Usukimo's Piano World: Polyrhythmn Part 1

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.

Polyrhythm is a composition technique characterised by independence of rhythm in various melodic lines. polyrhythm is tricky because it demands the performer to play simultanously more than one type of rhythm that are not regular divisions of each other. For example: playing 4 notes against 3 notes, 3 notes against 2 notes, or 11 notes against 7 notes. playing 4 notes against 3 notes is harder than playing 4 notes against 2 notes because 4 doesn't divide out amongst 3 exactly, and our human brains are taught to count in whole numbers. if we try to divide 4 by 3, we get one whole and a third against every one whole note. There are 2 ways to perform accurately:

1. for this case, further divided a whole note into 3 parts and count in sub divisions of one-third beats. you can imagine how many beats you have to count...

4 against 3 polyrhythm
4-beat rhythm	X			X			X			X			X			X			X			X
3-beat rhythm	X				X				X				X				X				X

2. use an online metronome program to listen how the 4-3 rhythm sound like when played together, and then memorise the rhythmn. They usually produce very catchy results and is very memorable. you can click here to hear how hip 4-3 rhythm sounds, it's totally out of the world!

** additional tip: visualise it here!

Guide to Passing the ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exams!

Polyrhythmn Part 1 - a problem in counting

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