Hi all. Give me whatever advice you can okay? I'm preparing to start working on my performance diploma (RCM), which is equivalent to DipABRSM. My teacher is so concerned that I always play things to the very best of my ability using perfection as the ultimate example, as unattainable as it is. Like for instance, today, we did my scales which I know ALL of, and can play them without any mistakes except for a couple finger fumbles that don't actually stop the scale in any way, and can play them significantly faster than required.

She congratulated me on my progress, but then went on about how to make them better, which is her job, I know. She said they sounded a bit "bumpy" in places. She had me play my right hand alone up and down which was fine. And she had me play my left hand alone, too. Up was fine, down did sound a bit ragged, I do admit. She pointed out that my left hand was riding on my right and relying on it, on the way down, and that they need to be independent of each other more. BUT, hand separately is not required for the exams like it is in ABRSM. And it was okay hands together. Yes, she did make some very valid points and she is right. And these skills do transfer into my pieces, I know. She even showed me in one of my pieces where the same "bumpy" issue was occuring.

Now, my problem, I JUST CAN'T SEEM TO CARE! I play because I love playing. Yes, I want a good mark, but is it just me or is this being really picky? Or is it just being a really good teacher? I'm just annoyed, you know. I can alway improve, improve, improve. I just want to "get it" for once, you know? Sigh.....

Any and all comments, positive or negative welcome.

Well you say you want your playing to be as perfect as possible (however hard it is to achieve) & if your teacher knows this then maybe she's just being overly critical because she's think it's how you want her to be. Personally I prefer my teacher to be honest with me & tell me if something isn't good as then I know what I need to work on.

I do know what you mean though as when I was practising for grade 6 I was happy with my pieces even though they occasionally had a few mistakes in them but my teacher always picked me up on them & even though I got a bit stressed out about it at the time I knew she was right & kept practising the bits that needed work until I got them perfect. Although it may seem as though your teacher is being picky at the moment, I'm sure she has your best interests at heart & only wants you to play to the best of your ability.

So you've got two options:

1. Stick at it until you get your scales to sound less 'bumpy'. It might seem like hard work now but it'll be worth it in the end if you get a good mark for them which I'm sure you will.

OR

2. Have a word with your teacher & just say that although you know she's only doing her job, you feel that your scales sound OK & you're happy with them even if they're not perfect.

Good luck with your performance diploma, I really hope you do well & remember that no one's perfect & it's OK to mess up sometimes! With the stress of doing a diploma, there are going to be times when you're playing isn't absolutely spot-on but everyone makes mistakes so try not to worry about it too much. I'm a perfectionist too & hate making mistakes but I'm learning to just accept when I make one & move on!

Lisa xxx

Picky is good. People say perfectionism is a bad thing, but it can't be. A little thing might seem stupid at this point but it will probably keep cropping up until you sort it (violin bow technique for me). Since you're so good at scales, surely it would be a shame not to get full marks on them and have them perfect? It's easy marks. If it's about hand indepedence, then you should definitely do them!

Just want to say that having all your scales is really cool

Thanks guys. You're probably right. I'm just annoyed and moody right now because even though I've started on my diploma pieces I STILL have to pass grade 10 first and the exam isn't until June 15th. So each day I have to peel myself away from my new exciting pieces and plug away at the old grade 10 pieces and scales. (Performer's diploma doesn't actually have scales, yay! But teacher's diploma does and I'm doing that eventually as well, so I suppose I must get used to always doing them even after grade 10 because I will eventually need them again).

My teacher told my friend that I was trying to "hold back the horse at the starting gate." I'm just sick of anything that has to do with this grade that I have been working for almost a year now. Sigh, back to the keyboard I guess......... Only 71 days till I can "for real" work on my diploma pieces without these distractions.

Just out of interest why have you started your diploma pieces before you've finished the previous grade ? Maybe that's what's making you feel so frustrated: if you weren't working on those pieces already you might be motivated to work hard on your current pieces so that you could get to play your diploma pieces; rather than already being allowed to play diploma pieces and feeling frustrated because you view your current pieces as old and have nothing in the future to work for (as you're already doing it).

Um, yes I am . It helps me keep my sanity, . My grade 10 exam isn't for over 2 months yet, and I would be okay with doing my exam in say 3 more weeks - even 2 more if I worked hard at it. All my pieces are memorized, even the ones that aren't required, my technique is all learned (except for C Major V7, arpeggio, which is just a beast no matter how much you practice it!) And the aurals and stuff are almost there, but they are never really strong points for me in exams, except for sight reading. My teacher found the best way to get good marks on it! She says you lose one point for each mistake, and one point if you go too slow, so why not just aim for 9/10 and sightread SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO slow that you cannot make an error? On my first exam (gr. 6), I did it so slowly that the notes almost stopped sounding in between (almost, not quite) and thus hit no wrong notes, and I only lost one mark! It was great!

I still spend quite a few hours each day on grade 10 stuff. My goal is to get my 2 diplomas (performer's and teacher's) before the syllabus changes. The "new" syllabus is a real pain compared to the still usable "old" one. I have 3 more years to finish up before the "old" one becomes outdated. So I figured I would be doing my long term goals more of a favor by splitting up my time and working on the next grade a bit. I did it in grade 6. I actually spent more time in the next grade than in grade six. I still got the equivalent of a merit, and no one cares what my grade six mark was anyway. But it helped me get a whole exam session ahead with the next grade, so I could do it in June instead of August. So I guess I view grade 10 as the same. I would like a merit and to have a good head start on the next grade, more than I would like a distinction and be weeks behind where I could have been in the next grade. No one will care what my grade 10 mark is either. It's the diploma mark that I will carry with me.

