Most students don’t like exams, but they still understand the need for them. Exams can show how far you’ve come on the path to achieving your goal. Some piano students perform well during practice, in family functions and get-togethers. However, under exam conditions, they make get nervous because of the pressure and end up making mistakes that they never imagined they’d do.
Sometimes it’s just the fear that you might play the wrong note instead of the most crucial one. Many students are well versed with playing notes, but they get nervous when it comes to viva voce and sight-reading as well.
However, you don’t know how you will do on an exam and this may just be a possibility that you are imagining. So, the only thing to do is practice as much and as honestly as you can. Besides, it is good to be a little nervous before your exam, as you may end up giving your best.
Be Prepared And Complete Your Syllabus
Before appearing for any exam, it is crucial to know what you are preparing for and what is in the syllabus. Otherwise, it will not be possible to succeed on the exam.
You might be practicing scales and their variations but the actual exam is going to include aural. This beforehand knowledge of the syllabus always helps in narrowing down the number of things related to piano playing. Moreover, in the entire curriculum, there are going to be parts that are on the tips of your fingers. And those parts can also haunt you in your dreams. So, it is important to identify the elements that will trouble you during exams.
You can classify the entire syllabus into roughly three parts; this will help you move with the syllabus strategically. The first part includes all the concepts and notes that you are good with. The second can be inclusive of the things you are aware of but do not have the expertise or a good grasp over. The third one would include all the expressions and high and soft chords you are afraid of.
You should gather as much information about the exam as possible. Try reaching out to your piano instructor or some other senior pianist who would be able to tell you what the examiner expects from you and what you should expect from the examination. Some exams may require you to play a piece with music or some without it. Several exams might or might not include aural tests, general knowledge about the piano, sight-reading, and arpeggios.
Playing the piano is not just about getting the right notes and chords, you need to add expressions to what you are playing. Understand that and then contemplate what is lacking in the piece you played. Make sure that every practice of yours is an honest one. This implies that you do it with all of your heart and invest yourself for that time into it. You should perform in front of the examiner the same way or order in which you practice, so it is critical that you practice accurately with good, calm and composed behavior.
Important Points to Keep In Mind
You need to divide your practice sessions equally so as to dedicate a reasonable amount of time to each subject. This will make sure that you don’t leave sight-reading and aural practice for the last minute. A number of students are fearful of aural solely because they haven’t invested enough time in its training. Aural is not as complicated and scary as most students presume it to be. A daily 10–15 minutes of aural and sight-reading practice at your leisure hours or at the end of a practice session will aid you a lot in securing those extra marks that most people fail to get.
Pianists claim sight-reading to be one of the easiest once you get a good hold of it. All you have to do is remember the key signature, beats and the time interval. You do not have to play the chords really fast if it is a problem for you. In the drive to play fast, you can end up messing up. The examiner will not give you any marks for your speed; rather, if you play at a moderate pace with accuracy, you’ll have a good score.
Fear of the exam might not let you sleep, but it is essential to sleep well before the day of your exam, so that you can wake up on time all refreshed, body and mind. If you are early and have some time beforehand, then you can also have a warm-up or a mini practice session.
Give Your Best On The Exam
Reach your exam venue on time and try to maintain your best composure. Reaching your exam venue on time will not credit you any extra marks, but if you arrive late, then this will surely tarnish your image before the examiner, making you lose marks.
Exchange regards with the examiner with a warm smile. The examiner may not respond, but they do notice even the smallest of gestures. Do not show too much excitement or apathy in the process going on in the exam hall.
Wait for your turn with patience, and then give a brief introduction of yourself and the music you intend on playing. The ambiance of the exam hall is bound to make you nervous. However, your task is to stay composed and maintain positive body language and good posture; focus on your playing, sight-reading and viva voce.
Conclusion
Exams are good for identifying knowledge, progress and hard work done. However, it is also of paramount significance to give them at the right time. Otherwise, they can be a great confidence buster. There is no need to take the exam under pressure or to compete with someone because, on the day of examination, it’ll be you who has to play the piano, sight-read the notes and give the viva in the examination hall and not those you might be trying to please.
So, go for the exam if you feel you are ready for it. Do not do it just for the sake of doing something. This is another critical thing a pianist should consider before opting for the piano exam. Being nervous and not being ready for the exam are two different things, and most people are able to identify the state they are in. If you feel you are not ready to take the exam now, then do not worry because there’s always the next time. Not every pianist learns the notes and chords at the same pace, so you don’t have to be worried or ashamed if your companions have already opted to take the piano exam.
