Piano grading and lessons...

onlyroz

It's been about 15 years since I took a piano exam but back then there were three sessions a year. The problem might be with the examination pieces perhaps? Because each set of pieces is valid for about two years so maybe she has been practising with an old set that is about to expire and perhaps there's not enough time to train her in the new pieces?

Janepig

DD recently did her Grade 1 flute exam which was booked for her by her school flute teacher (who was awesome and gave her extra lessons for free on the weekends in the run up to the exam). Still on pins waiting for the outcome!

However, the week before she was due to do the exam she went ice skating with the school, fell over on the ice, and someone skated over her finger taking the top half of her nail off (ewwwww!). So it was touch and go whether she could do the exam, or whether she would have to defer it until March (the next session). Several people, including the flute teacher told me that the exam board would bend over backwards to fit her in asap if she was unable to do it because of injury, and afew people could give me examples of when this type of thing had happened to their children.

So, OP, given that you say your DD was already booked in to do the exam when she broke her arm, I would have thought that they could squeeze her in as an extra, even if the exams are fully booked, because of the extra circumstances.

Jx

lostinrates

onlyroz wrote: »

It's been about 15 years since I took a piano exam but back then there were three sessions a year. The problem might be with the examination pieces perhaps? Because each set of pieces is valid for about two years so maybe she has been practising with an old set that is about to expire and perhaps there's not enough time to train her in the new pieces?

It should not really take too long to train in exam pieces. Certainly between now and summer should be more than enough, of not, frankly, too much time.


Op, I would also ask just to progress towards grade two work now. Going over and over this stuff will kill her enjoyment, and tbh, if capable she should have been progressed beyond grade level before the exam in any case IMO.

Many (good and indeed professional) musicians miss out lower grades, go in straight at grade five, or do alternate grades. Some even do none!

Frith

You could save a fortune by having her just sit the grade 5 theory then take the higher exams!

dibuzz

My mum is a music teacher and as she doesn't use the internet I book her exams online for her.
She uses 3 or 4 different centres depending on where the pupil lives and they don't book as far ahead as that.
For one of the summer exams they offered fewer sessions for some reason and there was only one day a certain pupil could make it so she rang them and they were very helpful.

pinkshoes

She should just go for grade 2. I went straight in at grade 3 for piano, and trumpet I did grade 2 then grade 5.

Mado

It could be a misunderstanding, as the exam pieces change, and she won't be able to be examined on what she has already worked on in 2013.

There is indeed no way the teacher can know what spaces there are in the next terms; our teacher decided to enter them in the term they take the exam.
Also, she could go straight to grade 2 in the new syllabus if she has missed the deadline to be examined in the old one.

mrcow

Mado wrote: »

It could be a misunderstanding, as the exam pieces change, and she won't be able to be examined on what she has already worked on in 2013.
.

If it's ABRSM, you can still do the 2011-12 pieces up until March (ish) next year.

The 2013-14 pieces came out last summer.

lionheartedgirl

It does seem strange that they won't put her in, as above there are lots of exam centres so even if it meant travelling a little further (which from what you've said I'm sure you'd be willing to do), she could get in for the exam.

If it's been that long, will she not be past Grade 1 now? My mum is a music teacher and I have taught a little, mum does private and in school work, and the time in schools is so brief (often 15-20 mins for a single lesson) I think it's easy for misunderstandings and gaps in communication to occur.

If she's a bit stuck, it could be worth looking for a private teacher locally. She would have a longer lesson, and a new focus and the excitement of a new teacher (as long as she gets on well with them) could kick start things again for her. It's so great that she is enjoying her practice though, this will see her moving on quickly once you work out what the new direction is.

A lot of the exam pieces often stay on a new syllabus but as above, there's normally a changeover period where you can play old or new pieces.

Kaz2904

Thanks so much, I appreciate all the responses. I do hope you didn't think I was referring to DD as a child prodigy, trust me, you guys haven't heard her mashing the keys!
I am going to send a note into her teacher asking her to contact me to find out what is going on because it doesn't ring true that she won't be able to take her exam until the year after next.
I will have a look at booking her exam myself. I hope to get her in fairly close!