Hi!

I’m supposed to be giving my grade 6 piano exam in a week, but I’m not sure if I should.

My pieces (Rumba Toccata – Paul Harvey, Gondolier’s song - Burgmuller & Beethoven) are good, although I still need to add the pedal in one (Larghetto maestoso – Allegro assai by Beethoven)

My scales are ok, but I still don’t know all my melodics (C# minor, G# minor, Eb minor, Bb minor). I’d asked my teacher to show me them, but he refused. He said everything is written down on the paper. I understand how you sharpen the 6th & 7th note when ascending, and only use key signature when descending, but in the scales above, I can’t play them, and if I do, it takes me a while to work them out.

I never go well in sight reading, it’s not my strong point.

My aurals are ok. I don’t excel, but I go alright.

If I don’t give my exams on the 2nd of December (in a week), I’ll have to wait till April. What should I do?

Your opinion will be appreciated!

It sounds as though you should just be ok. For those scales, work out the notes, then practice them slowly until you've really got them, then speed up.

Thanks for the advice! I just tried C sharp minor melodic and I made it going up, but I still can't do the descending!

I appreciate your response

Do you know, without too much working out, what the relative major scales are for those?
It might help with the descending pattern as you are probably fairly familiar with the major scales.

It seems a shame that you've been put in the position where the exam entry has gone in (with the approval of your teacher?) when you don't feel fully prepared but as you'd lose the exam fee if you pull out (and have it to pay again if you enter in the spring) you might as well do your best and treat it as a trial run with a bonus if you do pass.
If you know your pieces well and your other scales then it's only a small part really.
Good luck.

Try writing down the scale on a piece of manuscript paper, so you have something to look at, as that will probably help. Play it as slowly as it takes for you to get the notes right (as in several seconds per note if that's what it takes), then only speed up when you really know the notes.

You're right, it's the reasonable thing to do, but I don't feel ready for the exam yet, myself.

My teacher is really pushy and he won't take no for an answer.

Yes, I do know how to find the relative major, but I still find it difficult to find it on the spot, because I STILL haven't learnt all my melodics!

Thanks for replying, I recognize your advice is sensible.

I think what sbhoa meant was that descending melodic minor scales have the exact same sharps/flats as the relative major (i.e. no accidentals), so if you know the relative major scales, you should be able to work out the descending pattern quite easily.

Do you have a scale book? Just "read" from that very slowly and practise with the book in front of you until you know the scales. (If you find that difficult, you really need to work on your sight reading skills)

Dear Perfectionist...

In this situation, I would work out everything that I need to do and plan what you are going to focus on everyday for the next week.
For example, Today: C#minor and g#minor - do a session on those and then tomorrow two new scales etc etc...this means that you get to spend focussed time preparing each scale rather than trying to play them all through at once and not making any progress.

I would also say that learning an instrument is meant to be enjoyable and exciting, not pressurised and anxious. I would speak to your teacher and let him know that next time, you will decide when you are ready to be entered for you exam, afterall you are paying him for a service that he should be providing on your terms, not his!!

Good luck with your practice, I'm sure you'll be great, a lot of progress can be made in a week and I hope your exam goes well!!

Not forgetting consistent fingering!

I just cracked C sharp minor. Whatever sbhoa meant, it worked. I've got all the books etc but I have to play the scales from memory!

Thanks




Your advice is very sensible. I'll try cracking two melodics a day.

I can't make up my mind if I should give my exam or not.

It's hard for me to confront my teacher. He believes in me, I don't!

I know the right thing is to go and do my best, but at the moment I feel I'm not up to the challenge.

I agree with everything you say and thank you for your good wishes!

Careful - it's quite sharp, as you might expect.

If you had to learn a piece from memory, (I assume) you wouldn't dream of starting to learn it without the music in front of you, why should it be any different for scales?

Have a look at this. some people find it clearer to see the picture of the scale rather than the notes on the page.

I think it depends on what kind of learner you are...I never used a scale book in my life, I was told what pattern a scale followed and then I began on the key note, and played it! I rarely use scale books with my students, I teach patterns and so far (touch wood) it has worked really well!

I have just taken my Gr 6 piano exam and I am awaiting my results. My exam didn't go that well.... but I saw my marks whilst doing my aural and I know i've passed but haven't done that well. I am just glad to have it done. I knew I wasn't going to get a fantastic mark but I was getting bored of the pieces. If
I am usually very poor at sight reading- but it was amazingly easy..... I have never seen Grade 6 sight reading so simple. It was in B minor, with a pretty simple rhythm, so don't assume you'll do badly in sight reading- I think I got 17 for it, and I usually get worse marks for sight reading. The aural was ok as well.
And as for scales.... well there are rather too many in my opinion for Grade 6 and I made many , many mistakes and I still passed.
I suggest you knuckle down to try to learn those last scales and go for it. Your money won't be refunded if you don't. Don't worry too much.... it's only exam. You can take it again in the spring if you would like to do that.
Each scale doesn't count for too much..... if you know your majors and harmonics etc????????


Good luck......

hi perfectionist, your pieces are really interesting, i like the rumba toccata

start to practise the melodic scales slowly, once you get used to it, you'll memorise it


hi nicki! how was the exam?
i was told the results by my teacher through mobile phone but havent got the examiner's note

m_b_r

Thanks, I'll have a look and hope things become clearer, SOON!

[quote name='my_broken_reeds' date='Nov 26 2008, 02:24 PM' post='763860']
of the pieces. If[/quote]
hi nicki! how was the exam?
i was told the results by my teacher through mobile phone but havent got the examiner's note

m_b_r
[/quote]



It was ok but not great...... The sight reading was good but I let nerves get the better of me...... Sight reading was easy (Hurray as I'm not great at it) and aural fairly simple......... I'm just glad to be playing other pieces now......

Yes, I just know the relative major and apply the formula. It's just that with the harder melodics, it takes me quite some time to work it out, time which I don't have in the exam!

Thanks





Congratulations, you passed! You must have sharp eyesight! I never got a merit in my practicals, I was always at about 115-119. I just got a merit in my grade 5 theory.

I might get bored of my pieces (if I'd leave my exam for April), but not Beethoven. I still feel I haven't learnt it. I can't play it all through. My tempo isn't steady and I don't know all of it yet! It's a beautiful piece though and my teacher said it was border line with grade 7 pieces.

I agree with you, there are far too many scales to memorise, but I think I'm ok with the majors and harmonics.

Well done, I'll be glad if I pass too!

I own the definitive book of scales for the AB exams but I've never opened it. I found, once I got above about Grade IV, that I "knew" the scale because the intervals are always the same.

Yes I agree with the above suggestions-I'm surprised though your teacher wont demonstarte-a little harsh.