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Hi.
I come from Hong Kong and i've passed my grade 7 piano exam become i came here two years ago
(i got a certificate from The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music), I need some advice here, however, i've not played piano for about a whole year...I don't have a piano and there is not much chance in my school...: (...

What should i start now if i want to curry on to take the grade 8 exam?
Should i find a individual teacher / company (i really don't know about this in England..I live in Manchester) / learn it myself ?
I don't have chance in my high school...most of the people play guitar and the music teacher tells me that she can't teach me anything on piano...(She has a grade 5 qualification)
Is there any advice i can try : ?

And, is there any good way for practising listening? (I just got danger passes in the listening part in all my previous exams)
I'm really stuck identifying the period and the techniques...(sniff)

Ok...too much words now....."

Get the Grade VIII pieces on the CD, have a listen and decide which pieces you'd play best - NOT which ones you like best!! - and find yourself a decent teacher who can do Grade VIII. Your school MUST have a decent piano you can practise on - if not, it isn't much of a school! If it's a posh private school then your parents should use some leverage to get facilities theyt're no doubt paying through the nose for. Otherwise, Ofsted should pick up on any inadequate facilities such as bad/untuned instruments in their inspectiuons. Sometimes local churches may have a piano you could use/hire at a reasonable rate or for a donation.

Gill the Piano wrote:Get the Grade VIII pieces on the CD, have a listen and decide which pieces you'd play best - NOT which ones you like best!! - and find yourself a decent teacher who can do Grade VIII. Your school MUST have a decent piano you can practise on - if not, it isn't much of a school! If it's a posh private school then your parents should use some leverage to get facilities theyt're no doubt paying through the nose for. Otherwise, Ofsted should pick up on any inadequate facilities such as bad/untuned instruments in their inspectiuons. Sometimes local churches may have a piano you could use/hire at a reasonable rate or for a donation.

I could hardly disagree more strongly with that! What the hell is the point in grade 8? Is it to have a piece of paper 'proving' that you can play the piano or is it merely a goal to help with the learning process? What is the point in playing pieces you don't like? Play the pieces that you WANT to play, even if that may take more practise. The aims are to enjoy playing and to improve. Finding the easiest way to get hold of a silly piece of paper is a terrible way to look at it. There's bound to be work involved and shying away from it doesn't help.

Many students fall behind during earlier grades because they stick to the easiest pieces possible at each new grade, when they should always be taking at least one piece that provides a bigger challenge (sadly I suspect that many teachers even encourage this). Next thing they know they find that they reach a point where they HAVE to play more difficult pieces and they aren't prepared at all. Grade 8 isn't the end point. There are diplomas etc. which are worth looking towards. Choosing the easy options for grade 8 is hardly the best preparation for the high standards that may well lie ahead. Students should always choose the pieces they like the most and never pick a piece because it's 'easy'. They should choose pieces on the basis of what like and which ones are most likely to help them develop their skills.

Andrew

HK didn't ask if he SHOULD take Grade VIII, he asked the easiest way to go about it, given that his teacher is evidently not good enough to take a pupil on to the higher grades. Personally I agree with you, that exams are merely benchmarks and generally more for the teachers' benefit than the pupils', but if that's what playing is about from HK's point of view, then the least we can do is to help.

Gill the Piano wrote:HK didn't ask if he SHOULD take Grade VIII, he asked the easiest way to go about it, given that his teacher is evidently not good enough to take a pupil on to the higher grades. Personally I agree with you, that exams are merely benchmarks and generally more for the teachers' benefit than the pupils', but if that's what playing is about from HK's point of view, then the least we can do is to help.

If this person's comments are to be taken literally, then I think they should be guided in the right direction. A handful really do just want the qualification without taking any actual interest, but those are remarkably few. In these cases I don't think encouraging them to aim for simple exam solutions (without attemping to stimulate some real interest) is the way to go.

I doubt if that's really the case here, anyway. It didn't strike me that passing the exam was his sole objective. Assuming it's not, he should be encouraged even more strongly to consider what pieces offer enjoyments and benefit than merely the shortest path to a piece of a paper (which is probably not the shortest path to excellent development).

I'd consider trying the Royal Northern College. No doubt there will be very capable postgraduate students who would be willing to teach for a reasonable fee.

Andrew