More than 200 children take part in string groups at the Music Centre.
Oldham Youth Orchestra plays Lord of the Rings.
Who is it for?
All school children are welcome to audition.
Most new members join the Elementary String Group and progress to other groups as they develop.
New for 2017/2018 - Folk Group.
This class will see the start of the folk music being offered by Oldham Music Centre and welcomes players of all relevant instruments - fiddles, flutes, pipes and keyboards etc.
Where?
Music Centre
The Lyceum Building
Union Street
Oldham, OL1 1QG
Rehearsal times
| Group | Rehearsal time |
|---|---|
| Starter Strings | Tuesday, 4 – 5pm |
| String Workshop | Tuesday, 5 - 6pm |
| Lyceum Strings | Tuesday, 6.30 - 7.30pm |
| Youth Orchestra | Tuesday, 7.45 - 8.45pm |
| Starter String | Wednesday, 5.15 - 6.15pm |
Fees
£61 per term to join one or more Music Centre groups.
Discounts
Get £11 off your fee for each additional child from the same family joining a Music Centre group.
Get 50% off per child if you are eligible for free school meals.
Join
Please complete a registration form.
Contact the Music Service:
- Phone: 0161 770 5660
- Email: musicservice@oldham.gov.uk
Guitar levels
Descriptions of assessment levels for guitar pupils.
Level 1
Pupils should sit and hold the guitar correctly with good posture.
They should be able to play a short tune, on 2 strings with some musicality and good tone production using their fingers.
Pupils should be able to play 3, three string chords and have a basic understanding of notation and/or TAB.
Level 2
Pupils should sit and hold the guitar correctly with good posture.
They should be able to play a more complex tune on 4 strings with musicality and good tone production, using their fingers.
Pupils should be able to play 4, six string chords and have a wider understanding of notation and/or TAB.
Level 3
Pupils should sit and hold the guitar correctly with good posture.
They should be able to play up to 20 bars of music in 4/4 time, using simple 1st position melodies composed of whole, half and quarter notes and their associated rests as well as a range of basic 1st position chords.
They should be able to play the scales and technical exercises, the sight-reading, improvisation and aural exercises appropriate to a pre Grade 1 examination.
Pupils should be comfortable using a pick as well as fingers and be confident reading notation and/or TAB.
Level 4
Pupils hold the guitar correctly with good posture.
They should be able to play up to 32 bars of music using 1st position chords and melodies composed of whole, half, quarter and eighth notes and their associated rests, tied notes and dotted half and quarter notes.
Pupils should be able to include simple legato and staccato styles where appropriate.
They should be able to play the scales and technical exercises, sight reading, improvisation and aural exercises appropriate to Grade 1 examination.
Pupils should be comfortable using pick as well as fingers and be confident reading notation and/or TAB.
Level 5
Pupils hold their guitar correctly with good posture.
Pupils should be acquiring a range of physical and expressive techniques including palm muting and the use of double stops on adjacent strings, simple legato, staccato and slides as well as simple dynamics.
They should be able play to a level allowing them to cope with all the requirements of a Grade 2 examination.
Pupils should be comfortable using a pick and fingers and be confident reading notation and/or TAB.
Level 6
Pupils hold the guitar correctly with good posture.
They are continuing the foundation work from level 5.
They will encounter syncopated eighth and sixteenth notes, strumming as well as developing techniques including fretting hand and whammy bar vibrato, hammer ons and pull offs, slides and simple bends.
Pieces are now much longer and pupils should be developing their own stylistic awareness, including amp settings for each song.
They should be able to cope with all the demands of a grade 3 examination.
Pupils should be comfortable using a pick and fingers and be confident reading notation and/or TAB.
Level 7
Pupils should be acquiring a greater range of physical and expressive techniques including damping, double stopping, legato and staccato, fretting and whammy bar vibrato, hammer ons and pull offs, as well as accents.
They will be experimenting with a greater range of dynamics and continue to develop the ability to play with stylistic authority.
They should be able to cope with the demands of a Grade 4 examination.
Pupils should be comfortable using a pick and fingers and be confident reading notation and/or TAB.
Level 8
Pupils will be confident in a range of physical and expressive techniques.
They will be able to demonstrate their abilities across a number of styles and have control over tone and sound adjustments to suit the playing style of their choice.
They should be able to cope with the demands of a grade 5 examination.
Pupils should be comfortable using a pick and fingers and be confident reading notation and/or TAB.
Strings levels
Descriptions of assessment levels for strings pupils.
Pieces, scales & arpeggios, sight reading and aural requirements relate to those set by the major examining bodies (ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall and the London College of Music).
Level 1
Pupils are shown how to hold the instrument and learn to play on open strings using pizzicato.
Basic notation and note values are introduced and all melodic and rhythmic material is basic and simple.
Level 2 – Preparatory / Initial Level
Pupils are shown how to hold the bow and to bow on the open strings.
The left hand finger pattern is introduced and bowing on all four strings is developed.
The use of basic notation with extended note values.
Only the most common time signatures and key signatures are used.
Simple tetra chord construction of one octave scales commencing on the three lower strings.
Level 3 – Grade 1
The musical material for Level 3 is of an elementary nature.
Basic time signatures and keys are used.
Melodic and rhythmic material is simple.
Sporadic indications of dynamics, articulation and phrasing are introduced.
Scales and arpeggios are limited to the least demanding at this level but create an awareness of key signatures.
Technical accomplishment is a more important element of assessment than is musicality and expectations of musical communication are limited.
Level 4 – Grade 2
The musical material for Level 4 is of an elementary nature.
Basic time signatures and keys are used.
Melodic and rhythmic material is simple.
Indications of dynamics, articulation and phrasing become a more regular feature of the music, and a wider variety of type are employed.
Scales and arpeggios and finger patterns are expanded in number and create a greater understanding of key signature.
Technical accomplishment and a basic underlying musicality are important areas of assessment at this level.
Level 5
Working towards Grade 3.
Level 6 – Grade 3
The musical material selected for Level 6 is of a more demanding nature.
The number of keys and time signatures which may be used is increased.
Melodic and rhythmic material is more complex.
Indications of dynamics, articulation, phrasing and ornamentation will be a more regular feature of the music, and a wider variety of type will be used.
The repertoire of scales and arpeggios is expanded in number, and includes more taxing examples, including those using different positions.
Musicality and aural awareness become increasingly important elements of assessment in relation to technical accomplishment, and expectations of communication are higher.
Level 7
Working towards Grade 4.
Level 8 – Grade 4
The musical material selected for Level 8 is of a more demanding nature.
The number of keys and time signatures which may be used is increased.
Melodic and rhythmic material is more complex.
Indications of dynamics, articulation, phrasing and ornamentation will be a more regular feature of the music, and a wider variety of type will be used.
The repertoire of scales and arpeggios is expanded in number, and includes more taxing examples, including those using different positions.
Musicality and aural awareness become increasingly important elements of assessment in relation to technical accomplishment, and expectations of communication are higher.
Beyond Level 8
Descriptors set by the major examining bodies (ABRSM, Trinity Guildhall & London College) for grades 5, 6, 7, 8, & 8+ are to be used.