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Topic: Abrsm piano exam??????  (Read 2763 times)

Offline faye79

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Abrsm piano exam??????
on: July 06, 2012, 06:58:45 PM
Hi, I am doing my grade 5 next week and I am very stressed from scales. Is it ok to bring CIRCLE OF FIFTHS to exam? I can play scales, but when I am stressed last time on grade 4 I just could hardly remember anything. Circle of fifths is only little help, do you think it would be a problem?
I know Trinity or Guildhall there you can read the scales and you dont have to memorise them, I read it somewhere....but I have abrsm;-(

Offline ancientsolar

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Re: Abrsm piano exam??????
Reply #1 on: July 07, 2012, 12:13:53 AM
I`ll be taking a grade 7 in 5 days with ABRSM, ~ Soon as you enter that exam room, the only help you will get is looking at your pieces.. ~ no circle of 5ths, study them outside the exam room, turn up 45mins earlier so you can breathe and go through them several times.

What pieces are you playing for your exam ?

I remember doing Minuet and trio by Haydn
Minature in Dminor
It aint necessarily so, (much to my teachers hate toward porgy and bess, he wanted me to do flood time)

Offline faye79

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Re: Abrsm piano exam??????
Reply #2 on: July 07, 2012, 07:22:15 PM
Hi, thank you for answer;-)) I am doing Miniature in D as well as I think is quite easy.
I have a problem almost phobia from exams, so I am always chosing easiest pieces, then I will have DREaming on which is C6, its not in abrsm book, but again..easiest from C I think. And the last is Air from Bach A1, very hard but I gotta do it. Perhaps I will pass, I am 32 years old self-learner and usually I practise for exam only 1 month before, as I play pieces I love rather than exam pieces, while previous grades I passed easy even when practising for them only 3 weeks before, this time I am realizing very much it was a mistake.LOL
Never mind, in worst case I will do it in December.
I hate to go sooner on exams, there are all those 9 years old kids, unbelievebly confident showing off their grade 8 pieces and I never get chance have little practise before exam.

Offline ancientsolar

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Re: Abrsm piano exam??????
Reply #3 on: July 07, 2012, 10:41:30 PM
Its not easy.. to think like this, but remember, the examiner has come to listen to you perform :)
If thats not enough,

watch this interview
VkD-A&index=7&feature=plpp_video

I had my lowest scoring marks for minature in Dminor, ~ the piano I was playing on in the exam
had a very sensitive touch thus ending me getting 23/30 marks.

The main problem, the melody was jarred with invasive accompaniment ~ If my piano was in the exam, I know I could have done better! ~ so the advice, dont fall in that trap :)

If ever in the future you want feed back, I dont mind listening to your pieces and giving you some hints and tips, ~ but remember after grade 5 practical, you need grade 5 theory to get do grade 6+ Practical

Offline pytheamateur

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Re: Abrsm piano exam??????
Reply #4 on: July 08, 2012, 07:41:24 AM
What's a circle of fifths?  Anyway, you should aim to play all scales and arpeggios from memory.  You should do the same later on when you learn fast and technically passages from the piano repertoire.  Wean yourself off having the score in front of you all the time and you will play better.
Beethoven - Sonata in C sharp minor, Op 27 No 12
Chopin - Fantasie Impromptu, Nocturn in C sharp minor, Op post
Brahms - Op 118, Nos 2 & 3
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