so I had my grade 8 exam last year, and I've found that with all the stress of university applications and final exams, I haven't played nearly as much piano this year. barely any in fact, just playing in spurts. I think I spent too much time playing exam pieces and not enough playing things I like, and now I don't really know what to play.

so I must ask you - when you're not practicing for exams, what sort of pieces do you play on the piano? and how do you plan to keep up interest when you're done with the exams?

I know exactly what you mean!

My advice would be to find one piece that will challenge you a little (I'm doing some Bach) and a few pieces you can just bash through (I like the Ray Charles song Georgia and a book of Burt Bacharach!) and just try to get in the habit of playing regularly.

You just need to relocate the enjoyment and the rest will follow.

This question makes me despair.

Exams are (or should be) a means to an end. Working through the grades is one way to gradually build up the skills you need to eventually tackle anything that has been written for the piano.

But the desire to play some of that wonderful music should be the starting point. It shoud just be there ... a red-hot passion to make music, and to share your passion and insight by playing for others. The rest follows.

If you have to "plan to keep up interest" you are lost before you start.

Thanks for the tips! I'll try a combination of hard and fun pieces



see I agree with you 100%. the sad thing is approaching my grade 8 exam, I cut down on a lot of pleasure playing and stepped up exam playing. right after that, I moved house, didn't have a piano for a few months, and started spending 8-10 hours a day at school with the stress that comes with uni applications and my last year. so by the time everything wound down, i'd pretty much forgotten what made me love the piano. that's what i'm trying to get back

Aww! That's such a shame But I'm sure that there is something that you love about the piano, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to take it all the way up to grade 8. Maybe you should watch some piano videos on youtube to see which styles you like, and seeing some great players on there might inspire you again. I know exactly how you feel about it though - I'm preparing for grade 8 flute in 2 weeks time, and I'm just not enjoying the whole exam stress thing - but I know that once the exam is over, that's it forever, so I can just get back to really enjoying my playing again, without the exam looming. Maybe you're thinking of piano as something you can only do when you're not really really busy, so you remember the stress of not being able to practise, but if you tried to build it into your daily routine then it'll become your special time that's specifically for piano and nothing else, no matter how much other stuff you have to do. Then you'll really begin to value the time and headspace music can give you

I'd say get out and listen to some great piano music (orthe cheaper option, stay in with YouTube) and keep trying different things until you hear something that moves you and makes you think ... "I want to be able to play that. I really, really want to be able to play that". It does not have to be anything big and technically formidable. It could be, say, a Bach 3 part invention, or a beautiful miniature by Grieg.

But once you hear it ... you are back on track.

It is really sad isn't it? So many of us (me included) are just brought through exams and never really shown that we are capable of playing for enjoyment. In my case, whenever I brought music I had tried myself to my teacher when I was a teenager I was told not to do it again!

No wonder I have had a tumultuous relationship with the instrument!

Hope you find your way back in nish.

I think many people find they'll have phases in their lives when music gets shoved aside by the rest of life - for me that came when I was a student the first time, and had to stop playing my oboe because I couldn't get a practice room often enough and had had to make a decision to play piano or oboe - there just wasn't the chance to do both. The second time was when I started on my 84-hour working week - that was an average, and in practice meant 120 hours one week, fewer in the next two, but being boss-eyed with tiredness all the time and barely able to function, all in a context of no access to a piano at all, as well. The third time was when looking after small sprogs whilst still doing a ridiculous working week.

You've got grade 8, so have made significant progress over the years, and should have interesting repertoire within your reach. I now buy collections of music rather than single pieces, so that if one piece catches my interest, I can try others in a similar genre/by the same composer. A starting point might be one of the pieces you'd done for grade 8 - was there one you particularly liked, and do you want to explore more in a similar vein? I'm lucky in that there are other musicians with whom I can play, too - that gives me focus and goals to work towards. I also did further exams after grade 8 - for me there were few opportunities to make music with others at that time, and I'd demonstrated that I was still capable of learning, so I used them to keep me moving forwards, until I started slowly finding other musicians (or they found me!). I also listen a lot to music which is relevant to the exam I'm doing during the preparation stages - then afterwards I find I want to branch out and listen more to other repertoire.

So, my tips would be - find music you liked when you were working for exams, and see if there's anything else along those lines which might appeal, listen to a broader range and check out anything which catches your attention: and look at exam lists above and below your level to see what else is out there, if necessary from more than one exam board. They're limited but give an idea of level, and can be a springboard to more. I'd also give fine polishing a bit of a break for a while, and try playing some less challenging pieces for fun. Some will have something hard on the go, another easier piece or two, and a stack of stuff for busking through for some relaxation .

Do you still have a teacher to encourage and inspire you to try out new repetoire?

My flute playing has died a slow and painful death since I failed G8 and toddled off to Uni. I'm hoping when I start earning next September, I'll be able to find a new teacher and regain some motivation. Having a lesson to prepare for, and someone to work on pieces with, makes all the difference.

Elsewise, try and find someone else to play with. When I do play these days its impromtu duets and trios with the other musicians I live with (though they're all considerably better than me, which doesn't much help with the motivation and confidence!). Finding someone to accompany, or play duets with is another way to bring back some of the fun and joy to playing.

I'm the same with continuing lessons after grade 8.
I was rather horrified about 2 weeks before my grade 8 when my teacher had the idea that I might want to take a break for a while!
I'd been counting the time down til the exam so that I could settle down and start some new things.
Luckily it did get sorted out.

I've a friend who completed her LRSM in piano performance.
Her teacher doesn't teach FRSM and my friend doesn't want to continue with FRSM.
She's doing a bit of accompaniment (for money and interest) and piano teaching (ard 4 private students).
My friend's quite upset because her musical path ended (no more exams now),
her teacher's busy with other more talented students that can go for competitions.
My friend never did any competitions because her teacher thinks she's not good enough.

What should I say to my friend? She doesn't want to continue with FRSM.
Should I just tell her to learn other pieces, will she want to do that forever?
What's her goal after LRSM?

I can understand why people might struggle to regain interest after going through exams too quickly, and have a great deal of sympathy for those who are trying to rediscover their joy in music when circumstances have marred it, but I find it very sad indeed that anyone would feel their musical path had ended because they couldn't take any more exams

I agree it is really sad for someone to think that without exams leaves them without musical goals. I was really pleased when I had passed grade 8 as it meant that I had the piece of paper I thought would make people take me seriously and could get on with enjoying music without the exams I hated.

I used the syllabus for the Advanced Cert initially then the various diplomas to help guide me through the repertoire and concentrated on ensemble skills and enjoying the freedom to study what I wanted to.