I found out the date of my Grade 7 piano - November 8th. I feel like I'm about to cry... I really don't feel ready at all. I was half pushed/half cajoled into taking the exam this season, and I don't feel anywhere near as ready as I did for my previous grades. Anyway, moaning aside, I'd like to ask some advice --

I'm doing the 05-06 specification.

My A piece is the Allemande by Mozart. I'm having trouble making this flow; at the moment, there are some abrupt bits where I have to take my hands off the keyboard in order to play the notes (if that made any sense). Do you think it will be unreasonable to pedal a Mozart? I will only do it to join notes together, not excessively, but... also, do you think it is important to play it up to the speed stated? Or would it be acceptable to do it slightly slower?

B piece is the Esquisse by Gliere. I love this piece but the mordents sometimes just doesn't come. Is this just a matter of practice? Are there any finger exercises etc that I could be doing?

C piece is Johnny Mehegan, which I've been working on for just over a month (!) and is really not up to scratch imo. I got the rhythm (I think) but I cannot play it at that speed, and nor can I make the distinctions between p, pp and ppp.... and I don't know what the character of this piece is really so I don't know what kind of feeling to put into it.

Scales... oh my god, stoccato scales are a nightmare. I only just realised 2 weeks ago that stoccato scales are actually required, and that's sent me into a right frenzy. My first inversion arpeggios/dominant 7ths are also a bit tempramental; sometimes it comes, but at other times my fingers keep slipping off the keys. I know that scales can only be proved by practice... but do you have any handy tips for this?

Sight reading.... don't even go there.

Aurals!!! Aurals has been stressing me out for ages. Humming back the tune -- I just cannot remember it. Is there any tips for this? Next, sight-singing. I've been practicing doing this with solfa but unsuccessfully; how do other people do it? The piano accompaniment keeps putting me off. The cadences - they're ok, except when I have to identify which chord goes to which... any tips for those? (e.g. hearing the distinction between a 2nd inversion tonic, dominant, subdominant, submediant etc.)


It's just that I don't feel at all confident for this exam and I feel as though I've been rushed into it. I think that the best I can hope for this time around is a pass - but I had always got merits and distinctions before; I feel like I'll be disappointing everyone (and above all myself). I only have less than 3 weeks and I don't think I'll be able to do much in that time, but if there are any last minute preparations I could be doing, it will be helpful.

Thanks for reading my rant.

Try and look at how and where the accompaniment syncs with the bit you're singing - chances are at some points you'll have bits where the accompaniment has one of your notes (even if it's not in the top part) or where you can pick up the note you need to sing from a previous bit of the accompaniment. If that makes any sense...

Don't fret about the scales being staccato.
You know the scales already, so just play them slower when doing staccato, take your time and remain calm.
You have two whole weeks. They will naturally increase in speed the more you practise, so take them slow for now.

stay calm and just take your time...
anyway, good luck for your exam... try not to show any signs of panic to the examiner... even if you're nervous on the inside, try to act confident on the outside...

ShArOn

Yes, try not to panic. Think SLOWLY and it will become easier. You can take pieces at different tempi from those suggested. Just be sure that the style and mood is there, and it makes a musical performance. Good luck.

Thanks for your supportive comments. I feel a bit calmer now that I've done some practice, but I still feel terrified.

Sarah, yes, you did make sense. I find it easier when the accompaniment notes match up with the notes I'm singing, but the trouble comes when they don't... ahhh...

Haven't seen you on here for a while!

Just try not to panic and it'll be ok! Breaking up your practise into small sessions might help, so you feel like you've got less to do.

Hi anakrron

I'm in a similar boat to you. I'm also doing grade 7 but I'm doing different pieces: Handel, Grieg and Ibert. I won't be playing the first two pieces at the suggested speed and I don't think it is necessary. As for staccato scales they are something of a stamina test, especially the chormatic scales, but when I relax they don't feel too bad. The main problem I have is boredom as I have been preparing for this exam for a year. I have to vary my practice routine in order to maintain my attention.

All I can really add is that I wish you a fair wind.

...and not too many tins of baked beans.

Understandable: but, chances are some will, and that gives you a good chance to get a few right - & those directly above or below those notes will be easier to get if you know those notes are OK. Have you tried starting with simple things and working your way up?

Look partway down the 3rd column on this page and you will find some sight reading examples and other ear tests, for some free practice they start of qith quite simple tunes and only having to sing a couple of notes which aren't played, and gradually props get taken away and the intervals become more difficult.

Remember it's only a small part of a small part of your exam, so please do try not to panic about it. Do the practice that you can, and do your best, it's all anyone can ask of you (including yourself! yeah, do as I say not as I do but still!).

I believe staccato scales have a different "minimum speed" than the legato equivalents in piano exams? So you can get away with playing them more slowly

Hey Junko, I didn't realise you had changed your name. I haven't started the grade 7 stuff yet but I hope all goes well.

