A few weeks ago (I can't find the thread, not even sure which board) I mentioned that I thought examiners would be looking for pieces that demonstrated a range of techniques and styles, particularly at the higher grades. Someone (don't remember who) replied that it is only at Diploma level that the examiner looks at the program as a whole - at the lower grades each piece is assessed on its own merits, he (or she) said.

Beware: It ain't necessarily so!

Trawling the smaller print of the General Regulations for Piano I came across clause f: "Candidates should use their discretion in the choice of pieces in order to present a contrasted and balanced programme."

Just thought I'd let you all know!

But there is nowhere in the mark scheme of any of the major exam boards to cover the balance of the programme.

I think Robodoc might have seen this in the LCM syllabus for candidates selecting four pieces for their 'Leisure Play' grade 'recitals'.

I seem to remember reading R's quote somewhere and I think this was it.

I can't help thinking that examiners must be aware of the overall balance, even if they are not supposed to include it in their marking, and surely it's difficult not to be influenced a little by it, even subconsciously?

I find I'm particularly aware of two pieces in the grade 2 syllabus (piano) this time, A1 and B3 which have the same key and the same time signature. (I'm sure I'm not the only one who has looked at these two and thought hmmm). I'm trying to steer my pupil away from doing both - she has learnt another A piece but slightly prefers A1. I'm certainly happier presenting what I see as a balanced programme - even at the lower grades.

It was me who made the original comment, but I know the AB examiners mark each piece individually as they go through - I've seen them do it. They may of course adjust them after the exam is complete if they think the programme is unbalanced, but I've never known it to be commented on.

They may produce sight reading that forces the candidate to show, for example, some staccato playing if the rest of the programme has been legato.

No, its the ABRSM regulations, freely available on another branch of this very website!


I know it's not specifically incuded in the marking scheme, but it IS in the regulations so I would expect examiners to take it into account at least. Besides up to and including grade 8 your program is drawn up from the various lists which makes it difficult if not impossible not to present a contrasted and balanced program!



Just realized that's ambiguous, so let me clarify: I know which examination board, just not sure which discussion board (viva piano? teachers? adult learners? general music forum?)

Yes - you did send my thinking on a different track. I've just found regulation f in the link to the Piano Regulations and Syllabus through the FAQ section at the top of the 'Teachers' forum. These forums are so incredibly helpful as I wouldn't have noticed. When you have been teaching for years and years one tends not to look at the Regulations when we should. We do have to sign and agree we have read them every time we enter candidates for exams after all! oops!

Anyway there is a similar statement by the LCM so I guess it applies to all and something to keep an eye on when we are selecting music for our pupils

I think regardless of the mark scheme, it would be in the best interests for all students to pick a varied program for their Graded exams anyway, simply because it would a) diversify their abilities, b) be more interesting for the student, and c) be more interesting for the examiner! I don't have doubts that the examiner would be more likely to favour (perhaps unknowingly) the student that brightens up their day with a piece that has not yet been played (even if it is something like Clouds or If the Silver Bird Could Speak [no offense to the respective composers, just I personally didn't get them]!) than the student that adds to the pile of pieces that have been played time and time again!

That's why when I chose my Grade 8 pieces a while back, I looked at the ones people had said, and purposely did the ones that no-one did say (I even did a little tally) - of course, I took into consideration whether I would be willing to actually play the pieces!

Actually if I had had my way, I'd have probably only played pieces by Chopin, Rachmaninov, Ravel and Scriabin in the exam, but then again, I think I know better than to do that!

Incidentally though, people like Bach must have not had a very varied program... bah, being from the distant past is no excuse!

~Wobby~

Is it just me who thinks this is a fabulous piece?

FOUR pieces????? Have I missed something?

Possibly!

I'm not the sort to dismiss pieces of music immediately as bad, but I would say that I personally didn't really get it. Possibly you could expand on why you think it is a fabulous piece, then I would be able to see the appeal of it? Incidentally, what did you think of Clouds from the Grade 3 syllabus a while back?



No, you haven't - you still are only allowed 3 pieces in one of the graded exams: I meant that I would have been tempted to choose any of the 4C3 combinations of pieces of the respective composers, given that one could have the choice to choose the 3 pieces from the whole G8 syllabus.

~Wobby~

Ah - a bit like me planning to learn 2 from each list (6 pieces) and drop the worst 1 from each list 3 months before the exam. From the current grade 8 c list alone I would pick at least 3, if not 4!

EDIT: just checked - of the 16 pieces on the C list I would like to learn at least 10!

I guess it's good in a way though that they do that, otherwise every music student would probably be a specialist in one sort of composer, and not be able to play anything by another sort of composer! Although I know that even having done an A section piece for each of my graded exams, I would still not relish being given a Bach piece to perform, and especially not to sight-read. Is it just me, or are Baroque pieces the hardest to sight-read on the whole, simply because you need to learn all the fingering to play them smoothly!

As for the idea about dropping a piece from each list over time, that makes me recall of the last minute decision to switch the B section piece 2 days before the exam...

Although I think I was glad that I made that decision afterwards!


I think there was quite a few I wanted to play, but I couldn't find an edition of them, so that helped make the decision for me at times...

~Wobby~

Ah, that would be a mighty and unattainable ambition. I would never try to make anyone like a piece of music (or a person, or a sport, or anything else) just because I thought they should.

What I personally like about that piece is ... well, the sound it makes. The rhythms, the harmonic language, and in particular the progression from the bottom of page 1 to the top of page 2 (speaking vaguely here - I borrowed the book for a couple of weeks and gave it back some time ago). It just struck me right from the start as clever, imaginative, evocative music, as indeed all the List C pieces did.

I don't think I know that one, sorry.


Very difficult to generalise across a whole period, but assuming equal levels of difficulty you could say that Baroque pieces are relatively easy to sightread as long as you're familiar with the musical language, which does not vary dramatically between composers.

Yes, I know it does vary, but not as much as, say, in atonal music, where there can often be a big change in musical language between pieces written by the same composer (though even here you can to some extent predict what's coming next if you're at home with the idiom).