tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90863540845022940342024-03-18T19:29:00.937+00:00MusicOnlineUK... helping YOU become a better Musicican.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-31022853054383172942024-03-11T11:46:00.006+00:002024-03-11T11:56:16.193+00:00NEW Digital certificates for ABRSM. "Charity" that charges for paper certificates!!! ABRSM have announced that during 2024 they are introducing secure digital certificates worldwide with the option to order a paper certificate for a fee of £3 or the equivalent in the currency for your country.The rationale behind this change is:Tto ensure that results and certificates are valid and secure. Digital certificates will help to further safeguard certificates against Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-52409654084213038502023-09-27T11:53:00.002+01:002024-01-12T11:14:08.757+00:00Vals Poetico - Grade 6 ABRSM Piano B2 - Teaching NotesVals Poetico: No.6 from Valses Poeticos Enrique Granados
Teaching NotesTiming should not be too strict with this piece as the instruction at the beginning indicates "Quasi ad libitum". There are numerous places where an easing of the tempo is indicated and these opportunities should be explored fully (e.g. bars 7, 14, 23, 39, 45).Pedalling also requires careful attention. In some Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-49661632822566611682023-09-22T15:41:00.000+01:002023-09-22T15:41:50.569+01:00Indigo Moon - Grade 6 ABRSM Piano C2 - Teaching NotesIndigo Moon - from "Pepperbox Jazz Book 2" Elissa Milne
Teaching NotesThis expressive piece will need to feel almost without a strict pulse, although at the same time you must be very careful to make the long tied notes in many of the bars the correct length. For example compare bars 22 and 23 where the former has a quaver at the end of the bar and the latter, a semiquaver. Whilst learning Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-16928977659367646562023-09-02T15:58:00.000+01:002023-09-02T15:58:56.237+01:00Honey - Grade 6 ABRSM Piano B1 - Teaching NotesHoney: (Humouresque): 3rd movement from "In the Bottoms"R. N. DettTeaching NotesThe subtitle of this piece is "Humoresque", which refers to compositions from the Romantic period which convey a good humoured mood, (rather than the witty sense of the word humour).The next direction we are given by the composer after the initial dynamic is capriccioso which refers to playing in a free almost Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-16529911571221143652023-07-27T11:47:00.001+01:002023-07-27T11:55:59.726+01:00Allegro (1st movement from Sonata in C - Grade 6 ABRSM Piano A3 - Teaching NotesAllegro: 1st Movement from Sonatina in C Op. 20 No.1Friedrich KuhlauTeaching NotesAlthough this piece is marked "Allegro" with a suggested metronome mark of C=120, it is best to start off at a slower tempo, not least in order to get even rhythm in some of the semiquaver passages. If this is a challenge for you try the this link for a good exercise to get your fast notes played with equal length Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-75304251758104527592023-07-25T10:54:00.000+01:002023-07-25T10:54:24.505+01:00A Distant Star in the Stillness - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 C3 Teaching NotesA Distant Star in the StillnessDavid A. T. OnacTeaching NotesOn first impressions this piece looks quite simple with its slow pace and basic rhythms. However to score well in an exam performance one must look beyond the notes. The composer writes at the start "Resonant and deep" which is further emphasised by the direction "calmato e sonoro". The problem with this almost contradiction is Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-40971897113715428392023-07-17T15:51:00.000+01:002023-07-17T15:51:27.537+01:00 Scherzo - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 C2 Teaching NotesScherzo: No. 14 from "30 Children's Pieces" Op. 27D. B. KabalevskyTeaching NotesThe key to performing this piece well is in the articulation and voicing. You will notice in the first bar the instruction "p leggiero" but on close inspection it is written nearer the bottom stave than the top. This immediately gives us a clue that the RH has the melody and the LH should play a light Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-60680947815088351912023-07-09T16:04:00.001+01:002023-07-09T16:04:47.797+01:00In the Groove - Mike Cornick - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 C1 Teaching NotesIn the Groove: "20 Piano Studies"Mike CornickTeaching NotesThe first instruction that the composer gives us is "Medium tempo swing", in other words the duplets should be executed with a two thirds / one third rhythm and also not too fast. The mood needs to be quite laid back.Articulation is key to getting a good mark in the examination. The last note of any slurred group should be lifted andUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-14277914528844132442023-07-04T09:34:00.002+01:002023-07-04T09:34:41.742+01:00Philomena - Dorothy Pilling - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 B3 Teaching NotesPhilomenaDorothy Pilling