Sorry for the late reply; thanks again to everyone for your kind words. I'm still practicing as much as I can, and I can now probably say that all components are at least passable - perhaps not distinction standard, but I'm happy with that! Sarah, that website is really helping, thanks. Rhu, good luck with your exam too.



Hi Boo Yes, I did change my name (yesterday) - it's a name I use on other forums

Glad things seem to be looking up - I bet you're doig much better than you think

Dont panic!!! I did the allemand in july and i managed 23 .I did use a bit of pedal and the examiner said to me try to keep the music flowing like a dance ,i dont know if that helps? Scales-just practice them every day and the aurals -just listen to lots off music and practice identifying different aspects of it .Good luck.

So glad I found this topic! My exam is on November 15th (found out while I was on holiday...with no piano!) and I'm doing exactly the same pieces as you The first page of the Allemande is Ok, but the second one is still very hit-and-miss :s. The Gliere is getting there (am playing it for a concert on Tuesday though and I don't feel ready!). I love the Bernstein piece but getting it up to speed is going to be a bit of a nightmare! And hitting the right notes on the second page is also worrying me!
I felt fine about doing it when I put in for the exam, but with all the stress at school of applying for uni courses and exam retakes and sorting out recital and concert programmes etc...the time went so quickly! I'm now very scared but at least I can now put piano as a priority for the next few weeks as I don't have any more looming big deadlines!
Best of luck with your practice and your exam - I'm sure it won't be as bad as it seems!
love hoxie
xxx

EDIT: with the Bernstein, I think it's quite an eccentric piece - I'm working on trying to make lots of contrasts and make it really fun and rhythmic! It sounds a bit strange at first but that's part of the fun of it

Hope it all goes ok for both of you Junko and Hoxie.

good luck and all the best to you two!

ShArOn

Thanks for the good lucks! Played my list B piece in a concert on Tuesday and it went OK so I'm trying to calm down. Have a lot of work on the scales & aural to do though still

So the said exam is now tomorrow Does anyone have any last minute tips, especially how to calm down nerves when you're in the room?

Get a good night's rest tonight, Junko, and good luck for tomorrow.

GOOD LUCK!!!!
Hope it all goes well for you!
Get a good night's sleep, as katyjay said, and try to remember that you can always take it again if it goes wrong. Most of all, enjoy it!

Thanks! Not sure about enjoying it () - I'll be glad when it's over - but it's all experience, I guess. I'll make sure to eat a banana beforehand

crazy cow... your exam is a week after mine, right? Good luck with yours too.

Good luck!

Don't worry if you feel unprepared. I did! I didn;t think I would pass becasue it was so bad but i managed a merit. The Equisse is a gorgeous piece (i played it too) but I didn;t play it terribly well lol. my best was "Carousel" by Sylvie Bodorova (28!!). Basically, my advice is work really really really hard!!! (yes I was stating the obvious)

Good Luck!!

Thanks for the good lucks. I have just come back from the exam, and feeling relieved is an understatement!

The examiner was really nice and he was so friendly; trying to put me at ease, I guess (though I've heard that nice people tend to be harsher with marking ). Thanks to that, I was less nervous than I otherwise might have been.

I played scales first. It was okay, I guess, although I did fluff up some notes. He asked me 4 scales in similar motion (2 legato/2 stoccato), 1 scale in 3rds (B major - the one I fluffed! He probably thought I was hopeless at 3rd scales!), 1 in contrary motion (F minor - fluffed this one too), 2 first inversion arpeggios (G major and F minor), 1 dominant seventh arpeggio, 1 chromatic similar motion and 1 chromatic contrary motion. Overall, I think my scales were okay. Not absolutely perfect but there were only minor glitches.

Next up I played my A piece, Allemande by Mozart. I am SO glad that I didn't hit the wrong note or miss a note like I was doing during my practice! I think my tempo was a bit dodgy (started too slow and I think I speeded up somewhere... ooops). I was thinking too hard of not doing it wrong to put as much expression in it as I would've liked, but I hope it wasn't too bad.

My B piece, Esquisse by Gliere. This one went well, although just before I went into the exam, I realised that I had been putting in dims where it should have stayed mf... but it was too late to change, and hopefully the examiner perceived that as original interpretation or something Anyway, this one went okay, and I don't think there were any mistakes although I may have just forgotten it.

My C piece was For Johnny Mehegan by Bernstein. Considering I only started this piece about mid-September, and really wasn't fond of it, I think it was passable. I mis-hit one note (funnily enough, not the note that I consistently missed during practices, but a different one) in the beginning, and I think I miscounted somewhere. My dynamics went out of the window on the second page, and I didn't hit the last note!!!! How annoying, because it made an unconvincing ending. Ah well.

