Hi all

Just a quick question...when taking exams, do you have to have a piano accompaniment, or can you play solo for the pieces?

Joy

If the piece has an accompiament (sp?) then you have to have an acompanist.

QUOTE (joyjoy @ Aug 9 2004, 09:00 PM)

Just a quick question...when taking exams, do you have to have a piano accompaniment, or can you play solo for the pieces?

As someone else told you, if there's a piano part for one or more of your pieces you need an accompanist. I do a lot of exam accompanying, and I always try to have at least two rehearsals before the day of the exam with the people I accompany. That gives them a chance to get to know me a bit, and I nearly always find that it really helps them to give a better performance because they have time to practise anything that doesn't go too well the first time.

Some accompanists will help with sight-reading and aural tests too.

You don't have to tune your own violin for the lower grades, but if you can't do it yourself you need to make sure that either your accompanist can do it for you or you have someone else there to do it because the examiner won't.

You can get your own copy of the violin exam syllabus and a copy of the Exam Regulations for the current year free from music shops. I expect they are on the Web site too but I haven't looked.

Good luck!

HEllo !

Can anybody recommend me an accompanist in the Stockport Area ? Unfortunately, my teacher won't be available on my exam on 25th Nov. I am now panicking in looking for one.
Otherwise, maybe the board has accompanists available in every area ?

I will be doing Grade 2 violin.

Thanks a lot all..

Accompanists for this sort of level are not that difficult to find. If the teacher doesn't know anyone, try phoning round a few piano teachers, someone will know someone ....

if you're still stuck after that then put out an appeal on this board a couple of weeks before the exam!

Liz

Grade 2 isn't likely to need a technically brilliant accompanist, just a competent one. If you can find somebody who plays the piano to a reasonable standard I should think they would do.

QUOTE

Can anybody recommend me an accompanist in the Stockport Area ? Unfortunately, my teacher won't be available on my exam on 25th Nov.

A friend of mine found an accompanist by going to;

www.musicteachers.co.uk

they have listings for teachers and accompanists.

You might also put an appeal on the teachers' board or on viva piano - piano players might not read the violin board!

good luck

Maggie

QUOTE (cecilia @ Nov 7 2004, 11:02 AM)

Grade 2 isn't likely to need a technically brilliant accompanist, just a competent one.  If you can find somebody who plays the piano to a reasonable standard I should think they would do.

Do remember that they don't only have to be able to play the piano, they have to be aware all the time of what the other player is (supposed to be) doing. One of my accompanying triumphs involved providing a seamless accompaniment when a young early grade violinist skipped a line. There was no comment on the mark sheet. I assume that the examiner probably did a little double-take but decided his attention must have wandered briefly.
Covering up missed beats and bars is a regular activity.

Oh yes, sorry, I forgot about that. DaCapo is completely right

Thank you all !!

I've asked 3 people, but one (who is a piano teacher) is not available and siad he could recommend one of his Grade 5 pupils, but just like the other 2 , he wants to look at the score first before saying yes.
Also, it's the availability that I am unsure of. But I will still check the website.

How much do you normally pay for an accompanist ? I read somewhere that they charge £10 during the exam ? BUt how about during practices ?

It's a long time ago but here is what i recall ....

I used to accompany my own pupils except for the higher grades (and sometimes even then if there was no-one else to do it). It seems reasonable that the exam would be charged at the same rate as any teaching they do, £10 seems to be on the low side unless of course the accompanist is doing several pupils. Hanging around can easily make it an hour just for the exam and then you've got travelling time perhaps (depends on whether the pianist has anything else to do), petrol and so on. Rehearsals should certainly be paid at the usual lesson rate but usually won't need to be long (15 minutes, twice, is quite adequate at grade 2 if the candidate is well prepared).

I would hope your teacher would be looking hard to find someone for you. has she any other pupils in for the same exams? Sharing an accompanist should save money.

Save on accompanists' time by getting your teacher to make you a tape recording of the accompaniments, that way at least YOUR part is sorted out and at worst, some pianist in the waiting room would probably step in and rescue you on the day.

Liz

I use the ABRSM Grade 2 CD when I practice my pieces.

My teacher doesn't live locally that is why it's quite difficult. Actually she has to travel 45 mins to and from where I live and she takes that into consideration in charging me a high rate.

I guess the accompanist doesn't have to hang around during exams even if it only takes 14 mins ?

Yes ,when i had my previous exam, there was an accompanist in the waiting room. BUt I'm not sure if you have to inform them (and where to get their contact info) beforehand so that they can help you out.

In the exams I've taken where I have needed an accompanist, I've played my three pieces first and then the accompanist has left. I don't actually know if they are allowed to stay in the room for sight-reading, scales and aural tests but I got the impression that they weren't.

So no, the accompanist doesn't have to hang around.

Yes the accompanist has to leave. However it would be a very rare accompanist that didn't wait for you, after all, what's an extra few minutes?

Liz

Hi ALL !

Just an update..I had my Grade 2 exams this afternoon.

I didn't realize that you will be asked to do more than one scale and more than one arpeggio. During my previous exam, i was asked to do only one of each..i.e., 1 scale each (one bow and slur), and 1 arpeggio. This time i had to do i think at least 2 of each..(well, bec now it includes minor scales).
Would there be deductions in points if i was asked to repeat doing a scale because i only did it on one octave instead of two? I apologized anyway and was told that it was okay...honestly, the nerves........
Oh, and by the way, i had a female examiner this time, so I'm so anxious how i will be rated.

QUOTE (tootsie @ Nov 25 2004, 08:07 PM)

Hi ALL ! Just an update..I had my Grade 2 exams this afternoon. I didn't realize that you will be asked to do more than one scale and more than one arpeggio. During my previous exam, i was asked to do only one of each..i.e., 1 scale each (one bow and slur), and 1 arpeggio. This time i had to do i think at least 2 of each..(well, bec now it includes minor scales). Would there be deductions in points if i was asked to repeat doing a scale because i only did it on one octave instead of two? I apologized anyway and was told that it was okay...honestly, the nerves........ Oh, and by the way, i had a female examiner this time, so I'm so anxious how i will be rated.

No no, you won't lose points for that, she will just have marked your second attempt.

liz

i thought some one told me that accompanied violin pieces are easier to be played.since the accompanist is usually a teacher, the tempo and others won't get wrong.is that true?

It is true that fluctuating tempo is something that one looses a lot of marks for in piano exams and something that is not so much of a worry when playing accompanied (so long as the accompanist keeps time but you can't really be blamed if they don't). However, the violin has it's own different set of difficulties. I can't see though why woodwind players have to play an unaccompanied study but violinists don't: maybe violin is considered to be harder in the first place: I don't know, but surely violinists and other string players need to be able to keep time in general so maybe it should be included in the exam. This is something that dacapo has pointed out before.