I was just wondering....

Let's say you had a more "complete" version of an exam piece in a different book that had trills/ornaments and the like. Would you be likely to get better marks in the exam for playing the more "challenging" version well, or do they not really care at all?

I guess it depends. I don't think you'll do yourself any favours by picking a more difficult arrangement of something. But if the difference is that it has more appropriate ornaments marked in then you might get more 'style marks'. What kind of piece is this?

It's the G3 A:1 Menuet in G. I've been listening to a version that has some trills and it just makes it sound so much better IMO.

I'm asking more out of curiousity than anything as I'm not sure I'd be technically good enough to pull it off. I'm not keen on making things any harder than they should be

In that case, it's likely that the 'harder version' is probably the same version but with ornaments added by the performer in suitable places. A good place to start is to add trills starting on the note above at cadence points.

I'll have a look with my teacher I think. If I can get some trills in that sound good (will require practice ), I think I'll give it a go in the exam. As long as it's not likely to lose marks I don't see why it isn't worth a go I think the book I have with that piece in has the ornaments added, will have to check when I get home!

I suspect you won't gain marks for doing the trills, but you'll lose marks though if they aren't clean.

I think you'd get more marks for the same standard of playing if you put in ornaments. I'd have thought it was a bit like using the pedal at lower grades - you can technically get full marks without it but it doesn't hurt to use it to make a better performance of the piece.

tbh, I'll probably have a go at the "ornamented" version in my own time but just go for the "vanilla" one in the exam. Like I say, it's mostly curiosity

From These Music Exams:



Now, given that the AB edition doesn't have the ornaments in, I suspect the bit about the 'highest marks' doesn't apply, i.e. you likely could get full marks playing the unornamented version in this case. But if the AB publication did have ornaments in, then it would apply.
In any case, I think putting them in for yourself is a fine idea, because when the time comes that ornaments are expected in your playing, you will be much more used to twiddling

Thanks, very informative

My trills are really not very good at all at the moment and it's something I need to start work on in my next lesson, as a couple of pieces I'm working on have them and I'm just ignoring them right now

A) They don't compute properly and upset the rhythm more often than not
B) My fingers won't work quickly enough

You could try adding some of this to your breakfast cereal:

I should have known that was coming

The bottom line is that, rightly or wrongly, the pieces are graded as if played as written on the page. Adding suitable ornaments and improvisation to the Baroque works around what is written would make the piece a higher grade, so isn't expected. Have a look at the following:



It's the opening of one of Telemann's Methodische Sonatas. The first line is the melody as would normally be written on the page. The second line is Telemann's guide to playing it. As you can see, there's a heck of a difference, and as far as grade 3 goes, they'd expect the first line to be played, not the second.

It's a shame, as focussing on playing what is written detracts from learning what is a necessary skill to really do Baroque works justice, and the earlier people start learning the techniques the better - I'd be far happier with the graded Baroque works being easier as written, but the performance expected to be of the same level.

My advice would be simply only to do in the exam what you will do well! You don't have to leave everything out or put everything in, but choose wisely what you will include. Playing some of the piece with lots of ornamentation and then some of it with none will not sound good - so decide on the important ornaments, with regard to the balanced effect on the whole, and with regard to what you can manage well. And remember that an ornament is just that - an ornament. It graces and 'sets off' the place where it is positioned. It should not be overdone of laboured or appear to be superfluous - and should not dominate, which it MAY do if it sounds like a struggle.

Sounds like good advice...

I think I'll go over some ornaments with my teacher as I find the piece very bland without them. It'd be good to have a go at tackling them (may as well start sooner rather than later), although I don't think I'll be aiming to use them in the exam, mainly because I can't see me getting them to a decent enough standard in a few months!