i have a student taking Gr8 this term - only my second ever in 11 yrs teaching - and since the AB "Teaching Notes" book only goes up to Gr7, I wondered if any of you have any advice. She's doing the Scarlatti in List A, the Mozart Sonata in C in List B, and the Impromptu (sorry can't remember composer) the first piece in List C. Apart from general things like baroque piece should be light and sparkling, classical piece v. clear and not overpeddalled, romantic piece full of expression, rubato etc, have any of you got advice on teaching these pieces in particular? I've mentioned this student on the forum already: she's very musical but appalling at her scales, tends to rush and fluff things, and doesn't take the time to always learn the correct fingering. She can just about play the pieces but they need that extra polish in the next 2 months. She's also busy with A levels this year, but really wants to take the exam as she's hoping to do sciences at uni so obviously I'll be losing her this year. That's why i want her to do as well as she can. Thanks for your help.

Try a search for the link to the Hong Kong radio broadcasts, they are quite well covered at this grade.
I also have a book with teaching notes in.. Pm me and I can let you have details about these pieces if you want.

The link to the RTHK page is here. The grade 8 programmes were on first so should be the ones at the top of the list .


Just out of curiosity are these the legendary grade 8 teaching notes that we sometimes hear about existing and no one can find in the shop ? Or are they just from another source?

Another source.

Music Teacher magazine prints a booklet every two years with notes for all 8 grades in. It's very useful when it comes to hand size needed for some of the non-book pieces; it saves me buying ones I wouldn't have a hope of playing.

That's where I got mine.... don't take the magazine any more though, I'm really not a magazine person and hardly read much of it.

I'll have a think (have got a pupil coming in 10 minutes!) and see if I can come up with anything useful.

Those are the same pieces I'm doing for gr8 apart from list C (opted for the Debussy)

The Scarlatti is so much fun to play and this piece will be a good lesson in scales for her anyway! I must say it is difficult not to let your fingers run away with you in this one, as once you know it well it's tempting to fly along (smoke coming off keyboard ) unneccessarily.

The Sonata in C is very uplifting - To make the most of it I'm not playing it too fast either as you lose a lot of the detail.

I've got to dash but I'll have a think on how I approached the pieces (I'm not with a teacher anymore) just incase it's useful.

Amanda xxx

Yes please can i have details