I'm planning on taking Grade 1 piano practical in 2010.

At the actual practical examination, will I be asked to play all the Scales and Broken Chords? I am planning on knowing them all memorised, but does the examiner only select a few to test on... or does s/he ask for all of them to be played? (In addition to my three chosen music pieces.)

I'm curious from others experience and the norm. Thanks.

Ezra

No, they don't ask for them all.
Usually it's one of each sort but may sometimes be more.

No, they only ask a few. I guess it varies depending on the grade, but it's normally something like 2 or 3 'normal' (ie not in thirds, sixths, contrary motion etc) major scales, 2 'normal' minors, 2 major arpeggios, 2 minor arpeggios then one each of any other types (chromatics, dominant sevenths etc) but I doubt there's any of those grade 1.

In my experience, at grade 1, because there aren't that many keys (depending on instrument, of course), you'll probably be asked to play at least one scale or arpeggio in most of the keys, and you should I believe be asked at least one each of the types of scale/whatever required for the grade, but you won't be asked to do the scale AND the broken chord AND whatever in any one key centre for AB. (I think TG may work differently - old Guildlhall syllabuses certainly did).

So if you had, say (and I'm making these up, but hope the example will help!):

- G major, C major, F major, E minor A minor,

and you were expected to play

- left and right hand scales and broken chords

(I don't know the piano syllabus well but I think that you're not expected to do 7ths and hands together at G1?? not sure though, so please treat this as an example not as knowledge, when it comes to piano!)

- you might be asked G major in RH, C major in left, and A minor broken chord at the least, and mostly likely a couple more scales and another broken chord or maybe two.

Examiners generally seem to ask for more or less depending on whether they have heard enough to convince them of your proficiency (or lack of!) - I've had exams where I played scales badly and the examiner gave me one more to give me a chance to redeem myself, I messed up, and they gave up! At other times I have played them well and I've been asked several tricky ones, and if I played them well I have achieved top bracket marks in that section. They also seem, generally, to be quite good at spotting whether you have made slips under pressure or simply don't know the scales.

You you will not be asked to play a LH and RH scale and a broken chord in all the keys. It'll be a mixture.

In my experience, in most exams at any grade, the scale requirements follow the usual order, ie starting with major then minor scales, major then minor arpeggios, chromatics (if there are any), dominant and dimished 7ths (if there are any). Can't speak for the more esoteric scales, but then you won't have to tackle 3rds, 6ths and so on at grade!

Hmmm... probably clear as mud...

Thanks, all. Very helpful--makes sense.

Nooo, definitely not all, or anywhere near all, but yes, a representative spread...
The actual number requested may well depend on how the first few go - I got asked more than one might expect (the examiner indicated as much to me) because I was rather rubbish at them - as he put it, he'd better check just one more, in case...

having said all that, I goofed majorly on the scales, and still netted a good mark, so all was not lost .

No... They don't ask for all scales but you have to be prrepared for all scales so that you wouldn't be caught in any surprises.

Good luck to your exams.