I'm teaching my youngest son J the piano which is a new adventure for me (and him). I've taught violin for 13 years now.

J has learned his Grade 1 piano pieces and can play them all accurately but 2 of them only very slowly (he's doing Andante, Arabian Air and In the Pink). Scales are good, sight reading good but slow (though in time! I don't mean he stops just that the whole thing is very slow), aural fine (he has done Gds 1 & 2 on violin already).

Should we go for this term for the exam?

Are the metronome markings for piano taken literally?

If he can play through all the pieces accurately and neatly (no hand-co-ordination problems?), as he knows the scales, and is ok with sight-reading and aural, I wouldn't see any reason to delay till next term. Everyone's "polishing" rate is different - but looking at it another way, if I were him I wouldn't want to be working on these pieces through till November!

For what it's worth, I generally reckon if a pupil hasn't got any major note-learning to tackle, and is up to standard in other areas by the entry date, then we're about on target. Slow but accurate is probably better at this stage than up-to-speed-but-scrappy!

Metronome markings are a guide only - the examiner is looking for a musically satisfactory performance. Hope this helps - and good luck with J's exam.

Maggie