I don't know. It's just one way of looking at it I guess. (Oh, and I spend hours on technique each week, so I'm not actually really "robbing" from it. I just need to stop rushing through it and do some quality over quantity practice there). Thanks guys for your viewpoints.

I will work harder on the weak technical spots and don't worry AP, a week or 2 before the exam if things look a bit ragged, I will drop all else and really focus.

Grade 10? Am I missing out on something as a private teacher?

Gae

Sorry! No, you're not. I don't do ABRSM. I do RCM, which is a Canadian program. Your grades 1-8 are equal to our grades 1-10. We just divide it up more. They are quite similar in many regards, and different in others. Our theory is more comprehensive, and your diplomas are more comprehensive. So they both have pluses and minuses.

What a strange marking scheme . I wish the AB marked sightreading like that .


Fair enough, I see your reason: maybe you just did too well in your strategy and got too far ahead on this grade before you could take the exam . What's a pain about the new syllabus by the way (just being nosey)?


Gae: this is a Canadian exam board that go up to grade 10. I think their grades are equivilant to ABRSM though if I'm not mistaken: i.e. AB grade 8 = their grade 8 but there are grades 9 and 10 between 8 and diploma.

Hey AP, I'll try to explain the new and old syllabus.

For the teacher's diploma old syllabus:

One large written exam covering any teaching senarios

One viva voce, or "teaching" the examiner. You must have 4 to 6 pieces from each grade (introductory to grade 8), that they may pick from for you to "teach" them.

One practical exam with scales, aurals, and 2 grade 9 piece, 2 grade 10 pieces, 2 diploma level pieces, and one Prelude and Fugue by Bach at the grade 10 or diploma level. You must give a performance of a merit standard.

If one has their performer's ARCT first, one my be exempt from the last step, which is what I'm doing to save money and the real reason is hehe, to be elligible for your performer's diploma you need to do a P + F by Bach at grade NINE or higher. So you see, I did my P + F in grade nine, and if I do this diploma first, I get out of having to learn one at grade 10 or higher level. Yes, I'm lazy, but you have to admit it's a nice loop hole they have there.






New teacher's diploma syllabus:


Level 1:

One written exam on issues related up to grade 2 piano

One viva voce, with pieces up to grade 2

Grade nine piano certificate


Level 2:

One written exam on issues related to grade 3 - 8 (ish?) piano

One viva voce, on the same level

Grade 10 piano certificate


Level 3:

One written exam on issues found in teaching grade 9 - diploma

One viva voce with (THIS IS THE REAL KILL) 5 - 6 pieces from grades 9 and 10 (In other words, relearn my entire grade 9 and 10 repertoire!!!!!!!!!!)

Not sure, but I know the performer's diploma makes you exempt again so I'm assuming this would be about the same as the old syllabus' requirements.




So in other words, they've broken it up to make it more accessable, so it may be done over a few years rather than 3 big exams within 2 years of each other (old way). This is also nice because you had to be 18 to do it the old way, but you only have to be 18 to do the last level here. This way, younger kids may have teacher training. The new way is also a bit more thorough, and you have 3 times the amount of exam time with the examiner. BUT I am almost 21, have been teaching for a couple years now, and would much rather do the 3 bigger exams instead of all these new ones. And you can imagine that the "new" way costs a couple hundred more as well. AND you have to do ALL OF THOSE NINE STEPS except for the grade 9 certificate which is optional because if you have a grade 10 or diploma, they won't care if you did your grade 9 or not. AND AND AND, you have to do each "set" or "level" at a different exam session. You cannot apply to do the next level until you have the certificate for the preceding one. It's just alot more work!!!


On another topic, we only have exam sessions in June, August, and January. I started grade 10 last June, and I wasn't ready to take the exam in January (and certainly not August!) which forces me to wait until this coming June. Which is why I'm "stuck." I have informed my teacher, that in my own time, I'm working on the next grade, and I asked her to let me know if she sees my grade 10 start to slip so I know when to smarten up.


On a final topic, our grade 10 is about equivalent to your grade 8. (Some of our gr. 10 pieces are on the grade 8 syllabus and some are in the DipABRSM syllabus even, like the Pathetique). But we don't have different levels in our diploma. So this means we have pieces like Debussy's Sunken Cathedral, and Moonlight Sonata (all movements) to pick from as well as Beethoven's Hammerklavier, Liszt's Mephisto Waltz and La Campanella, ect.! Quite a difference in levels all in one diploma. You have to pick your own program according to your own ability, but when you're done, there is no more. Just the one diploma, and whatever you pick you must play it from memory and extremely well.


Oh, and yes AP, ABRSM's sightreading sounds way harder! We don't have quick study even, but we have KILLER theory!

Thanks for explaining that: it's very interesting to see the different ways of doing things . I'm guessing you're not a fan of Bach then .


That seems insane there's a world of difference between Hammerklavier and the Moonlight . I wonder if anyone ever plays any of the harder repertoire. Sounds like they could benefit from more diplomas to give people an incentive to play harder pieces: unless of course one lists one's repretoire along with one's qualification and people are more, or less, impressed accordingly.

Good luck .

i know what you mean about being picky, but atleast your teacher picks up on things like that, i have no fingering whilst playing scales,a nd my teacher hasn't even tried to help me *grrr*

Couldn't it be that your teacher has found a weaker spot in the scales as you're doing them, though? I've certainly been in "nearly there" situations, and found that being taken back a stage by a teacher has not only helped get through a gremlin, but has also had added benefits for the rest of my playing. Annoying to have to do when you're so far down the line with the preparation, though!