Music Leaving cert HELP!!

Robynne

Hey everyone
Ok I know Ive left it sooo late .. But can someone please help me? Advice? Tips? The course????
I picked up music this year and my teacher said that it was very doable because Im strong on the practical side of things... and It went amazingly , I was so happy with it so at least that 50% of the exam out of the way ...
But the written part is coming up , and the teacher just kind of left me hanging, Ive been doing my best but maybe if someone gave a guideline of what ye are learning/have done for the exam on the 20th?
Dont judge me, hahah I know Im leaving it late but the teacher left me with nothing, I thought I could manage it but I guess Im just panicing now!
Thank you

Acciaccatura

Have you covered Bach, Barry, Queen and Tchaikovsky? Has your teacher covered the composing paper with you? If not you're not in a good position at all

Robynne

Yeah He kinda just ran through the set works, Ive been listening to them non stop... No, havent gone through anything! Its ridiculous!

Acciaccatura

Oh, God, now is the time to worry. Right, I don't have my book with me at the minute, but here's a basic outline:

Bach: Know the sections, be able to tell them apart and what order they're in, and what voices and instruments sing where. Know what ritornello, ground bass, Tierce de Picardie, melismatic and syllabic word settings mean.

Queen: Know recording techniques, the instrumentation, the chord progressions. This is a relatively easy one.

Barry: Be able to tell all the sections apart and know what section comes next (it helps if you have some kind of storyline to it all because it's virtually impossible). Know his compositional techniques like retrograde, inversion, canon. Know instrmentation

Tchaikovsky: Not too hot on this one, know the instrumentation, rhythmic features....em, I'll post on this again when I get my book :P

Irish music: Know the difference between a reel, jig and hornpipe. Be able to tell instruments apart and know features of sean-nós singing. There's a 10 mark question at the end where you write a short essay about something like the harping tradition (I'd say this will come up), they give you 4 options

Composing paper: This is the real stickler for you. What instrument do you play?

Robynne

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!! My teacher was useless! Encouraging me to do the subject saying he'd help and then once the practical was over no help at all! But I can't just blame him, I was stupid enough to think I could take it on as well!
But thank you!
I play guitar

Acciaccatura

You weren't stupid to take it on, but the teacher was wrong to advise you to take it on if he/she wasn't going to help you! The best thing for you at this stage is to practice the exam papers (don't forget the aural skills question that you don't study for). Can you read treble and bass clef?

Robynne

No I cant When he said it to me, He said that if I did the practical, and one of the papers thats 75% done, that if Im not good with composing it wouldnt be so bad

Acciaccatura

Your teacher has advised you to walk into a music composing exam without even the treble clef under your belt?! :eek: Now that's bad form, you may as well not show up for that paper, that's 25% automatically gone. Not only that, but there's parts of the listening paper where you've to fill in a bar of a score of your set works AND the aural skills, just by listening! I don't mean to scare you, but that's the reality I would phone your teacher and make him do classes with you to teach you the basics of music and harmony before the 20th!

andrew369

I am in a very similar position where my music teacher for an instrument has left me high and dry for the rest of the paper. He said he knew the course layout but upon getting the exam papers he was clueless and useless in regard to the course. I am grade 5 theory so hopefully will be ok for the composing, but the listening will be a disaster. I am getting a friend in a school who does music to print off some notes to try cram like mad in that week or so gap before the music exam, hopefully will be enough time. People have to be really careful taking music as an extra subject as it seems like a lot of music teachers outside schools are incredibly incompetent.

Robynne

Acciaccatura wrote: »

Your teacher has advised you to walk into a music composing exam without even the treble clef under your belt?! :eek: Now that's bad form, you may as well not show up for that paper, that's 25% automatically gone. Not only that, but there's parts of the listening paper where you've to fill in a bar of a score of your set works AND the aural skills, just by listening! I don't mean to scare you, but that's the reality I would phone your teacher and make him do classes with you to teach you the basics of music and harmony before the 20th!

No no you're fine like, you're being honest and helpful! I understand Im screwed!
So dont worry about scaring me haha, Im past that! I learn music by ear so hopefully that will just pull me though the listening paper... Ive no contact number, I could try but he's useless! There is really no point.. and the problem is, is that he is just soooo nice but he shouldnt be allowed teach!

Robynne

andrew369 wrote: »

I am in a very similar position where my music teacher for an instrument has left me high and dry for the rest of the paper. He said he knew the course layout but upon getting the exam papers he was clueless and useless in regard to the course. I am grade 5 theory so hopefully will be ok for the composing, but the listening will be a disaster. I am getting a friend in a school who does music to print off some notes to try cram like mad in that week or so gap before the music exam, hopefully will be enough time. People have to be really careful taking music as an extra subject as it seems like a lot of music teachers outside schools are incredibly incompetent.

