Hoping to study music when I finish school. I play all classical music and love the music of beethoven and chopin. For my practical it's 4 pieces and technology(Finale Notepad/Sibelius). I'm playing, as for know: Mozart Sonata K.280 in F Major 3rd Mov. Presto, Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2, and Chopin Waltz Op.18 Grade Valse Brilliante don't know what to pick for the 4th piece but I have loads of time as I learn quickly.
Tell me what instument you play, whats grade, what genre and the pieces you are going to play!

PictureFrame

Woo Music! Looking for an A1/A2 so my practical has to be spot on!

Play Piano and Violin, sticking strictly to Piano for my practicals though!

I am also in Grade 8 and am doing these pieces:

- Shake it Out- FLTM
- Cosmic Love- FLTM
- 3 by Mozart
- 1 by Bach
- 1 by Handel

can't even remember their names! :L

leaveiton

I play the drums, myself I don't do grades so I don't know where I'd be in that respect, but I've been playing for 7 years now. Going to do 4 drums and 4 music technology though, just because I think it'll be easier for me to pick up marks that way!

I had planned on doing the following 4 pieces:

1. Tie Your Mother Down - Queen
2. Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder
3. Seven Days - Sting
4. Dance with the Devil - Cozy Powell

But apparently the backing track I had for Seven Days isn't suitable, and I might not be able to do Dance with the Devil either... have to have an emergency meeting with my drum teacher to sort out something new!

JonnyMcNamee

Play guitar.. I never did grades or anything (are there even grades in guitar?:p presumably so) but have played it since I was 9 or 10 so I'm pretty good. Am playin acoustic guitar for the practicals while singing. So far these are ideas I have, just have to narrow them down.. Anyone else with ideas would be really helpful!
1.U.N.I- Ed Sheeran
2.Heartbeats-Jose Gonzalez
3.One of my originals, untitled as of yet!
4.Wonderwall-Oasis
I have all of them learned to a tee but any other suggestions would be very welcome!
Am looking for a higher level A1/A2 also, so I wanna do the business with the practical!:D

ehshup

lcstress2012 wrote: »

So, what's everyone playing for their leaving cert music practical. I play piano and just done my Grade 8 piano exam a few weeks ago and came out with honours. Delighted! Hoping to study music when I finish school. I play all classical music and love the music of beethoven and chopin. For my practical it's 4 pieces and technology(Finale Notepad/Sibelius). I'm playing, as for know: Mozart Sonata K.280 in F Major 3rd Mov. Presto, Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2, and Chopin Waltz Op.18 Grade Valse Brilliante don't know what to pick for the 4th piece but I have loads of time as I learn quickly.
Tell me what instument you play, whats grade, what genre and the pieces you are going to play!

ah, another chopin enthusiast (not so much beethoven tbh) ! i love both of those pieces but i've never had the patience to learn the repeated notes of that waltz, but it sounds amazing - was that on a grade exam or did you just pick it? I haven't done grades in ages, last one was grade three years ago but I kinda gave up on grades because I hated the scales requirements, but I've done a gold medal recital exam which worked out fine , I'm also playing two Chopin pieces:D, but I'm doing six pieces and not the technology, the six being -
1. Erik Satie - Gymnopodie no.1 or Gnossiene no. 3 (a nice one to ease into the exam)
2. Liszt - Consolation no. 3
3. Chopin - Black Keys Etude (op.10 no.5)
4. Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin' - I'm playing an Art Tatum transcription of this I found on the net
5. Debussy - L'isle Joyeuse
6. Chopin - Barcarolle (op. 60)
I've got the first three down fine, Ain't Misbehavin is halfway there in terms of notes - still need to learn to actually play it, I'm about three quarters of the way with both the Debussy and the Barcarolle so not too bad, just need to continue the practice and learning!:)

ChemHickey

Play violin
Done grade 8
Going to be playing 6 pieces, no technology as do it outside school!
1) Schindler's list - John williams
2) Spring 1 - Vivaldi
3) Canon in D - Pachebel
4) Danse espagnole - Kreisler
5) I think it's preludio & allemanda by corelli, not certain
6) Danse macabre - Saint Saens

Just wondering if thats too long or a good enough standard overall? Will the examiner stop you if you play over time? Thats why i left danse macabre til last... it's like 7/8 mmins long! But, still, compared to some of my friends... my choices seem a junior cert standard compared to what they're doing...

checkcheek

its how well you perform them not how difficult the pieces are, so pay attention to articulation and all that

