I'm taking my Grade 3 piano in four weeks time and doing the following pieces:-

A : Allegretto
B : A Passing Thought
C : Round Dance

Though my B and C pieces are fine I'm still having problems with my A piece. I think I've grown to hate it!!!! In bar 12 top line there is a a couple of quavers followed by a crochet in the note of D. I'm unable to get this to sound good in any way. It's maked at "pp" but I find it quite awkward to get this to sound together with the rest of the piece and also to make it quiet enough. At this point the hands are crossed and I think the awkward position is adding to the nightmare!!!! Also the last 5 bars are sounding not too good. When I play it it is sounding very detached plus I think the "p" and "pp" is not helping. Though my right hand is sounding not too bad dynamic-wise, the left hand is sounding very heavy.

I particularly find it difficult playing "pp" and "ppp". I find I often try to play too quietly and hit the key so gently that nothing comes out!!!!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Remember that in the exam you are going to be on a different piano, so it's important to test it out a bit beforehand. The pianos I have had in my exams have been really nice (Yamaha uprights) and sounds more reliably in the quieter dynamics than my piano at home so it's worth bearing this in mind.

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Remember that in the exam you are going to be on a different piano, so it's important to test it out a bit beforehand. The pianos I have had in my exams have been really nice (Yamaha uprights) and sounds more reliably in the quieter dynamics than my piano at home so it's worth bearing this in mind.
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Thanks George. The one I used in my exam last time was a very old piano with the keys much "looser". My piano teacher has a newish piano which still needs some "working in". I have a digital piano which again is different.

I'm doing
The Telleman piece from the alternates list
The clock on the wall (can't remember the proper name)
and
Round dance.

I didn't like any of the A pieces in the exam pieces book

I wasn't keen on any of the B pieces ... though I like Passing Thought now. I liked my A piece at first (Allegretto) but now grown to hate it!!!!