Hi everyone,

This is probably an unusual problem but I wonder if anyone else has had this difficulty. All I have ever done while learning to play the piano is play exam pieces and then take each exam. As a result, I have not builty up a repertoire as I did not continue to practise the exam pieces after passing them. I feel embarrassed to tell people I have passed grade 8 because they expect you to be amazing and I can't actually play anything. At the moment I am working on Grade 6 theory and intend to go through to Grade 8 theory. I really would like to get my piano playing up to grade 8 musicianship. The other difficulty I have is that I have a problem with both my arms so cannot over-practise. Does anyone have any suggestions. I would be extremely grateful.

Marina

Hi Sharrie

This is a common problem often discussed here. You have suggested the solution yourself.

Practise some repertoire and get a teacher to help with the musical interpretation of them.

You might need to step back a bit in standard of difficulty of you are to do this. When a student comes to me in a similar position, I expect to have to take them back a bit. It is not always necessary, but the occasions it is outnumber the rest by about 20-1.

Steve

My piano playing seems to have improved a great deal since I stepped back from exams. I've been playing Bach Inventions/Sinfonias, parts of 'the 48', Mozart/Scarlatti/Beethoven sonatas, and Chopin's Polonaise (the one on the grade 8 list C, forgot number), and going back through other pieces in my exam books I didn't do. And also some easier sight-reading material.

I suggest you do similarly.

Yes - a common problem in an exam-orientated world. You can start by playing contemporary/pop songs that will please most people. Otherwise, as Steve suggests, you can start by learning pieces of Grade 5-7 difficulty that you like - no point learning pieces you don't like at this stage.

Frederic, Neil and Steve,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I will do as you suggest and take a few steps back.

Sharrie

Sharrie, well done you for realising that having got through grade 8 doesn't mean you can play as well as you would like. Far too many people wouldn't recognise that. I hope that you can find ways of getting your playing up to the standard you would like

No.4 Op.40 No.2

Thanks very much, Sarah and Chris. I am thinking that now that I have passed grade 8 piano, I will start to learn how to play the piano.

Sharrie

Indeed I echo what Sarah has said, well done for realising this: far too many people would not even realise there was a problem, and even if they did be unwilling to go back and correct it. Your attitude and perception will mean that you get much further and gain much more satisfaction in the future .

One can indeed learn the piano after one has done grade 8: it's really a matter of personal choice whether to do the grade 8 pieces and then do the learning required to catch up or to do the learning first. The advantage of the latter approach is that one has the exams to motivate practice; without them, depending on your motivation levels you might need to find some other things to motivate you. This could be in the form of concerts and festivals or the performance assessment or in the form of re-taking the exams to achieve better marks if you feel inclined to do this.

Good luck with your playing and well done for tackling your problems .

When I changed to a new teacher at the age of 15, I was already grade 8-ish in standard, but he made me take a step back to Bach 2-part inventions, Tankard Exercises, Chopin Preludes in E minor and B minor, and a Mozart sonata - one in C major, but I forget which number and cannae be bothered to go downstairs and look - sorry! But it was the same when I changed flute teacher also - she had me going back to single note Bs until I could produce the most beautiful B possible - then I could (oh wonder of wonders!!!) progress to A and play B-A. But taking a step back is great as it allows you to concentrate far better on basic technical matters and on expression and tone quality etc without spending ages trying just to get your fingers round the notes.

Why dont you buy Burgmuller Studies Opus 109? The pieces in there are from grade 5+ up, though they sound a lot harder when you get them up to speed and with all the dynamics. I really recommend them if you don't yet have much repertoire, as they are fun to play, explore a lot of different moods and ideas and if you are caught out and asked to play, they are very exciting and flamboyant to WOW an audience. They are also very easy to memorise - so you are well on your way to having an 'on call' repertoire!

I also suggest you buy Volume II of the Mozart Piano Sonatas (ABRSM or any other with URTEXT publishing) as there are many famous and exciting pieces in there too, ranging from grade 6+ up.

Heller Opus 45, Bach Preludes and Fugues Bk I, and many of Chopin's pieces are also well worth getting and will help fill in any gaps in your playing - from different periods in music through to developing your technique.

Rachmaninov's Preludes Opus 23 is DEFFINATELY worth getting, he is much harder to play (grade 8 is approx the easiest piece! Rach is my favourite composer of all time.

