Hi I was just wondering if anyone else was working towards Grade 4 piano and what pieces that you have chosen for your exam.

I am hoping to sit Grade 4 in November but as the time approaches I am starting to think that I may not be ready. this will be my first practical exam as I get very nervous playing in front of others. I am trying to get over this by for example having a little concert at home tomorrow with some friends and their children and I also have started to play to my non music friends.

The Pieces that I am working on are "Air", Little Boats and Alarm, although I am also looking at piece that is not in the book, Baroque and Roll, but feel that I still have a fair way to work on this piece, whereas Alarm is probably almost there. I have also started working on Allegro assai in the new syllabus, just in case I feel that I haven't been confident enough to enter before the old syllabus ends.

I have just bought John W Shaum Brown book to have a go at other Grade 4 pieces to give me some variation but at the same time work towarrds the same level of work.

Anyone else out there for Grade 4?

ET

One of my adult students took it last term. She did Bach (although I like Air at least as well), Little Boats, and Villa-Lobos. I have to say I have a soft spot for Little Boats - it paints quite a picture, and I can just imagine the wind getting into the sails in the A major section and the boats taking off! Baroque and Roll is good fun too , I haven't had anyone do it yet but I live in hope.

My student hadn't done anything like the Villa-Lobos before, and although she enjoyed it she felt (possibly) less confident with it than with the others - however it was her best mark. You have a couple of weeks to decide yet !

Hi ETom

I'm gearing up for doing Grade 4 in November as well. Pieces are Bach, Little Boats and the Baroque and Roll, all of which I am really enjoying - thank goodness!!!! Grade 3 was my first exam (at 45) and I was so nervous even my teeth were sweating. I'm a bit more relaxed at the moment about 4, though that could change. I'll also be a lot better prepared this time.

It is a good idea to perform in front of as many different people as possible and to 'pretend' your are in the exam situation. - i.e. prepare yourself mentally for a moment or two and then launch into the pieces. Put yourself under a bit of pressure in these performances and it should help for the day. Memorising the pieces also helps though I would not recommend playing from memory unless your are 200% confident. And remember the examiner is not expecting 100% perfection, though it would be great to achieve that. And even if you feel you are not totally ready go for it. The experience will be really valuable. I would also recoomend you spend as much time on the scales, sight reading and aural tests. These can be a source of easy marks.

Good luck

Lostchord

I have just started on the new Grade 4 syllabus. I like most of the pieces in A and C but am struggling with the B section. Has anyone looked at the alternative pieces?

Hi Maggie

Thanks for letting me know that I have a couple of weeks to decide, I seem to have moved on so much this week that so long as my teacher wants me to enter I think I will go for it.

I actually love "Air" although I found it has taken the most time to get it where it is. I love Little Boats too, and my teacher read out the story to me from the teachers notes so that when I play it I can make sure that I slow up for the people to get off the boat and then move on again.

I do like Baroque and Roll but Alarm is almost there so I reckon I will probably go for that as it only needs a small amount of polishing up to do. I think my teacher is going to get a really good surprise when she sees me as I haven't had a lesson for weeks now.

ET



Hi Lostchord

Thank you for answering my post. After reading your post it did give me so much more confidence to go ahead with the exam, albeit my teacher thinks it is a good idea. Reading how nervous you were and 45 just helped me. I am actually 53 and never sat a practical exam in my life before, I have been doing theory but you don't have to perform to anyone you just get on with it.

As for the performances, well I had my little concert on Tuesday and played all of my 3 exam pieces, and then on Tuesday I played them to my daughter and today I played them to a friend of mine that has never heard me play before. Today, although I still went wrong a little, but corrected myself quickly, I found I was so much less nervous so it does appear to be doing the trick.

Good Luck with your Grade 4.

ET




Hi Hotair

How are you getting on with your Grade 4 pieces? Are you planning to take your exam this term?

ET

Go for it! To me it sounds as though you are learning the pieces quite quickly, which shows you are ready to do the exam. You know how nervous I was when I did my grade 4 - I even stopped playing Alarm at one point and then had to carry on with shaking hands, but I still passed.

I'm glad your concert went well - you did better than me! I was going to play Air and Alarm at the Leeds forum concert, but chickened out of Alarm because of my shaking hands. Can you play Alarm at full speed?

