Hi people:

I'm above to have a violin exam ( as many of you already knew), and my piano teacher's gping to accompany me on the piano. I just think that she didn't quite suit my playing on my A piece. ( she has some bass quavers which I think she should play them detarch but she's doing the, rather legato...) Will the accomplanist be mark on as well?? So what happen if she make a mistake during our performance to the examiner?? Will I get marks down for that??

Why don't you discuss the way she is playing the piece and ask her if she would consider playing it the way you want? After all, this is your performance. In this scenario you are the soloist and she is the accompanist. In any rehearsal, issues on the interpretation of a piece should be discussed as part of the rehearsal procedure. I don't think she will think you are being rude in asking. I am a teacher myself and I would respect any pupil who offered their opinion on a piece of music we were playing so long as it was a valid observation and it suited the music. To be honest, having a pupil think about interpretation shows that they are starting to form their own musical personality which is very important in developing as a musician.

With regards to mistakes, I can't image any teacher worth their salt making mistakes or at least not being able to continue the music along should any slight slips occur. I wouldn't worry about that. You keep your performance as good as possible and let your teacher worry about her part. If she does make a slip, keep playing and let her catch you up. I'd imagine the examiner would be quite impressed by your ability to carry on playing undeterred!!
Good Luck

Gae

What A piece is it? The examiner will not be marking the accompanist, just you the soloist. Its your exam so as Gae suggests, discuss how you want the accompaniment to be played or ask your violin teacher to. I assume you are playing a baroque/early classical piece and I'm surprised your teacher doesn't know how to play the quavers given that she is such a perfectionist and making you repeat a grade 7 exam which you passed with distinction. Don't worry, the examiner is really only interested in your performance, and you won't lose marks because of anything she might do. If she is as good at playing the piano as you think she is at teaching, there won't be any problems.

It's always a good idea to try and use an accompanist who you trust for an exam and one who will interpret the music as you would like it to be played.

However, the good news is that only you, the soloist, are marked. What happens to the accompanist/accompaniment is of no concern to the examiner - though, of course, they would notice quantities of wrong notes etc. But they won't comment on them and they won't in any way affect your mark.

Obviously very poor accompanying could make you feel uneasy and then you might not play so well - that would affect your result but simply wrong notes etc from the pianist won't do so.

Hope the exam goes well.

As others have said, find the best accompanist you can for your own sake, and if your accompanist is not playing how you would like, TELL THEM! - it's your exam, and they are accompanying you, not the other way around (I had teachers in school who accompanied that way.... bad!)... but when it comes down to it, you are being marked, not your accompanist, and the examiner will be focusing on your performance not your teacher's.

No, you won't be marked down at all, unless your own perfromance is affected. I can't bear to tell you what a mess I used to make of some higher grades accompanying when i was forced to do it because the parents wouldn't get anyone else

Liz

Liz, can't possibly be as bad as the mess I made when accompanying a friend for an audition once, right in the middle of my hiatus from piano lessons (and I was only a scrapey grade 3 at my best!)

I think I maybe hit about 50% of the notes...

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ May 18 2005, 06:55 PM)

I think I maybe hit about 50% of the notes...

You mean you even ATTEMPTED 50% of the notes??!

Liz

Well, I hit them... not necessarily in the right order </morecombe&wise>

Seriously... it was awful... it bore so little relation to what it should have been.... and it was SUCH a simple piece! I was just really terrible. Ellie did really well - I think they probably thought if she could play against that racket she could do anything!

To the ones who don't know...it's the A3 Grade6 violin exam that I was talking about....you know the opening of the piece where the piano plays quavers in the left hand.....I reckon that they should be played detarch.

Then TELL YOUR TEACHER!

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ May 20 2005, 01:42 PM)

Then TELL YOUR TEACHER!

I did but I don't know if she's going to accept with me or not...

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ May 20 2005, 01:42 PM)

Then TELL YOUR TEACHER!

I did but I don't know if she's going to accept with me or not...

Well you have a few choices:

Keep telling her - absolutely insist that they be played detached.

Find another accompanist.

Don't worry about it and play the best you can even if the accompaniment isn't perfect.

okay....