Go on, give yourselves a good laugh! This is for the G3 piano, not taking it till next session, I went for G3 to give me something I could definitely achieve as I didn't want to over-reach, but will now have to rest the pieces till nearer the time. As ever, I don't make these mistakes when not under pressure, that's why I decided to record almost a full mock exam (that bit in the middle with a kitchen timer and me making strange noises is sight-reading!) and true to form it all went a bit dicey... or a lot dicey! What do you reckon? You won't believe me but I can play these pieces when nobody is looking.

Oh, and Youtube goes a bit funny at some points too, the audio track always goes out of sync on these types of files.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoL1gEBOMc

Never knew I had so many bad habits *cringe*

Hi Rose, well I had a good listen. Your pieces are basically sound if you elimitate these small slips, but I didnt feel there was enough dynamic contrast, though this may be partly due the recording. Try to make sure f is loud, and p quiet, and look out for any note which could be slightly accented to achieve a more dynamic effect (also be aware of staccato/legato contrasts and phrase marks)
Scales/Arps will need to be quite a bit quicker. But youre getting there !

Thanks. As ever once I started to make mistakes everything went a bit out of the window while I concentrated on not making more mistakes. I would possibly have been better off with more mistakes but not so "dead" but there you go. This is not the world's best video camera, though, it could have been better than it sounds, who knows.

If I have scales which are OK and scales which are really dodgy (and still have that problem come the exam) am I better presenting each scale as fast as I can, which may emphasise the ones I have trouble with, or doing them all a bit slower so they sound the same? I'm very guilty of starting before thinking, I know what to do but my hands start before my brain and then I realise I have no idea what I am playing! Do this in the pieces too, realise I've been playing from memory for several bars, am lost and have no idea what comes next. This is probably why there is such a gap between what I can produce on a piano and how much I can "play the piano". Improvisation or playing from figured bass you just have to keep producing relevant chords of some kind, it doesn't matter if you have forgotten the actual notes!

I would play scales at the best speed where you can guarantee them to be accurate !
Try to compse yourself a bit more before starting each piece, dont just pile in ! - and in sight reading particularly, have a really good look before you start, they will allow you a minute or so.

Actually, it's only half a minute, unfortunately. And my examiner this week stuck rigidly to that.

I thought your pieces had much promise, RoseRodent, despite the slips. Well done! There was a very effective crescendo in the first one. In the second, however, I felt that the hand playing chords drowned out the melody a bit, so maybe try and work on the balance between the hands. But then again, it could just be the recording. The third one probably needs the most attention, with that tricky rhythm - but it seems that you are well on track.

There's another thread, Misterioso, where RoseRodent has highlighted this as a problem - at least, I assume this is the piece she's referring to - so I think she has already recognised this.

Rose, I think you are very brave to show us your mock exam. It's very good practice to just record the pieces as they happen though, and I'm sure that by the time your exam arrives they will sound wonderful.

Hi Rose! I think the pieces were fairly well-played although I felt that the Bach was far too slow and even Schumann could have had a little more "life". Just my opinion. Personally if I was doing those three pieces in an exam, I would probably choose to play them in A, C, B order, and hopefully "wow" the examiner with a thrilling performance of the Wild Rider. My teacher always told me to keep the best until last. There were a few fingering mistakes and a couple of slips in the scales, but you kept going, which is most important. Well done!

I too thought you were well on track for this time of year.

I am not sure I would be resting them quite yet though. Or only very briefly and concentrating on one each week for 3 weeks. Personally I would be doing a lot of hands sep working up speed, fluency and variations in touch then putting back together for more fluency. Its hard as a musician adult will have higher expectations of themselves than a 7 year old for these pieces. But ideally I would like more flowing in the first while keeing the dynamic contrasts, much more "gallopy" for the second (too heavy overall in left but also getting stuck with repeatedly heavy right notes that sounds a bit like the horse is stuck in a bog - lighten the weaker beats up and move on from them, think in phrases cos its a bit like a wall at the moment if you get my drift) and the last did not feel too confident yet but will be a nice piece. Have you got the CD? I think the last would benefit from daily listening.

I would wait and see about order. I am the opposite and have always liked the best first to try and allay nerves. Then the worst then the middle one.

But you didn't say the most important bit! What mark would you be happy with?

