Huntingdonshire Music School Association - Abrsm

From the ABRSM:

Minor changes made to ABRSM aural tests

24 June 2010

The aural tests that are part of all practical ABRSM graded music exams will be slightly altered from 2011.

There will be one different test at Grade 1, and a small number of minor modifications across the grades that streamline the requirements following feedback from teachers and examiners.

Examples of the new tests will be made available online, and new support materials for teachers and candidates will be published from July 2010. ABRSM exams taken in 2010 will continue to use the existing aural tests, and the revised tests come into use on 1 January 2011.

Reviewing the tests
The aural tests syllabus has been reviewed in detail, with a small number of areas identified for revision to allow the tests to run more smoothly and become more approachable for the candidate.

The test descriptions and examiner rubrics (the form of words used in the exam) have been re-evaluated to make sure that they are as clear and unambiguous as possible. Particular attention has been given to making the rubrics as clear as possible for candidates whose first language is not English.

The new 1C Test
At Grade 1, it was felt that a slightly different 1C Test would provide a better starting point and more even progression to Grades 2 and 3. At present, candidates are asked to identify a change in the rhythm of a two-bar phrase. The experience of our examiners, combined with feedback received from teachers, is that identifying the change is problematic for a proportion of candidates, particularly the very young, even when they have clearly heard the difference.

From 2011, the 1C Test will ask candidates to simply identify whether a change of pitch affecting one note occurs near the beginning or near the end of a two-bar phrase. This is a more approachable way of assessing the aural skill, and provides a better step towards similar tests at Grades 2 and 3. A practice set of new 1C Tests can be found online at http://www.abrsm.org/aural.

Other minor modifications
There are a few further minor modifications that will have relatively little or no noticeable impact on candidates, as they simply streamline the requirements. These small changes to Tests 4C, 5C(i), 6C, 6D(i), 7C(ii), 7D(i), 8A(iii) and 8C are listed online at http://www.abrsm.org/aural.

Support material for teachers and students
Five volumes of Specimen Aural Tests will be published in July 2010. These resources cover all eight grades, and include a wide range of tests, syllabus descriptions of each activity and answers to tests (where appropriate). They will also feature the examiner rubrics, allowing teachers and students to prepare thoroughly for the exam experience.

Each volume will be available with or without CD recordings of all tests, which are designed for use in lessons and for students to use for personal practice at home.

To coincide with the publication of Specimen Aural Tests, a single set of mock tests for each grade will be made available as free audio downloads at http://www.abrsm.org/mockauraltests from July 2010. This resource is intended to provide practical introductory support by mirroring how a student would encounter the tests in their ABRSM exam.

In January 2011, three volumes of Aural Training in Practice will be published, with entirely new text and musical examples. These will include an ‘overview’ that sets out the educational and musical purpose of each test; a summary of the requirements for each grade; teaching hints and strategies for each test; and a set of practice exercises with answers to enable students to gain confidence with the activities.

Ref: http://www.abrsm.org/?page=press/pressReleases/item.html&id=643

There is also an ABRSM podcast that you can listen to which provides more information.

Listen to a podcast of the new Cello, Double Bass, Trumpet, Trombone and Bass Trombone requirements for 2010 - 14:23 minutes

From the ABRSM web site:

Syllabus Update for 2010

Nigel Scaife, Syllabus Director, looks ahead to the new syllabuses for 2010 being prepared for release later in the year.

Whereas last year we had the major reviews of the syllabuses for piano, guitar and singing, this year there are no reviews of scales or sight-reading, but we are refreshing the repertoire lists for five subjects: cello, double bass, trumpet, trombone and bass trombone.

Alongside this, we will be supporting the syllabuses with a range of exciting new publications and recordings. So let me take each subject area in turn.

• Cello
• Double Bass
• Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn
• Trombone

Cello

The cello syllabus repertoire was last refreshed in 2005, when we were able to draw particularly on the experience of cello teachers via the European String Teachers Association, and much of their expertise and advice has fed through into this new syllabus. This time round, we are delighted that to complement the syllabus, ABRSM will not only be producing CD recordings for all grades, but will also be supplementing the three existing volumes of Time Pieces for Cello by a further two books in the series.
These new books extend from Grade 1 right up to Grade 7, and will offer a rich choice of extra repertoire for candidates taking the new cello exams.

