Gaining Clairity

[klick]

I am currently in RCM level 7, hoping to do my exam in January. I asked my teacher if i could and she says i do not have enough clairity in my pieces, especialy Bach -French Suite 5: Gavotte, and the Shumman - Fantastic Dance.

Anybody have any pointers on how to gain clairity in these two picies. I have the melody and harmony fine enough when i play it myself, so I must be doing seomthing wrong. Any practice methods are appreciated.

Thank You
Klick/Evan

[abell88]

I have a student studying Fantastic Dance -- what a great piece! But I can see how clarity could be a challenge in it.  One thing that often helps achieve clarity is to practise everything staccato for a bit, then try to play it normally.

By the way, have you registered for the exam? (Because, if not, you've missed the deadline for January's exams.)

[klick]

Thanks for the tip ill practice like that.

And i geuss then i missed the deadline. So no chance at a 7 exam. Makes no sense to me cause now i gotta wait till June! And all my pieces are memorized and doing all scales, dont see why i wasn't put in for January. But I'll have to roll with it, maybe have to do 8 at the same time as 7 or summin.

[palika dunno]

Practice without Pedal and listen very closely to yourself.
That's all I can advice.

Palika 

[gouldfischer]

Lack of clarity is sometimes related to the lack of horizontal storytelling, as if the intertwined melodies had been replaced by chunks of vertical, chordish blocks everywhere.

Sing it. Not while playing, I mean. Just follow the score, HS, and sing it ("ta ta ta ta ta").
I'm not sure it will work for your particular piece (I don't know the Fantastic Dance), but for the Partita I believe it will. You get used to the horizontal motion to such an extent that you cease to rely on an (unconscious) excess of legatto and vertical glue.

[abell88]

But I'll have to roll with it, maybe have to do 8 at the same time as 7 or summin.

Do one or the other, not both at once! By the way, there is no pre-requisite for the Grade 8 exam (or almost any exam except the highest level or two). So possibly you could move on to Gr. 8 repertoire soon, and plan for the exam in August? However, the requirement for clarity will be even higher as you move up the grades, so don't feel bad if your teacher wants you to stay and work on that for a while.

[klick]

Great pointer. Thanks, ill try em out 2nite.

And i only say that I will have to do 7 at the same time as 8 because my teacher did 6 and 7 at the same time, don't know the logic behind it, other than making me practice double.