Help needed on teaching ABRSM exam piece

[wenat]

Is there anyone out there teaching the 3rd grade exam pieces (ABRSM).  I don't normally get stuck teaching, but wonder about the "stacc." direction in piece C2 "Cha-Cha" by Siegfried Merath.  If the RH is meant to be stacc. throughout, then why would they bother putting staccato signs in the piece?  Playing through the pice, I feel the RH needs to be more legato than staccato......any comments?

[stevehopwood]

I have taught this a few times, wenat. I agree with you that occasional rh legato is helpful.

I use some legato in the middle section. I don't have a copy of the music, so I can't quote bar numbers. I like legato quavers against the F minor 7th chord in about bar 9 and the e minor 7th chord in the following bar. I then like more staccato quavers against the rising lh crotchets that follow.

Examiners have been happy with this mixed approach as well.

Steve 

[wenat]

Thanks Steve.  Good to know that the examiners are OK with a mixed approach to this.  It seems to me that they have combined two editions of music together, hence the confusion!  Thanks again.