Piano Exam!!!

marshmallow

I have my piano exam first thing on Wednesday morn!! Anyone have last min tips for pieces/scales/theory?

Thanks!

PurpleFistMixer

I always get insanely hyper before my exams, like on the way there. And I've never failed one yet...
(I have one on the 9th of december... watch me eat my words then)
However, I recommend going into the exam concentrating and calm. As far as actual playing goes, I have no idea. I play piano with my elbows.

JackKelly

Relax. Think of it this way, you get to play on a grand piano! Something to look forward to. The examiners are usually really sound. You want to impress them with your pieces. They've probably heard them a thousand times, so don't just banged out, put some expression to them. As everyone says, if you make a mistake keep going. What grade is it?

homeOwner

Keeping calm is the best thing you can do. Being nervous is a recipe for making mistakes. If you do make a mistake, keep going, its not the end of the world.

As for sightreading, take it slowly - better to get it right and slow than try to impress by reading the first few bars quickly and then throwing out the timing when you struggle at the hard bits.

What exam is it?

Good luck

marshmallow

it's Piano exam, grade 7.

I'm the first at 9am so hopefully it'll be a good start to their day! I'm confident with 2 of my pieces but the 3rd I'm just tired with it and I keep playing wrong notes everywhere!

swingking

what pieces did you choose for you Grade 7; is it associated board or RIAM

nobodythere

Be calm, they know you'll be nervous so if you mess up within the first few seconds again once or twice it's ok to ask them if you can start again.

That and run through your scales and stuff in the morning before it.

Kenny_D

Lol grass it was yesterday

How did it go marshmallow? Hope it went well. I bet it did. Pre exam worries are normal

marshmallow

Only getting a chance to reply now.. Was the first call so I got to practice before hand which helped but I could feel the nerves as I went in and through out the exam.. It's my 9th one- I should be used to it!!

Generally went okay. Didn't know some scales and made a few slips on the pieces. *fingers crossed for results*

I did the Sonata by Scarlatti
Sonatina by Mozart
Cantabile by Chopin

Doc_Savage

Best of luck and Keep us Posted!:D

modular

marshmallow wrote:

I did the Sonata by Scarlatti
Sonatina by Mozart
Cantabile by Chopin

I did the first two of those last year. Which did you say you had the most trouble with?

marshmallow

The Sonatina by Mozart was the one I had the trouble with. Ugh, it was the first one I started to learn so I had been playing it too long and just got fed up with it! I couldn't get the hang of the end of the first page, start of the second page with all the minims in the right. I had on and off days with it but it was a good day on Wednesday thank god!!

The Sonata was my most fluent piece I thought but made a few mistakes on the day.

PurpleFistMixer

Yeah, I've got that bit. I've been doing two of my 3 pieces for a LONG time, (I was originally going to be doing my exam in June but with the junior cert it was postponed until december) I'm so sick of them at this stage that I just play them sloppily.

meiangie

Just stay calm. If you have practiced correctly during the entire time, those good habits which you have practiced will go into your hands. During the time of trial, it will show itself to the examiner. The same goes for wrong technics or bad playing habits too.

It is also helpful to find calm while you play 2 weeks before the exams. This also helps when you go on stage or play for an examiner.

Kannon

I just finished my first piano exam. I did Grave IV. Not sreally sure how it went overall. I was extremely nervous. The scales and arpeggios generally went well. I chose the Mozart, Kabalevski and Tchaikovski pieces.

I started with Kabalevski and had to restart about 4 bars in as I was all over the place. My hands were shaking with the nerves it was horrible. When I restarted I settled in, a couple of small mistakes and I think my rhtyhm wavered a bit.

I did Mozart next and same thing, had to restart a few bars in. Then I rattled it out with only one small mistake I think. Was generally happy with it but then that was the easiest tune for me.

Next was Morning Prayer. I had struggled with it in practice, and in the end I decided that I would sacrifice rhythm for getting the voicing correct and making sure the right 'feel' was there. A couple of small mistakes but wan't too bad considering.

Sightreading didn't go great. I need to work on it. I got most of the technical questions right, except I don't know the name of the legato connector wave!

Being my first exam i'm not sure how much you can get away with. Overall, if he fails me I can understand it. Fingers crossed.

Anyone else here do Grade IV this year?

evolving_doors

Kannon wrote: »

I got most of the technical questions right, except I don't know the name of the legato connector wave!

The wha?

Are you talking about a phrase ?

Kannon

No I mean the actual line that coneects two notes which signifies legato. I asked my teacher the other day and he just said 'tie' or 'connector'. So it seems there isn't actually a specific name for it!

evolving_doors

Kannon wrote: »

No I mean the actual line that coneects two notes which signifies legato. I asked my teacher the other day and he just said 'tie' or 'connector'. So it seems there isn't actually a specific name for it!

I always assumed that all notes are to be played legato unless specified staccato or other wise.. could it be a slur? or a tenuto?

Anyhow I'm just being picky sorry...

First exam for a grade four was pretty good going ,at least the next time you'll know whats involved, you really have to just tell the story of the piece... nerves are a **************

Kannon

Yeah in fairness looking at it now it was an odd question to ask me as there doesn't seem to be an official word for it. Like you, Wikipedia says slur (a curved line). Maybe he was just trying to ask me a simple question or alternatively trying to unnerve me. Who knows.

I think prior to the next exam I will try to get practice playing in front of people I wouldn't normally play in front of. I'm sure that would help with the nerves...

Kannon

So I found out on Firday that I passed with a merit. Delighted!
I like the way they give you some feedback. He actually had some good things to say as well as the stuff I need to work on.

Grade V here I come!