Another 3 months of QS practice . . .

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Another 3 months of QS practice . . ., Oh Joy!!

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Robodoc	Sep 17 2011, 04:57 PM Post #1
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 2720 Joined: 30-March 07 From: Chorley, Lancs Member No.: 10431	Where am I going to get another 3 months worth of QS material?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

bevpiano	Sep 17 2011, 05:34 PM Post #2
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 738 Joined: 30-September 06 From: hertfordshire Member No.: 7837	Very sorry to hear this, I was looking forward to congratulating you this time! I don't know what to suggest for material - what have you already done?

BerkshireMum	Sep 17 2011, 05:47 PM Post #3
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 6603 Joined: 20-July 07 From: West Berks Member No.: 13405	All you can do for now is keep sightreading as much as you can - any sightreading at grade 6 level or above - until playing the music fluently at the right tempo gets easier and you can start to really put feeling into it. To get a good mark for the Quick Study it's not enough to just play the piece; you have to get as much character into it as you can. I understand from my son that what you play after looking at the music for 5 minutes is meant to sound as good as the same piece performed by a good grade 6 candidate who's spent 3 months or whatever learning to play it well for the exam. Of course, nearer the retake it would be useful to concentrate on more modern pieces, but if you don't reuse the music you used this time for another 6 months, I'm sure you'll have forgotten it anyway.

Sunrise	Sep 17 2011, 05:57 PM Post #4
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 3389 Joined: 7-June 10 From: Gibraltar Member No.: 106844	Oh Robodoc, so sorry to hear this one. Just keep on going x

miffy	Sep 17 2011, 08:02 PM Post #5
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 2586 Joined: 27-October 08 Member No.: 43225	Sorry to hear about this Robodoc. What have you been through so far? We used to use the AB Romantic compilation series of books at college (Sketchbook or something?) So did the people examining us...shhhh... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) How about the Spectrum series?

Rosie91	Sep 17 2011, 08:26 PM Post #6
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 570 Joined: 10-June 07 Member No.: 11983	Here's some random music that may be unknown to you - apologies if it isn't! http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/8/80...over_filter.pdf http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/f/f2...ludes_op.63.pdf http://216.129.110.22/files/imglnks/usimg/...-Cui_25prel.pdf http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/f/f7...op_8_book_1.pdf http://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/6/....84__piano_.pdf http://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg/e/..._Recording_.pdf Best of luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) If I ever do a diploma I will almost certainly do a Trinity one to avoid having to sightread. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

Robodoc	Sep 17 2011, 09:27 PM Post #7
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 2720 Joined: 30-March 07 From: Chorley, Lancs Member No.: 10431	Thanks for the advice: The links especially - I've got the Albeniz (thanks Mad Tom) but the rest is new, to print off & play. As for what I did leading up to the last attempt: Approx 20 old books of graded exam music from grade 5, 6 & 7. Kinderscenen and Album Fur die Jungen by Schumann. Songs without words by Mendelsshon Various Lyric pieces by Grieg Several books of compositions by Christopher Norton Some (lots of) short pieces by Scriabin, Glinka, Brahms. The book by Josephine Koh Most of these I will have no memory of so can quick study/sight read again. To this I have added various books of music by Beethoven, John Ireland, Percy Grainger, Mussorgsky, Clementi, Richard Rodney Bennet, Dvorak, Bartok and the music linked in a previous post (thanks Rosie 91). To be honest, this is going to be plenty. It's not so much practicing the music as practicing the approach that matters.

andante_in_c	Sep 17 2011, 09:49 PM Post #8
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 10321 Joined: 15-November 03 From: Hampshire, UK Member No.: 130	Just a thought... ...if you can, try and find some opportunities to perform (in a Quick Study way) to different people. It is not the sight reading per se, but the performance of it which counts at diploma level. Sorry you weren't successful this time. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Marta	Sep 17 2011, 10:01 PM Post #9
Newbie Group: Members Posts: 14 Joined: 27-April 10 Member No.: 99839	It's sad to hear it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) I haven't pass either, but I expected it. However, I was positively surprise I got 4 for QS - I thought my performence was worth 2 maximum (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) I also have to rewrite the written submission. And it's quite funny that if I would like to retake in December I had to correct the essay in one week. Anyway, I am glad I passed viva, especially because it was the first ABRSM exam I have taken, and I prepared for it alone. Even in failure there is a victory. So now let's enjoy the practice (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

miffy	Sep 18 2011, 07:14 AM Post #10
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 2586 Joined: 27-October 08 Member No.: 43225	How about accompaniments? They are very good practice as you have to keep going and lead the other instrumentalist in, plus it's the fun of making it musical. Is there someone you can play with, either on a different instrument or maybe piano duets? And perhaps then practise playing them in front of people?

mrbouffant	Sep 18 2011, 10:16 AM Post #11
Prodigy Group: Members Posts: 1594 Joined: 26-June 08 From: Choir East. Row 3, Seat 2. Member No.: 33716	Do you need to be more strategic in your practice, rather than just working through piles of material? Can you identify any faults in your 'preparation time' for the QS, for example? Passing the recital and failing the QS seems to suggest to me that you are not making the best of the prep time and making it work to your maximum advantage...

lilly763	Sep 18 2011, 03:41 PM Post #12
Unregistered	I think miffy's suggestion of trying to play with others is a good one. The only reason I can sight-read at all (though I'm still not good at it on the piano) is from playing viola in many ensembles and often being given little to no preparation time before being expected to play through or on occasion even perform pieces. You can learn a lot about your own sense of rhythm (or lack thereof (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)) that way.

Czerny	Sep 18 2011, 04:27 PM Post #13
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 4087 Joined: 7-December 07 Member No.: 21097	QUOTE(mrbouffant @ Sep 18 2011, 11:16 AM) Do you need to be more strategic in your practice, rather than just working through piles of material? Can you identify any faults in your 'preparation time' for the QS, for example? Passing the recital and failing the QS seems to suggest to me that you are not making the best of the prep time and making it work to your maximum advantage... I was going to write something along these lines. Could you perhaps book yourself a lesson just to focus on sight-reading preparation? And perhaps record some of your QS attempts and listen to them critically - would you pass them? Were you given any useful comments when you retook the test (i.e. was the problem with continuity / rhythmic accuracy / failure to choose a suitable tempo / lack of character?). Could you do some practice either accompanying someone else or playing piano duets? That way you would be forced to keep going, it might be more enjoyable making music with a partner. and you could also get some useful feedback. And as for other repertoire to work through, try old Grade 6 books, Trinity Guildhall exam pieces, Classics to Moderns, etc. Edit: Sorry to repeat what Miffy has already said - something has gone a bit strange with the forum on my computer and it's difficult to read people's replies.

sbhoa	Sep 18 2011, 05:49 PM Post #14
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 18930 Joined: 31-October 03 From: Tameside Member No.: 24	Sorry you didn't make it again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) It must be very frustrating to feel that you'd done so much better but came away with the same mark. I don't know if you think this will be a potential help but I'm considering this Benslow course.

Hotair	Sep 18 2011, 06:57 PM Post #15
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 361 Joined: 20-January 04 Member No.: 470	QUOTE(sbhoa @ Sep 18 2011, 06:49 PM) Sorry you didn't make it again. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) It must be very frustrating to feel that you'd done so much better but came away with the same mark. I don't know if you think this will be a potential help but I'm considering this Benslow course. I did this course at Benslow last year. The advanced stream will probably be Grade 5 to Grade 8. Having heard Robodoc play at Chets I would not think that he would not get much out of this course.

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