The Role of Piano Exams
I believe that taking piano exams can be a useful part of learning to play the piano, but just that – a part of it. Let me delve a bit deeper....
Traditional Teaching Methods:-
Many
instrumental teachers still teach to exams only – by this I mean, the exam is
the sole focus of the learning, and from as soon as a pupil is deemed ‘ready’
to start grade 1, they trudge up through the grades working on little or
nothing else. All this means is that every new grade is a struggle, the pupil
will find everything constantly challenging and at the end of the exam, will be
able to play (hopefully) three pieces at that standard, plus a clutch of scales
and if lucky, may have had a bit of aural and sight reading experience along
the way as these last two are often left until a few weeks before the exam and
crammed in at the last minute. They are likely to have spent up to around a
year working on just these three pieces and scales in order to obtain that
wonderful certificate to say that they have passed their exam, and then the
process starts all over again at the next grade level.
My Approach:-
I
believe that exams should be a reflection of the level that the pupil is
already working at, and just one small part of learning an instrument. As such,
the exam itself forms the recognition of the true standard of that pupil. It
also gives some helpful, independent feedback to the pupil – what went well and
areas to focus on, which should match the messages already being given by the
teacher, but help ratify that as the examiner doesn’t know the pupil and is
basing their comments on what they see and hear during the snapshot that is an
exam performance. Key for me, is that the exam preparation only forms a small
part of what is covered when learning, typically pupils will only be working on
their exam pieces for a term or so – how
demotivating to have only three pieces for a whole year! It’s like telling an
avid reader that they are only allowed to read one book, and they have to keep
rereading it over and over again and nothing else! Additionally, the ‘one exam
per year’ model isn’t one I find helpful – pupils will prepare for an exam if
or when they are ready, and won’t necessarily take one every year, or indeed
every exam. In order to prepare for an exam, not only does the pupil have to be
at that level already, but they have to be prepared to practice daily, and
ideally have already shown that level of commitment, plus of course they and
their parents must want them to do it – exams are not a given or a requirement
of learning an instrument, and they won’t be right for every pupil.
So
what is the benefit of an exam from a pupil’s point of view?
I’ve
already said that it gives an independent and fairly objective feedback (as the
marking criteria is fixed) and a recognition of achievement, but what else?
Well, it’s great for focussing practise – they have a target to work towards
and nearer the time, a deadline in place, all of which can really help with
motivation (ref
Motivation & working together Sep 2020). The pieces and scales
need to be performance ready, a 7/10 approach just won’t do, so tiny details
need to be worked on to finesse everything to the best of the pupil’s ability (ref What does Practise
Look Like? Oct 2020). Getting pieces to a polished level suitable
for a performance can be immensely rewarding as pupils can see how much
progress they have made along the way.
Listening
is key too – those CDs that come with the pieces are there for a reason - the
pupils need to be able to analyse their own playing and compare it with the performance
on the CD; is the rhythm spot on? Are they putting in as much dynamic contrast
as they can? Do they play the piece in a characterful way? Have they listened
to other performances of the same piece (YouTube is great, isn’t it?!) – Which
do they like best and why? This analysis of their own, and others performances
of the same piece really develops the aural abilities of pupils, and it can be
fascinating how different two or more professional interpretations of the same
piece can be. This can in turn lead to exciting discussions around how best to
make the music live, and what appeals and feels right to the pupil. And that’s
just for the pieces....
Scales
require dedication to practise to grow muscle memory – a few times a week just
won’t work here! Scales can be seen as boring, but the payoff is immense when
playing tricky fast pieces – the muscle memory ingrained in well-trained
fingers can make all the difference with those runs, and this is when pupils
start to appreciate all those hours spent working on their scales! Sight
reading needs regular practise too – it is a skill that needs to be developed
over time and practised, it won’t just come by itself (ref How to be a good sight reader Jan 2021).
Then
there’s the aural – understanding what you hear is a vital part of musicianship
that is often missing, particularly with pianists who are in the fortunate
position of just having to hit a key for the right note to come out (as opposed
to a string player, say). Increased aural training enables music to be more
accessible and paves the way to heightened enjoyment and a deeper understanding
when listening to music of any genre.
In
conclusion:-
To
sum up, piano exams can be a helpful part of learning to play. They can aid
motivation, give an internationally recognised qualification with independent
feedback, and provide an opportunity to build performance skills. Developing
musicianship skills and a love of playing the piano does not require exam
certificates, however they can be a useful tool along the way.
