GR 10 RCM technique

[cerez0]

Well i've been at this dead end on improving my technique for a while now.  I really want to get these basic techniques down but i'm mostly having trouble with anything that requires extending (arpeggios, broken/solid four note chords).  Someone help!!! I want to have solid technique by the end of the summer.

[quantum]

I know it can be boring practicing all that technique that's required for Gr 10.  What about learning some short pieces that deal with the technique you want to improve.  Chopin Etude Op. 10/1, Op.25/12 for instance. 

[abell88]

Would you say your problems have more to do with speed, accuracy, or coordinating your two hands? The solutions may differ, depending on the problems.

[lagin]

My teacher had a very not fun, but very effective plan to get all my grade nine technique down.  Practice it all twice, like do each requirement 2x back to back, everyday.  At first it took me like 5 - 6 hours.  Now I can do it all in just under an hour and a half.  It took a few months though.

[cerez0]

I think that my problem is mainly accuracy with things like arpeggios and broken chords

[lagin]

If you go slow and press to the keybeds, your hand and fingers are in that position longer, thus training your muscles to "remember" the shapes of things.  You are getting just as much if not more practice done by doing your arpeggios slow and neat, even though it is tempting to go fast.  Arpeggios and broken chords are my weak spots too. 

[cerez0]

alright i'll do like a few days of slow practice and reply later on

[rob47]

alright i'll do like a few days of slow practice and reply later on

Cerez what you have to rememebr is that the grade 10 RCM exam is kind of bullshit.  Definitely practice your TECH as much as poissible, but don't worry yourslef to death about it.  If you are taking your GRADE 10 this not a big deal, you definelty already have the skill and shouldn't fret!  Are you taking it this summer or somethign?

[cerez0]

i probably should take it in the summer but i didnt have the time to go through the applications so i guess i might take my ARCT and gr 10 in december?

thing is that gr 10 is easy yeah... but i want my technique for AR pieces like mephisto waltz

[Alde]

I know it can be boring practicing all that technique that's required for Gr 10.  What about learning some short pieces that deal with the technique you want to improve.  Chopin Etude Op. 10/1, Op.25/12 for instance. 

You must be joking!

[lagin]

You're taking 10 AND ARCT at the same season!  How on earth did you DO that!

[nanabush]

I find the hardest technique for Grade ten, B major scale a sixth apart and Broken Chords (for example   C, G E, C) like the pattern forget what it's called, but those broken chords starting on a black key.  Arpeggios are much easier than those, more flowing, less choppy.

[cerez0]

that's easy lagin... just learn a few songs... and practice

i have the syllabus here at home so it's kind of fun to look through it and find songs that i actually want to learn

[lagin]

yah, but why not just do your grade ten pieces and do the exam, and then learn your ARCT pieces and do that exam?  Why learn almost 2 hours of repertoire back to back and do both exams whilst trying to remember all that music at once?  Hey, do you mean your teacher's ARCT or performer's?  Cause if it's teacher's then I can understand.

[cerez0]

lagin i pretty much have my gr 10 repetoire down... i just forgot to apply for the summer exam... so i'll put that off till winter and most likely i'll be able to start doing ARCT stuff in the summer so i'll have lots of pieces ready to play

thing is i think i have to do theory before i can finish my ARCT
i dropped out of my gr 3 history and gr 3 harmony classes

[dveej]

I am a old man (43) who is working on Grade 10 technique. When I started, "Right," says I, "this is all easy." Then I tried to play through it, and found that it wasn't quite as easy as I had thought. In this book of scales and chords by a guy named Macfarren there are really good exercises I am using that are helping me with the Grade 10 technique. They cover almost everything in the Technical Requirements and do each thing with a little bit extra oomph, so you get better at it. Example: arpeggios, not just hands together from every inversion, but from every inversion IN CONTRARY MOTION -- all the possibilities. Same thing with scales. The only thing that doesn't quite get covered is the alternate-note chords, because Macfarren does them in a different way (but it would probably be good to do it). Many of the Macfarren exercises are only for two octaves, but if you do them, they really help with the Gr 10. I have been supplementing my Gr 10 practice with Macfarren for a couple of weeks now and the results have been immediate. I recommend it!

[keys]

lagin i pretty much have my gr 10 repetoire down... i just forgot to apply for the summer exam... so i'll put that off till winter and most likely i'll be able to start doing ARCT stuff in the summer so i'll have lots of pieces ready to play

thing is i think i have to do theory before i can finish my ARCT
i dropped out of my gr 3 history and gr 3 harmony classes

oh my, does your teacher know? That sounds like a really bad plan! I had no problem at all with Gr.10 technique and Repitoire, but I still took two years on my Performers ARCT. There is a huge jump from the Gr.10 to the performer's ARCT. If you are having trouble with Gr.10 technique Liszt will kill you.  And you are so behind in theory! How old are you? Also, the exam times for the RCM practical are June, August and January.. I don't think they offer December exams.