Dead on 100 will do, I've bought piano exam music almost every year since 1992 and this is the first time I've actually approached going through the door. I suffer badly with nerves on piano in a way I don't with any other instrument, if I think someone might be looking at me then the whole thing goes to bits. I can't do hands separate stuff, it just makes me be able to play without the other hand and doesn't remotely help my ability to do both of them at the same time. I have to rest the pieces because I'm going into hospital and they don't like you to play the piano in there.

Oh, thats a shame (the hospital, not the exam!). But you have put in plenty of work. Hope all goes well in hospital. You will have no problems getting 100 unless you freeze to the point of rigidity though. Hopefully you can get back to work soon. And it's Christmas soon - plenty of visitors to act as audience and desensitise you a bit to the evil eyes of the examiner! I find the video is quite a good substitute for the examiner. I would be "performing" as often as you can once you feel up to it. That is very interesting about the hands sep - I have only seen this only once before - with someone who was advanced on a single clef instrument before they took up piano. I dont know any harpist who doesnt work on sep hands. Do you actually go with hands together from the very start ofa piece? Like sightreading? Or do you get your fingers sorted then put it together? Fascinating how different brains process page to fingers.

Well done RoseRodent, for getting this far, and the mock exam recording is a brilliant idea.
I was impressed, you played the three pieces mostly securely, but I agree , your C list piece needs some tightening up rhythmically to nail the jazzy feel that's needed.

And your scales - secure despite some minor fingering issues And you played the melodic form of the minor scales - very impressive.

Well done again, and good luck for next session.

What did you get out of the mock exam experience ?

denmark

There is a lot to commend this Rose.

Your Wilder Reiter has the right contrast between left and right hand, and you do bring out the melody and keep the accompaniment in the background. It was a pity about the slip. This should get a good mark.

The Bach Prelude was stylish if over steady, but at least the pulse was completely regular and it had an accomplished sense of musicality with a good understanding of the musical language.

Again, this should score well.

The Haughton was technically more correct (bar the obvious slip), however it needs to be a bit faster and far more relaxed in manner with more attention given to the articulation/accentuation. Try to understand to grove more, and you will get a more musically rewarding result. You would pass with that performance.

The scales and arpeggios were a little hesistant, but accurate in sound (remember fingering is not compulsory for exams, just a really good idea for when you need to go on and do better things!)

The sight reading was fine for the grade and would have score well.

If you continue to progress like this, there is no doubt about passing, and you should do very nicely if you aural work matches everything else you were able to demonstrate. Good luck.

The problem with playing something Jazzy is some areas (Articulation and rhythm) need to be tight, yet the overall feel needs to be relaxed. Getting that balance is hard especially with anticipated beats and swung rhythms. Keep short notes crisp and observe rests, and accents.

I think the main problem in this piece is how much I hate that type of music. I've heard several renditions of how it's "supposed to go" and I feel it murders it to play it any of those ways and I do tend to avoid actually doing it. I hated the other C list pieces more, so I picked this one on a "least worst" basis. I loathe jazz. I don't think there is time to pick an alternative piece, and I suppose I'd rather have the marks, but to play it jazzy-fied just makes me shut the piano. The down-side of exams, having to play stuff that you wouldn't pick in a zillion years.

I quite agree. If I were doing the exam I certainly wouldn't have picked that. It would be near the bottom of my list, probably just above Northern Lights (I don't like pieces in 5/4 and this piece is too monotonous). To be honest I think I would go for Joni Mitchell as I know that piece well, although it's not a very good arrangement, or maybe even Tajcevic. His piece is fun to play and not particularly difficult. Lots of repeated notes.

Cheer up Rose, I've said lots of really good stuff about the rest! What is more if that is all the examiner has to moan about, then you hardly have much to worry about!

LOL thanks. I was dashing off a reply with an impatient 4 year old danging from my arm so it got very short! Thanks for the confidence boost and yesterday I managed to make (with only 2 false starts! ) an up to speed recording of both A and B, even with my piano "looking at me". I find it less daunting to record it on my digi piano's recording button than on an external device, I suppose my piano has seen me at my worst and also knows I can do better.

It now looks more likely I will get my hosptial admisison date DURING the exam session. Cheers, NHS.

My pleasure Rose. My aim was to give you a constructive critique and relate it to the type of marks such performances have scored when pupils of a similar standard have entered.

(Oh BTW I never could have told you did not like the last piece... I refer to it as 'Dobbin in Tap-shoes' as for some reason it make me think of a Pantomime horse dancing a tap routine...)