Usukimo's Piano World: Take care of your piano studio ( room )

Guide to Passing the ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exams!

What is ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exam all about????

This is a guide with resources and pointers to prepare for the most basic ATCL piano Recital Diploma. Most of us, after passing ABRSM Grade 8, will be considering the Diploma Syllabus in our next phase of pianistic achievements. Here, I recommend ATCL(Recital) as the window and the stepping stone to other more sophisticated qualifications. ATCL is the first level diploma offered by the Trinity College Examinations Board.

Here is a copy of the latest exam syllabus

Pls read through it carefully. I will summarise the important feature of the exam:

1. Recital Exams only requires performance of a set of pieces, no scales, no sight reading, no aural tests, no verbal QnA

2. There is a long list ( check the syllabus ) of pieces to assimilate your program from. You can choose to play anything from the list as long as you can make the entire duration last somewhere 32-38 minutes. Timing is important!

3. Sensible choice of pieces is half of the battle. I will explain this further.

4. Candidates are to treat the exam like a professional Recital performance. (ie. Mini-concert) So, just imagine all the features you observe when you attend other pianists' recital concerts. You need to prepare a set of program notes, dressed in professional attire, carry yourself with a professional aura. To be perfectly professional, most pianists play from memory. But, you don't get penalized for playing with scores either. It is the overall impression you portray that matters.

This is an expensive exam to take. Do be fluent in your playing first before you register for the exams. This is different from the lower graded exams where you can register first to “push” yourself to practise harder. But still, it is one of the most fulfilling and the most forgiving diploma exam! It is stated that the expected level of playing is at first year of undergraduate studies in degree course. You are expected to be advanced and reasonably technically fluent player, but not virtuoso.

Many people, usually those living with family members who think that piano is a cool piece of furniture that produces music without comsuming electricity, practise for their exam in the living room. It is alright to have a nice, homely upright in the living as a centrepiece where bonding and music appreciation takes place. For a serious piano student, it is difficult to accomplish much when practising on a living room piano.

There are distractions from traffic and the presence of people, which makes the pianist more self conscious and less personal space to interact with the piano.

I would prefer to have a piano studio where one can concentrate in a non-threatening environment. It is also more professional to be practising in a proper studio, just like the professional concert pianists. All of them have a room in their homes that is meant for practising piano only. The room should be furnished minimumly, with storage for music books and adequate lighting.Examples of a good studios are:

for those with uprights...

Guide to Passing the ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exams!

Take care of your piano studio ( room )

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