Exam successes!

Well done to my pupils who took their ABRSM grade exams this term. The results came through today!

Very well done to Zoe and Daniel who took their Prep Test and had such a positive experience and received lovely reports and excellent comments from the examiner.

Imogen, Sophia and Jennifer took their grade 1, 4 and 6 exams respectively. It was Sophia's first music exam ever, Imogen was taking her grade 1 and Jennifer is still only 12 so for all three to achieve very good merits made me particularly happy. I was delighted to see that all pupils received high marks for their pieces and great comments about imaginative and musical playing- that's what it's all about. Many thanks for the support from their parents- it is vital and a key factor in pupils' enjoyment and achievement. Congratulations to all 5 of them!

Care of your piano

Care of your piano

A piano is a lovely instrument to own and may have cost you a significant amount of money. Here are some guidelines on how to look after it so that it gives you pleasure for many years.

1.     Placing your piano.

Try to keep your piano out of direct sunlight as it can damage the finish of your piano. Also keep it away from radiators and hot air ducts as this will dry out the air, affect the tuning of the piano and may crack the soundboard. Aim for a low even temperature.

2.     Cleaning your piano.

Most modern acoustic pianos have a high-gloss synthetic finish and so do not need polishing with furniture polish. I clean mine with a slightly damp cloth (a micro-fibre one works best). I do the same with the keys and then dry them off thoroughly- no water should drip down the sides. In fact keep all water (glasses, vases etc) well away from your piano.

3.     Tuning your piano.

Piano strings go out of tune and so your piano will need regular tuning by a qualified and experienced tuner. A good piano tuner will also be able to do any running repairs and so help to maintain its value. How often you get it tuned will depend on the age of the piano and how much it is played, your tuner will be able to advise you. A tuning will probably cost in the region of £50. My piano tuner is the excellent Daffyd James, contact on 02084698191. Daffyd always finds a time that is convenient for me, advises me on what needs doing to my piano, kept my old piano playable even when it was fairly dilapidated and does a superb job. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

ABRSM's Ten Top Tips for Graded Exams

 Ten top tips - graded music exams

1. Arrive in the waiting room at least 10 minutes before your exam is due to start. Last-minute panics do not help the playing or singing
2. Use the time before your exam to get your music and instrument ready – you can warm up silently by moving your fingers or blowing though your instrument
3. Feeling nervous before an exam is natural. Try smiling as you go into the exam room – it will help you relax
4. Make sure you are comfortable before you begin. If the stool or music stand is the wrong height, don’t be afraid to adjust it or ask for help
5. It’s fine to ask the examiner if you can warm up by playing a scale or a few bars of a piece
6. You can choose to do your exam in any order. Just let the examiner know
7. Try to keep going in the exam even if you make a mistake – it probably won’t be as disastrous as you think
8. Don't worry about pauses between your pieces – the examiner will be writing and will tell you when to start your next piece
9. Your examiner may stop you during a piece if he or she has heard enough to make a judgement
10. Remember – the examiner is on your side and is looking forward to hearing you perform!

Adult Pupils' Challenge

It occurred to me that we older pianists need little challenges in order to keep us focussed and to give us a reason to play and practise, and so this is my idea.

We should devise a 3 piece programme each, to include one fairly easy piece, one more demanding one and a duet. Also to include some relevant warm-ups for each piece and a verbal introduction for each piece- you can write it out as a writen programme if you want.

For example my choice might be: Chopin Prelude in C minor, Beethoven Rondo, Pathetique Sonata, Finger Bustin' Boogie duet by Wedgwood. Your programme will be different of course, have a think and aim for a summer completion.

We could have an afternoon tea/ playing session or just work on these in lessons, it's entirely up to you. Recording the programme is also a possibility!

Practising a pain?

If practising is a pain, take a look at my Piano Practising guide on the Guides and Reviews page.

Purchasing pianos.

One of my pupils came back from the holidays having improved so much that I had to ask him why? He replied that he had bought a new piano and couldn't stop playing it! Just what every piano teacher wants to hear.

I do hope that all pupils have a decent piano; it can be a digital (plug-in electric) or an acoustic(normal) one. However, playing on a keyboard, if you are learning to play the piano, is not very satisfactory as it feels different, good dynamics can't be obtained and very often there aren't enough octaves or even pedals. Progress will be slower.

If you want to buy a digital piano, Roland,Yamaha and Casio do some excellent models at varying prices. If you would like an acoustic piano, you cannot beat a Yamaha U3 but do look at others. Allegro in Chelmsford always has some secondhand pianos of all types and makes in and they are always happy to speak to customers about what would be best for them. Alternatively you may consider buying one elsewhere. Make sure all the keys and the pedals work, that it can be tuned and that it sounds good- your child will know! Extra info is available here from the piano tuners association: http://www.pianotuner.org.uk/pta221.htm

Winter weather!

As snow is forecast for next week it seems a good time to remind everyone of the joys of lessons via Skype. If you have Skype on your computer, we can have a lesson even if you can't get to my house or school. This is really useful if your child has an exam, audition or competition this term.

Skype can be downloaded at: http://beta.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/

I look forward to hearing everyone play, whether it's live or via Skype!