You could also start experimenting with jazz now too, if you havent already...? Get the ABRSM jazz grade books. They are lots of fun and make sure you buy the accompanying CD with it so you get an idea of how to improvise over them and get the right rhythm and feel!!!

Have fun

Sally

Hi everyone

Thank you all so much for your help. I've printed off all your suggestions. Sally, you have just reminded me that I own Burgmuller Studies Opus 109, which I have just dug out. I also have Volume 2 of the Mozart Piano Sonatas and have chosen to learn Sonata in C (KV 545) which I think is the one Chocolatedog is suggesting, as well as Solo per il Cembalo in E flat (CPE Bach) from The Anna Magdalena Bach Book and Grieg's Wedding Day at Troldhaugen. I am going to also buy the others you suggest. The jazz grade books will certainly help with my rhythm, which is not the best, as well as my sightseeing. Neil, I've just discovered that I also own Bach's Inventions & Sinfonias, so thank you for the reminder. I'm the sort of person that buys music that I can't actually play so buy music that I then forget I have. Thank you also, Sarah and AnotherPianist. Before I read your posts, I was wondering whether I should actually be playing the piano but you have all given me encouragement and the determination to succeed.

Sharrie

I have a similar problem. I'm working on Grade 7 but don't have much repertoire, and my sight reading is not really very good at all! I always decline invitations to accompany people because I don't think I'll be able to learn the pieces in time! I have to learn everything really slowly and start with hands separately even now!

Hi LadyMoonlight

There is nothing wrong in learning slowly and starting with hands separately. The main objective in the end is to play your pieces fluently and with feeling, however this aim is achieved. As for sightreading, I managed to improve by trying before my exams to play a little bit of new material each day, even if it was only just a few bars. The good news is that in the exam the sightreading pieces are usually much easier than those in the ABRSM book. It might even be a good idea to try and sightread Grade 8 pieces, however slowly you play them, and then by the time you do your Grade 7 it will seem much easier. My repertoire is virtually non-existent but I am looking forward to learning so much. Good luck.

Hi there

I think judging by the fact that you can play Grade 8 it would be wise to say that you can play the piano

I have same problem too, and I know others too, so I'm fairly certain its not unusual. All I know are the exam pieces, and while I have done some other ones, its hardly enough to call a repertoire. I really would like to build one up, but I have other involvement at school that somewhat limits my ability. I would just suggest that look for the reason as to why you only play exam pieces and focus on bettering that problem. For example, I think I would just have to have better time management and not be so involved...

Just a thought

Hi Sharrie

I think this is probably very common. Unfortunately I was taught in this way (could only play my exam pieces and that was all I was ever given) and so I am very careful not to teach like this with my pupils. I wish you all the best - there is so much music out there to explore.

This has made me wonder - how do we judge our 'real' standard of playing? Obviously saying we have a pass in an exam doesn't do it. If it takes us 6 months to learn a piece I wouldn't say that was our true level of ability. Maybe our level is the standard of piece we can learn to a good passable standard within a week? What do others think?

A question I often ponder. Add to that the question: if someone practises an hour a day for a week to play a piece and someone else does only an hour before their teacher comes who is of a higher standard? Clearly the latter can learn pieces in a shorter time if they put their mind to it they don't (and quite possible never will). Ultimately both people can learn the same piece in a week. I'll be interested to hear answers to this .

I was trying to ascertain how good someone was the other day, I was about to say what grade are you but then I actually realised that this information wouldn't help me particularly....

I think grades are useful for measuring one's progress realative to oneself but not really relative to other people: it really does depend how the exams are treated.

I think alot depends on maturity, interest, and grade, on the part of a student. For example, wouldn't expect a grade 1 to take as long to learn their pieces as a grade 8, whose pieces are far more complex.

I think most teachers can tell, by how much difficulty at the lesson a student has with a brand new piece of music, whether or not they should be learning that piece at all.

Hi everyone again.

In relation to Trio's question I agree that because you have passed an exam, at whatever level, it does not necessarily mean that is the standard you play at. I was going to say that perhaps your level is determined by how well you can sightread a given grade as well as bringing out the mood of the piece and interpretation, etc, but on that judgment I might only be a grade 1 instead of 8.

Sharrie