|
Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
|
|
65 members (aphexdisklavier, bobrunyan, anotherscott, AaronSF, apianostudent, beeboss, brdwyguy, benkeys, 14 invisible),
2,188
guests, and
386
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 37
Full Member
|
OP
Full Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 37 |
Hi I have never taken an exam. when i was younger i wasnt interested. im assuming i start at level 1 exam? Do i start at 1 and do 1 a year? If im wrong how do i go about this?
Thanks in advance! Amanda
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936 |
Hi Amanda. For RCM you can take any exam you want. If you are a complete beginner you can start at grade one. If not you can also choose to skip a grade or two and prepare for the grade you are closest too. You can skip grades too.
When I started I prepped for the grade 4 RCM exam. Now I'm working on the grade 5 materials. I may choose to skip the actual exam though and do the grade 6 exam instead. I'll see how things go in the next few months.
Are you working with a teacher? They should be able to tell you which level exam to prepare for.
I've been told that kids take about 1 grade per year in the early grades. It may take longer to get through a grade as they advance. It is possible for adults to progress faster if they can devote the time necessary to learn all the various requirements. There are technical requirements as well as repertoire. Scales, chords, sight reading, ear training, studies, and pieces. It takes time but I find it is so worth it. I don't think my playing would be at this level without the roadmap RCM provides.
Good luck!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,607
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,607 |
However, there are some exceptions. There are theory exams. The first written theory exam must be completed before grade 5, otherwise you would not receive a grade 5 certificate even if you pass the practical exam. At this point, each grade has its required written theory or harmony exams. Also, you are not allowed to take the grade 10 exam without a specific passing score from a grade 9 exam. In reality, grade 8, 9, and 10 cannot be skipped.
The grade 1 exam is fairly easy. It only takes 10 minutes! You'll feel great about yourself. The bad - it takes up to 3 months to receive the certificate. By the time you get it in the mail, you've forgotten about whole thing.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382 |
Zoe When are you planning to take your next exam?
For my first exam I'm hoping to take Level 5 in December if one is offered relatively close. Although I've had theory as part of my lessons over the years, it's not something I know as well as I'll need to for a passing grade. I'm really working to feel prepared for the written exam and the aural exam. So far my descending interval recognition is not passing. Ascending...not too bad. :-) I've found songs that help me know the ascending intervals but not the other direction.
Amanda...Whether you actually take the exam or not, it seems to be good focus and develops a deeper awareness of the music.
All part of the addiction I guess
[ . Wise as in learner Buff as in Colorado Buffalo
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936 |
Wisebuff - I'm not sure. There is a chance I can do it in January but I'm not sure if I will be ready. The technical requirements take me a long time to catch up as I don't have all those years behind me. (I started exams on grade 4). Plus last year I took a two month break to do Christmas music and I enjoyed that very much. If I don't do it in Jan. I'm able to do it in April and that may work better for me. I'd rather enjoy the Christmas holidays and do fun pieces than feel pressure of an exam!
My ear tests need a lot of work and I have great trouble identifying intervals. My teacher is really pushing me to work hard in this area and I often find I'm leaving this off the practice list. Not good!!
As for theory I'm about a quarter through my book and finding it ok. When I finish it I will do some old RCM exams for practice which my teacher will mark for me. (did you know you can buy these old exams?). I got 3 for $12. I believe I will do the theory exam after my practical exam.
Which pieces and studies are you planning to do? How long have you been preparing for your exam?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 37
Full Member
|
OP
Full Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 37 |
Thanks for the responses. If I can skip levels I was thinking of preparing for level 5 for June or so. The theory part I think i'll be fine on as long as I review since it's been a long time! However my problems will come in at the ear training for sure!
Question regarding completing "first written theory exam" before grade 5. Does that have to be level 1? Or can it be any level as long as it's before 5?
Also no I'm not currently working with a teacher. If I do decide to go for the exam I'd likely start in January or February working with a teacher with that goal in mind.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382 |
Zoe I've been acquiring every possible book to prepare. My intervals are better when I memorize a song cue. Still I'm about 10% on descending but have improved to 75% on ascending. I have the comprehensive ear training and discovered I'm not so good at playback. There are many online sites that preview the exam and test for intervals.
I started thinking about taking this exam in early 2011 but had the cancer and afib debacle the last couple of months of the year--seriously eroded my piano focus time. I've worked on several pieces. The Bach prelude shifted to the Bach allemande which is half memorized. All the advice is memorize your pieces but I'm not terrific at piano memorization. I'm tired of the Gurlitt so I'm learning the Mozart Menuette and Trio. Worked on Rowley's the Lake but really like the Arabesque so I'm learning it. For the etudes, In Church and the other is Sweet Sorrow...hope I can get the speed it needs. The good thing is I'm learning a lot of intermediate repertoire in great depth so whether I accomplish the exam or not it's been a good thing.
So I've been in preparation for a long time...hope they don't change the syllabus before I register. LOL
Last edited by WiseBuff; 08/29/12 07:07 AM.
[ . Wise as in learner Buff as in Colorado Buffalo
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936 |
Hi Wisebuff. It sounds like you've been through some really challenging and high stress times. I hope things are better for you now! Don't worry about taking time to be ready for the exam. For me at least there really is no rush. (even though I do try to rush and wish I could wake up tomorrow and be at grade 10! Haha)
When I was preparing grade 4 I played several pieces from each section of the book and several exercises. I finally settled on the pieces I really liked. When I started that book I found everything hard. As the weeks passed I'd find myself fiddling with some other piece and finding I liked it better. My teacher let me do this for awhile and then said I had to make a selection. For memorizing I was worried too but she said to just memorize a few measures at a time each week. This really worked for me and I was surprised. I often memorized a logical phrase and forced myself to stop. Play it 2 times with music. One without and see how much you remember. Repeat as necessary. Then repeat the next day! The hard part was sticking only to those measures. Then when I started esch practice I would sit at the piano cold and see how far I could get into a piece by memory. It really highlighted gaps. I did memorize all my pieces but didn't bother with the studies. I found with the pieces it really allowed me to focus on the musicality of the piece and the tone I was producing by having the piece memorized. Basically it left space in my mind to allow me to work on other things.
