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Topic: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?  (Read 18744 times)

Offline bonstance

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ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
on: November 21, 2012, 09:51:01 PM
I had my piano exam yesterday. I did so bad brcause i got so nervious and my trembled for part of the exam. First and third piece I messed up on a few bars so I had to pick up from somewhere but second one has a few minor mistakes in. On the first piece I missed a few dynamic changes. For most of the scales I started on the wrong 2 notes and had to restart. Sight reading was alright aural was not too good.

So hard hard is it to pass? To the experiences ones out there, do you think I stand a chance of passing?

Offline sucom

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #1 on: November 21, 2012, 11:55:46 PM
Hi
I'm sorry to hear that you were so nervous during your exam.  Two possibilities come to mind here.  Did your nerves get the better of you because you felt that you were perhaps slightly unprepared for the exam?  Do you wish you could have had more time to prepare the pieces?  Sometimes this can cause a really bad case of nerves. 

There is also the possibility that you simply suffered badly from nerves despite excellent preparation for the exam.

The reason I mention these two possibilities is because it can make a difference to your overall mark.  If the examiner felt that your nerves were due to a lack of preparation, he or she may mark you down for it.  If on the other hand, you played well overall, with mistakes obviously caused by nerves alone, then you may not be marked down for it.  For instance, even though you started your scales on a wrong note, were the scales smooth and even?  What kind of minor mistakes did you make in your second piece? 

Only you will know how well prepared you were.  If you honestly believe you WERE well prepared, then the chances are you will do ok.  But if you have any nagging thoughts that you perhaps could have improved on your performance by extra practice, there's a possibility you won't pass.

But don't take my word for it - these are just initial thoughts.  Good luck!!  And try not to let this particular exam experience put you off taking any more.  ;)

Offline bonstance

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #2 on: November 22, 2012, 05:55:32 PM
Hi Sucom,

Thanks for your thoughts I really apreshate it. I did practice 3 hours for 5 days leading up to the exam and 1 hours for the past 2 months so I think I dis a lot of preperation. I also had about 6 extra lesson on the weeks leading up to the exam. I did try very hard or to get nervious but that didn't work.

How many marks are taken off if I stop and have to pick up in my pieces?

Offline sucom

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #3 on: November 22, 2012, 07:54:29 PM
Hi :)

Information about the criteria for marking can be found in the booklet 'These Music Exams'.  Here is the link:  https://www.abrsm.org/resources/theseMusicExams0607.pdf

Mark assessment can be found on page 39

Offline bonstance

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #4 on: November 22, 2012, 10:02:43 PM
Hi,


Thanks again for your help. :)

Offline timbo178

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #5 on: November 22, 2012, 11:35:36 PM
Hi Bonstance, bad luck about the nerves. Sounds like you worked pretty damned hard for it! From the examiner's point of view, pieces played with flow and without the interruption of stopping is better of course. I don't think the examiner cares TOO much if you stop and have to pick it back up, as long as you are able to pick it back up. Examiners are well aware that people rarely perform as well as they normally do when they're nervous.

Whatever the outcome, don't be discouraged. One of the ways to overcome nervousness is to perform in situations that make you nervous, which include exams. I honestly believe that the fact you did the exam is more important than the result. Would you have practised that hard if you hadn't signed up for the exam?

For the future, you might consider some additional practice methods to help you prepare. For example, you may know all the scales, but when an examiner calls them out randomly to you, your brain has to work a bit differently. You could put all the scales you need to do on separate flash cards, fish them out of a hat (or have someone fish it out of a hat and read it out to you) and you have to play the scale straight away. That sort of thing.

Offline bonstance

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #6 on: November 23, 2012, 06:30:07 PM
Hi,

Thanks for the advice about the flash card and things. I did try asking my family to read it out randomly. I did well during practice, I was quite confident till the examiner read out the scales. I got most of it wrong which is probabily from me being in an different environment. As for the peices I stopped when I couldn't continue. I waited for the examiner to talk and it was about 10 seconds would I loose marks for stopping for that long?

