GRADE 8 EXPERIENCE ABRSM and I NEED HELP!

Hey everyone! So it has been a while since I blogged, probably about a month. Yes, as the title suggests I'll be talking about my experience taking a grade 8 PRACTICAL exam, which is today (3 July 2014). I've been taking quite a while to practice and practice my exam pieces, sight reading, scales and also, aural! It's really nerve-wrecking and tiring, I can be really honest with you. But you know, GRADE 8, what can you expect? With a pass, you can teach other students or even perform in a crowd of people! My dream since young was to be a musician. But I'm still unsure what type I should choose though.. Professional musicians out there, I really need your help to give me opinions and tips of 4 components (mentioned above)

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Back to the experience. To be honest with you, I literally jumped from Grade 5 to Grade 8 (but my piano teacher practiced Grade 6 and 7 together with me). But, when I stepped into the exam room, I wasn't feeling like nervous. My hands and legs  were not shaking and my heart isn't beating that hard. That occurred to me when I was grade 5. It is just so... ironic... I mean, wouldn't you be nervous when you are taking the highest grade (okay, diploma is higher. But still, grade 8 is considered HIGH! )

I started on scales, followed by exam pieces, then sight-reading and lastly, aural. You know, the whole examination is really fast! It's like a blink of an eye. I don't know.. I have different feelings between grade 5 and grade 8..

I tried out the piano first, then I played E flat minor melodic, it flowing quite well though. I guess the examiner was kind of impressed. I managed to answer what examiner wanted immediately, but maybe a little bit of mistakes in between. I screwed up in the diminished seventh, the examiner wanted me to replay again T.T Bad idea... I guess, she's kind of disappointed ._.

For exam pieces, I manage to not stop throughout my three pieces. But there's some notes problem again. I'm not sure what is wrong with my fingers...

Sight-reading... HORRIBLE! Yes, HORRIBLEEEE!! The examiner gave me a key of 3 sharps. I guess it's a major key. And I played it as if I'm grade 1 now and playing a grade 8 sight-reading. I stumbled a bit in the middle, but I played smoothly at the end. All the notes are just chords in the right hand, and some monophonic(single line) in the left hand... SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH ME. I NEED HELP FOR SIGHT-READING! *CRIES*

For Aural, it's still fine.. But just.. the SIGHT-SINGING. I don't know, I do every component that has the whole "sight" completely. I can't read something out of the blue immediately. Professionals, pianists, musicians, any instruments teachers, do you have any tips for sight-reading? I guess every instruments has to go through sight-reading, not only piano! For the 3-part phrase, I was still able to hear the bass note. I guess the examiner purposely gave the bass note loudly. She's giving me a chance, I'm really thankful for that. I got the cadence correct but I'm not sure if the 3 chords I got it correct, I was nervous for no reason. Sight-singing, the examiner told me to resing again, I can't even sing the notes, I got the pitch but I can't sing the notes like "Doh Re Mi Fa So La Ti Doh" ARRRGHH. For Question and Answer, I'm unsure if I got the period correct but I kept on talking until I had nothing to say. The examiner didn't stop me from talking ._. despite the fact that I talked about the character and the style&period.

So... QUESTIONS THAT I NEED HELP WITH!

• In your opinion, do you prefer performing or teaching as your career? If so, why?
• How do to read sight-reading and sight-singing in such a short time? Must both of them be practiced daily? How did you overcome your difficulty in them?- *It's really very difficult for me to do sight-reading and sight-singing, really, those that needs to be seen*
•  How do you usually listen to the bass note in Aural? (E.g. Lowest part in 3 part phrase, Finding the 3 last chords, modulations) How did you practice them?
• For Scales, how do you usually practice them? *No matter how slow I go, my fingers won't coordinate...

• Exam pieces, do you usually play it slowly first before increasing the speed? How do you usually practice the ornaments if you have them?

I think that's all the questions I want to ask. I really hoped you can help me in improving my skills. I sincerely thank you for reading my blog and I really hoped you can give me some opinions. Nothing's wrong! Everyone have their own opinions!

I think I have to just let go the exam for now and polish up what I'm weak in.. Let it go~

LOL... Froozen 
 

Disclaimer: All photos are not owned by me. Credit goes to the rightful owner!
So long, take care~