Killian In The Name Of

Gonna be singing! I'm pretty comfortable with it. Only gonna do four practical pieces, since I'm also doing Music Technology. Shalst be singing:

* Bring Him Home - Les Misérables
* Somewhere Over the Rainbow
* Che Faro Senza Euridice - Orfeo ed Euridice

And the last one I'm still stuck on! It needs to be fast paced and modern but I'm totally caught. :eek:

J_E

Don't pick really technically difficult pieces, they're not expecting Grade 8 virtuoso stuff, just something of a reasonable level that you feel confident playing and has good dynamics.

gfgfgf14

ChemHickey wrote: »

Play violin
Done grade 8
Going to be playing 6 pieces, no technology as do it outside school!
1) Schindler's list - John williams
2) Spring 1 - Vivaldi
3) Canon in D - Pachebel
4) Danse espagnole - Kreisler
5) I think it's preludio & allemanda by corelli, not certain
6) Danse macabre - Saint Saens

Just wondering if thats too long or a good enough standard overall? Will the examiner stop you if you play over time? Thats why i left danse macabre til last... it's like 7/8 mmins long! But, still, compared to some of my friends... my choices seem a junior cert standard compared to what they're doing...

Your pieces are cool especially danse macarbe love that piece....

gfgfgf14

Im doing 4 piano and 4 singing....im grade 6 in piano and singing but my pieces are not all like set pieces.My music teacher wants me to show versatility
Piano
1.Andante Cantabile

2.Debussy Le Petit Negre

3.Innisheer
4.Sittin at the dolk of the bay

Singing(some vids are of me today,they aint great abit lazy)
1.Ave Maria Bach/Gounad)

2.Kdyz Mne stara matka

3.Cannonball Damien Rice just me and a piano on the day,i do it a bit differently to this cover

4. Surry with a fringe on the top Oklahoma

I probs look very self indulgent doing this but lol im looking for feedback. Others should do the same.

Killian In The Name Of

gfgfgf14 wrote: »

Im doing 4 piano and 4 singing....im grade 6 in piano and singing but my pieces are not all like set pieces.My music teacher wants me to show versatility
Piano
1.Andante Cantabile

2.Debussy Le Petit Negre

3.Innisheer
4.Sittin at the dolk of the bay

Singing(some vids are of me today,they aint great abit lazy)
1.Ave Maria Bach/Gounad)

2.Kdyz Mne stara matka

3.Cannonball Damien Rice just me and a piano on the day,i do it a bit differently to this cover

4. Surry with a fringe on the top Oklahoma

I probs look very self indulgent doing this but lol im looking for feedback. Others should do the same.

Grade 6... are you trained Classically? (I presume so, seeing several of your pieces. :P)

gfgfgf14

Killian In The Name Of wrote: »

Grade 6... are you trained Classically? (I presume so, seeing several of your pieces. :P)

I guess im trained classically yeah

flyswatter

leaveiton wrote: »

I play the drums, myself I don't do grades so I don't know where I'd be in that respect, but I've been playing for 7 years now. Going to do 4 drums and 4 music technology though, just because I think it'll be easier for me to pick up marks that way!

I had planned on doing the following 4 pieces:

1. Tie Your Mother Down - Queen
2. Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder
3. Seven Days - Sting
4. Dance with the Devil - Cozy Powell

But apparently the backing track I had for Seven Days isn't suitable, and I might not be able to do Dance with the Devil either... have to have an emergency meeting with my drum teacher to sort out something new!

That's a difficult song! Fair play to you if you can play it.

leaveiton

flyswatter wrote: »

That's a difficult song! Fair play to you if you can play it.

Thanks! Yeah I can pretty much do it, I don't do as many fills and stuff when I'm playing it, but I can do all the main parts. So annoyed that my teacher doesn't like it, I'm going to have to argue with her and try to get her to let me play it If she still isn't happy though, I have another track.

taylorconor95

gfgfgf14 wrote: »

Im doing 4 piano and 4 singing....im grade 6 in piano and singing but my pieces are not all like set pieces.My music teacher wants me to show versatility
Piano
1.Andante Cantabile

I'm doing that Mozart piece too probably my best one!

flyswatter

leaveiton wrote: »

Thanks! Yeah I can pretty much do it, I don't do as many fills and stuff when I'm playing it, but I can do all the main parts. So annoyed that my teacher doesn't like it, I'm going to have to argue with her and try to get her to let me play it If she still isn't happy though, I have another track.

