I've been playing the piano since February 2007. I sat Grade 2 in December 2007. The steward took my name and left me sitting in the waiting area. When it came to my start time she asked when my "wee girl" would arrive - so I had no practice time. I had been feeling fine before this, but had bad shaky hands during the exam. I sat Grade 3 in December 2008 in a different exam centre. There was no one else in the waiting room, I had 10 minutes on the practice piano and managed to play my pieces all the way through before the exam . The exam went well so I assumed that my experience in Grade 2 was a one off. I sat Grade 4 last Friday in another different exam centre. The practice piano was in a church hall which was also the waiting room, full of parents and competent teenagers. I tried the practice piano but realised that I have never played in front of anyone other than my teacher or an examiner. This totally threw me and as soon as I started on the practice piano and during the exam my hands started shaking badly again. I had to stop two of my pieces and start again. I'm obviously fine when I don't feel that I'm the oldest ever candidate for an exam! I don't feel mentally nervous, it's just a physical thing. I don't want to stop doing the exams. Does anyone have any suggestions about what I can do?

I'm not sure if you have any control over where you go for the practical, but where I went had a private practice room where I sat and played under the watchful eye of my teacher... I definitely wouldn't have been able to practice on the piano in the waiting room in front of other people!

I wonder if it's possible to state some sort of preference?

Oh, and don't assume everyone there is any more competent than you are under exam conditions

I don't have any advice, I took my grade 4 and was a nervous wreck, this was my first ever practical exam. However, I didn't even get a chance to have a go on a practise piano, there was no warm up facility. As for being oldest in the room, I think there are a few of us about, I was 54 when I took mine.

All I can say is that when or if I decide to go in for another exam I know that I need to be even better to accomodate the nerves. As my masterpieces became shambles, so there fore next time I want to be able to do all of them with my eyes closed.

Bet you have done better than you think you have though, good luck with the outcome.

ET

If you are able it might help to play to other people more often.
Family or friends will do and one at at time too.

Facilities vary between exam centres. Some don't even have warm up facilities.
I'd also think of it as warm up rather than practice. My the time you get to your exam you've done the practice. It can be better to do something other than your pieces as a warm up as last minute 'panic' practice isn't always a good idea.

You can ask the local rep about facilities at the centre for which they are responsible, or just choose the one you like best from those you've visited.

Ours has a warm up room, but no warm up piano. I would be thrown if i had to warm up in front of everyone before the exam- although some people would feel very nervous in front of all the others, and consquenlty less nervous for the exam because of there only being one other person in the room!

Just bash a few notes out, or a few scales and breathe through it. Dont play the pieces- possibly the first bar of each. Other than that, just focus on the fact that you have played them 100 times perfectly before, and your teacher would not have entered you if they had no faith in you.

Good luck!

I would not like to warm up in front of strangers either.
Keep playing in front of people.........friends, family and so on.
Maybe come to a forum concert. We are all in the same position and will be supportive.
Bev

I have experienced a centre like this and am wondering if it was the same one - Woking? It didn't particularly bother me as the children there were young ones doing early grades and I am used to taking exams (though not with an audience listening to me warm up!) I just accept the fact that I'm likely to be the oldest one there (I'll be 64 when I do a Performance Assessment on 9 July, at my teacher's house rather than a centre) and I'll be doing the pieces I am planning to do for Grade 5 Cello in November. Do make sure that the steward understands that you are the candidate - some of them get so used to a procession of children that they forget about adult candidates, of which there are an increasing number. Do keep it up - you have done extremely well in a short time. Hope your result is good - let us know when you get it.

I wonder if you would be able to have a play on the exam piano before time? We live close to where the exams are normally held, so for one of my piano exams, I went in the day before and practised for an hour to get the feel of it.

I suffer from extreme nerves too, and shakiness is a horrible feeling that can be very hard to deal with. I'm afraid I take beta-blockers, just for the exam (suggested by my piano teacher) and find that they don't really help the nerves, but do help to control the shakiness. Just a thought - but it might not be the answer for everyone.

