Exams, to do do or not to do?

[muleski]

Hi everyone,

I'm an adult learner who's returned to the piano after more than 20 years.  I've been learning again since about last October and have just been learning stuff I wanted to play.  Motivation to practise isn't usually an issue, though this week it has been.

My main problem this week has been due to frustration with the speed of progress, undoubtedly because I'm learning stuff beyond my skill level, so it takes time.  Also I feel I've played this one particular piece every day for months & months, yet still find the same difficult areas very difficult, as though I've plateaued.  So this is why my motivation has taken a dip - I can see that myself. 

I'm not a believer in exams being the be all & end all by any means, but going through them would force me to broaden my repertoire & mean I'd practise & develop a greater range of techniques, which would in turn help with the hard pieces I'm currently struggling with. 

All the time I've been learning again, I've been pondering on whether to do exams and thus far I obviously haven't.  When I spoke to my teacher about it, she said I could start on grade 5 (as you can't start on a higher grade anyway apparently) & might be worth doing just the practical.  I think though, as my ability to read music isn't brilliant I ought to perhaps go for the theory exam too, yet I think at grade 5, whereas I'd possibly cope with the practical, I think the theory would be a real struggle. 

My question really, I suppose is, is it worth doing only a practical exam, or should I definitely go for theory aswell?  And if so, should I be sensible and go for a lower grade again?

Thanks

[dima_76557]

Exams, to do do or not to do?

In your case, I would stay away from both exams. You have given a correct analysis of the problem: you are trying to cope with repertoire that is too difficult. That's what is hampering your development. That's what you should probably stop doing for a while. There is more than enough enjoyable repertoire that must be within your limits. Your teacher can help with that. Personally, I don't believe in external stimuli such as exams. As a matter of fact, my performance coach managed to get me exempted from the regular instutional exams because he thinks they're not what I need where I am now in my development. Think about it.

[muleski]

Thanks Dima, yes I have a very similar view on exams, I just thought they may be a way of practising the techniques I clearly need to develop in order to improve my playing.  I know I can learn the graded exam pieces without actually doing the exams, but my sight-reading & theory knowledge are dreadful (sight-reading especially.. utter rubbish at that). 

I have a lesson this coming Friday, so will discuss it with my teacher then.  As I'm an adult learner & she's a pretty laid back person, she doesn't direct me one way or the other.  She did suggest a while ago to do the grade 5 practical (as I said), but basically left it up to me & didn't push it.  It's more me thinking I should do it, so I stop concentrating so much on hard stuff & practise technique & learn the theory side of things far better.  At the moment I'm in the position of learning bits myself (very slowly), then she helps me out with the theory side if I haven't quite got the latest bit down correctly.  I have a lesson every other week & if I learn a line of the nemesis piece in question in that fortnight, I'm doing really well.  That's how slow it is!

I think it's also a case of self discipline.  Motivation to learn things I like isn't usually such a  problem, but learning stuff I don't particularly care for, is.  Paradoxically though, as soon as I start finding it too hard, I want to go on to something else (usually something else difficult).

I've just downloaded the scales & arpeggios too, so will start going back to basics to underpin my dodgy foundations so to speak! 

[dima_76557]

I just thought they may be a way of practising the techniques I clearly need to develop in order to improve my playing. 

I think that may be putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. You could simply follow the program and do the things you need, at the same time avoiding the stress involved of having to perform, of having to be judged by others in things you do not like at all. Of course, I write this in the context of your other posts.

[johnmar78]

Mulski, if you come back piano after 20 years, if would take at least 2 years to soften your finger joints again that is soft and flexiable provided you have done enough practice. .you know what I mean. All fingers should be flexiable and agile like a crawling spider...

Starting form G5, sounds reasonable but I reckon you should get your hand condition toned FIRST and that would boost some confidence in further exams.

[asiantraveller101]

As Dima says, you are probably putting the cart before the horse, and getting all worked up and stressed over it. Your main goal for now:
1. Learn and enjoy your playing at your own pace. Mix up your repertoire. Eliminate any hangups about playing non-classical pieces. Try out some new age, jazz, etc, to break the monotony of your pieces. Have short term and long term goals for your pieces. This ties into number 2.
2. Tackle something that you can, rather than doing something way too difficult. In the long run, it will tire you up and make you feel defeated.
3. Stay away from exams for now, till you gain the necessary confidence. I feel like you will be trying to scramble to learn the necessary requirements for the exams.
4. Find avenues to motivate yourself: listen to others play your pieces, go to concerts, join music clubs or meet with adult students, join an online forum, ,perhaps even sign up for piano camps (there are camps out there that cater to adults), have weekly lesson or even twice a week, etc. 
Do know that progress in learning piano does not come in continual upward "straight graph" as we often envision. Progress can be sporadic and comes in spurts. Do not be discouraged if you feel like you have hit a plateau. At times, the brain and the physicality need those time to learn and reconfigure.
5. Just be patient (most adults are not patient with themselves since they think they should do better or progress at a faster rate), enjoy this journey, and continue on with this rediscovered passion for piano.

[muleski]

Thanks guys for the very logical responses, they make an awful lot of sense.  And yes, thanks Dima, I would struggle with the 'performing' aspect given my dreadful performance anxiety!  (On that note, I have been working on my anxiety generally & have been saying positive affirmations etc, so that's work in progress - trying to unlearn a lifetime of negative thought patterns!). 

Yes, I think it makes sense to follow the programme in my own time & to expand my repertoire beyond just classical (I am quite scared of playing modern music for some reason). 

John, I really do hope my hands become more flexible - that's good to know, that they should, as I currently find arpeggios really hard (usually always make a couple of mistakes).  Not that I can't reach notes, but sometimes my hands just feel stiff & just hit the wrong ones, especially when they're cold & they often are.

Asiantraveller, I've very much noticed that progress is sporadic.  Life is a major factor too, generally getting in the way of practise.  And yes, I get annoyed with myself, I think though to some extent people put more pressure on themselves than is fair & I have to remember that I am not in a race & there is no external pressure on me to progress at any particular rate.  Having thought about this a lot this week & receiving good advice on here (once again; thank god I found piano street), I really have to take stock & approach it all from a different angle - a far more realistic one.

I suppose the one thing I can take from what I have learned on the piano already, is that there is ability, rough & in great need of honing certainly, but there is ability & the only way to progress in a logical and solid fashion from this point is to revise the repertoire & impose more structure generally & in that sense there is no necessity for doing the actual exams.

Thanks very much everyone for all your responses!