Why doesn't she like it? It's an impressive song. The fill just after the 4 minute mark between the sidestick and the hi-hats is insane!

leaveiton

flyswatter wrote: »

Why doesn't she like it? It's an impressive song. The fill just after the 4 minute mark between the sidestick and the hi-hats is insane!

Well apparently it's "Too repetitive." I really don't think she listened to it And she said the backing track might be a problem because there's a metronome on it, but my drum teacher has been giving it to people doing their Leaving for years and it's never been a problem, so I'm arguing my case as soon as we get back!

Defygravity

I'm singing these six:

Don't Explain- Nina Simone
There You'll Be- Faith Hill
Maybe This Time- Cabaret
Your Daddy's Son- Ragtime
Lascia Ch'io Pianga- Handel
An Irish Mother- Percy French

I hope those are okay choices

emc2010

I did grade 8 piano last year, il probably do 6 piano tunes but i only have 3 or 4 so far! if any one has any suggestions that would be great!
I'm doing
1. Clair de Lune- Debussy
2. Maple Leaf rag- Scott Joplin
3. Prelude and Fugue XV- Bach

I'm hoping to do a really modern one, maybe something like prokofiev? and maybe a film theme, but I want like really interesting tunes! any suggestions?

clairey__Ox

Hey lads, I have a quick question maybe some one could answer!
I play classical & Trad flute, and I was wondering if I can do these as one instrument? Like 3 & 3, or 4 pieces on one 2 on the other?
Is this possible or do I have to do 4 & 4? Even my teacher is at a loss!
Cheers

rainbow66666

Im a bass player and im doing 4 songs with backing tracks and music tech (btw im repeating) my pieces are

1.Don't stop me now - Queen (backing track of main vocal and piano)
2.Stone cold bush - Red hot chilli peppers (backing track of just the drums)
3.Helsinki jam - Muse (live) (backing track of just the drums)
4.Minority - Green day (backing track guitar vocals and drums)

I decided to go with a lot of contrasting pieces, nothing too difficult and playing with both my fingers and a pick also using bass fuzz for the helsinki jam.

Can someone tell me if there is a problem with me using those kind of backing tracks?? i'm an external student repeating this in my old secondary school and revising myself.

(edit: wrong queen track)

plumpote

clairey__Ox wrote: »

I play classical & Trad flute, and I was wondering if I can do these as one instrument? Like 3 & 3, or 4 pieces on one 2 on the other?
Is this possible or do I have to do 4 & 4? Even my teacher is at a loss!
Cheers

Classical and trad flute are counted as the same instrument, see here,

http://www.examinations.ie/schools/Info_note_2012.pdf

so do any combination which adds up to 6 pieces

Good luck!

leaveiton

rainbow66666 wrote: »

Can someone tell me if there is a problem with me using those kind of backing tracks?? i'm an external student repeating this in my old secondary school and revising myself.

No problem at all, you just have to ensure there's no bass on the backing tracks. I use the same kind of backing tracks for drums, they're perfectly fine

I got my music teacher to come round to the idea of the song that I originally intended to play, so all is well! :cool:

Luno

I'm only grade 6 violin but I'd like to get a pretty decent grade in the practical, a high B low A would be perfect! Only looking for around a B3 overall.
Not even sure of my actual pieces yet but something along the lines of:
Pie Jesu - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Afterlife - Avenged Sevenfold
Hoe Down - Aaron Copeland
Canon in D - Pachelbel
Air on G - Bach
I've a few Irish pieces thats names I'm not sure of but I've a slow air and jig!
Basically going to pick four of them, probably wont be Hoe Down and Afterlife because Hoe Down could go wrong easily and Afterlife is a bit... Different. :P

ivanh

Hey everyone, I'm doing my music practical too this year but I'm seriously stuck for songs!

I'll be singing and playing the guitar / music technology

I need 4 songs and I only have 1 picked yet (Damien Rice - Cannonball).
My guitar playing is average but my voice is quite good. I'm being marked on my voice.

Anyone have any suggestions at all for other songs? I'd really appreciate some help...

PictureFrame

Finally decided on my Practical, now I need to perfect them in order to get an A1 in Music!

I'm doing Music Technology (Badinerie JS Bach) and 4 Piano

Gigue from Suite in D minor HWV 437- Handel
Etude op 47 no 15- Stephen Heller
Adagio- Baldassare Galuppi
Sonata in E flat Major, K282 second movement, Menuetto I and II- Mozart