Piano Transcription Test
For many piano students, sight-reading and aural tests are one of the most challenging parts of an examination. They’re not only difficult because the music is unfamiliar, but also because it requires a combination of skills which most learners are not used to. It is not uncommon for a pupil to be very nervous when faced with these types of assessments.
Luckily, there are many things that can be done to help ease the pressure and build confidence prior to an exam. For example, it can be very beneficial to do a mock exam a week or so before the real thing. This can be done in your teacher’s studio, or even at home with family and friends. The mock exam should include play-throughs of all the pieces, scales, a piece of sight-reading and the Aural test (which can be recorded on your phone).
It’s important to remember that the examiner is there to give your child an opportunity to demonstrate their musical talents. They’re not there to fail them, and will encourage you to keep up the good work! It can be helpful to talk about this with your child, as it helps them realise that they are capable and ready to take the next step.
How to Pass a Piano Transcription Test
The best way to prepare for a sight-reading test is to spend time playing through short excerpts every day. This is a great way to improve both your speed and accuracy. During practice, it is also a good idea to think about the overall structure of a piece of music and what kind of sounds are required for each section. This will make it easier to play a similar piece by ear.
It is also useful to note where you made mistakes during each reading. For example, was it in the rhythm or in the notes? Was the articulation smooth or detached? It’s important to find out so that you can determine what areas you need to focus on in your preparation.
Another important aspect to consider is the use of a keyboard. This is especially important for young students as it gives them an opportunity to experiment with the sound and feel of different keys. It’s not necessary for the actual exam, but it can help to build confidence and familiarity with different pianos.
A common mistake is to focus too much on notation, which is often unnecessary. It’s not important to be able to write down each note and chord exactly, but rather to be able to quickly capture musical ideas or observations. This can be achieved with a simple diagram or chart, for example, and is more useful than trying to copy a piece of music verbatim.
Finally, it’s always a good idea to have plenty of spare music for the exam. It’s not uncommon for an examiner to give candidates a selection of songs that they need to play from memory, so it’s important to be prepared! This includes being able to play melodies a full octave above or below the original key as well as harmonising them with tonic, subdominant and dominant chords using either left hand block chords or right hand arpeggio accompaniment.
