Hey Chaps:

I've just finished my piano exam and I'm feeling great!! Let's wish that I'll get a good mark...hmm...after "self-evaluation" I reckon I'll get about 142/150....let's wish that to be true!!

Cool!

Which grade did you do?

so what will you do if you only get 141?

re-take?

QUOTE

Let's wish that I'll get a good mark

you already got a good mark, in fact an absolutely amazing mark in my opinion but there you go

QUOTE (flute_gurl @ May 26 2005, 04:16 PM)

QUOTE Let's wish that I'll get a good mark you already got a good mark, in fact an absolutely amazing mark in my opinion but there you go

No...that's my self-immagination mark....
lol, I don't think I'll retake if I get 141...because I'll beat my record by then ....

QUOTE (Oddball @ May 26 2005, 09:40 AM)

Cool! Which grade did you do?

Grade 7 I think.

QUOTE

No...that's my self-immagination mark....

I meant you got a good mark when you took it the first time, when you got 135 or whatever it was

Didn't you say somewhere else that 135 was your highest mark? If so will you have to take all the other exams again too ?

wow. if you're doing grade 7 and get 142 that'll be AMAZING, the most ive ever gotten is 135 and that was grade 1!

QUOTE (crazy_purple_piano_freak @ May 29 2005, 12:23 PM)

wow. if you're doing grade 7 and get 142 that'll be AMAZING, the most ive ever gotten is 135 and that was grade 1!

Will it really be that amazing for someone who already has distinction at grade 8??

No, it won't be amazing at all for someone who has already passed grade 7 and 8 both with distinction.

Hey guys, please stop critising ok?? It's not my fault okay?? However wouldn't you guys wish that I get better considering that what's done is done?? Should be without regard. (hey it sould liked Macbeth by Shakespeare....)

QUOTE (pianist_1210 @ May 30 2005, 06:28 AM)

Hey guys, please stop critising ok?? It's not my fault okay??

Oh, but I'm afraid it IS your fault. If you've kept the entire incident "hush-hush" instead of proudly airing it publicly in this forum, others wouldn't have discovered your folly and felt the intense urge to taunt or criticise you. Get it??

We do hope you get a good mark, but that doesn't mean we think that what you did was logical!

I have to agree with tuba_mirabilis, no one forces you to take an exam, it's up to the player, if you had a problem with it then you would have said something, besides the fact that your teacher is a complete lunatic (if they make a student take an exam after recieving a distinction in that grade AND getting the grade above at distinction) it's up to you whether you take the exam, don't try to shift the blame.

QUOTE (Hulk @ May 30 2005, 12:05 PM)

We do hope you get a good mark, but that doesn't mean we think that what you did was logical!

Do we?

I agree with most others- what you did was stupid, mad and insane and entirely your fault. Don't expect sympathy if you get worse than last time. It was your decision.

I do hope you get a good mark, but to be honest it's only out of pity. I can't imagine having a teacher who would make me do that, or believing that a distinction of 135 isn't good enough and I really pity anyone with that view of exams

I retook grade 8 piano because I ONLY got 127/150 merit, and my teacher wanted me to get a distinction for college auditions, got 133/150 distinction the second time, I guess there was a valid reason though.

QUOTE (pianist_1210 @ May 30 2005, 06:28 AM)

Hey guys, please stop critising ok?? It's not my fault okay?? However wouldn't you guys wish that I get better considering that what's done is done?? Should be without regard. (hey it sould liked Macbeth by Shakespeare....)

Yes it is your fault. You can't be made to repeat an exam against your will and your parents can't be made to pay for an exam if they don't want to. Its ridiculous enough to repeat an exam which you passed with 135 but the silly thing is actually to tell everyone about it. If I was stupid enough to repeat an exam I had passed with distinction, I would have enough sense not to tell anyone about it. I seem to recall an earlier thread of yours about showing off. Relevant here??

QUOTE (noodle @ May 30 2005, 05:42 PM)

I seem to recall an earlier thread of yours about showing off. Relevant here??

