I have a Grade 4 exam next Friday.


AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *runs around screaming like a headless chicken*

I REALLY REALLY want to pass, but right now, it's not looking pretty hopeful. And I'm a little annoyed as I seem to PRACTICE PRACTICE two - four hours a day, but I'm not improving, and my friend who hardly even practices plays better than me.

Motives for passing: To show my other violin teacher that I CAN pass Grade 4 and to see the look on her face when I tell her that I have. I know, it's not very good, but it's motivating.
I love music, I really do. (See, that's a good motive!)
And to prove heaps of other people wrong.

Don't get the wrong idea, I love music, I really do. Probably more than all the other people who are only doing exams so that 'Grade 8, passed' will look good on their resume...

I really don't seem to be improving.

I practice 2-4 hours a day, yet I don't seem to be improving, my scales are going all over the place, I can't get the position changes right, my rhythym's out of wack, and my aural is right there with the hearing impaired.

What pieces are you doing?

I did Grade 4 in the summer and I wasn't that prepared as I was concentrating on a Dip ABRSM on another instrument. My scales were awful on the day, as was my sight reading and my bow bounced through nerves -but I still got a merit.

If I was you I'd stop practicing madly and just run though things - what you don't know now you never will!

Try to get a couple more run throughs with your accompanist as playing with a pianist will help you with your timing and rhythmns. If you have the CD, listen to your pieces over again to get an idea of how it should be performed BUT don't try to play along as they're normally very fast.

Also "aural training matters" with CD is great for aural practice.

Finally DON'T PANIC AND GOOD LUCK!!!!

Maybe if you're struggling with progress and are doing a lot of practice maybe it's because you're not practising in the right way. Maybe after your exam you should spend a lesson with your new teacher (I'm assuming that you have one) talking about how you should practise and what you should be doing when you practise; show him/her what you do when you practise and they will be able to see if you're doing it correctly.

As for your exam just try your best and keep working hard: that's all you can do, you can't do any more so try not to pressurise yourself (I know, easier said than done...). Good luck!

pieces can get over rehersed so that in the end you are just playing them for the sake of playing them and not really improving them at all. calm down and have a day off?!

Sounds like you're probably frantically running through all your scales and pieces at top speed to get all the stuff played several times. Relax, and concentrate on doing it S-L-O-W-L-Y to gain more control over your technique. Don't forget to listen carefully to every note and be aware of your bowing hand, but do not tense up your hand... be aware that it's relaxed and the notes are smoothly played. You might need to practice only 2 bars at a time to get it done well.

QUOTE

my friend who hardly even practices plays better than me.

Im finding that hard to believe considering if she is so good, she must do SOME practise, unless she has been playing for years...

QUOTE

my scales are going all over the place, I can't get the position changes right

Me too...

Lastly, CHILL!

Heh...thanks everyone.

Hmm, I do practice slowly, I just have major panic attacks every once in a while.

I'm playing the Scottish Brawl (A:1) - Anon, Waltz by Somerville (B:3), and Moderato, from Intermezzo, by Martinu (C:2).

The Scottish Brawl, is fine, I just need to get it at 126, but I've been playing it relatively slowly, and I just need to work on the piano parts.

The Waltz, well, according to my teacher, the rhythym is out of wack. So, I've been working on that. I have a lesson today, and hopefully all will be will. And then there's also the multiple position changes, luckily, they're smoother, though sometimes I don't get it right.

The Moderato, it's the rhythym again. I'm not playing those quavers equally.

Scales: I wish I could play them pizzicato! My bowing goes all over the place when I slur them!

QUOTE (Ethie @ Oct 2 2004, 01:16 AM)

Scales: I wish I could play them pizzicato! My bowing goes all over the place when I slur them!

I find slurring the scales harder too. Now, I try to practise them all slurred - it has helped. Even slow down a bit.

Play the pieces at a speed that suits you. The recommended speed is just that - 'recommended'. Doesn't mean you have to play it that fast.

Did you take Grade 3? How did that go? If you passed, then you must be on the right track!

