I am taking Grade 8 Piano exam this year and I ‘m not in the mood to practice. Any advice ?
La Bella Senorita asked:
I am taking Grade 8 Piano exam this year and I ‘m not in the mood to practice. Any advice ?
I m taking Piano Grade8 exam this year ( ABRSM) and I m not in the mood to practice. I get bored playing the same 3 pieces and scales and arpeggios over and over again that I lose focus and I really dont know what to be aiming for when I m practicing right now.
I played my scales and arpegios plus some other studies but I am now getting bored playing the same pieces over and over again I just dont know what to do to maintain my focus and not sound so mechanical when I m playing.
How do you overcome boredom ?
Anyone out there facing the same problem ? how do I break the monotony of practise sessions and fall in love with my music again ?
I really need to practise , to keep my fingers warm and flexible.
I m really scared of my piano exams.
Just how much practise is enough and how do you determine how much time you need to cover all scales, arpeggios, rhythms, sight reading, aural, studies, and exam pieces and technical difficulties ?
And how to pass music exams ?
How to Sight Read Music Video Lesson
I am taking Grade 8 Piano exam this year and I ‘m not in the mood to practice. Any advice ?
I m taking Piano Grade8 exam this year ( ABRSM) and I m not in the mood to practice. I get bored playing the same 3 pieces and scales and arpeggios over and over again that I lose focus and I really dont know what to be aiming for when I m practicing right now.
I played my scales and arpegios plus some other studies but I am now getting bored playing the same pieces over and over again I just dont know what to do to maintain my focus and not sound so mechanical when I m playing.
How do you overcome boredom ?
Anyone out there facing the same problem ? how do I break the monotony of practise sessions and fall in love with my music again ?
I really need to practise , to keep my fingers warm and flexible.
I m really scared of my piano exams.
Just how much practise is enough and how do you determine how much time you need to cover all scales, arpeggios, rhythms, sight reading, aural, studies, and exam pieces and technical difficulties ?
And how to pass music exams ?
How to Sight Read Music Video Lesson
sight reading music
I’m afraid I’m not sure of what Grade 8 is, I studied piano in Greece and we have a different grade system. I suppose you should have gotten used to practicing the same things over and over by now? The nature of studying for piano requires repetitive practice. Scales are boring no matter what you do, but for your pieces, try to get hold of different interpretations and practice playing them in different styles. That will help maintain your interest. I would think an average of 4 hours a day is needed to ensure a good performance at an intermediate to high level.
How to Sight Read Music Lesson
I usually tell my pupils you need a couple of hours a day for success at Grade 8. Split it up into small sessions then it won’t seem so daunting. Make yourself by saying that whatever you want to do (eg eat lunch, go out etc) you won’t do it until youv’e done, say 15 – 20 mins on the piano. Do this a few times a day and it will mount up.
I have the same problem as I’m studying for some more letters at the moment and it’s taken all the joy out if it for me…it’s so hard to put in the work. A music examiner who is helping me said to think of it as a paid job and write in the hours you will do – then go to work!
If you put in the work and know it really well, have been taught how to interpret the music, know all the scales inside out and upside down, you will pass.
Learning to Sight Read Music
It sounds like you are practicing by doing things exactly the same way every time. To break the boredom, you need to mix it up a little. And you’ll probably learn better if you put some variety into the process.
So try these things:
–Change the tone. Get to an electronic keyboard and change from a straight piano tone to a Jamaican steel drum or a whacked-out synth.
–Do an entire session of sight-reading just for fun. Do not allow yourself to get downhearted if you make little mistakes–laugh and keep on goofing!
–Mix up the rhythms. If the piece is in 3/4, find a way to play it in 2/4 (e.g., Satie’s first Gymnopedie), or vice versa. Play every note as staccato as you can (Prof. Bechtel at U. of Cincinnati used to call that “pointillistic”). Play it r-e-a-l s-l-o-w and then go as fast as you can. Try playing pair of notes in a dotted-quarter/eighth note pattern, then in an eighth-note/dotted quarter pattern, then do the entire piece in triplets (yes, usually impossible, but it’s done for fun). Note that these exercises actually build greater facility in playing the piece straight.
–Try some non-piano activities that will improve the mind-finger connection:
–Sing those scales and arpeggios while you play them.
How much should you practice? As much as you can, without pushing yourself toward burnout. The greatest musicians are always the ones who practiced the most, with just a little variance for physical characteristics and taste.
Now, one attitudinal thing. Forget the damned exams! Just play the piano for yourself. Oh, true, you’re doing the scales and arps and pieces so you can learn them and take the exams well, but also for the bigger picture of becoming a smashing good musician. When you go in you’re not trying to pass exams, you’re just showing the judges what you can do at that time. Pass, fail, it doesn’t matter–what matters is doing the thing with joy in your heart and a sense of personal accomplishment; no jury can give you those things.