how is everyone's grade 6 prep going?! 2 of my pieces are going well! take a guess at which one isnt hmmm.......ALLEGRO!!!!!

only got a few more melodic minors to learn and then just have to keep practising them yay!

sight reading is getting there, i did g7 sight reading the other day eeeeekkkk!!

I'm doing the allegro, and it's ok til I turn the page, and then it falls apart! Scales are alright, I think I know them all except the contrary motion ones but am hopeless at arpegios. And am liking that jazzy piece "feelin good" I think it's called!

Ive just done it! wahay! waiting for results...

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Dec 20 2004, 10:15 AM)

how is everyone's grade 6 prep going?! 2 of my pieces are going well! take a guess at which one isnt hmmm.......ALLEGRO!!!!!

Hi Nat

Well done on the Grade 5. I still haven't started my Grade 6 pieces yet and probably won't for a while yet. I was discussing the exam with my teacher the other week and she thinks I should go for the November session, one of the reasons being is that I only have lessons every fortnight and as she pointed out that's not many lessons between New Year and May. I feel ok about that as I'm not in any rush, luckily I don't have to worry about college entry , also it gives me more time to perfect my scales and practice sight reading.

I don't know yet what pieces I will be doing but I think my teacher is considering the Norton piece "Lavender's Kind of Blue" for list C. The scales are fine I know them all it is just a matter of speeding them up, with a year to go I should hopefully be able to get them up to a good speed.

I've just started preperation for it, and I've decided on the Allegro from List A and Feelin' Good from list C, haven't decided on the B list yet, and I still have yet to buy the scale book!

off-topic, I realise, but it says in your sig you are working for G5 and G6 piano at the same time? I wondered how, and, well, why??!

because I can already play all my grade 5 pieces and scales but I can't do the exam till March cos its using the new syllabus, so my teacher has got me doing the grade 6 stuff aswell so that I don't get bored, as well as giving me extra technical stuff etc. Does that answer your question?

I'm still working on Grade 6! I've learnt the List C alternative piece 'Lavender's Kind of Blue' by Christopher Norton. This is a really great piece and I'd recommend it to anyone else who is not certain on a List C piece. The only problem that myself and my teacher had was the pedalling. There's no specific pedal marks on the score so you do have to work out some sort of pedalling yourself. At first I over pedalled alot, but i've done some legato pedalling which has made it sound much better!

I've virtually learnt the List B piece 'Val's Poetico'. These piece is reasonably straight forward compared to the other two lists but still a lovely piece with lots that can be done with it in terms of expression and dynamics etc.

I'm working on the 'Allegro' for List A. This is OK but a bit too much like hard work!! I'll get there though!!

As for scales I haven't practised any for months - I'd better start revising them soon! I'm not doing the exam till June/July so I've got plenty of time. I could probably manage the exam in March but I've the theory to get out of the way first!

By the way 'Clarinetlover' - well done on Grade 5! Also, what are the pieces like for the Grade 7 Syllabus. Did you buy the CD recording as well? I'll like I'll buy the CD and pieces after I've done the theory in March. Any good pieces that you recommend?

Typing error! I meant 'I think I'll buy' NOT 'I'll like I'll buy'!!!

jkhouse20- i really like the Vals Poetico its really nice!

i love the scales lol only Eb minor contrary motion to get the hang of and a few melodic minors!!!

eek grade 7! im starting them after xmas with my teacher. i kind of like A1 and A2 and thats it!! i have the book and CD recording yuck yuck lol!! ive asked for some piano books for xmas that have some alternative pieces in it and see what they are like. i dont know yet which pieces my teacher likes!

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Dec 21 2004, 01:15 PM)

ive asked for some piano books for xmas

And I've asked for Le Onde

QUOTE (Silver pianist @ Dec 21 2004, 01:59 PM)

And I've asked for Le Onde

yay finally!

dont worry nat you'll pass by miles!!

QUOTE ('*~ iluvpiano ~*' @ Dec 21 2004, 02:25 PM)

dont worry nat you'll pass by miles!!

hmm not so sure about that. were you listening to my g6 pieces last night?! obviously not!

But then you've still got months to practice for it, unless you're doing the exam in March, but even then you'll be fine, we know you Nat, you're a practicing adict!

Hey, i'm taking grade 6 eek hard!!

im doing corant..
B3 ( can't remember the name )
Feeling good

i love those one hehe i like feeling good although i can't play it properly and i also love corant..

scales are soo hard now especially the stactto ones my teacher making me do them hands together eek i want to do it hands sepreet like it says.

You might as well be able to do it sooner as later. Grade 7 you need hands together anyway so it is not lost.
Has anyone ever been asked for hands separate scales in later grades?... Think it would catch some people out.
Around grade 5 I realised that only ever practising hands together was not good as one hand can be supporting the other. Have always practiced both together and separate since then.

at grade 5 all my scales were asked to be played hands together apart form Eb minor arpeggio(thank god!)

im trying to do C major in 3rds (grade 7 scale) but i just cant do it! i havent decided which group to do yet but i thought C maj would be ok to have a go at, but nope i cannot get my head round it! i mean the 3rds scale where the Lh starts on C and RH on E, not the legato thing!!

QUOTE (isabelsmells @ Dec 20 2004, 05:19 PM)

because I can already play all my grade 5 pieces and scales but I can't do the exam till March cos its using the new syllabus, so my teacher has got me doing the grade 6 stuff aswell so that I don't get bored, as well as giving me extra technical stuff etc. Does that answer your question?

yes... thanks. I was really intrigued!

QUOTE (Silver pianist @ Dec 21 2004, 01:59 PM)

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Dec 21 2004, 01:15 PM) ive asked for some piano books for xmas And I've asked for Le Onde

is that einaudi

QUOTE (piano girl! @ Dec 27 2004, 04:09 PM)

QUOTE (Silver pianist @ Dec 21 2004, 01:59 PM) QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Dec 21 2004, 01:15 PM) ive asked for some piano books for xmas And I've asked for Le Onde is that einaudi

Yes, Do not let on to Nat you did not know!!

ive found out *cackles*

pianogirl! im not happy with you not knowing that, you need to get clued up with Einaudi knowledge right away! lol

QUOTE (clarinetlover @ Dec 23 2004, 11:22 AM)

im trying to do C major in 3rds (grade 7 scale) but i just cant do it! i havent decided which group to do yet but i thought C maj would be ok to have a go at, but nope i cannot get my head round it! i mean the 3rds scale where the Lh starts on C and RH on E, not the legato thing!!

the scales in 3rds and 6ths thing is REEEEEEEALLY evil. I can play em all similar motion, harmonics, melodics, and most of the majors and minor harmonics in contrary motion, but in 3rds? that's really tough.... even in C major, like you say! it just feels wrong. I guess doing it hand seperate first might help (with the RH on E but on its own, kinda thing.)

yay sarah, someone understands!! ye it really does feel wrong, but hey for grade 7 im just going to HAVE to get the hang of it

you have my sympathy!

I am glad someone else likes scales though (besides the evil interval ones!) - I am way better at my piano scales than at pieces, lol... shame it's the other way round on the flute, but I am working on that one!

Takes a little working on.. but once you get the coordination scales in 3rds and 6ths are fun.

I'll have to take your word for the moment... my coordination is far from the fun stage at the moment!!

Is anyone doing the Chopin in the B list? I am attempting it. I get stuck with all the crazy chords around the 2nd line!

i have the Chopin piece and have looked at it briefly but im not doing it for the exam!