In this blog post I want to share with you some of the things I’ve learnt from being an examiner and hopefully this will give you some tips as you prepare for your qualification. 1. Examiners want you to do well This is probably the most important thing to remember as you prepare for your […]

As pianists, we have to spend many hours practising alone, developing our skills and learning repertoire. However performing duets gives us the opportunity to meet and play with other musicians. Below are some of the key benefits to be gained: 1. Developing a strong sense of rhythm One of the most important skills when playing […]

If you haven’t already done so, then check out my article entitled “Should I take graded music exams?” If you do decide to work towards these qualifications then these tips will help you to achieve the best results. Ensure you enter for the correct grade Enter for a level at which you know you can […]

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in almost all of us adapting the way we work, including the various music exam boards who are now offering remote assessments. In this blog post I’m going to offer some tips on preparing and recording video performances for these grades. 1. Prepare as if you were taking a face-to-face […]

As we progress in our piano playing, we’ll need to make important decisions about which pieces to learn. Here are a few key points to bear in mind. Will I enjoy playing this piece? It sounds obvious, but make sure that the pieces you choose to learn are ones you will enjoy playing. You will […]

So, you’ve been working on a piece for some time and can play it all the way through, but you find there are still some annoying mistakes or sections you struggle to play fluently. In this post, I look at 12 ways to practise perfecting your pieces ready for performance. 1. Don’t practise mistakes We […]

Written by Kevin Hurst BA(Music) - clarinettist & pianist I’d like to provide you with some ideas on how we can practise effectively between lessons. We all get stuck when we play - even teachers! It’s all about still having fun! And having solutions that get us nicely unstuck - and quickly. Below are my […]

As you progress in your piano playing, you may wish to work towards music exams. In this blog post, I’ve mentioned a few points to consider about these qualifications. Do you need the qualifications? Obviously if you want a career in music it will be essential to have qualifications in the instruments you can play. […]