I am currently working towards my Grade 8 piano (hopefully to sit this November) and will be continuing on to Diplomas.

My local college (Aberdeen) has stopped using ABRSM diplomas and now use Trinity.

My piano teacher has offered to take me through both the performing and teaching Diplomas up to Licentiate.

My question is who do people think are the best diplomas to use? I want to (as well as my piano teacher) do ABRSM diplomas. However, having been to an open day at my local college, reading between the lines, I believe they changed to Trinity as they weren't achieving enough passes using ABRSM.

I believe myself that ABRSM is the oldest, best known and most respected diplomas - I would just like to hear other people's opinions.

Thanks.

Check out the Diplomas forum, Marina. This topic is oft debated therein...

In terms of musical recital the diplomas are very similar. The reason it's harder to pass DipABRSM is that you cannot pass on the recital alone. You also have to pass a viva voce, the programme notes are longer than e.g. for Trinity Guildhall, and there is a Quick Study to pass.

Many people are less skilled at doing a viva voce and a quick study than they are at the recital, so it is inevitably a little more difficult to pass the ABRSM diploma. If you look at past diploma threads you will find it's very common to have to resit just the quick study part, for instance.

I expect your college has decided that it's best to concentrate on the recital, and has therefore chosen to change boards. You should be well up to scratch for the recital part of DipABRSM, but might need guidance from your teacher about preparing for the viva and the quick study.

Although I have prepared college students for DipABRSM it is a challenging diploma to fit around A levels and into a 30- or 45-minute lesson slot. The Trinity diplomas are recital based, and much more compatible with the demands of a college day/term. I've also found that the depth of musical background required for the Viva in DipABRSM is more difficult for a younger candidate to assimilate, simply because they have been alive for a shorter time!

I'm beginning to explore DipLCM with my post-Grade 8 college students. It also has a viva requirement and sight reading, but the recital is a good deal shorter and the requirements more explicit for the viva section. It looks as if it possible to fit it into a shorter timescale than the DipABRSM.