That raises the other problem I've found - which is how do you get to take the exam on a Saturday? Because I work I always have to phone up and try to get my appointment changed - and this time it meant sitting the exam in different town! If only there was a special day for exams for the older candidate!

I initially had a fear of playing on strange painos, but cured that by visiting 3 piano shops before my grade 3 on the basis that I was hoping to upgrade my piano! I also went to my techer's house and played on both his pianos and have now managed to convince myself that all keys are indeed the same width...

I couldn't have got through my exam without a beta blocker! Even having taken one I was very shaky and got really bad leg jiggle.
The beta blocker also stopped that horrible faint feeling that occurs when your heart beats really hard.
I had never taken a tranquiliser before and it didn't seem that strong - I didn't feel any different other than my heart not beating as hard as it has done when I'm very nervous.

Remember that you are allowed a VERY quick warm up in the exam room before you start, just to get the feel of the piano - just ask the examiner, that you would like to try out the piano before you start. This is quite normal where we are as the ABRSM centre has no warm up facilities at all.

Kmi - if you desperately need a particular day (or to avoid a particular week, as my GCSE and A level students sometimes have to), ask your teacher to email the Associated Board to explain the situation and they will do their best to accomodate you. My experience over many years is that they have been extremely helpful and although they always say that they cannot promise to be able to accomodate a special request, in practice I have always been given a suitable date. After all, it's better for them to give you a 'good' date right from the start, rather than something that you will probably have to change anyway

I've been thinking about what to do and have two possible solutions. The first is to start on the exam route with the cello, which I started playing in February and had intended to do "just for fun". However my teacher ( who is young enough to be my daughter) thinks that there is no point in sitting grade 1 unless you are a child, and I supect she thinks that I'm exaggerating how nervous I felt during my grade 4. Beta blockers are the other option. But do you tell your GP that you want them only for exams?




Thanks! I'll definitely do that for my next exam - which is likely to be the resit of my grade 4 piano!

LOL, that makes me feel great considering I just did grade 1 a while back

I think that's a bit of an exaggeration - if you've not done any exams for a long time, G1 is at least a stepping stone and a confidence boost.

I feel really sorry for you pianists - it must be horrid doing the exam on an unfamiliar instrument.

I play classical guitar and I'm sorry, but I just can't play someone else's guitar.

I think the idea of having a piano in the waiting room would be there just to loosen up - but play something completely different - I can't imagine going through the pieces and scales minutes before an exam - similarly if you are allowed a quick warm up in the exam room - do just that have a quick warm up - but on a part of piece that you can play in your sleep, but not an exam piece.

I mean as a matter of technique you wouldn't open a text book minutes before going into a written exam would you? I know I woudn't/didn't.

Exam nerves are difficult to overcome, but all the examiners I ever came across were really friendly and made an effort to put me at ease.

I always told myself that it would be completely unrealistic to play the exam pieces in exam conditions without any mistakes, so I just tried to make the performances as musical as I could. Scales are another matter though - these should be automatic and are marks for jam.

When I did my Grade 8 I took in two of my guitars, my classical for doing the pieces and a jazz style guitar with a big cutaway for the scales as it gave much easier access to the upper notes - you pianists can insist on multiple pianos for your pieces and scales can't you??!! - poor joke!

Anyway - all the very best to you in your exams - good luck.

Kind Regards,

Nigel

Funnily enough when I started the piano my piano teacher encouraged me to miss Grade 1 as well. Maybe it's just because we're Scottish and they are trying to save me the ezam fees!

Did your teacher get you to play through the Grade 1 pieces though? I think it's got to be a good idea to play through the grade pieces regardless as surely they are supposed to introduce different difficulties at different levels.

