AMEB Information Day
Tuesday 20 January 2015
The AMEB practical examination process
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AMEB examiners assess each candidate’s level of achievement of the relevant
objectives, and then assign a grading to that level of achievement
The AMEB grading descriptors describe what each grade ‘looks like’
Preparing for AMEB Clarinet exams
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individual syllabuses are available for downloading from the Federal AMEB website
for $9.95 each, and combined Woodwind syllabuses for $14.95
assist each student to develop a practice routine that works for them
use music diary/notebook
all clarinetists, including beginners, should always have several ‘played in’ reeds
ensure posture and hand/finger placement are appropriate
Technical Work
 listen to sustained notes/sustained scales every lesson
 make sure students know letter names and fingerings of each note they learn,
particularly high register notes, and notes above and below the staff – I check this
regularly with Level 1 students
 use chromatic alternative fingerings where appropriate – eg F to F sharp, A sharp to
B natural etc
 test Technical Work regularly and often, and select scales and arpeggios and
articulations randomly
o students ask someone at home to randomly test their Technical Work
 ensure that all articulation patterns are learned accurately
o pay particular attention to the ‘turn-around’, and differentiate between 2
octave and 3 octave technical work
o 3 octave technical work – practice the top octave ascending and descending,
often, accurately, slowly, in tune, with good tone and pitch, and with different
articulations
 practise octaves (4 Es, 4 Fs etc)
o technical work is written out in groups of 4 semiquavers in the Technical
Work book - ‘think’ arpeggios in groups of 4 notes rather than 3 notes when
applying articulation patterns
o I encourage my Level 1 students to learn technical work without reading from
the AMEB Technical Work book – in Level 2 exams they can use the
Technical Work book as a reference if necessary
 I ask my students to ‘spell’ one octave ascending and then
descending of each scale and arpeggio, away from their instrument
 I test my students to ensure that they know the letter name of the note
they are playing, and where it is placed on the staff
 articulate clearly and accurately – touch the tip of the reed with the tip of the tongue.
 differentiate between ‘tongued’ and ‘staccato’
 play each scale and arpeggio at the required tempo and in one breath
 join the registers together smoothly – maintain consistent air supply, and ‘breathe
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through’ each note
play all Technical Work accurately, confidently, musically, with enjoyment and with
a sense of melodic shape and phrasing – aim to get full marks for this section!
List A
 know what the purpose/focus of the Study is – eg articulation/rhythmic patterns/
dynamics contrasts
 know its structure
 play the Study accurately, musically, expressively and confidently
 mark breathing in the score (and observe the breath marks during performance…)
Other List pieces
 mark breathing in the score
 know how to tune to the piano
 know where to place the music stand, and ensure it is at the right height
 if using recorded accompaniment – ensure volume is appropriate
 know how to ‘lead’ – eg. start, stop, slow down, indicate a pause etc
 rehearse with accompanist often, and with clarinet teacher present on occasions
 know the structure, style, intent, title of each piece – know how each piece ‘works’
 perform to an audience as often as possible
 actively engage the listener in each performance
 perform confidently, accurately, expressively with a wide range of dynamic
contrasts, and with a sense of purpose and enjoyment
Chamber music/Orchestral Excerpts
 listen to performances of the full work – YouTube, recordings, live performances
 ensure tempi are correct
 observe all marks in the score – eg. articulation, dynamics, accents etc
Section III – Aural Tests, Sight reading/Transposition, General Knowledge
Aural Tests
 Practise these regularly and often – resources include:
o AMEB CDs and book “Aural Tests, an essential handbook”
o iPad App “Auralbook for AMEB Grade 1-8”
 Boys – decide whether they prefer to hear singing tests ‘high’ or ‘low’, and then
decide whether they sing back ‘high’ or ‘low’ – they need to practise doing this, and
be comfortable with their choice
Sightreading
 confident sight reading skills are essential for learning new repertoire
 practise sight reading regularly and often
 practise sightreading easy pieces at first – I write short exercises using notes which
the students have learnt:
o read/think/count through the entire piece before attempting to play it
o observe the key signature
o observe the time signature
o look for patterns, repeated sections
o look for challenging passages and be ready for them – eg where there are
accidentals, big intervals, triplets, semiquavers, unfamiliar notes (eg G flat
rather then F sharp)
o decide how fast (slow?) to play before commencing
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o does the piece begin with an anacrusis, or does it begin on the first beat of
the bar?
o think ‘a bar for nothing’ before starting to play
o count all the way through while playing
o look ahead to see what’s coming
o Don’t stop or correct mistakes – keep going to the end!
o Resource: AMEB publication “Clarinet Sight Reading and Transposition”
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Transposition
o practise this regularly and often
o practise transposing very simple phrases in appropriate keys at first:
eg. transpose up a tone from Fmajor to G major, C major to D major, B flat
major to C major: down a semitone from E major to E flat major
know what key the piece is in, and what key it is going into
o play slowly
General Knowledge
 Don’t leave this until the last moment!
 Know the structure and style, and what the title means of every piece performed
this information is essential for the performer as prepare their performance
 Look up words, titles etc and write this information in a notebook
 Refer to the AMEB Clarinet Handbooks for Grades 1 to 4
Useful links
 http://ameb.edu.au
 http://midnightmusic.com.au
Music Technology for Music Teachers
Fun apps for iPad
 GarageBand ($6.49)
 Staff Wars ($0.99)
Free (cross platform) software for recording and editing audio files
 http://audacity.sourceforge.net
Anna Lester (clarinet teacher, AMEB examiner)
Tuning to the piano
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“Am I sharp, flat, in tune or not sure – and what do I do?”
With the clarinet warmed up, tune to concert A, (‘middle line’ clarinet B) not concert
B flat; it is the traditional tuning note, and in my experience, provides a more accurate
tuning indicator for the clarinet than does concert B flat, (clarinet C) to which concert bands
will tune, and which tends to be slightly sharp on the clarinet.
The pianist then plays concert A for 2-3 seconds, then the clarinettist plays ‘clarinet B’ for
2-3 seconds, listening for whether they are higher than, lower than, or the same as the
piano. Repeat this two or three times until, with the teacher’s assistance, the student
begins to learn “what to listen for” in order to work out whether or not they are “the same
as” the piano.
Then check concert F (against the ‘open G’ on the clarinet). This note is invariably sharp
on the clarinet (as are the other ‘throat’ notes) If the ‘open G’ is only slightly sharp, and the
tuning B sounds fine, then probably no adjustment of the tuning barrel will be necessary,
but the clarinettist will need to remember to flatten these ‘throat notes’ as they play. If both
notes sound noticeably sharp (as will happen as the weather becomes warmer, and/or if
the piano has not been tuned recently) then the tuning barrel will need to be pulled out 23mm and the tuning of both notes checked again. In winter, clarinets tend to be quite flat,
and investment in a short barrel may need to be considered.
If the barrel needs to be pulled out further than 2-3mm, the ‘open G’ will sound distorted,
so consider pulling out the barrel only 1-2mm, but in addition, separating the top and
bottom joints of the instrument by 1-2mm. Make sure the sections of clarinet are still
properly lined up, and then check tuning of both notes again.
Anna Lester (clarinet teacher, AMEB examiner)
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