Is 3 pieces really enough?

[Daren]

Hi Im new here and this will be my first post.
What I want to ask is 3 pieces enough before moving onto the next grade.
I am currently learning my 3 pieces for ABRSM grade 6 and they do take a while to master and so did grade 5 this time last year which I passed early this spring.
But because the pieces are getting harder I can only find time to practice easier pieces and also try to keep up those really easy pieces for sight reading.

So to sum up since passing grade 5 I have not learned anything else at that level before attempting grade 6.

Regards,
Daz

[ricwyk]

i am having the same problem too. well, i took abrsm before (when i was still living in hongkong) but now i am taking the RCM grade 8. And i am studying all the things i need for the exam, on every piano lessons i have. But the problem is, i wont learn anything else during this time i am preparing for the exam. ( for at leat 6 months)

what can i do? discuss it with my teacher?

[BoliverAllmon]

I honestly was surprised when I heard that there was only 3 pieces being learned with the grades. I am currently working on 15 pieces. I am really curious if maybe I am stretching myself too thin.

boliver

[notxokay]

wow. umm, is it bad if you dont use a book that goes by grade, but is like 300 pages?

[BoliverAllmon]

dear lord are you doing all 300 pages?

[Spatula]

maybe only like 20 out of all of it...same with my stuff...I get a 50 page book but do 5 pages to prepare for an exam...what a waste. 

[Antnee]

I really do despise piano grades and stuff like that. It makes it sound and feel like hard work. I think it cripples the student if they stick too strongly to the grade requirements. Bad grades, BAD!

[seepiano]

For me, 3 pieces are not enough. Basically I did about 20 pieces a year. For example If I plan to take grad 6, I would do 9 pieces at grade 6 level,  7 pieces at the lower grade levels, and 4 at grad 7 level.

Since I did 9 piece in grade 6 level, I picked only 3 that I could perform best. Usually my piano teacher assign me harder and easier pieces alternatly. However, we didn't depend on the grade syllabus that much. I learned what I want to learned.