Dear All,

I am about to take my grade 7 piano in about a months time and I am considering doing grade 8 without a teacher. I have had lessons for all the first 7 grades and I was wondering if any of you have taken a grade without having lessons. I find it a struggle to pay for lessons since they are quite expensive so conseqently I am considering going it alone. More than once I have been told I could teach myself.

Any comments?

i haven't tried it...no, but it sounds like a good idea if lessons are expensive and there's not really much you can be taught at such a high level anyway. How do you enter for the exam though...because my teacher always does it for me.

It depends on your own experience, and how well you understand how to practise and work on technique. If you know all the concepts of teaching, then it is possible to be your own teacher, but you may loose something by not having someone else to hear your playing and critisise it.

Next term I am doing grade 6 flute with very little teaching, and mainly doing my own work for it. Incidently, adult candidates can enter themselves as long as they register to do so, which I have done in this case.

I did grade 4 with hardly any teaching (had lessons for a year and a half years ago but basically did the exam work on my own) and got a good distinction, & after some 6 months of working on my own again at my first lesson my teacher suggested I aim to do grade 6 in the next exam session. (this is flute by the way)

If you are able to self-motivate and teach yourself, and have a fairly critical ear when listening for mistakes, you should be OK, although I would suggest an occasional lesson just to make sure you are along the right lines if you can manage it. Most people progress faster with a good private teacher even if it's not a lesson every week, but if you feel you are able to direct yourself, and would be confident both knowing when you had reached grade 8 standard and not missing any errors in technique etc that you might make, then you will probably be OK.

I wouldn't mind doing it without teaching as well... except you will have to go through the trouble of finding your own books and equipment! It would be good because you won't have to pay for lessons, but you might need to pay for books.

Are you planning on studying music at university? If so it might be better to have a teacher. Ive known people who were turned down at auditions because they didnt have a teacher (and also because the person doing the interview thought they were over ambitious and couldnt tell whether they were ready or not.). Also, I can relate to the whole not being able to a afford a teacher thing. I stopped taking lessons for similar reasons ( twice) and regret it. I am doing ok without one but I could be learning so much more.

If you've got friends or relations who are sufficiently music-savvy to listen to a performance and not give the standard "oh darling you were wonderful" response, but give you some meaningful feedback, then you're on the way.
I'd listen to plenty of recordings of other works by the composers of your pieces and the periods they fit in so you've a clear feel in your mind for the style you're aiming for.
If you can find a teacher who'd give you a lesson a month would be useful as a critical ear and someone to run through the aurals with?

Crazy_purple_piano_freak - unless you're under 16, to enter the exam you just download a form from the ABRSM site, fill it in, write the cheque and send it off. You don't need to have a teacher "sponsor" you. For under 16s I think you just need an adult to do the entry on your behalf (and write the cheque if you can swing it )

Paderewski was not allowed to take piano lessons at the Warsaw conservatoire; he was forced to attend as a composition student.

Yes, it is possible to take exams without taking formal lessons. My grade 8 teacher was so useless that I would have done just as well without her.

A standing start to grade 7 in four years is exceptional - you clearly have great ability. You will still benefit from input from a professional whose experience and expertise will be light-years ahead of yours. Weekly lessons might not be necessary. Occasional lessons from an expert might be most helpful.

Good luck in your grade 7

Steve

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ May 18 2005, 05:46 PM)

although I would suggest an occasional lesson just to make sure you are along the right lines if you can manage it. Most people progress faster with a good private teacher even if it's not a lesson every week,

I agree. An occasional lesson to make sure that you are on the right track. You need the critical ear at grade 8 and you also need someone to play the aural part for you.

Hope it goes well.

As others have said it really depends on how critical your ear is and how independent of your teacher you already are. If the choice is simply stop playing the piano, or do it without a teacher, then carry on by yourself no matter what your situation is (so long as you like playing...) you haven't lost anything. Don't forget to explore a bit more repertoire too after grade 7 before going on to grade 8: enjoy your playing and allow yourself time to progress.