Oh yes, very much so!

QUOTE (possom @ May 30 2005, 04:23 PM)

I retook grade 8 piano because I ONLY got 127/150 merit, and my teacher wanted me to get a distinction for college auditions, got 133/150 distinction the second time, I guess there was a valid reason though.

if you retake a grade you have to pay again dont you?

QUOTE (crazy_purple_piano_freak @ May 30 2005, 06:19 PM)

QUOTE (possom @ May 30 2005, 04:23 PM) I retook grade 8 piano because I ONLY got 127/150 merit, and my teacher wanted me to get a distinction for college auditions, got 133/150 distinction the second time, I guess there was a valid reason though. if you retake a grade you have to pay again dont you?

Yes, you do need to pay again.

quite expensive for senior grades though.... They should let us to try again for free ~

Why on earth would they want to do that? Maybe out of sympathy to people that failed...but not you who has already passed grade 7 and 8 with distinction

Why ???

I only got a high merit for my G5 piano, something which I was estatic about at the time. And that was grade 5, not even an advanced grade.

How do you think "I only got 135 for my grade 7 piano" sort of comments make people like me feel?

I hope you do well in your exam, congratulations if you do, you obviously are very dedicated. but try and think more about people's reactions, feelings and actual enjoyment of music before you post any more comments like that. It's rather demoralising.

I've missed all this but it looks interesting. What's the story here???

Liz

"someone" getting distinctions in grade 7 & 8 piano & then redoing grade 7 piano cos the teacher said the mark wasn't good enough. As a lesser mortal I can't understand it..

basically: if you got distinction in an exam but NOT full marks would you bother repeating the grade.
ie.getting 135/150 in grade 7 and repeating so you would have to pay £50 or however much again...
WHAT IS THE POINT???????????!!!!
If you think you're good enough and you're at the right level then no examiner can change that.

i HAVE JUST FINISH MY PIANO EXAM A WELL I WAS SO NEVIROUS ON THE DAY WHAT A BOUT YOU? Iwas so creeped out on the day For me i got a merit.

Bye

It seems completely nutty to me. Even retaking Grade 8 seems a bit silly - why not do something higher such as the Trinity College performer's certificate instead - unless perhaps you can't even get an audition unless you have grade 8 distinction?

I doubt if anyone EVER gets full marks at Grade 8 - for goodness sake you'd have to get full marks on the sightreading and aurals as well as on every piece!

Liz

I hope you do better than you did last time otherwise it would be a waste of money but let's just hope.

Hey everyone, I got my result back now,
I got 135 again....
What a waste of time!!
(oh well, at least my aural's better than before)

3rd attempt at Grade 7 again next time?

I hope you at least used different pieces so you learned something?

If I were you I'd be looking for another teacher ....

Liz

Well, at least no-one can say the AB examiners aren't consistent! Don't like to say'We told you so' but.. And I agree with the poster who suggested a change of teacher might be a good idea. Also, before you do too much teaching, you could think about the difference between being able to do something, and being able to teach it. For something as complicated as playing the piano(or any musical instrument) some pedagogical knowledge should be a pre-requisite.

No way!! You think I'll be bother to re sit again?? No way!

in your signiture, where it says you've composed 'suits' is that the right spelling? I always thought it was suites....but then my spellings not great so I'm probably wrong

Yeah, you're quite right, it's indeed "suites"... English's not my mother tongue ...

So if your aural is better, then something must be worse than the last time. Only 135? Dear me and you thought you would get 142.

I remember reading in the teacher's forum in about pianist_1210 not being able to go into performing because 1) parents object, and 2) not being able to pay for further Uni tuition because his/her family's not wealthy. For one being in such a situation, I would imagine one saving up all the money one could for college and a stab at competitions or to educate oneself for a future in performing in the U instead of re-taking Grades 7 and 8 again. This is rather contradictory altogether.

Thats what I thought too Violin-ann. For someone so money conscious, wasting £40 to repeat grade 7 when he had passed it with distinction seems strange to me.

My thoughts exactly !

