I was sitting around this morning musing on exams (as you do) and I thought I would LOVE an exam which was all sightreading.
I thought it would be great if ABRSM offered such an exam - you could have grades 1 - 8 in the various instruments as now but instead of bothering to learn pieces and scales, you would simply show up and be presented with 3 or 4 pieces of sightreading in different styles. You would be allowed a little time to prepare - perhaps one piece could be a quick study with 5 minutes preparation time and the other 2 would be the usual 30 seconds. Then off you go and perform your 3 pieces for the examiner.

I don't know what the point of this would be but I just think it would be fun.

Is there anyone else out there who is like me and would love this or do you all think it would be your worst nightmare?
I've put a poll above - if we get enough votes for "Dream" then maybe AB might offer such an exam

Any suggestions for the format of the exam would help AB with the planning

PS: Sorry - seem to have double posted the topic somehow

My "dream exam" would be one with absolutely no sight reading at all.

Sight-reading would be my dream exam. Love it.

one with some really prompt results might be nice !

..... Back in the late 70's when I used to compete at Blackpool Music Festival (held in the Winter Gardens then) - I remember there were piano sight -reading classes! - must have been really daunting for a competitor to have to study a score - for no more than say 1 min, then have to perform it 'live' in front of an adjudicator & audience!!!!..... don't know if they still do them? - but I remember watching them, and being examined by Alexander Kelly.... WOW!

I had a child doing grade 1 who wasn't really practising at all, and about 3 weeks beforehands it turned out that she was under the impression that she would just be handed the exam book on the day and expected to sight-read any piece in it! (She did get a merit, but I didn't think my explanation of what goes on had been THAT weird!)

Linda, I think we may have the same pupil! See my thread in teacher's forum on pupil not ready for exam

What a lovely musing!


I LOVE sightreading My memory is extremely poor so the scales are always a nightmare for me. I always have to use music because I can't memorise pieces and I find the aural goes too fast.

The one thing I AM good at is sightreading

At the higher grades for orchestral instruments you could have extracts from orchestral works in addition to solo pieces. Great practice for anyone who wants to join an orchestra of any description.
Pianists could have a piano accompaniment thrown at them - eg. to a song, a hymn or an accompaniment for another instrument.

That's why TG came along! No singing required either - or Grade 5 Theory for Grades 6-8

That would be TG - get the results as soon as the examiner has left the building.

TG sounds interesting

Wot, NO singing (my idea of heaven )

Unless you elect to do aural as one of your supporting tests at Initial grade - then you have to sing one note. But aural at G1 and above, no singing - though the tests you get to do are different to the AB ones, e.g. identifying an interval.

Aural is optional throughout TG grades as well - G1-5: pick two of sight reading, musical knowledge, aural and improv. G6-8: sight reading mandatory, pick one of aural or improv for the other.

Plus, you can do a study or orchestral excerpts instead of scales for some instruments. I do scales, in part because my teacher finds them more useful, and in part because he thinks the studies for recorder aren't that good I know for other instruments he is fine with people doing the study instead of scales

Yup TG - fewer scales, prompt results, no theory ...

*sigh*

We all know ABRSM is more thorough, but they could take a leaf out of TGs book. I used to do TG on flute and it was a shock transferring over to ABRSM for Grade 4 and suddenly being expected to know scales, I can tell you!

Even though the option not to play scales in the exam is there the agreement with my teacher for grade 6 clarinet was that scales should be exam ready whether I chose to do them in the exam or notI don't have a problem with this as I realise that fluency in scales is one of the things that is going to improve my playing generally.

Actually I think it's a rather good idea! An exam which is nothing but sight reading would be a real challenge for some of my reluctant readers!! But the only thing is I think the pieces would have to be written especially for the exams as otherwise some people would be bound to get a piece they knew.

Any hard up composers out there who can toss of pieces in any number of styles shoud apply for the job!!

I didn't answer the question because it's neither dream nor nightmare, but it would be fun and a challenge! I'm not a sooper dooper sight reader, but I'm not bad, and it's the one thing that I do best under pressure. Something practised ad infinitum will usually fall slightly with nerves, but for some reason I enjoy the challenge of giving something my best shot under pressure, and nerves are not an issue. It would be a good credential to have for an accompanist or for somebody who was required to play somewhere at short notice. Distinctions in exams are all very well, but they take no account of how long it took to get there.

I'm going to answer 'dream' now, just to get to see the results. But it doesn't mean it's my dream, really!