Really??? Well Im sorry to hear That is my plan as well, to focus on it sooo much for that week!

andrew369

Thanks but it is my own fault for not acting on it sooner. Do you have the exam papers? I am pretty much just going to crawl through them all to try get some idea of it all, even if I have to look up every answer online. :P

Robynne

andrew369 wrote: »

Thanks but it is my own fault for not acting on it sooner. Do you have the exam papers? I am pretty much just going to crawl through them all to try get some idea of it all, even if I have to look up every answer online. :P

Its ok Oh I know, Im the same , I should have as well but I thought it would be fine and now suddenly we're here! I dont, but they're all on examinations.ie I look at the marking schemes to see what the questions are even on about haha! Im confused about the timetable... Do we have to sit three exams on the 20th or what ?

andrew369

No that listening elective one is only if you didn't do the extended practical, which I think nearly everyone takes. So you would only have the listening from 1.30 - 3.00, and then the composition 3.15 - 4.45. Are you the only person taking music as an extra? I am in my school and I am not looking forward to an exam centre by myself lol.

Robynne

andrew369 wrote: »

No that listening elective one is only if you didn't do the extended practical, which I think nearly everyone takes. So you would only have the listening from 1.30 - 3.00, and then the composition 3.15 - 4.45. Are you the only person taking music as an extra? I am in my school and I am not looking forward to an exam centre by myself lol.

Oh yeah I was trying to figure that out ? I was confused because there were two listenings and I was afraid Id turn up to the wrong one hahah!
So my practical was worth 50% so thats the extended one right?
No there is three of us thank god! Ill be thinking of you when you're alone battling through this exam hahah!

andrew369

Yep the extended one for 50% also known as the easiest marks in the entire leaving cert. :P lol thanks I will need some luck for it just glad I am only after arts next year, looking at most of the people on this site who need near close to As in everything, tis crazy. What songs did you do for the practical?

Robynne

andrew369 wrote: »

Yep the extended one for 50% also known as the easiest marks in the entire leaving cert. :P lol thanks I will need some luck for it just glad I am only after arts next year, looking at most of the people on this site who need near close to As in everything, tis crazy. What songs did you do for the practical?

Yeah I can agree with that haha Oh Im the exact same! Seriously?? Im going for arts too!! Where are you hoping to go ??
I know yeah! Id love to get at least one A, I would cry tears of joy haha, but it wont happen! Ive left all my studying to now! hahah
I sang four with my school choir: Fields of Gold, Plaisir D'amour, California Dreamin' and In the Bleak Mid Winter
Then I did four solo: When I was your Man by Bruno Mars(My friend played piano) , Ben by Michael Jackson(Friend on Piano again), Somebody I used to Know by Gotye(My brother and friend on guitar) and more than words by extreme as a duet with my friend playing guitar what did you do ?

andrew369

Ah awesome I am hoping for Maynooth, arts at 370, and failing that politics at 350, have english and philosophy in UCD for the same points I think, how about you? And cool songs I went for wet sand by red hot chili peppers, sweet child of mine by guns and roses, whats going on by marving gaye, fluorescent adolescent by arctic monkeys, dont stop me now by queen and red barchetta by rush, it was really hard to find good songs as a solo bass player lol.

Robynne

andrew369 wrote: »

Ah awesome I am hoping for Maynooth, arts at 370, and failing that politics at 350, have english and philosophy in UCD for the same points I think, how about you? And cool songs I went for wet sand by red hot chili peppers, sweet child of mine by guns and roses, whats going on by marving gaye, fluorescent adolescent by arctic monkeys, dont stop me now by queen and red barchetta by rush, it was really hard to find good songs as a solo bass player lol.

Oh coool Hope you get it ! Im hoping for UCC it was 335 last year, and thats exactly what I got in my pres with no study so hopefully I can get better I want to do English as well Oh fab, great songs!! So did you do music tech as well ?

andrew369

Thanks hope you get it too so jealous of those points lol I barely studied for my mocks and got nearly the points I wanted and that was without music so I am hopeful enough. English would be so cool in college, just worried about the difference in how you work in college, essay and dissertion wise. No I left out the tech, was easier to just do 6 songs on bass since I have been playing for 6 years. Was thinking of doing 4 bass and 4 guitar but would have been a bit stressful with that many pieces.

Robynne

andrew369 wrote: »

Thanks hope you get it too so jealous of those points lol I barely studied for my mocks and got nearly the points I wanted and that was without music so I am hopeful enough. English would be so cool in college, just worried about the difference in how you work in college, essay and dissertion wise. No I left out the tech, was easier to just do 6 songs on bass since I have been playing for 6 years. Was thinking of doing 4 bass and 4 guitar but would have been a bit stressful with that many pieces.