Teaching NotesThe instruction at the beginning "piangevole" is often given in musical dictionaries as "plaintively". If you're still unsure how to perform this, note that the Italian word "piangere" means "to cry." This piece has a lot of dynamic detail that needs following, almost exaggerating, to achieve the emotional effect envisaged by the composer. The melody Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-84661930070921326292023-06-30T13:30:00.000+01:002023-06-30T13:30:00.398+01:00Wind in the Willows - Bernadette Marmion - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 B2 Teaching NotesWind in the Willows - from AllsortsBernadette MarmionTeaching NotesThe "B" list pieces in the ABRSM exams generally tend to be slower and more expressive and so the examiner will be looking for your ability to phrase sensitively with a singing tone, being able to use some rubato at appropriate places with maturity.One of the first instructions we are given after the tempo is "cantabile". Imagine Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-30279443383955907082023-06-25T16:12:00.000+01:002023-06-25T16:12:01.757+01:00Teaching Notes for Prelude and Fugue in Bb - Grade 8 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 A1Prelude and Fugue in Bb BWV 866J. S. Bach Teaching NotesPreludeThis piece should be performed in a rather improvisatory style, with flexible changes of tempo. For example, the chordal passages from bar 11, are traditionally performed "Adagio" with the other demisemiquavers more of a technically impressive "Presto". In fact, the chords of bar 11 are actually marked "Adagio" in the copy of oneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-55660638846246296562023-06-18T10:22:00.001+01:002023-06-18T10:22:41.315+01:00Minnelied - Heinrich Hoffmann - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 B1 Teaching NotesMinnelied: No. 7 from Stimmungsbilder, Op 88Heinrich HoffmannTeaching NotesThe translation of the title of this piece is "Love Song", and in particular, the German word "Lied" means "Song". Added to this, the composer himself encourages the piano to sing in a legato cantabile style according to the footnote in the ABRSM edition. In order to do this effectively, you will need to distinguish Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-37101030613398030952023-06-14T16:23:00.001+01:002023-06-14T16:23:39.167+01:00Jester's Jig - Chee-Hwa Tan - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 A3 Teaching NotesJester's Jig: No. 7 from "A Royal Birthday Celebration: Suite in Baroque Style"Chee-Hwa TanTeaching NotesA big clue on how to play this piece comes in the subtitle, which states "in Baroque Style". Therefore the usual conventions of playing Baroque music should be applied, such as terraced dynamics, detached articulation for the "next to shortest note value" (in this case a quaver) and of course Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-28802411556259329062023-06-11T16:46:00.002+01:002023-06-11T16:46:50.125+01:00Minuet and Trio - Joseph Haydn - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023 - 2024 A2 Teaching NotesMinuet and Trio: Second Movement - Sonata in D, Hob. XVI:4Joseph Haydn
Teaching NotesIn the footnote at the bottom of the first page of the ABRSM edition it states that, "all slurs and dynamics are editorial, as are the trills in bars 6 and 18". Therefore all of the aforementioned is optional. Obviously if you didn't use the suggested dynamics, you would need to come up with some Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-68581321314063574882023-06-08T16:25:00.001+01:002023-06-08T16:25:39.506+01:00Teaching Notes for Arabesque No. 2 - Grade 8 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 C2 Arabesque No. 2: from Deux ArabesqueClaude Debussy
Teaching NotesThis piece requires a very light touch, as Debussy himself instructs us at the very beginning “Tres Leger”. Pedal should be used very sparingly since there is much articulation detail that would be lost if over pedalled, for example the staccato markings after each triplet group for much of the first page. In Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-66410616333553948052023-05-25T17:41:00.000+01:002023-05-25T17:41:45.311+01:00Teaching Notes for Etude in Db - Grade 8 ABRSM Piano 2023-2024 B2 Etude in Db; Op 41 No. 5Louise FarrencTeaching NotesThe tempo of this piece is marked “Andante con moto”, by which the composer is indicating that although it should be at a walking pace, it should not be too sluggish, but rather have some forward momentum.Voicing the melody will be especially important in order to