Help!
I seem to be fine on minors in octaves, and minors in thirds...but it all goes horribly wrong in sixths - particulalry csharp minor, and eflat minor.....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

Any handy hints?

(I know, of course, that as CSharp Minor is my WORST NIGHTMARE, the examiner is SURE to ask that one!)

I used to be awful in sixths as well, but just keep practising...that's all I can say really. My exam is next thurday and i think i'm ok now that I've kept practising the scales...

QUOTE (Petite Joueuse @ Dec 3 2004, 12:06 AM)

(I know, of course, that as CSharp Minor is my WORST NIGHTMARE, the examiner is SURE to ask that one!)

Yes, I've noticed that examiners have an uncanny knack of asking for your least favourite scale

I'm working for grade 8 piano too, no exam this term but perhaps next term, and it's been taking me ages to get my head round those scales in 6ths, especially the minors! I found it helps to start off the scale as normal in the left hand, and then join in with the right hand on the 3rd note (so that you end up with them in 6ths). I've found once I've got the left hand going in this way it just carries on with the normal scale pattern and it's just starting on a different note that throws me. After a bit I wean myself off starting on the tonic in the left hand and start at the same time as the right hand, on the 3rd of the scale. It works for me, so it might be worth a try.

It may seem obvious to say it, but just practise them very slowly and build up in speed. The minor sixths are probably the hardest scales in the Grade 8 exam, although I thought the chromatic double thirds were also quite tricky. Also make sure that you practise them staccato - in my Grade 8 exam I was surprised by the number of staccato scales that the examiner asked for - she also asked for four scales a sixth apart, but no scales a third apart!

I kept practicing the ones which I am least confident in but ironically the examiner asked me the easy ones but don't take any chances! Keep on practicing the ones that you are not confident in and soon you'll get the hang of it.

QUOTE (carys @ Dec 3 2004, 10:55 PM)

QUOTE (Petite Joueuse @ Dec 3 2004, 12:06 AM) (I know, of course, that as CSharp Minor is my WORST NIGHTMARE, the examiner is SURE to ask that one!) Yes, I've noticed that examiners have an uncanny knack of asking for your least favourite scale

Examiners have no way of knowing what's your least favourite scale.
If the examiner DOES ask that scale, and you mess up, don't expect to lose a great deal of marks for just one little scale.

It does help if you had big hands....

I'm not saying that I do...

I have tiny hands, and I don't think it makes a lot of difference really.

My advice is to practise them hands seperately every day before you play them together.

Slowly, dotted rhythms, accents every 2/3/4/5/6 notes, playing one octave, then two octaves, then three octaves, then four... the possibilities are endless!

Why would big hands make a difference????
Still only 1 note in each hand!

Oh... and don't neglect the 'easy' ones either.
It is not inknown for someone to totally mess up on C major

Guilty: but that was on flute, playing 3 octaves after the aurals when my flute was cold!

Still haven't heard back... grrr!

QUOTE (tremolololo @ Dec 4 2004, 10:18 AM)

If the examiner DOES ask that scale, and you mess up, don't expect to lose a great deal of marks for just one little scale.

and you can ask to have another go if you know you fluffed up just by being nervous. I didn't know this till this time round, my friend told me days or maybe even hours before the exam, maybe minutes actually as he was my accompanist! but I was so glad he did. I asked to repeat one because it was BAD second time round, and only dropped two marks even though the rest were OK but not perfect.