M

dont really wanna get involved with this, but i see the point of every1 saying that maybe it was a bit pointless for piano_1210 to retake the exam but i also think that point has been made now!! give him a break eh?

135?? shocking...thtas teerrible

Dear All,

I too felt a little confused when I found out that the pianist in question was retaking grade 7 piano after getting distinctions at grade 7 and grade 8. However, I also feel that the point has been made that it was wrong and so why don't we leave it there!

I also hope the pianist in question doesn't say something else to infuriate everyone and takes more care in what he chooses to discuss on these forums.

Shelton

p.s. it comes to something when I become the voice of reason.

pianist_1210,

I can't see why you should retake grade 7 after getting distinction in grade 8. Maybe you have high standards, but if I were you, I would "mourn and grieve" for that "low distinction" and then start studying for diplomas. Your life doesn't depend on how many marks you get. Getting a disctinction in a high grade is a great achievement already, and I think that learning and practising piano just so we can get 142 is useless. That will only slow down our progress. Most people who want to get high marks in an exam will focus studying only the 3 pieces required, which means they lack the amount of repertoire. Sometimes they say, "quality not quantity", but quantity's still important.

Yes, leave me alone!!!!! I'm not mad okay!!!!What's done is done !!! Time doesn't go back!!!

I agree, couldn't agree anymore then that. Alright, I'll take your sugguestion and try to explore more pieces in the future. Thankyou!

I don't want to get at you any further as I think you've now heard enough comments to come to a decision about what to do.

I am, however, quite intrigued by your (ex?) learning philosophy and what you have done in order to achieve what you have. How did you fare on the sightreading section of the exams after only having been playing for three years? I'm assuming piano was your first instrument.

Did you play many pieces between exams, have you had a chance to explore much non-exam piano repertoire? How long did you spend on the exam pieces for each grade? How did you find learning them, was it quite reasonable reading through with polishing or did you have to work very hard on every detail? Did you have a lot of help from your teacher or did you manage to do some of the work by yourself?

How frequently have you done exams, once every six months?

Don't worry I'm not going to criticise you for what you say I'm just interested to hear what your experience has been like doing so many exams in such a short time.

Goodness me.....Finally there's someone who DOESN't cristise my doing...
Ok then, I'll try to ask your question.
Firstly of all, I SWEAR THAT ALL OF MY ANSWERS ARE THE TRUTH (just in case if others wanting to cristise me again and say that I'm lying like my typo).

1.Yes, piano is my first and also my most be-loved instrument. I do not found sight-reading difficult, overall I seem to get about 18~19 for sight reading.
2.Me, myself was a over-ambitious person.( excuse me but I'm really not showing-off okay?? IT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE!!) I started play Beethoven's fur elise after 1/2 year of piano lesson.Started play other sonatas of his like Moonlight (1st mvt only) and patheique(2nd mvt only) after 1 year of learning.However I now see my acts were stupid, foolish and unclever; althought I can play them, I never observed the music fully and I was just wanting to show off because I could play such difficult piece after 1 year of learning. At my second year, I pretty much stuck to my exam works quite often, however I still play other pieces( much more difficult ones which I found in the internet of from friends). However at my third year( this year) I accomplished both grade8 and 7 so I spend almost 2/3 of my time doing scales, sight-reading and aural works rather than just pieces.I also play any other pieces which sounds good to me but now, I take them seriously, my policy is if I have to play something, I do it to perfection, although I got excellent marks for my music exams. I sufffered from not doing enough school work....so I regret now, school and music should be equally important in any case.
3.Yes, my teacher helps me with a lot of things, mainly pieces.She will tell me what to get better,ie. phasing stucture...legato, staccato....etc...etc...However, she did not help me with my senior grade aurals much...(maybe that's why I didn't really do well at them...)
4.Yes, I do exams at every single lots( that is every 1/2 year).That's how I can fit piano exams in three years.

Thankyou very much for taking time to ask me about my piano exams and my strategys I doubt anyone would think that I'm not showing-off but it's the TRUTH.