get a good mark in an exam. This is usually the top of the RH and care should be Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-16365839748636485252023-05-12T12:04:00.002+01:002023-05-12T12:05:33.980+01:00Allegro - Cimarosa - Grade 5 ABRSM Piano 2023 - 2024 A1 Teaching NotesAllegro: 3rd Movement from Sonata in C minor C68Domenico CimarosaIn the footnote at the bottom of the first page of the ABRSM edition it states that "articulation is up to the player". Also that "all dynamics are editorial suggestions only". With this in mind you will notice that the above performance includes some additions to the printed copy.First of all, most of the quavers of the melody are Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-73577120962441535112023-04-10T17:52:00.000+01:002023-04-10T17:52:08.221+01:00Grade 4 ABRSM Piano 2023 - 2024 Teaching NotesPresto: 3rd Movement from Sonata No.6 in C minorG. B. Pescetti
Teaching NotesAs is the convention for playing pieces from the Baroque era, a slight separation of the "next to shortest note value" is required. In this case that means the left hand crotchets.From bar 9, notice the overlapping minims in the bass that should be held until the end of the bar in each case.As already mentioned in the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-57899873643255625102023-03-27T15:24:00.004+01:002023-03-28T09:50:13.190+01:00Grade 3 ABRSM Piano 2023 - 2024 Teaching NotesMinuet in G - BWV Anh. II 116 for Anna Magdalena BachAnon
Teaching NotesThe first thing to note, as mentioned in the paragraphs at the bottom of the first page in the ABRSM edition, is that "All dynamics, slurs except those in bars 15 and 23) and staccatos are editorial suggestions only."Regarding dynamics, the original manuscript of 1725 probably had no dynamics written at all, but as is the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-14441189313098965402023-01-22T09:33:00.007+00:002023-02-15T12:59:27.102+00:00MusicOnline UK Musicianship AssessmentA Consultation With the ABRSM moving further and further into digital exams and in the opinion of many, watering down the “gold standard” it used to be famous for, here at MusicOnline UK we are consulting on the possibility of offering a “Musicianship Assessment” from early in 2023 which would not only involve a live (albeit over video link) exam, (rather than pre-recorded 4 pieces on a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-72012506795607902552022-09-26T12:05:00.003+01:002022-09-26T12:07:53.108+01:00Grade 2 ABRSM Piano 2023 - 2024 Teaching NotesEcossaise in G Wo0 23Ludwig van Beethoven arr Czerny
Teaching NotesCareful attention needs to paid to the articulation in this piece. The LH is detached throughout and the RH should be slurred only where marked. However, notice that in the footnote some of the articulation markings are editorial and in particular that in bar 4 is not how the above performance is interpreted. On the contraryUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-56894455460650348412022-09-08T14:18:00.002+01:002022-09-08T14:18:59.658+01:00Grade 1 ABRSM Piano 2023 - 2024 Teaching NotesAllegretto in C: No 3 from "Die Ersten 12 Lectionen" Op125,Anton DiabelliTeaching Notes:The key to a good performance of this piece is articulation. Notice in bars 2, 4 etc the slur above the RH crotchets, but notice also the decrescendo mark. In other words, when you release the last note of a slurred pair, be careful not to "stab" the second note. Rather, it should be lighter than the first Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-17867432413188356152022-07-18T12:01:00.000+01:002022-07-18T12:01:07.889+01:00Grade 2 ABRSM Performance Exam - the Editor's ChoiceIn order to achieve a good mark in the "performance as a whole section" of an ABRSM Performance exam, one needs to have effective sequence and pacing, meeting the technical and interpretive demands of the chosen programme. To really showcase your performing skills your programme should include a range of styles and periods and try to alternate moods between pieces to create an Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-58423748988881914262022-06-16T07:45:00.005+01:002022-06-16T07:45:54.138+01:00Grade 1 ABRSM Performance Exam - the Editor's ChoiceIn order to achieve a good mark in the "performance as a whole section" of an ABRSM Performance exam, one needs effective sequence and pacing, meeting the technical and interpretive demands of the chosen programme. To really showcase your performing skills your programme should include a range of styles and periods and try to alternate moods between pieces to create an interesting programme to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9086354084502294034.post-50629074004120141572022-06-09T06:50:00.004+01:002022-06-09T10:02:42.847+01:00NEW ABRSM Piano Syllabus 2023 2024
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