I'm finding the grade 5 pieces much harder to learn. I'm trying to learn 2-4 measures per day on each piece. First hands separate and eventually together. I do this in 20 minute spurts. It is something I read about and wanted to try. It seems to be working. Focusing on small sections you can start to hear the improvements within one sitting. And I seem to make better progress. And more focused progress. It also becomes clear where the trouble spots are. And then I can really focus in on those too. I'll eventually memorize the pieces as I described above.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382 |
AmandaJ Sounds like you, Zoe and I can all encourage each other as we prepare for level 5. Go go go
[ . Wise as in learner Buff as in Colorado Buffalo
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382 |
Zoe (since you're experienced with level 4) On the technical part of the exam the syllabus says chords, root position and inversions. Do they ask you to play all 7 chords in a key? Just the primary chords (I, IV, V)? How many of the keys do they ask you to play. I'm studying the 8 (4 major and 4 minor) in level 5. Thanks
[ . Wise as in learner Buff as in Colorado Buffalo
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 521
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 521 |
WiseBuff, the examiner will select keys from the list, which is why you need to have all of them prepared. Someone linked the TAP syllabus above. If you look at page 18 under triads, chords and arpeggios, they give an example of the solid and broken chords in C major.
Are you preparing for your exam on your own?
Zoe -- nice repertoire choices. I used several of the same for my teaching sample in the pedagogy exam (the Gurlitt, Burgmuller and the Archer).
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,607
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,607 |
You need to play 3 chords for grade 4 in blocked and broken form. Start at the tonic and first and second inversions and play HS blocked and broken for two octaves. Then, HT play one octave. You must play them quicker than mm=76 HS and mm=60 for HT per chord broken, and mm=132 HS and mm=120 HT per chord blocked. Keys you must master are D, A, B-flat, E-flat major, and B, F#, G, C minor. If you don't know what all that means, then get the grade 5 technical book, (google "harris technical requirements for piano book 5") and just follow the pages. It has fingering, tempo, all requirements. It's like $7 and takes all the guess work out of it. You must master the entire book before attempting the exam. I practice the entire book cover to cover everyday before anything else. It takes about 10 minutes after I've learned all the keys. Sorry I don't know the requirements for grade 5. Not there yet
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382 |
Thanks 4evrBeginR. I know what the chords are but am not sure whether I'll be playing several keys will all 7 chords in the key (or the 3 primary chords) or just the tonic. You say you need to play 3 chords...do you mean 3 keys? Say AbM, F#m, and EbM with tonic chord with inversions for two octaves.
I've got every book but it's not as specific as my question. I'm practicing all 8 that are required for level 5. My teacher is helping me prepare but she's not done the RCM exam. I just want to be really prepared.
[ . Wise as in learner Buff as in Colorado Buffalo
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936 |
Wisebuff I just saw your question. In grade 4 you learned the tonic chord only and played it in root, first and second inversion. I did not need to know all 7 chords for each scale. I will double check the grade 5 requirements to confirm this is the same.
Hope this helps.
PS. There is a teachers guide for RCM requirements that your teacher should invest in if she is to help you through the exams. You can buy it yourself but it is a bit expensive and I'd rather just buy music myself!
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 936 |
Thanks Ladychen, I am enjoying them!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,607
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,607 |
Thanks 4evrBeginR. I know what the chords are but am not sure whether I'll be playing several keys will all 7 chords in the key (or the 3 primary chords) or just the tonic. You say you need to play 3 chords...do you mean 3 keys? Say AbM, F#m, and EbM with tonic chord with inversions for two octaves.
I probably shouldn't have said 3 chords. Let's take one chord say EbM. You play both broken and blocked forms, HT and HS, for tonic and 1st and 2nd inversions. You repeat this for all the required keys. During the exam, the examiner will not ask you to play everything. He will usually just pick something random. btw, don't ignore the sight reading and listening parts. Good luck.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382
1000 Post Club Member
|
1000 Post Club Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,382 |
I haven't given up on level 5 but have delayed my exam date til spring. My pieces are pretty close to ready but my scales and chords aren't as solid or as fast as they should be. Surprisingly I feel really good about this decision. After all, there is no mandate that I take the exam at all so I'll sit for the exam when I'm a complete level 5. I've been playing higher levels for years but have never mastered a piece down to the detail. I've played through scales and chords but never mastered them. Preparation has been good...I'm learning a lot.
[ . Wise as in learner Buff as in Colorado Buffalo
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 521
500 Post Club Member
|
500 Post Club Member
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 521 |
ZoeCalgary -- What did you decide? Will you do your exam in January or spring?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 102
Full Member
|
Full Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 102 |
Actually, I don't believe there there is a minimum Grade 9 grade to take Grade 10. A minimum grade certainly applies if you want to continue on to ARCT.
Last edited by cagal; 10/31/12 07:58 PM.
Gave up on exams - playing whatever I feel like Working on: Bach Partita #2- up to the Courante so far Liszt Consolation #2 Piazzolla Milonga del Angel
|
|
|
|
|
|
Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
|
Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
|
|
Forums43
Topics223,408
Posts3,349,457
Members111,637
|
Most Online15,252 Mar 21st, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|