Help!!!

[newsgroupeuan]

Hello,  I'm new to this forum.

This year I may be sitting my grade six exam (ABRSM) (because I have to sit theory first,  and my theory is not very good).

My problem is that I am making too many (big) mistakes on the pieces at the moment-and too little time to practice.

How should I practise to erase these mistakes and grasp the pieces and scales quickly?

This Christmas holidays I have done 2hrs a day,  but that didn't help at all.

Yours faithfully,
Euan

[newsgroupeuan]

I must add that the mistakes only happen when someone else is listening to me.  For example,  I can play with few mistakes on my own,  but when,  for example a friend watches me everything falls apart (bits I can play easily become unfamiliar).  It is even worse during the exam.

[surendipity]

You have the jitters.  Not fun are they.  Someone sits there and you get nervous.  Great big Seas of mistakes spill out on the strings making you want to run away.

Not at all uncommon.  We all get 'em and hate 'em and want to run.....

So, what are you to do.    Firstly, no more audiences for a while.  Especially not people who are close to you.
They are usually your worst listeners and critics.
Find somewhere you can preform for A) someone you don't know and B) someone who likes your stlye of music and the sound of the piano.  

Retirement homes are very good and most all the people their will listen (as best they can) and will appreciate your abilities.  It's also easy to get a booking.
(you will make their day, mistakes and all)

Also start recording yourself.  You'll find as soon as you hit the record button you'll feel the jitters.  That's ok, feel all of them.  Where are they, shoulders, toes, fingers.  Locate the jitter and accept it and keep playing.   Soon you will get used to the recorder and just play on, but still keep notice of where in your body you feel nervous and focus in on it and accept it.  Then it too will gradually pass away.  

The biggest and the most important thing though is confident preperation.

If you are having great big mistakes.  You must focus on these firstly.   And only these.  What are the problems?
Fingering, jumping, stretching, tonal quality, not understanding why notes are where they are.
Don't play any of the parts you play well until the bars you are having trouble with are prepared and discussed.
I've spent up to 2hours on three bars of music to perfect a difficult passage.  Then I play one bar before and after the passage until it glistens.  Then I feel better about the performance because I have covered the preperational work.


Good Luck and if you don't feel comfortable about the exam you may want to wait until your preperation work is squeeky clean.

Always walk into an exam with your head held high and thinking.  "I am here to entertain you"

Also don't go to the piano and just play and flay around and jump from piece to piece.

Pretend you are the greatest pianist in the world and an audience of 10,000 is behind you with bated breath waiting for just the taste of your first note.

Always play like you are the STAR and this is your BIGGEST PERFORMANCE.  

Dim the room, light a candle, put on shoes (DO THIS)
seems silly but it puts you in a formal mood.

Make even your technical work a piece of art.

Put yourself in your shoes "THE GREATEST PIANIST ON EARTH"  

Go, go now and be a PROFESSIONAL......

Break a Leg with all your endevours.


Surendipity