I'm a piano student currently grade 8
With higher grades... the scales have gotten much, much more brutal :cry:
Should I try to persuade my teacher to let me play study pieces for the technical requirement instead?
Which is easier to earn high marks on? I need advice....

Without the basics, it's more likely that you'll learn how to do something wrong; which eventually becomes a musician's point of fault. I would recommend sticking to the scales for now. If you're looking for a change of pace, I'd recommend playing some character study pieces or technical building songs.

The only "exercises" I'd recommend are the Brahms and the Liszt -- both which are very demanding, but very rewarding if done with care and attention. Hannon is terrible: especially for younger pianists to attempt.

For now, stick with scales and arpeggios -- they are something that even the pros stick to doing for warm-ups and technical up-keep.

I relate the use of scales and arpeggios to doing crunches and sit-ups for getting stronger abs. It's not how many crunches you can do, or even how fast you do them, it's how concentrated and focused you are when you do them, which will work your core like magic (without use of a lot of equipment and products which, frankly, just don't work).

The same goes for piano technique: I still study how my fingers move in 5-finger patterns and octave scales, hands alone (in C major, usually) just to get a clear, even, precise sound.

Piano technique (as well as 100% of our body's physical movements) start from the brain. You wouldn't want to run 10 miles if you've never even run a mile in your life. Even if you have run 10 miles, it doesn't hurt to go back to basic jogging or even walking.

I've been obsessed with the basics of piano technique for the last two and a half years. I've studied a lot, and I am still studying more about how the hand, arm and body physically plays the piano.

If you want to ask me any questions or give recommendations, send me a PM. :)

Well I didnt mean that I would stop practicing the scales... I have to. ><
It's just that when exam time comes, I have the choice between scales and arpeggios, or 2 short study pieces for the technical requirement part. The pieces look easier than the scales... but I could get marks deducted for musicality, ornaments, nuances, etc.
I was wondering if anyone ever took the exam with the study pieces instead and how easy the marks were to obtain when compared to the scales...
(Can you imagine E flat harmonic minor, contrary motion, staccato and piano YUCK!)

First of all, what are you talking about? There are different grades across the world; not all of us are American/English/British...

In my country (RCM) Study pieces are mandatory with the scales. I suppose it would be /easier/ to get marks on Study pieces, but are marks all you want to get? Without the basic foundation of scales, as M said, you won't really get anywhere.

If E flat harmonic minor, contrary motion, staccato scales is disgusting to you, you should stop playing piano. Right now.

Continue playing only if you enjoy it.


And a clarification: do you have to learn the study pieces? If you don't, then use the study pieces for the exam. If you do, then scales.

No pain, no gain. You want to be the best pianist you can be, right? Then keep persisting, even if it's brutal. You can do it! Just keep practising. Working on everything (scales, studies, etc) will improve your playing overall.

(Can you imagine E flat harmonic minor, contrary motion, staccato and piano YUCK!)

You mean playing it eyes closed without thinking? Yeah, you'll get there in no time.

As with anything, without a strong base of fundamentals anything you try to build over it will just come tumbling down. It's easier than you think. Just keep at it.

thanks for all the advice... I suppose I'll do the scales... (most of them I got down anyway, coming already this far) The other choice was any 2 contrasting studies for Czerny's the art of finger dexterity...

Really I don't understand how they grade the scales part though. There was one year where I thought I played all of them perfectly; I didn't miss at all! but my marks for that section were only 8/15... perhaps uneven tempo or touch? The examiner said they were hurried and needed more control (several years ago)

Oh btw me and my teacher don't use any particular board. We move around depending on the syllabus and which board has the most interesting exam pieces :) I've done Royal Associated Board, Guildhall, and London College of Music (currently) As far as I know ALL of them have something you can do besides the scales though, be it study pieces, etudes, or traditional song.

Ahhh I also forgot... I misunderstood. This is not grade 8 I am doing... it's a grade that's called ALCM (LCM standards) I'm supposed to get a diploma if I pass or something. My exam pieces are decided: Bach, Prelude and Fugue 2/15, 2 movements from Mozart Sonata KV 331 (most of you know this one because of Alla Turca, so far I think I'm gonna scrap the 1st movement just cuz it's so long), and my favorite, Chopin's Nocturne Op.32 No.1 (it's just so beautiful)

If youre past grade eight, and youre asking if you should be doing scales..theres something very wrong :|



Or maybe its just London College's reputation for being easy..... :P

Err...yeah. I got the same reaction as Gekkeiju. In my country grade 8 is the usual maximum so I'm quite surprised to be hearing this.

But the main factor is the grade levels and such around the world.

Again, people seem to be misunderstanding me >_< or perhaps my thread title was misleading... in any case...
My question was:
WHEN EXAM TIME COMES, which would you rather be graded on????
rather than
CAN I BECOME A GOOD PIANO PLAYER WITHOUT PRACTICING SCALES??? (the answer here is obviously no)

Seriously, I'm even skipping grades... I'm doing ALCM standard option 1, and not DipLCM

The good news is once I progress past ALCM to LLCM and eventually FLCM level exams I wont ever need to worry about technical requirements (there are none! can you believe that? just some pieces and performance notes)

Studies :P

I would go for the DipABRSM personally over ALCM. You don't have to do scales or studies, just a 35 minute program plus program notes and viva and sight reading. And the standard required to pass is a lot higher even though they are supposedly the same level, I don't care what people say ALCM is like grade 9 where DipABRSM would be grade 10. And it's not just me, you will find a lot of people who turn their noses up at the ALCM.

But as for your question, as far as I'm concerned, studies are for when you can do all of your scales backwards. You will get a lot more out of working with scales because they are straightforward, so you can concentrate 100% on what your hands/fingers/body is doing. With a study, you are focusing on making music so some of your attention is always going to be distracted- and that applies to stuff from the easiest Czerny study to the most complex Liszt study.

Saying that, I hate scales and if I identify a technical problem I'm having I will always hunt down a study to correct it simply because there is music to focus on.

But yeah, a definite do as I say not as I do piece of advice there =P