All About ABRSM Grades & Support

[peanut_butter]

FQW:

Listening to it right now. It's beautiful. Makes me want to quit my job - notwithstanding the fact that I really like my current job - and just learn to play those songs full time.

If it is the link given by Intermezzo, there is no need to quit to practice lah. The rhythm and harmony is simple enough for elementary player (around beginner-grade 3), if you have the agility and good memory. You just need to contrast your volume a lot to imitate the orchestra to give it more intensity.


Why does the song remind me of a certain tune or two from the Broadway?

[iRabbit]

I can't find it on youtube. Am listening to the 请你告诉她 CD album.


I'm especially like 你的倒影 instrumental version. So sentimental.

My musical know-how extends to recognising the bass and treble clefs notes. So my fingers will subconsciously move and I'll pretend that I'm playing the song.

http://img.xiami.com/images/album/img90/590/5075691334564573.png\">

[Ribbon4]

Clair de lune is now part of ABRSM Grade 6's syllabus I'm playing it

[Dreamaurora]

Ribbon4:

Clair de lune is now part of ABRSM Grade 6's syllabus I'm playing it

that one is another Clair de lune by frank martin which sounds quite eery. The famous Clair de lune by Debussy has been set as grade 8 abrsm exam piece before and is currently in dipLCM syllabus.

[KKKS]

Dreamaurora:

markfch:

I see. Thanks for the info.


I actually mistakenly thought that since this song is so slow, a grade 4 or 5 will be able to play it well.

In fact, this is a common misperception. Slow pieces are often harder to play than fast pieces because they require a much finer technical control and listening skill on the player part.

If you like Clair de Lune, I can suggest a few more similar pieces:
- Ravel's Pavane pour une infante defunte
- Debussy's Arabesque No 1
- Debussy's Reverie
- Brahms' Intermezzo Op 118 No 2
- Schubert's Impromptu Op 90 No 3
- Liszt's Consolation No 3[/quote

Hi Dreamaurora, when can a student handle pieces like
- Mozart's Sonata K280
- Mozart's Sonata K283
- Chopin's Nocturne Op 9 No 2

[Dreamaurora]

KKKS:

Hi Dreamaurora, when can a student handle pieces like
- Mozart's Sonata K280
- Mozart's Sonata K283
- Chopin's Nocturne Op 9 No 2

Personally I will only assigned full Sonatas after a student completes his/her grade 8. But anyway, K280, K283, and K545 are commonly assigned as one of the first full Mozart sonata a student may attempt. Note that when we assess difficulty of sonatas we need to evaluate all the movements. The 3rd movement of K280 and the first movement of K283 are set as grade 7 ABRSM exam pieces before, but their entirety they should be attempted as a whole only when the student is at grade 8 level.

As for Op 9 No 2, I would say it is around the difficulty of the easier grade 8 pieces. There are some uncomfortable strecthes in this piece, so make sure can stretch 9th comfortably especially for the left hand. To play this at the required Andante speed is quite tricky and many students also play this way too slow.

[iRabbit]

DS has passed piano grade 1 in both theory and practical. I intend to let him take all [2-8] practical exams w/o skipping (just a preference). But for theory, tot perhaps he can skip some levels.


Is it common to skip theory levels? If so, what are the milestones that shouldn’t be skipped? Thanks.

[Dreamaurora]

FQW:

DS has passed piano grade 1 in both theory and practical. I intend to let him take all [2-8] practical exams w/o skipping (just a preference). But for theory, tot perhaps he can skip some levels.


Is it common to skip theory levels? If so, what are the milestones that shouldn't be skipped? Thanks.

For theory, it is quite common for students to take only grade 5 and 8. The syllabus is cummulative and thus some teachers including me prefer to teach everything one shot e.g. I prefer to teach how to write scales immediately up to 7 sharps and 7 flats from the very beginning.

[iRabbit]

Thanks for the info, Dreamaurora. You’re a great help here in the music thread.

[sleepy]

Dreamaurora:

For theory, it is quite common for students to take only grade 5 and 8. The syllabus is cummulative and thus some teachers including me prefer to teach everything one shot e.g. I prefer to teach how to write scales immediately up to 7 sharps and 7 flats from the very beginning.

How long does it take to prepare for grade 8 after passing grade 5?

5 months of weekly individual lesson possible? Is it a huge jump from grade 5 to 8?