I play the piano and earlier i just took my Grade 6 piano. I worked my butt off for this exam and i messed up.
I messed up a contrary motion (Eb minor)
I messed up 1 of my pieces
I messed up in my sight reading badly (gosh it was hurtful to hear)
I messed up in aural because i cant sing!!!

So overall i did pretty rubish. Im feeling down right now and need some cheering up. Anyone willing to give advice please do!
Also if anyone has msn and wants to give me their addy to talk about piano please do! None of my friends play a musical instrument and so its nice to talk to some people who know what i mean when i say an arppegio! lol

Hi,

Judging by the mistakes that you listed, i wouldn't think you failed. In fact, they're pretty minor mistakes. In my grade 8 exam, i messed up three scales and had to restart them all over again. However, the examiner was VERY kind and he gave me a 20/21. Unbelievable huh? so judging by your one messed up contrary motion, I don't think you'll be penalised badly. As for your piece, it depends on what kind of mistakes you made. Once again, when i took grade 8 piano, none of my pieces were note perfect and i actually made numerous mistakes. In my third piece, especially, i made so many mistakes I was convinced I was going to flop it really badly. For one reason or another, the examiner was kind once again and awarded me many more marks than what i actually deserved. I also messed up my aural singing section.

I was awarded a distinction and I was really shocked. So lighten up, don't worry so much. You'll do fine.

hey there keyz,

it doesn't sound like you did too badly, small mistakes like those will only seem big to you but may be only minor to someone else. i did my grade 6 piano in august this year (AMEB - I'm from Australia) and had worked my butt off for it to. my brother was doing his final year exams so my practise time was very very limited, so i resorted to having to practise at 5:30 in the morning ^^;;.

anyway the day of the exam felt like a disaster - it was my first time playing on a grand piano and i was very tired from practising all day (my exam was at 5:30pm - i was the very last one). i slipped on every scale, my pieces felt awkward and i screwed up the ending of a piece that i knew SO well (Faure's Romance Without Words). I even asked the examiner if i could play 'that last bit again' because i felt so bad about messing it up. in sight reading i went better than i had expected and i tried my best in the aural section - i had gotten surprsingly easy questions . we also have a general knowledge section (i think you call it viva or something like that in ABRSM exams) where we get asked questions about our pieces like form, modulations etc. I didn't know some so i answered the best i could knowing that my answer was probably wrong . *sigh*

you can imagine how i felt after the exam.... i cried because it felt like all that hard work i put into preparing for this exam went down the drain. i was even too scared to go near my piano because i felt so depressed.

result day... *takes deep breath*. my teacher called me two days later and here's how it went:

Bridget - Piano Teacher // Diana - Me

B: Hi, Diana. How are you?
D: *nervously* Good thanks....
B: Diana, your results just came in today.
D: Oh. Already?
B: Yep, And Diana ....... You got an A +!!! <<< (That's a High Distinction . highest ive ever scored)
D: *silence* Really?
B: Yeah!
D: No, seriously, what did I REALLY get?!
B: That's what you really got!
D: Are you joking? Because you have to be joking!
B: I'm Serious!!
D: OMG omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg omg etc... (haha, i cried because i was so happy and relieved)

and the rest is history.

PS: err... the moral of the story... well i guess you just blow things out of proportion when you pick at the tiny details in your exams. it's pointless. what happens, happens and unfortunately we can't change that. oh, and never practise for more than an hour on the day of your exam...it'll tire you out! in fact, don't play through your pieces and scales more than once

Diana
(my email is ximaginarylightx@hotmail.com if you want to talk)

Dear Keyz,

Sorry to hear things didn't goto well. Sometimes we can be our own worst critic, taking an examination and doing too well doesn't mean you can't play the Piano. Grade 6 is quite an high standard, well done for getting so far.

Making mistakes is how we learn the most. I'm sure Mozart made a few mistakes when he was a young lad.

I know of a brilliant and well respected Organist who can't read Music. He plays by hear but that doesnt stop the many people who following him around the country.

Enjoy your music,
Craig

I'm sure you did OK. So, cheer up and relax ! I can't sing very well too.

I took my grade 5 piano a couple of weeks ago and thought i'd failed.
I messed up 2 of my pieces
I am so bad at scaled anyway
My sight reading was awful (as normal)
Ican't sing either (voice broken)

but i actually passed!!!
but it was only 112/150
ill do better in grade 6
im sure uve passed

Hi Keyz

I remember when I took my grade 6 I felt the same as you and was convinced I had failed and had even started practising again for the resits. Imagine my surprise when I passed. Even though it was only 106 I was so pleased.

It sound to me as if you have definitely passed your scales. I made more mistakes than that with my G6 scales and still got 16. One of my pieces that I also messed up I got 19 for but the other two pieces brought up the mark. My aural was bad and I only got 10 for it. You probably won't get less than 10 for sightreading if you carried on until the end. It sounds as if there is a good chance that you have passed. We always tend to remember the things that went badly in the exam but it sounds as if your scales, and two other pieces went really well. Good luck.

I took my grade 8 exam yesterday and am convinced I have failed because I could hardly play any scales. For the first time ever I was asked to play two scales separately L/H. I could hardly do it. I never practise hands separately. For those others of you who have just done grade 8, I was asked to play E minor sixths stacatto. Could I play it!!!! I got all my worse scales yesterday. In one of my pieces, the Brahms, I got to the middle of the second page and it just went totally wrong and I lost it. I asked to start again but the examiner said to go back to the previous section. I started at the top of the second page but just started losing my place and missing out sections of the music. It was terrible. In grade 8 aural we have to discuss the piece rather than be asked questions about it. My mind just went blank and I couldn't think of anything to say about the piece, even though it is a question I am normally good on in practice. The trainee examiner ended up asking me some questions. He
was kind. My actual examiner was someone called Ruth Gerard. I feel a bit down but I know I can do it and am going to work hard and take it again in the spring.

Good luck to you keyz and for everyone else waiting for exam results.

Sharrie