Next was aurals, which was a bit offputting, because I had always done aurals last before now. Anyway, I must say that although this was the component I was most worried about, it wasn't a complete disaster. The "singing back the lower part" was surprisingly easy, far easier than the practice ones (though I know I missang the last three notes...!). The sight-singing was... average. The beginning was fine, but it got worse and worse as it went on. But it was still easier than the practice ones. Then there was the cadences... uhh... it was a really short extract which put me off slightly, and I was really confused what it was. I said it was interrupted because it had a discord in it somewhere, but on second thoughts it may have been imperfect or even perfect.... and when he asked me to name the chord I said something stupid like "Dominant seventh to a VI. Goodness, I didn't even use the proper term for it... and it couldn't have been a dominant seventh because an interrupted cadence only goes from V --> VI! Grrrr! The final test was the period one, and at first I thought it was Romantic, then I thought it was 20th century, then when it was about to finish I thought it sounded impressionist. Humph. I said it was 20th century (hopefully that incoporates impressionism, if it was that), and he prompted me to give him a name of a composer, so I randomly said it might have been Debussy...... and he asked me about the structure, but from what I could hear it had no structure at all! So I blabbed on about an introduction.... cringe.

Finally the sight-reading. Again this was so much easier; the piece was in C major and in 4/4 time. How nice of him (although it might indiciate, that he thought I was so terrible that he'd give me something relatively easy). Considering it was in such a simple key and time, I don't think it was too good... played several wrong notes, and lost count in the middle. But not as bad as usual! And that was it!

The piano in the exam centre was quite a good one, but it didn't leave much scope for change in dynamics - it felt a bit stiff, so that f sounded f but p sounded more like mp. Consequently, my C piece didn't have as much light and shade in it as it would have done if I played it on my home piano.

Overall, I am SO glad it is over. I'll be overjoyed if I got a merit, but I will be pleased with a pass, seeing as I had so much difficulty beforehand.

And I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted to read all of that, but I needed somewhere to blab all of my thoughts on. Thanks for all your support, encouragement and help over the past few weeks. And to those people who still have exams to come, GOOD LUCK! It definitely isn't as horrific as you expect, and the sight reading and aurals are miles easier than in the practice books.

*phew*
It sounds like it went OK - I wouldn't worry too much about the aural - the rest sounds like it went well so I'm sure you'll be fine! Well done! You get to play fun stuff for a while now! *jealous* I love straight after an exam when I get to play whatever I like (though this time I'm launching straight from exam into the middle of recital pieces for April )

How did your exams go?

hmmmmm.... well, I'm still alive!
Aural was pretty distastrous I think, scales I had to do several repeats but I think sightreading was ok (though I hit the wrong note for the last chord!! ) Pieces were alright I think, though I'm a bit mad with myself for messing up the last bar of the Mozart! It had gone almost ok for the rest of it! My dynamics on the list C piece weren't that fantastic either but oh well...will just have to wait for the results and see!

I'm glad it went alright for you Did you find that the aurals/sight reading were much easier in the exam than in the practice books too? They probably make the practice books deliberately hard...

Don't worry about messing the last bar of your Mozart up; I did the same for Johnny Mehegan... didn't hit that last pp note; I tried to do it really quietly and it ended up not coming out at all! And my dynamics went out of the window too! I blame that partly on the rubbish piano at the centre though.

Now the wait for our results! What are you going to be doing now? Straight to Grade 8? Or having fun with different pieces?

I thought the aural was quite hard - I had a weird oriental piece and I didn't know what to say for character/mood! But I was quite surprised with the sightreading! It wasn't brilliant but easier than the ones in the book!
The piano at our centre was a bit dodgy too - an upright which is rather loud! So the pp notes were most definitely not pp...oh well...
I'm now working on my recital program for April (for A2 music) which is interesting - it's nice to do something different! I'm hoping I don't have to do grade 8 - I have to contact my universities to see if they want it on paper or not! If I do have to do it I have some pieces lined up though - Mendelssohn for A, Clementi for B and Ravel for C ! I would love to learn them anyway, but I would prefer to do it over the summer rather than in a rush for an exam!

I'm looking at the Grade 8 pieces, but I'm not sure which one I like best yet. I think I'll have to listen to the CD for a bit more. Good luck with your recital

Thanks
Are you planning on going straight into grade 8 then or just playing around for a bit?

I don't know... I once mentioned that it would be nice if I could get Grade 8 done before I leave school, because if I go to uni I probably would have to give up the piano (for the time being anyway)... so straight onto Grade 8 I guess. Maybe not in terms of pieces, but I will definitely start on the Grade 8 aurals, scales and sight reading because I want to be a bit more prepared than I was for Grade 7! We'll see what mark we get for the Grade 7 though, if I had failed I reckon we'd have to change our plans a bit.

That's what I always think as I start a new grade....one day I will actually stick to my word!! Good luck with it! Hope you do well in your grade 7 - you're going to get your marks so much earlier than me! *jealous*

Been reading your posts with interest PurePianist!

The best of luck towards your grade 7 result.

Well done to both of you and good luck for the resutls .

Don't worry about the exam reports being long I do actually really enjoy reading them . Don't know why, maybe I'm just strange .

Thank you! My friends, who did an exam around the same time as I did, have all got their results already - my teacher reckons that I might get it tomorrow (apparently all my results always seem to come on a Saturday ).