I'm sure this topic has come up before but I can't find the thread. Do pencil marks on exam pieces need to be erased? I can't remember!

Thank you

Which board? Trinity say you must erase anything that might be tested in the Viva, but you can keep things like finger numbers etc. ABRSM don't bat an eyelid.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

I always keep pencil marks to an absolute minimum. Those which I do make may be alterations in the suggested fingering to suit small hands. Anything else is usually reminders such as a small ring around a staccato dot, or a tiny arrow pointing up or down where a pupil has mistakenly learnt where the next note goes, despite my endeavouring correct this by repetition during lessons. I have never had any negative comments on the exam mark- sheet. A new pupil once showed me her recent exam book. It was so covered with remarks byher previous teacher, huge "hairpins" and fingering,even holes stabbed through the paper! (Was she frustrated I wonder?) I could hardly make out the notes! Incidentally my own very good teacher never allowed me to see my mark- sheets until I took grade 6. I suppose she thought a low mark here or there might cause a negative reaction and put me off taking exams altogether!
Busylizzie.

I once emailed the board with a wider version of this question and was told that anything goes - fluorescent post-it stickers, stamped smiley faces (for happy pieces ?), whatever you like.

Do they not draw the line at people writing note names on the sheet (I imagine some beginners may try this!?) I guess perhaps not but it seems crazy!

It doesn't seem to matter for ABRSM, but I always like to 'tidy up' exam music the week before the exam. I leave in anything that I think the student finds very helpful (usually reminders about dynamics) but fingerings etc. should be all in place by then (hopefully!). I wouldn't send anyone in with music covered with markings, but that's probably me liking everything to be tidy!

I agree with these two posts.

I tend to think that, with additional pencil markings, less really is more. Much better than having loads of fingering written in is just to have that which is the most important written in, and the bare minimum at that. How can anybody concentrate on playing then loads of fingering is written in all over the piece?

My piano teacher used to write on my music in biro. It made my mum really cross (though she never said anything of course!). When I look at my old music now it actually makes me quite nostalgic. Some of it is so written on you can hardly see the music.

I can't believe any teacher would do that!!

No, I have a REAL dislike of writing permanently on any music copy, so any kind of ink is completely out.

I may make quite a few light pencil markings in the course of a pupil's learning a piece - many of them indicating different sections or chunks to be learnt. But all are erasable, although some may be usefully left. I don't mind markings as such - and they can be left if needed. It is quite nice to go through and remove those that are no longer needed, as it indicates real progress with a particular piece. I don't generally tidy up too much just before an exam however - a suddenly clean page can be offputting too.

The only things I make sure are erased on a pupil's music is circles or arrows indicating something that needs to learnt, or highlighting a problem area that needs to be worked on - I just imagine that if the examiner saw these, he/she would listen particularly careful at that moment, as they would know that is where the student has difficulty!!

I always write on my music in pencil, never ink. That way, I can change it if I need to. I don't bother rubbing any out for my exam, though.

I think it is ok, but not to excess. The more the student can remember, the better. However I always use pencil, and try to be fairly discreet. Just a few circles, numbers.. no works of art or anything!

And do remember to go for 2B or softer 'leads' which are easier to erase and which make less (or no) indentation on the paper.

Thank you

Yes ABRSM so that really answers my question. I'll keep in the important marks although I'm really tempted with the post its and smiley face stamps....

Sorry to revive this thread.

Like others I always use pencil and keep it to the minimum, but yesterday, I was teaching one of my pupils who is taking grade 2 tomorrow, to find that she had circled all the dynamic markings with a thick red pen!

What do I do?

a) Freak out and order her to go and buy a new copy of the music (tempting) or
b) smile sweetly through gritted teeth and continue as normal making mental note to tell her not to do something like it again - but not until after the exam.

Surprise, surprise, I went with option B - no point in adding stress to an already nervous pupil, but one to visit next week!

Frankly, I'd love it if half of my pupils took a bit of initiative and actually cared enough about the dynamic markings to circle them.

If the Board don't mind if you use multi-coloured pens, smiley faces, or whatever on the score (and they don't, I have the email to prove it), why should we decide otherwise ? Young children, in particular, often use colours/symbols to help with learning at school; I can't see why music should be any different.

I can see why you're a bit upset as it wouldn't look the best. But at the end of the day if it helps her and isn't cheating in anyway I wouldn't worry.

Lots of my pupils are delighted to put stickers on their pieces in their exam books. These are usually awarded for good practice or for mastering a difficult passage there might be an extra special one! I think they might be trying to show off to the examiner!

Years ago when I was doing Grade VI piano first time around, I opted to play pieces from memory and the examiner asked to borrow my book which I brought in so he could follow as I played. It so wrong-footed me that I ended up failing the exam as I got completely lost in one of the pieces and he ended up having to return the music to me. It has always made me cautious ever since ( though I suspect that political correctness and ABRSM rules now forbid such a thing happening) . I don't allow any examiner to see scribbles on my pupils' music. Open book examinations at GCSE are largely to be annotation free (I teach English Literature). All of this inclines me to advocate as clean a copy as possible.

LR