Piano Guidance
Piano Guidance
Photo: Kai Pilger
Grade 5 truly is bordering the intermediate to advanced level of piano playing and reaching this level is a massive triumph so you should take a moment to congratulate yourself!
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Read More »If you’re approaching your Grade 5 exam, congratulations! Grade 5 truly is bordering the intermediate to advanced level of piano playing and reaching this level is a massive triumph so you should take a moment to congratulate yourself! For those approaching their Grade 5 exams, whilst the structure of the exam is relatively similar to that of the other grades, things can seem a little overwhelming at first. With a few new bits of theory and a few small changes in what you are expected to understand, it can be tricky to know what to expect during your exam. Thankfully however, following our guides to grade 1-4, we’ll be breaking down the rough structure of the exam, what you can expect and how to succeed! Before we do get started however, it is also worth noting that it is around this grade level where nuance, subtlety and expression become far larger components in your play. For that reason, we would also ask the question if the instrument that you are practising on is still suitable for your level of play. If you’re having difficulty playing certain passages because of your instrument, here are a few signs your instrument is holding you back! If you’d like to learn more about upgrading your piano, consider speaking to our experts today!
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Read More »The first slight change to the exam is that of repeating a melody (also known as echo singing). During this part, the examiner will play a chord and a two-bar count in. You then have to listen and sing back a phrase, like an echo. This is no different from the other grades, however at Grade 5, the piece is a little longer than you faced during the initial grades and will add a little more difficulty in how much you need to remember than the phrase at Grade 4. If you often find yourself getting stressed or unnerved during singing exercises, we’d highly recommend doing them in front of others such as friends or family to begin with. This will help normalise singing (or humming) in front of others. For those who would like further advice on performing in front of others, read our guide to overcoming stage fright here! The next part of the exam involves singing from the score, this is no different from the same task done at Grade 4, however is still a rather new concept to many players. The key here is to take things incredibly slowly. There will be six notes and you will be given the key chord starting note (such as a C in a C major chord). The best way to think about this is that there are only a limited number of ways of arranging only six notes one after the other, so if you practice a lot you will start to remember the patterns. In terms of the theory and practical changes to the grade 5 exam, there are a few new concepts that are worth mentioning: The key chords that are likely to be introduced around this level are the E and A♭-Major chords and F# and C Minor chords, this may constitute both in the aural and practical exams as well. Likewise, 4 part chords with 2 notes maximum in either hand are also a key part of this grade along with simple signs of syncopation, which is a rhythmic concept that involves playing off the beat in piano music. To understand syncopation, you have to know about downbeats and upbeats so if you are unsure on this, be sure to spend some time with your teacher understanding the concept.
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Read More »The final and in our opinion most fun concept that is introduced around the Grade 5 level is that of Fortissimo! Fortissimo is a dynamic marking that indicates a VERY LOUD volume. You may have been introduced to the idea of forte, which means 'loud.' However this style of play allows for some real explosive expression within your pieces. Since 'fortissimo' is a rather long word that clutters up written music, it is often abbreviated to ff when written down.
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