Double Bass

In late 2007 we conducted a pilot project involving literally hundreds of double bass teachers in the UK and covering a variety of topics from repertoire suggestions to new approaches to scales. We wanted to know, for example, the extent to which teachers valued having the choice of different groups of scales and gain a sense of the percentage of those using half position at the early stages. While the participants’ responses relating to scales will be fed into the global review of all bowed strings that we have recently begun (more in future Librettos!), the feedback on the current double bass syllabus and the many suggestions for new or little-known repertoire were much appreciated by the team choosing the new pieces. So, many thanks to everyone who took part in the pilot, and watch out for the new syllabus to see which of your recommendations have been incorporated.

ABRSM is extending the popular Time Pieces series – available already for 14 instruments – to embrace double bass. There will be two books, the first of which will provide material for Grades 1–3, with the second volume covering Grades 4 and 5. These will be an important asset for bass teachers and their pupils, providing attractive repertoire drawn from the widest possible range of historical and stylistic sources.
The revision of the cello and double-bass lists completes the refreshment of repertoire lists for bowed strings, following the new violin and viola lists that were issued for 2008.

Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn

Although the new lists have yet to undergo their final round of moderation, we can reveal at this stage that one of the most noticeable improvements in the new lists will be a more varied content in the List Bs. While a good number of jazz-style pieces will be retained, they will now be complemented in the List Bs by a wider representation of significant repertoire pieces from the late 19th and 20th centuries – repertoire we hope candidates will really enjoy getting to know.

Another important development reflects the fact that a significant percentage of candidates currently entering for this syllabus take the exam on the cornet, so our selectors have been busily looking to increase the number of pieces specifically written for the instrument. Although candidate numbers are smaller for flugelhorn, the selectors have also been eager to boost the number of particularly suitable exam pieces for this wonderful instrument as well.
And finally, it is our aim that the new syllabus will contain a larger number of choices in each list, more in line with the size of the current flute and clarinet syllabuses, for example. This will mean that trumpet teachers can be even more empowered to match the repertoire to the particular needs of each student, finding just the right material to challenge and motivate their learners, at whatever stage they are at. Recordings of the new trumpet syllabus will be released by the end of 2009.

Trombone and Bass Trombone

As with the new trumpet lists, it is our aim that the eventual number of pieces in the new trombone lists will be larger than the current syllabus, offering candidates and teachers a richer selection to choose from. The lists were last refreshed in 2002 and this time we are also taking the opportunity to revise the repertoire lists for bass trombone, which have not been updated for many years. The grades of this syllabus will remain as before – that is for Grades 6–8 only.

The ABRSM provides a complete list of syllabuses on its site and advice on the overlap periods between the old and new syllabuses.

PS It seems the plural of syllabus can be either syllabuses or syllabi.

In addition to the practical examinations (Grade 1 to Grade 8 .. and beyond for diplomas) the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music also provides graded music theory examinations. In order to progress to Grade 6 and beyond on an instrument you need to have first passed at least Grade 5 theory. At the Huntingdonshire Music School we run theory classes at all grades and past theory papers are useful in getting students ready to take the examination (at the end of the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms). Up to now we’ve relied on teachers marking papers to provide an indication of progress and providing help. It looks as though some additional help is to be provided from the ABRSM by providing specimen (model) answers to papers.

From the ABRSM:

NEW Theory Model Answers

Each January, ABRSM Publishing produces volumes of the theory papers used in the previous year’s Associated Board theory of music exams at grades 1 to 8.

In January 2007, theory of music exam papers from 2006 will be published, four papers per grade at grades 1 to 8, offering excellent practice material for exam candidates.

Due to customer demand, Answer Books will be available for the first time. The answer books will be published in January 2007 and correspond to the 2006 exam papers at grades 1 to 5.

The model answers given in these books provide a list of answers where appropriate, and for questions where the answer can be expressed in a variety of ways, a selection of likely options is given; for questions where a composition-style answer is required, a single exemplar is given.

Theory Papers and Model Answers offer a helpful and practical resource for students and teachers preparing for Associated Board theory of music exams.

Further information from:

Debbie Butler
ABRSM Publishing
24 Portland Place
London W1B 1LU
tel: +44 (0)20 7467 8272
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
www.abrsmpublishing.com