...

You know, you could have used just the one poll, with three questions.

Just a thought...

I quite like L'Autunno but am doing Gavot

Don't like the Minuetto at all.

I started off doing the Vivaldi, but couldn't seem to get my fingers round bar 14 as that finer action is unnatural to me from flute playing, and I don't get to spend enough time at the piano.

Thanks madb - I realised that just after I posted the first. never mind.





I know what you mean sags - my fingers always seem to trip over each other at this bar.

Just added the 3 that I actually played in my Grade 1 exam in March.

Gavot
Song of Erin
Never Vex a T-Rex (absolutely loved this piece).

Just about got to grips with Minuetto (for fun).

I echo the sentiments with the Vivaldi piece, I would do this if I didn't think my fingers would run astray at Bar 14 and the last 2 bars. It's probably a better piece to do what with all the changes in dynamics, I think it'd be a lot more clear cut on where you would gain marks for performance.

Never Vex I hated at first but after being forced into trying to sight read it last night by my teacher I must say it's quite fun. I avoided touching it because of the way it looked (coward, I am!). The last chord is a great touch but took me about 5 seconds to figure out, hah - I felt quite stupid!

I note that, so far, no one is playing the latter three pieces, from any list. Obviously the first three are all available in the ABRSM book, and so more accessible; has anyone tried any of the others. For all I know they could be as easy as three blind mice, but has anyone ever bothered to check?

To be honest my teacher didn't really give me much of a choice, she just bought the book with the A,B,C, 1,2,3 pieces in and I had to choose one of each. I did however download the accompanying CD from ABRSM downloads so I do know how all 6 sound.

I am just wondering now whether to do one of the alternative pieces when I get round to Grade 2 as the examiners must get so fed up hearing the same ones the majority of the time, and some people have hinted on here that you may also get a better mark for choosing one that isn't heard quite so often (altough many people also say this is just not true).

I think my teacher just thinks it's probably a waste of money to have to buy another book when there are 3 perfectly good pieces in each catagory to choose from in the ABRSM book.

I don't know what to think really, if I really liked a piece that was classed as one of the alternatives, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest to have to buy the book for the music.

They won't be any easier or harder than the others - they are just extra choices.

Yep, sorry to repeat myself, but no, it is not true.

Purely as an example (I know these are not in the same section), I would have personally thought that a good performance of L'autunno would warrant more marks than a good Song of Erin as the latter is much less complicated. Any mistake you make in Song of Erin will be a larger percentage of error across the piece as a whole... or am I just being overly analytical?

Yes

Different things are expected from different pieces - a piece with "more notes" will get credit for getting all the notes in, but will probably feature less issues regarding tone, line or dynamics.
A piece regarded as more "simplistic" will demand more tone/line/dynamics for credit.
There will be no different marking for a wrong note or two with either piece.

Fair enough, I bow to your wisdom

And the world is as it should be

No, I agree with Mal. A child who thumps away with little expression, while not giving an ideal performance of l'autunno, will probably get away with it better in this than with Erin which demands a bit more subtlety.

IMHO

Guess we will just have to see when the summer exam marks come out! My exam is on the 8th of july. Got to play all my pieces through on a Steinway today! Song of erin sounded really nice, but I still wonder how i can get as close to 30?! What are they looking for?

for example...how many marks would you give this performance of the piece? Song of Erin Video

I personally dont think very much of the interpretation and would give it 20? Or am I being too harsh?!

Yes I think you're being a bit hard on yourself - it sounds pretty ok to me. Nice legato melody.

I think perhaps your softs could be softer so that your dynamic range has a bit more variety at the 'piano' end.

If you take a look at the criteria for marking in 'These Music Exams' you'll find your playing contains more than would earn just a bare 20 (I think you get that for having notes and rhythm more or less right!). I'd have thought yours at least a merit performance.

I am playing this a bit slower personally at the moment... also I don't have the sheet in front of me but you are not "disconnecting" after one of the slurs in the piece (where the RH goes E,F,G then left hand goes from C to Bb if I remember correctly).

Also, melody has to come out after the bit mentioned above with the change in dynamic so as above, the bit before needs to be a bit softer I think.

Sounds nice though!

Disclaimer: This is just how I'm playing it, I'm a lowly student too and will be playing this for the exam, so my advice may be rubbish

Thats not me in the video...... but the advice is good nevertheless!

nice one.

I've learnt these ones:

Minuet in A minor
A Song of Erin
Bluemerang

My teacher never mentioned they came in seperate books she just asked me to pick the ones I liked (although I had to make sure they fit on my keyboard!)

The timing was a bit unfortunate for me as when I had to be entered into the exam I was recoving from my another exam and was in no mood to sign up for more punishment. I do have to play them at a recital this weekend though