I think if I'd jumped in at a higher level, nerves may have got the better of me in an exam, whereas now I've had the experience playing "easier" stuff, I don't think I'll be so traumatised next time round when I skip to Grade 3. I want to work towards merits/distinctions rather than jumping in at the deep end and scraping passes so don't want to miss anything important so I'm playing through all the G2 pieces as well

[
I think if I'd jumped in at a higher level, nerves may have got the better of me in an exam, whereas now I've had the experience playing "easier" stuff, I don't think I'll be so traumatised next time round when I skip to Grade 3. I want to work towards merits/distinctions rather than jumping in at the deep end and scraping passes so don't want to miss anything important so I'm playing through all the G2 pieces as well

I did at least 6 of the Grade 1 pieces before I was allowed to "skip" and after I passed Grade 2 I did some of the other Grade 2 pieces as well. I think one of the good things about doing exams is that it forces you to play things that you wouldn't normally choose to do - in my case any section C piece with the exception of Bartok! I think it's good to work towards merit/distinction and it's probably easier to focus on how to achieve it as an adult. I know that I've really focused on scales, sight reading and aurals as a way of increasing marks. Those areas seem less affected by shaky hands than pieces. And of course the fact that my teacher tells me not to come back without at least a merit helps!

I am planning to take Grade 1 in the Autum term - I am SO glad the seven year old in me is allowed out to play sometimes, I am 47.

MY teacher has been very supportive of my exam plans - Grade 1 is a taster as I am new to playing music and come from a "traditional/folk" background. Doing the exam is giving me something to aim for AND some experance of this type of exam.

My husband has them for a heart condition, so I took one of his, but I did ask a friend who is a doctor and he said it would be ok.
A friend wanted one for an exam but when she asked her GP he started on saying, 'why are you putting yourself through this if it makes you so nervous?'
The thing is, one does dread them, but unless things go really badly wrong, there is such a feeling of achievement when it's over. I was walking on air for days afterwards. (Do I need to get out more?!!!).

I had one lesson with a teacher who told me grade 1 wasn't worth the bother. This was when I started on clarinet 3 years ago with the primary aim of taking part in the forum grade 1 challenge.
There were other issues too but that certainly didn't help.

My husband has them for a heart condition, so I took one of his, but I did ask a friend who is a doctor and he said it would be ok.
A friend wanted one for an exam but when she asked her GP he started on saying, 'why are you putting yourself through this if it makes you so nervous?'
The thing is, one does dread them, but unless things go really badly wrong, there is such a feeling of achievement when it's over. I was walking on air for days afterwards. (Do I need to get out more?!!!).
[/quote]

I'm sure my GP would have the same reaction as your friend's! And I agree with you that when the exam goes ok you feel great afterwards. Unfortunately I've only experienced that once!

Someone on here suggested eating a banana or two before the exam.. I did so before I drove up there and I think it worked...

I'm starting to feel that way myself.

I did say to my teacher before I went in, "Why did you get me to agree to this?"

Came back out thanking her for it

When do the ABRSM results come out - I'm getting nervous thinking about it!

I also had a banana before I went in. I'm now wondering how bad I would have been without it! Would probably have fallen off the piano stool!



If you sat your exam in Scotland the results can't be too far away. I sat mine on 26 June which was 2nd last day of the tour I think. I'm still waiting, but I've had the results of the last tow exmas within two weeks so I'm hoping I may be out of my misery by Saturday.....

I got the serious shakes during my exam and am still suffering.

I think that playing violin when very tense is really bad for your health. Just hope I've not done any serious damage to myself.

Haven't touched my violin or piano since the exam on Monday.

Still, bet I'll end up doing another one anyway!!

I lost my embouchure during my exam yesterday. My lower lip started to tremble and I simply couldn't control it.

I didn't think I was that nervous - and had had a banana and a bar of chocolate a couple of hours before - but I just lost it.

But apart from that I enjoyed the exam, and the examiner was very kind!

