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Piano Exams: Are You Ready?

Piano students have various outlets for music performance and growth in technique and theory. One of these outlets are piano exams. Perhaps it is something you are considering or maybe you have one already scheduled with a music board.

Date : 26/08/2021

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Faith

Uploaded by : Faith
Uploaded on : 26/08/2021
Subject : Piano

Piano students have various outlets for music performance and growth in technique and theory. One of these outlets are piano exams. Perhaps it is something you are considering or maybe you have one already scheduled with a music board.

Booking an ExamPiano boards have exam books available for students to work on in a set period of time (for example, 2018-2020). The syllabus outlines what students will be expected to learn during preparation. The breakdown of markings is standardised and quite objective. I would recommend booking a piano exam once a few of the pieces and scales for a particular grade are already underway. I also suggest choosing a grade that you feel is slightly under your playing ability. Nerves are a factor during exams and it is better to choose pieces that you feel confident about.

Piano PiecesTry to choose pieces that highlight your ability. If you are very good at scales and technique, perhaps choose a Baroque piece. But if you feel that your strength lies in voicing, pieces like Mendelssohn’s Venetian Boat Songs might suit better. Play accurate notes from the start, whether you are playing hands separately or hands together. It is much more profitable to have a musical piece sound a bit “unimpressive” at the beginning stages than to rush through it during practice sessions. If practice during the week is careful, the tempo (speed) of a piece will gradually increase as a matter of course for fast-paced songs. Set a goal to have your pieces “performance-ready” by the closing date of an exam, about a month beforehand.

“Performance-Ready”Piano examiners will be listening to many, many students. Often they will hear the same pieces played over and over again. Make it a goal to make your performance memorable. Think of when you go to a live musical performance. If the musician played a piece in a “choppy” manner that wouldn’t sound very pleasing. Even though it is small, remember that you do have an “audience” during your exam. As you practice, also think of your posture. Add “flair” to your pieces. Rather than simply playing the notes, consider the dynamics and specific character of your pieces. It can help to take a video of yourself playing and listen back, but also make an effort to listen and evaluate your own playing as you practice, too.

Piano Pieces aren’t the Only Things MarkedWhile piano pieces themselves are worth a certain number of marks, they are not the only things that examiners will be judging. Scales are evaluated and it is well worth it to learn them throughout exam preparation rather than trying to cram them in at the last minute. That doesn’t work well! Also, theory and sight-reading points all add up. See if you can name all the markings on your pieces such as “ritardando” or “crescendo” and if you’re not sure of something, learn it’s name and use. Learn what a key signature is and be sure to know what key signature your pieces are in. Also, when you are practicing sight-reading, get into the habit of looking at the key signature before playing your first note. Apart from making a difference in the marks, if you know theory and technique well it will make you more well-rounded as a musician and better able to understand the “make-up” of your pieces.

While exams can be a helpful way of using your skills and encouraging you to grow in musical knowledge and ability, it can sometimes be daunting to think about those few moments in time that it takes months to prepare for. Rather than focusing on that short interview with examiners, focus on quality and regular practice. & Think of exams as a help, a launching pad that allows you to play and enjoy more pieces in the future.

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