Also I wouldn't have worked nearly as hard if I had no exam coming up. I wish I can just stop thinking about it, for 3 days I have been thinking about it and it is starting to distract me in lessons. Ohh dear....

Offline sucom

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #7 on: November 23, 2012, 10:27:09 PM

Also I wouldn't have worked nearly as hard if I had no exam coming up. I wish I can just stop thinking about it, for 3 days I have been thinking about it and it is starting to distract me in lessons. Ohh dear....

Hey!  Life's too short for worrying!  Stop it immediately!  :)  I don't know anyone who hasn't already, or who won't, at some point in the future, look back with some regret about something they wish could have been different.  Everyone learns from these situations - they're just part of life. When you know look back on a situation you wish could have been different, it can really push you to go all out to make sure it never happens again.

But whatever happens, don't let it put you off.  Don't quit exams - see it as a really valuable lesson that will make you better and stronger. 

You mentioned that you wouldn't normally put in so much practice.... will getting those scales wrong tempt you into practising them ALL the time, and not just for an exam?  Cos there could be a lesson there. 

Have you played in front of people... random people who turn up at your house, for instance?  Do you nip across to your piano and play quietly in the background when there are others around, especially while they're busy talking or doing something else so they're not actually watching you, but can hear you in the background?  That really helps to get you used to playing in front of other people.

And when you sit at the piano, do you take a moment to compose yourself?  Adjusting the stool, steady breathing, shoulders relaxed, hands relaxed in front of you all help to calm nerves.  Some people even imagine the examiner is nude - it makes them realise the examiner is human and perhaps not quite so scary after all! 

When your heart is pumping, your breath becomes quite fast and shallow so exercises in deep breathing and relaxation can really help to steady your nerves.  No, they won't eliminate them completely, more's the pity, but it can help. 

I feel sorry for anyone having to do the aural tests at this grade.  They've made them quite tricky.  One of my students told me that the examiner was very abrupt and only gave her one of each test giving no leeway at all. So practice, practice, practice seems to be the only way forward for the aural tests and even then .......

Anyway, try to stop thinking about it and move on - I'm going to cross my fingers for you  :)

Offline bonstance

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #8 on: November 24, 2012, 05:21:29 PM
Hi again,

Thanks for the advice I will defiantly use them in the future and certainly for my next examination. My examiner didn't let me test out he piano or ask if I was comfortable at the seat or did her say anything comforting me when i stopped in the peices after making the mistakes. I think those things throw me. But thinking that it will soon be over was the only thing motivating me at the time.

Luckly I didn't get so nervious that I start sweating which would have worse consequences then an adrenaline rush. I think my main problem was an observing audience. I am used to my family walking in and out of the room but not a stranger sitting and watching. I will start playing infront of audience when ever I can from now.

And thanks for keeping your fingers crossed for me :)

Offline rosieedwards

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #9 on: April 13, 2016, 02:22:24 AM
My exam is on the 22nd of April 2016. I was hoping to get some tips on how not to get nervous. And I'd appreciate it if anyone had any tips on how to practice for my aural test (the one in which you have to mention the period and stuff). Thank you!  :)

Offline irrational

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Re: ABRSM piano Grade 5 do I stand a chance?
Reply #10 on: April 13, 2016, 12:04:41 PM
I am still studying and in my 40's. Nervousness is always there.
But....what has helped me in the later grades are 2 things.

1: Know your pieces really well. I find that the scale and arpeggios cause me to be nervous, especially when you have to start at high speed. But the more I practice over and over, the hands know what to do in spite of being nervous. So learn to ignore mistakes. No single thing is going to make you fail.

2: I forced myself to play the pieces I know well (to start with) and later on, the pieces I am practicing, on any piano I can find. If I am in a cafe or restaurant that's not too busy and they have a piano, I sit down and play. No-one has ever come over and said please stop. That's helped me to be fine with playing in front of other people, examinators included. Nerves are still there, but in my head they matter less, which makes for better playing.
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