I didn't take Grade 3. So I'm totally clueless.

I really hope I pass, with Merit.

It'll be a dream come true if I get Distinction - but that's highly unlikely.

I came back from my lesson: did I mention that my aural is out of wack as well? Oh yeah.

Hi. I did Scottish Brawl too. I thought it was my best piece and could play it almost perfectly to the metronome mark of 126. I did play it at this speed in my exam which was the same as on the CD, however the examiner mentioned that it was far too slow! In fact when I went back to check the speed, I'd played it faster than 126 on the day (nerves I think!). So you never can tell!

Do make sure you can get it 120 or above though as it's very noticable if you don't. Do you stay in 1st position throughout or do you switch to third in the second half?

For the aurals:

Test 1 - the hardest I think! Get someone to play say 1 bar of the melody and you sing it back. Then ask then to play the first 2 bars and you repeat it.Continue in this way and eventually you'll be able to sing all four bars back straight off!

Test 2 - sit at a piano and play C. Then sing 1 note higher and check it, then 1 note lower and check it. Do the same with a third above and below. The third below is the hardest. Listen to the interval and think of a song you know that has this interval, then test it starting on all different notes, checking your singing aginst the piano. If you can do this, the reading from sight will be fine!

Test 3 - you either need the CD or a pianist to help you with this. However practice clapping by listening to short extracts of any music (or get someone to play you a short tune on an instrument). Again if this is hard, start with one bar first, then two etc

Sorry to go on - hope it helps!

Thanks - it did.

I think that I'm going a bit slow, more 115-ish for the Scottish Brawl. I haven't got a metronome handy, so I can't tell.

Are you allowed to ask them to play the bar, and then repeat it back?

I thought you had to sing the whole thing back to them in one go.

My tone is okay when I'm playing without the piano accompaniment, but it goes all screechy when I'm playing with the piano.

Yes, you do need to sing the whole thing back in the exam, but just try it bar by bar to practice before the exam, until you are confident and can sing all 4 bars. You will get a second attempt in the exam if it goes wrong!

Definitely check out your metronome markings - you can find some online I think or alternatively use your watch - 1 second = 60, so it's two crotchets to 1 second approx (that would equal 120)

Don't worry too much about the speed.
If you can play it convicingly at a slower speed then it shouldn't be a problem.

Sometimes though, I know it sounds almost 'spoiled', but I have to be in a type of 'mood' for playing, otherwise it just sounds like, or feels like too technical, if you get what I mean?
I mean, I'm playing the notes, yeah, yeah, but, I'm not sure how to explain it - I'm not exactly putting any feeling or energy into it...

I know what you mean.
Have you been over doing it?
Sometimes things get a little stale and it can help to leave them for a few days and come back fresher.
Also have a really good idea in your head of how you want it to sound.

I can't leave it for a few days...!!!

My exams in three days!!

I'm panicking.

I'm getting very mixed opinions - and that leaves me feeling confused.

I know what I want it to sound like, but I can't quite get it there. Maybe I'm expecting too much? But I want to play well so much...

Not just so that it'll look good when I apply to stuff, like most people who are doing music.

I really want to pass - but I'm uncertain.

Friday, the best day for exams... Well the night before, relax! Go over your pieces and scales, chill, and make sure everything is packed for the next day.

And let us know how it goes

Good luck

Helen

Noooooo...

I think I mucked up.

Come on then, Ethie, tell us all the gory details

Liz

I definitely did not play to my usual standard, as I was frozen with nervousness, and the room was bloody hot.

I think my first and third pieces sounded rushed, and there was basically a mistake in every piece, did not play with emotion (unless nervousness is counted as one), and the dynamics, well - what dynamics?

Scales: Played F Sharp in C MAJOR!
I think the bowing for the chromatic scale was a bit wack.
And in one of the position changing scales, I think it was out of tune.

Aural: I think I got the entire B section wrong, except for the first note which I was given.

Sight-Reading: I think the intonation was a bit wacky.