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Okay Dave

This is my topic to you (as you did one for me! ), to wish you lots of luck on you AB Grade 2 exam on the 27th!!!! I'm sure you will do very well!

Don't forget to go into detail after you come home from the exam and blog away, I love a good piano related gossip!

How is the pratice going? hope you don't mess up the Em scale like I did! & hope your examiner and steward arn't like the ones I had. STAND THERE UNTILL THE EXAMINER CALLS YOU!!!!

dave brum wrote:Bring on the exam. Selly Oak Quakers hall, here I come!

THAT'S more like it!!!

I am here... watching...

I am still very active on the Digital Pianos forum and I have been holding the fort while Barrie has been away on holiday. All I seem to be doing is banning nuisance members as well as deleting spam and warez posts at the moment.

Anyway, I kind of left Gill to watch this part of the forum while I have been holding down other parts of the forum.

The sight reading score seems good considering that you were allegedly struggling so badly!

...COME ON MAN, we need to know how you got on!



or I'm off to pratice myself

COME On MAN, THE TENSION IS KILLING ME!!! GERRIT DOWN YER!

Hi Dave

Thanks for that detailed account on how you got on, just like my one! – would be great if anyone else on here who does an exam could write a similar thing. Interesting for piano students and teachers to know how people cope with exams...

Some questions:
Did he notice your tie?
Did you need to do Em? If so how did you get on?
What kind of piano did you play, I don’t think you told us.

Ha ha I remember the sight reading book now! It was dark blue! He even talked in the same way as your one! relatives maybe? I don’t really remember having a rehearsal sight read, but I was allowed to give it a quick test.

Well that’s that we have both walked the Green Mile then.

Rondo testicle bag in the air

your Dave Brum vocabulary never ceases to amuse me

Fantastic news Dave!!!

I bet you did get a distinction, and even if you get a merit or a pass, that's still fab! I couldn't make my mind up if I was disappointed or pleased when I got a merit for grade 1, but now I look back at how nervous I was on the day and think I did well. My long term goal is to get a distinction one day.

Your write up was excellent and I know exactly what you mean about that weird feeling you get, like you've never played before. It's as if the brain and the body/fingers just stop communicating. That must be the nerves, unpleasant feeling though.

How lovely to play on a baby grand too!

I can't wait to hear how well you've done!

Kimbles.

Ok, I have found the notes I made and the score sheet.

I have got to say that when I got home from the exam I had a cry and felt I would be lucky to pass. But, when I had calmed down, I looked up how they grade you. Using that description I tried to be as sensible as possible and grade myself. You have to bear in mind they know exactly what they are looking for and I had to try to pick what I had done apart. Also, some of the exam was a blur, nerves again!

Here are the scores with my self mark in brackets:
A1 25/30 (26)
B2 23/30 (23)
C1 24/30 (25)
Scales 16/21 (17)
Sight 18/21 (17)
Aural 18/18 (17)
TOTAL 124/150 (125)

So, as you can see I gave myself 1 point too much overall. Can't remember where I found the points descriptions but it probably would have been on the ABRSM site.

Have a go and see what you think.

If you think you're ready to go on to grade 3, don't wait. That said, you could do a couple of none exam pieces, so you can relax for a while. I was full of it after grade 1 and started on grade 2 straight away. First of all, I was worried about how hard it seemed, then I felt it was picking up speed and now, one year on, the nerves have totally got to me and I hardly ever practice
The piano teacher said I could skip grade 2 and maybe, when I am feeling more in control, do grade 3. I can see what she means but I am nervous about skipping a grade.

I hope I find my piano mojo again!

First:WHAT tie?? What was it like?
Second: The examiner knows the difference between 'Hello, I never practise, I'm sightreading here and just can't be bothered,' and 'Omigodomigod I'm going to die I'm so scared I wish I'd worn my brown trousers'.
Third: No point (arfarf) self marking. Go home, have a bl**dy great drink and wait for the results.
THE BOY DONE GOOD!!

Only 40? Wait till you're 48 like me, kid...and with any luck you too will have the mind of a five year old...
It sounds as though you should get an extra 10 marks for presentation, pooppet...

[quote="Gill the Piano"]Only 40? Wait till you're 48 like me, kid...and with any luck you too will have the mind of a five year old...
quote]

Glad to hear I'm not the only 48 year old female with the mind of a five year old

dave brum wrote:1. He did indeed notice my tie, he asked me before the exam where I got it (on Ebay)

2. I did do Eminor, and yes I think that was the one I fluffed. At some points in that exam I felt like I'd never touched a bloody piano in my life.
3. It was a black baby grand, which was impossible to play any queiter than mezzo piano. I never noticed a manufacturers' name, I was too preoccupied with other examinatory things I'm afraid

Ha ha I’m sure he’s off to get one himself!

Never mind Dave I know exactly how you felt about feeling like you have never touched a piano. I still even sometimes get that feeling in my lessons but not as much. Last lesson I felt like I had an out of body experience but my hands remembered what to do, very strange. Then again I had just walked as fast as I could from South Kensington station to the 4th floor of the royal college; I was a bit puffed out.

I know what you mean about the piano too. The one I played on, a Yamaha upright was very loud and light; I couldn’t seem to pull of any convincing diminuendos etc. That’s why my examiners’ comment said ‘needs more tonal contrast’.

I was in Birmingham Central Library this morning looking over the scales and arpeggio requirements for Grade 3. Was like reading a scary novel!

Whoa what’s the rush!? The best part of finishing an exam is being able to work on building up more repertoire and technique afterwards to prepare for the next. If you do it properly and don’t rush to the next grade you really won’t find grade 3 as scary as a Steven King novel! Also it’s nice to give your teacher a break from hearing grade pieces over and over – as well as yourself.

I definitely think you should continue learning pieces from Schumann’s Album for the Young, Wild horse man is very fun piece! ( and staccato study). Although it’s called Wild Rider in my book...I think its the same piece in 6/8, Am.

Wassailing = singing, shouting and drinking. I'm sure you'd manage that, cherub... You serenade either your neighbours or your apple trees - or both, if you have the energy - to ensure a good crop of apples for next year's cider.

Hiya Everybody!

Well done, Dave, Old Bean! I was certain you'd be fine,albeit nervous, and as Gill says, they do make allowances for nerves. If truth be known, examiners are usually delighted to see "mature" candidates. This must be the only occasion when I'm glad I'm so manically busy time is flying by in a blur - I don't think I could stand the suspense of waiting for your results if I were sitting around watching the days go by (chance would be a fine thing!)

As for the age thing - I turned 49 last month, which means the big 50 is next year and I'm still working towards the mind of a 5 year old - mine is currently around the 2 yo status

Here's to the certificate, Dave!