Hi all,

AP and I are setting up a website to host resources that should be helpful for potential diploma candidates. It will help both to collect together the experiences of those here who have sat diplomas, and to serve as an 'FAQ' to save us having to write the same answers to the same questions all the time . The address of the site is:

http://www.forumrecordings.co.uk/diplomas/

On the site, we are hoping to collect together programme notes to help other people get an idea of what might be expected. Currently, we have mine - obviously - but would be most grateful for any others that people are willing to contribute. Feel free to anonymise them first, or to instruct me to do so, if you wish. If you're happy to have them on the site, email them to me, preferably along with a brief summary of the examiners' comments on them (note - if you quote the examiners directly, I will have to summarise the comments as examiners' comments are not allowed to be published). We're not just restricting it to DipABRSM notes; anyone with LRSM, ATCL, LTCL, FTCL etc. etc. programme notes, or FRSM written submissions is welcome to submit them .

We have trawled through the past posts on the forum and extracted viva questions people have been asked, and collated these together onto a single page, along with the programmes that gave rise to those questions. If you haven't posted your questions on the forum, but have some that you can (and would like to) add, post them here or send them to me .

Any other suggestions that you have for useful resources, or content for any part of the site, will be most gratefully received; don't hesitate to comment, or criticise .

Any pedants with spare time on their hands are welcome to look through the viva questions page, play 'spot the error', and submit corrections. AP and I have, very quickly, lightly edited them, but it's proving quite time consuming to check them all even vaguely thoroughly. The same goes for any typos or errors elsewhere on the site; we don't mind people being picky .

I'd be happy to submit some of my notes but I will wait until I have results, if that's ok, just to see what kind of comments I get on them. Not long to go! Obviously people will need to be made aware that they are NOT to copy other people's notes.

Thanks .

I wrote a scary 'anti-plagiarism disclaimer' above where the programme notes are; do you think it's strong enough as it is?

A good idea, YAP and AP. I'll be happy to contribute mine, but I first have to find which computer they're on (and if it was the Mac I'll have to type them in again, as it is now an ex-Mac), and then have to find where I've filed my mark sheet.

Great idea. Thanks for setting this up. I've nothing to contribute yet (take it it's only performance diplomas?)

I notice you mention Achieving Success. I think it's good, but it seems more an example how to get a high distinction at grade 8 than pass the diploma. We see fractions of movements, many of which are grade 8 in their own right. This ignores the 'stamina' issue, the full sonata performance, etc. Also the clarinet ones, we don't see the cadenza in the Messager, the end of Weber 2, for instance. Likely others have missed out the most fiendish sections.

Look forward to more info.

Not necessarily: we've only written about the performance diplomas because they're the only ones we really know about. It seems there is less information around here about teaching diplomas so a site about those could be particularly helpful. We're happy to put anything up that people are willing to write about: if anyone has even a small amount of writing about teaching diplomas to add to any section; or even to put on a separate teaching diplomas page we're happy to put it up and to help with what we can .

benjiminja: good luck for your results .

That's OK, because I will hopefully do the teaching one this Summer. Certainly people here who could contribute - margaret, Appassionata, Garkleine, off the top of my head.

Maybe you could do a mutual link with Margaret, doesn't she have a website? Or am I misremembering... anyway, she has all 3 teaching Diplomas so it's worth asking her.

Hi Margaret here
Another Pianist I have sent you a PM about this.

Yes I do have a website www.diplomasupport.pianotution.com offering professional support to candidates thinking of preparing for their teaching diplomas.

I am delighted to offer help and advice to teachers thinking of embarking of the DipABRSM, LRSM or FRSM teaching diploma.

The site said that you 're likely to fail DipABRSM with just a good pass in grade 8 and that you should be able to pass with a high distinction of grade 8...
So does anyone think that I'm doing DipABRSM a bit fast??

It doesn't mean that you'll fail if you didn't get a good pass in grade 8 at the time you did it; it means that you'll fail if you aren't easily good enough to get a grade 8 distinction at the time you take the dipABRSM exam. What did you get in grade 8? It wasn't too long ago that you did it was it?

I have voiced on many occasions my concerns about going too fast through grades: ultimatley though you and your teachers (well and the examiners) are the only people who can decide whether you're good enough to go for it. If I recall you haven't been playing for very long yet have you? Maybe you would beneifit from more experience but since no one here has heard you play we can't tell you if you're ready.

Wow, that is quite a lot of information! And a great idea YAP, to save all those 'help with programme selection' threads! I hope this is all still up and running by the time I get to that standard (probably about 5 years time.)

Hi what about adding in the 'disclaimer' section that these pages are for reference only, and that you do not accept any liability arising from them?

Good idea, I'll add that when I get home .

Hi,

I just took a look at the diploma site. I couldn't see anything about technique for pianists & this is vital for teaching knowledge. Would this info be useful or is it already there but I just didn't look properly?

I think as AP says further up - it's geared towards the requirements of the performance diploma at the moment because that's where the experience has been, but sounds like there's an open invitation to submit info on the teaching versions!
(welcome to the forums by the way!)

Cheers Fen,

I'll start scribbling then post again when I've written down some rules of technique. I learnt the Tobias Matthay technique at the Academy. (A long time ago!) As I'm reasonably illiterate with computers perhaps someone could help with either a link or direct imput on to the help page if it is of use.


Take care all.

Ok fine, I think I'm not skillful enough to do DipABRSM then...

You've got tons of time, so there's no need to rush into it - it's a really nice exam to do (well, apart from the Quick Study) so I hope you work towards it over the next year or so. But it's by no means a grade 9, and I wouldn't expect to spend less than a year preparing for it if you want a respectable pass!

Yes indeed, you can either post things here or PM or email them to one of us (PM for addresses). Thanks for the offer of a contribution to the teaching site. I guess technique might come under something one would want to write for a written submission and we don't have any examples of those yet.


As Fen very rightly says it's a matter of time, practice and experience, that's all. You've not been playing for very long (relative to most people taking this exam) so you may need to take longer before you take it, I'm sure you can make it eventually though .

Glad to notice a few people have commented in various threads that the website was helpful .

Does anyone else have any more viva questions or programme notes (in particular) for the site? Currently, we still only have my programme notes .

You can have my ATCL and LTCL ones if you'd like, but obviously they're not in the ABRSM format, and the ATCL ones are under the old syllabus.

That would be great, thanks .

I could send my teaching diploma notes after I get feedback (which will be September) if you like.

OK, they're on their way.

Thanks Katyjay, they're on now .

Neil - that would be great, the site is a little low on teaching diploma support material at the moment .

I'm still trying to track mine down. We've got far too many computers in this house, and the one No 1 son uses is like 'my Grandfather's axe' - everything has been replaced/upgraded except the case.

Benjaminja's programme notes are on now too .