I agree it could be quite good fun. Though I think I'd want to start at grade 3 tops!

I think I'd rather like a sight reading exam...

I'm good at sight reading. It's practising I'm bad at.

Yup... That pretty much sums me up too!!!!!

Me too! I'm lazy.
I can sightread well enough to read through piles and piles of music right up to grade 8 standard. What I can't do is kick myself into gear to spend the time needed to perfect those pieces.

Agreed! And sight reading too please...defo no aurul tests!

My dream exam would be one where the examiner and I have a chit chat over a coffee. I would however be prepared to answer an odd question or two regarding style and intonation

Sight reading is my idea of a nightmare! I prefer to memorise, and improvise (a.k.a make it up as I go along).

I voted nightmare, but on reflection it wouldn't be quite so bad - no tedious pieces to learn. On the other hand I have often enjoyed taking a piece away and experimenting with different dynamics so I would miss the set pieces.

sightreading is the meat and drink of what I do so an exam in it would be pointless.

At the start of term I already sightread my way through reams of music... so what is new. What has been a delight about preparing for an exam is learning something properly... for once!

I voted "nightmare" for the very good reason that there is already an ABRSM exam that is purely sight-reading and I'm due to take it in 9 days time: A DipABRSM (quick-study only) resit! I'm not looking forward to it.

However, merely because I think that the concept is a nightmare for me doesn't mean I think it's a bad idea in general. If you separated out the elements of the grades so that you could do grades 1-8 in the separate disciplines of:
- prepared performance
- scales, arpeggios and exercises
- oral tests
- sight-reading/quick study

. . . added extra disciplines of:
- improvisation
- programme notes & discussion (above grade 5 say)

. . . and then made passing all 6 sections independently a prerequisite for taking the next grade then you might well produce more rounded musicians (and possibly more revenue), though whether the administration of such a system would be possible I don't know.

If such a system existed I would be seriously stuck on sight reading and improvisation but as a result I would have devoted a lot more time to improving in these areas and so would fear them a lot less.

Interesting thread.

it'd be worse if there were purely sight transposition exams for the piano!

Maybe. On the other hand this is a skill that is never tested in exams . . . and therefore never taught. If pupils from very early in their training learned this skill then it would be less daunting. In fact any skill is less difficult if you've learned to do it!

I can transpose at sight on the violin simply because as a child I was in the church folk group and they were forever playing in different keys. It is a very useful skill.
I've never managed to do it on the piano because I just didn't have the opportunity or reason to do it. Now I wish I could as it would be very useful for accompanying choirs who always seem to want to sing in a different key to what is written!

You must be really very good at sight reading to say its a dream. Good for you. However my sight reading has improved considerably since I have made a concerted effort since the start of the year to work on it. In a years time, I might be voting for dream rather than nightmare..

My dream exam would be orchestra-based. I am not a solo performer, I have no desire to be a soloist, orchestra is my first love. I think that's why I really lost interest in the examination system, the diplomas are not right for me as they test the skill of solo performance, which is not my thing, it holds no interest for me. I'd have no objection to doing an all sight-reading exam in orchestral pieces, or an exam where you turn up and sight read the afternoon rehearsal then are assessed on an evening concert, 50/50. I cannot get a certificate to show how well I am able to play in an orchestra, there are no certificates showing how well one can follow a conductor, use appropriate bowing and keep with the rest of your section, come in on time, balance to the ensemble, it's all solo, solo, solo. There are some ensemble exams, but not at the level I need them, I presume they think you will go on to conservatoires at this point and they will examine you in ensemble. I couldn't manage university because they wanted the ensembles to be open to non-students too so rehearsals were always late at night, a nightmare for parents.

Worst of all is having to do a solo audition to get into orchestras and ensembles. I find it a little like having to do a French paper to get into a Spanish course, it's a similar kind of a skill, but it's not the same. I wish I could do an ensemble audition to get into an ensemble and get orchestra qualifications to show orchestras what I can do.

For me I don't think it's about sight-reading or prepared pieces, it's about being in the place I belong, the viola section of a symphony orchestra.

I'd love an exam with only sight-reading... (probably why I joined orchestra) but then again, I wont like Any exam! I have a good memory but bad nerves - which means that I remember every scale in the book for a grade then I go and forget it in the exam >.<
Pieces are okay for me but aural are just a fail - The one thing I can do is sight-reading!

I know, waiting for a month (in anticipation, I hasten to add) is not a good idea!