Despite the nerves on the day I passed! But only just.... I'm thinking of re-sitting it to try for a merit but I'm worried that my teacher might think that I'm mad.

Well done.
It's up to you how you feel about a resit to try for a higher mark but I'd put my time and money into consolidating and moving on.

Logically I know that you are right! I'm just being silly. I have an interesting new piece to learn and one to finish from before the exams. And I'm going to look at a new cello tomorrow...

Kmi,

Congratulations on your Pass - remember it will say you passed on your Certificate - it will NOT say "Passed but Only Just" !!!!

Anyway, I don't believe we do these Grade exams merely to collect pieces of paper - we do them to improve our playing technique and develop repetoire.

Going back to the same grade again to get a better mark seems to me a bit of a sideways step - I'd go in the other direction and get stuck into the next grade - onwards and upwards I say !!!

Enjoy your new cello - Well done again!!!

Kind Regards
Nigel

Thanks Nigel

I went to see my "new" cello yesterday , and managed to play it in front of 2 people without any nerves, so maybe I have learned something from this experience. And I have ordered some of the Grade 5 piano books. It's never to early to choose pieces!

Well done on your pass, kmi! I'd like to 2nd Nigel's comment that it won't say "but only just" on your certificate, and that, nice as the bits of paper are (and even nicer, I know, if they say "merit" or "distinction"), they are a means to an end, and not the end in and of themselves.

I can sympathise, I loathe taking music exams because they terrify me, and so I take them rarely and have yet to really stretch myself to take one that would be hard for me... cowardy custard, basically! I always come out of the exam room annoyed because I know I didn't play my best... but... they are experience, they are a chance to polish pieces up well and a really good stick if we need motivation, especially for joyous things like scales They also give us some impartial outsider advice, and things to improve on in the future. So in that respect, even if you hadn't passed, you would still have benefitted from the exam. But you did, so, great!

Don't let exams become your be all and end all, and don't let them dominate your musical life... then you'll probably find them less scary anyway. I should say, "Musician, heal thyself", as I find my own advice very hard to take! but... don't get too hung up on results. Enjoy your playing. Anything else is icing

Its good to know I'm not alone suffering from nervousness! I now know what I put my children through. I took Gd 3 cello in the spring session '09 and felt I had not really shown the examiner my best playing. I was unable to hold my bow steady because I was shaking so badly. During the second piece the steward looked through the porthole window in the door and thereafter I fell to pieces. I took five attempts at one of my scales before I mastered it BUT the upshot of it all was a merit and a lot of comments about intonation needing to be improved. On the day I was left feeling nothing would ever be as bad as this first practical exam.........so I thought I'd do another one straight away!

I took Gd 4 last term but I went to a different centre where the students, both adult and children, were greeted with a handshake and a warm smile, an offer of tea or coffee, and a genuine "Good luck" from the steward before I went into the examination room. I'd already had a run through with my teacher pre arrival but I was offered time for a warm up. The examiner commented on my varied and interesting choice of pieces and told me to take my time preparing myself and adjusting the stand, tuning etc.. Never was I made to feel rushed. The accoustics were fantastic as was the piano for my teacher. The first note I played made me think "Wow I sound really good" instead of the sound being muffled in a cramped, carpeted room. I came out of the exam cursing myself for a few errors particularly for a messed up final harmonic note but after tea and a bun followed by a walk with my teacher I felt I'd had a good day out! I think winding down from the exam is part of the experience and it helped me finish off the whole process in a positive way. I've always taken my children for a cafe visit after exams but as much for myself as them!

I should add that I was still frightfully nervous but I was lucky with the people around me and the accoustics. I will certainly opt for the second centre in future.

I was thrilled to get a distinction.

I don't really feel very nervous when it comes to exams, I even enjoy some of them! I think that you should now think about it too much, just go in and do it without thinking too hard beforehand. When I was a child I would go in to an exam and not really realise that it was important so I try to do that now, it's not the end of the world if you fail after all and what else could go wrong?