If it's at all possible get a few lessons with a teacher (even if it's once a month, three lessons before you enter for the exam, or just one lesson to look at your pieces) the benefit of even a small amount of guidance cannot be underestimated. In many ways a one off lesson can be used to learn a lot more than one lesson in a series of lessons (because of the time you have to fix things and the fact that you can do all that you can manage first) so think of it as a bargain! As long as you can cope with a lot of constructive criticism at once without being too overwhelmed.

I'm sure that it can all be done by the right person with the right attitude and experience: you just have to make sure that you are that person!

Good luck.

Hi,

I took my grade 6 piano exam November just gone and didn't have any lessons, i had been away to uni so hadnt had any lesssons for 3 years. I was quite nervous and would have been happy if i just got a pass! but i got a distinction and couldn't believe it! If you have the time and patience you should go for it, but maybe have occasional lessons like other people have said. Ive got my grade 7 on monday and havent had any lessons, but I do find sometimes I miss the support of a teacher to ask about certain things (like the aural), instead I have to rely on reading books which can be difficult at times. I think I may consider having occasional lessons when I do grade 8.

Good luck to you!

The replies have gone funny in this, but yes I've done a grade 8 without a teacher.

Which one?

Post deleted for fear of being murdered for stating her opinion.

Ahh right.

If only it were that easy - some of us ain't that quick m'dear, but never mind. I'll get there one day!

Doing the grades themselves without a teacher is OK, (& I will reach G8 eventually!) though, though it can be a little unnerving and it's useful to get outside feedback if you can

How about finding a colleague / friend who is also studying for Grade 8. They could give you the support and a framework within which to work, and you could do the same for them.

I imagine it would be hard to ensure you got all aspects of the exam ready - scales, sightreading and aurals, as well as pieces.

The other option is to do a lot of the graft beforehand, and then get a teacher to help you out in the last three months before the exam. That way you've done the note-bashing on your own.

Good luck

Karen

Yes, I'd agree that some sort of compromise - such as advocated by the last poster - would be ideal. For instance, if you do get alongside another Grade VIII, who may or may not be tutored, then your strenghs might compensate for his/her weaknesses and vice versa. The snag about employing a teacher at the last minute is that - first, it will be difficult to ensure that they are not putting a spanner in the works if they tell you that you are not ready to take the exam just yet. They have, after all a vested interest in giving such advice. To do otherwise is to endorse your decision to put them out of a job! As has been said, there is probably less urgency for a teacher at Grade VIII than in earlier examinations, but if you want to get the optimim mark of which you are capable, then there's no substitute for a full-time teacher.

Either way, all the best - you have got guts!

LR

It rather depends on whether you just want to do the exam for the sake of the exam itself, or whether you are looking to continue to improve your playing and maybe take an exam (albeit Gr 8) simply as part of a lifelong learning process.

There is so much more to learn and enjoy on any instrument at grade 8 and beyond than just 3 pieces and some scales.

If money is tight could you arrange some really good lessons at longer intervals (say 2-3 weeks)?

Hi, my story's similar to your's...

I did my grade 7 (Nov '05) and 8 (March ('06) with a teacher but in the end stopped because of a) money and b) disliked her teaching style in the end. I achieved a merit (127) for my grade 8 and then stuck with her for a couple more months - then quit lessons. I am now waiting to re-sit my grade 8 on July 14th (!)and have worked for this without a teacher - even changing one of my pieces - but have never felt so confident.

I think at the end of the day, for scales, we all know what they SHOULD sound like so just practice them like ######..and for pieces, buy yourself recordings of them, record yourself and listen to it back critically, get musical friends to comment on you and practice performing in front of people and you will be fine! (Obviously this is assuming aural isn't too much of a problem. )

Hope you decide what to do!

Caroline x

I'd recommend seeing someone just once a month or something just to give you some pointers, that can be very useful if you want to go by your own vocation because there might be wee stylistic things etc. that u are not away of

couse, it's up to you