Thank you I know! I don't know how they've gone so low! Oh well done Yeah I didn't do a music pre either so now that I've that we'll see how it goes Yeah it would, although extremely hard, but that expected Ohhh right ok ! Yeah 8 songs was hard going alright! But I got by

Hello 1996

Hello!
Im just wondering has anyone done Music for the Leaving cert? Im just finished TY and I was thinking of keeping these subjects on but any advice would be greatly appreciated

ChemHickey

Hello 1996 wrote: »

Hello!
Im just wondering has anyone done Music for the Leaving cert? Im just finished TY and I was thinking of keeping these subjects on but any advice would be greatly appreciated

I did Music for LC 2012 outside of school. I don't know what way teachers in schools approach the exam but I loved the whole course and paper. If you are strong at the practical side it is very handy points as well. If you can, get ahead on theory and harmony/compositions and show an interest in the subject (look up musical terms you come across and hear, listen to Lyric FM, listen to different genres of music).

It's well doable and reaps good rewards if you are diligent and have some flair for the subject! I really enjoyed it, especially the composing paper

Hello 1996

ChemHickey wrote: »

I did Music for LC 2012 outside of school. I don't know what way teachers in schools approach the exam but I loved the whole course and paper. If you are strong at the practical side it is very handy points as well. If you can, get ahead on theory and harmony/compositions and show an interest in the subject (look up musical terms you come across and hear, listen to Lyric FM, listen to different genres of music).

It's well doable and reaps good rewards if you are diligent and have some flair for the subject! I really enjoyed it, especially the composing paper

Thanks a million Is it a hard subject to get an A or high B in?

Monsieur Folie

I've always found it to be a hard A but one of the handiest B's you can get. An A is definitely achievable though, if you like the subject and devote some time to it.

ChemHickey

Hello 1996 wrote: »

Thanks a million Is it a hard subject to get an A or high B in?

Monsieur Folie wrote: »

I've always found it to be a hard A but one of the handiest B's you can get. An A is definitely achievable though, if you like the subject and devote some time to it.

+1 to what Monsieur Folie said.

For the A you'll need to do a very good practical. You have to work quite hard at the composing and listening sections too because a lot of people disregard their importance. If you get on top of your work from 5th year though, and depending on how strong your practical performance is, an A should be well achievable.

Hello 1996

Monsieur Folie wrote: »

I've always found it to be a hard A but one of the handiest B's you can get. An A is definitely achievable though, if you like the subject and devote some time to it.

Thanks so much for all the advice Is it a big step up from Junior cert music? I play the guitar and Im on grade 7 in the piano-will that help with some of the classroom work?

Hello 1996

ChemHickey wrote: »

+1 to what Monsieur Folie said.

For the A you'll need to do a very good practical. You have to work quite hard at the composing and listening sections too because a lot of people disregard their importance. If you get on top of your work from 5th year though, and depending on how strong your practical performance is, an A should be well achievable.

Thanks a mil Id love to get an A or high B-prob wont happen though! :P Is the standard for practicals very high?

ChemHickey

Hello 1996 wrote: »

Thanks a mil Id love to get an A or high B-prob wont happen though! :P Is the standard for practicals very high?

No, don't forget the practical is worth 50%!

It's quite high yes. Grade 7 on the piano would be great though! It's more about how you play your pieces and making as few mistakes as possible than the difficulty. But don't forget, you will be going against people who have been playing all their life, NYOI members and such so you have to prepare yourself for the practical and really do the best you can. I'm not sure about the A2 rate but ~200 people (I think it was 198 or so) got an A1 last year in the whole of Ireland, which was 75% girls and 25% boys. The A1 rate fell a bit last year but the A2 and B1 rate are still quite high so anything is achievable so long as you keep working at it

Hello 1996

ChemHickey wrote: »

No, don't forget the practical is worth 50%!

It's quite high yes. Grade 7 on the piano would be great though! It's more about how you play your pieces and making as few mistakes as possible than the difficulty. But don't forget, you will be going against people who have been playing all their life, NYOI members and such so you have to prepare yourself for the practical and really do the best you can. I'm not sure about the A2 rate but ~200 people (I think it was 198 or so) got an A1 last year in the whole of Ireland, which was 75% girls and 25% boys. The A1 rate fell a bit last year but the A2 and B1 rate are still quite high so anything is achievable so long as you keep working at it

oh god only 198 people! Thats fair low At least theres a high enough B grade percentage Thanks a million for this!

JoshMeakin

Don't worry yourself too much, there's plenty of people in the same position. I started music theory just in march but i think ive got the hang of it. I honestly feel you can get through the listening with a bit of musical common sense, won't be a fantastic grade but it'll do. The one thing you cannot bull**** is the composition. There are two sections on the composition and you must do one from each section, a melody and a harmony, just practise the "continue the given melody" and "complete the composition giving chords and bass line to the given melody." I consider these the easiest but obviously its opinion.. practise them both in major and minor, learn basic chord patterns. learn how to read time signatures and the key signature.. throw in modulation and cadence etc if you have time which are basically just fancy order of chords you choose... Do the best you can but dont worry yourself too much, the best you can do is all you can do sure. Goodluck!