Hi I'm doing mine in november I'm doing Prelude in F, little boats and baroque and roll. The last is taking a lot of work, very easy to slip into bad habbits but i love the other two, especially little boats its gorgeous! x

I am getting faster with Alarm but I think I still need to go faster, but less work needed on that I think than the Baroque and Roll.




Yes I love little boats too, and I really like Air. I like Baroque and Roll but there are a couple of bars that my fingers and brain just can't seem to get round.

ET

I have an adult student taking it in November. He is doing the Prelude, Cattle Call and Baroque and Roll.

Tasha

I had a go at Prelude earlier, I thought it was lovely, I don't know why I hadn't tried that one before. I was slow but for a first attempt I didn't think it was too badly. I may work on that one too so that I have another option.



I don't like Cattle Call at alll. How is your student getting on with Baroque and Roll, most of it I am fine with but there are the odd bits that my brain and fingers just don't seem to be communicating.

ET

Hi!
I'm playing Air, Cattle-Call and Dance from Kabalevsky.
The cattle-call is not that bad. Dance seems quite weird at first but one learn to like it afterwards ;P

The Preludio by Zipoli is quite nice too but I find it too long & slow for an exam piece.

Since you are in grade 4, could you please give me some advice on how to describe the character of a piece for the oral part ???

I'm afraid I too could do with some advice. To be honest I had no idea that there was so much to the aural. I intend to ask my teacher when I next see her, just what should I expect!

ET

My son's teacher entered him for Grade 4 in Nov. But so for she only thinks my son's level is not more than a pass, she actully suggested my son choose new pieces book for 2009 and they are much eaiser, and could enter the Grade 4 exam for next spring, because the teacher thinks the old Grade 4 pieces generally are too difficult for high marks. However, my son is very determined to do the exam in Nov, he has been working on Grade 4 before Easter this year, and spent lots of time to practice during the summer holiday, so we don't want disppointed him and against teacher's wish.

The pieces which my son chose are A1 ( Prelude in F ), B1 ( EL fantasma ), C1 ( Alarm ). Are they really difficult to get higher marks? And are we right to support our son to enter the exam this Nov, even he only can get pass? He is 10 years old.

By the way, why I can't find the piece called Little Boats?

Any opinion will be appreciated. Thanks.

W

I don't understand why, if your son's teacher has already entered him for grade 4, he / she is suggesting doing it next year. Apologies if I have missed something here, or if I have misunderstood.

Little Boats is B3 in the current grade 4 pieces book - I realise we have been using an English translation of the title 'Petits Bateaux sur l'eau'. If you look at the foot of the title page you will see both versions of the title.

I don't regard the pieces as particularly difficult to get decent marks on - my last grade 4 entry (summer 2008) to take it got a distinction, though I haven't examined next year's pieces in detail. Your son's age doesn't make any difference, by the way.

Thank for reply Maggie. Sorry for confusing you. Before entering the exam, the teacher suggested my son could choose new book to play and take the exam for next spring, but my son insisted to go ahead, main reason because he has been put so much effoct there. he just doesn't want to give up, and he aims for merit for Nov exam.

Yes, I see - thanks for clarifying.

It is really difficult to advise without knowing how far the pieces have progressed. If your son's teacher believes he can take the exam and pass this term, then it's probably worth a go.

Are there aspects of the pieces that your son is still finding a challenge ? or can he play them fairly fluently already, mostly without slips? Scales, aural and sight reading up to standard?

It may be that the pieces are basically known, but have become less than fresh after being on the go for several months. If he is keen to do it, he will need to take on board what his teacher says needs to be done between now and November, give it his best shot, and then look forward to doing other things by the end of this term.

Hmm well tonight my teacher and I will make a decision as whether I should go ahead or wait until the spring.

My teacher said to me if I end up with a date straight after half term we may only have 6 weeks to get ready and we need to make sure that I am on top of the scales and arpeggios as well as the 3 pieces and of course aural.

Major scales aren't an issue but some of the minor ones are, I still need to learn to do them by memory. My pieces, well Air is great now, but little Boats, well what can I say, I just keep messing it up and that is at home now as well as with my teacher, I think maybe I have played it too much. Tonight I am going to say to my teacher that I don't want to play it this lesson, if I go wrong on it then my whole lesson will be messed up as I will probably get flustered.

Sight reading I am not worried about as I am constantly picking up new Grade 4 standard music to play.

At the end of the day this will be my first practical exam and I don't want to mess it up as it will damage my confidence.
ET