Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Grade 10 RCM Examination Questions

Hello everyone. I am taking the grade 10 RCM examination and looking at the 2008 syllabus, I have some questions related to the examination:

1. For the melody playback section, it states that the examiner will play a melody twice and the player needs to play back the bottom notes. I was wondering how many “tries” I get. Can I play back the bottom melody twice like the examiner and fix some errors on the second try, or do I only get one shot at it?

2. The syllabus states for the studies section that I must prepare 2 contrasting studies. I have never actually considered this, but I was wondering what this actually meant. My biggest question is if there are any restrictions or guidelines that I have to follow when choosing my studies.

3. This isn’t exactly pertaining to the exam itself, but I was wondering if anyone could offer some useful tips on chord identification when it comes to identifying the inversions of four-note chords.

AKAIK it's one shot.

usually means that focus on different aspect of techniques, you can't use two etudes both focusing on quick scales on the right hand or double thirds, but usually you need to present one that work on some specific aspect of technique and one on something else.
for example the czerny op 740 n41 and the rachmaninoff are contrasting.

use a software to train in that department... I do have auralia on my computer.

I am doing the Etude in E minor op 67 no 5 by Loeschorn and prelude in C sharp Minor op 81 no 10 Heller. I was wondering if that would be considered contrasting enough, because one is focused on hops and skips, while the other is focused on scales.

Also, what does AKAIK mean?

sorry AFAIK, As Far As I Know
Are you preparing RCM 10 by yourself without the help of a teacher? I would at least consider few lessons just to have few tips.

I am currently studying with someone, however, he is currently on vacation, so I am unable to contact him. I just chanced upon looking at the studies section of the Grade 10 syllabus. He allowed me to choose whichever two studies that I liked, and I therefore I picked the two that were mentioned.

I was wondering if you could take a look at the two studies, and telling me if that is contrasting enough.

You might get better answer in the Pianist Corner forum because I'm pretty much at your same level :-).
In my opinion the etudes you selected are very similar, maybe too much, they both have some quick passagework for the right hand.
I'd drop one of the two and do either the Czerny that is very useful for the left hand or something like the Concone that focus more on arpeggios... I'd avoid the Chopin because although I like it, as every Chopin, I'm always afraid of the mental competition with "big" names... I studied the Rachmaninoff about 3 and something years back and it's a wonderful piece to have under the finger, but again, the mental competition with big names do exist.

You questions are concerning in that they are normally questions only asked by someone taking a much lower level exam such as RCM 1-3. By RCM 10, you should have gone through the exam process enough times to know the exam elements. If you have taken many RCM practical and written exams, sorry for the repetition and please disregard my comments as it is written for someone inexperienced with RCM exams in mind.

If you are going for your first RCM Exam at level 10 and if you pass, you have a maximum of 2 years to complete all the written exams required for level 10 or your RCM 10 Practical will be void by RCM.

There is a shortcut of taking a single (very long) written exam to fulfill all the written requirements if you could also present your university transcript showing your degree in music with appropriate theory, harmony & counterpoint, and music history courses. All others are required to take all the written exams. If you don't pass all the written exams, then after 2 years you will not actually have any valid RCM certificate unless you hold a previous certificate that do not have written exam co-requisites, namely RCM 1-4. If the highest RCM exam without written exam co-requisite you passed was the RCM 1 exam, you will be automatically reduced to RCM 1 standing as your current level of achievement after 2 years even if you pass the level 10 practical today. If you have never taken an RCM exam until now, then in 2 years you may end up with nothing.

If you haven't done any RCM exams, I would think that the highest level for your first exam should be no higher than RCM 8. It is not as difficult and the amount of time it takes to prepare for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced rudiments theory exams for up to RCM 8 is much more manageable within the 2-year timeframe. I can tell you from first hand experience the advanced rudiments theory exam is tough. Doing all the written requirements for level 10 within 2 years would mean the same intensity as a music major in college on top of all the practice time on the piano (RCM recommends at least 2-hours a day starting at level 6, and much more for level 10. Minimum recommended preparation time for level 10 is 2 years.) For most adults amateurs, this pace is too demanding.

Don't forget that if you ever consider the ARCT Exam, the RCM 9 Exam is not optional. You must have performed a Bach Prelude & Fugue for both RCM 9 and RCM 10 exams to attempt the ARCT plus you cannot score less than 70% in any section of your level 10 exam.

Finally, if you plan to sit for the your practical after this summer, you must follow the rules from the 2015 Syllabus. The 2008 Syllabus will expire after this summer. While the music from the 2008 Syllabus will be accepted in the coming 2015 academic year (Sep-Aug), the Technical portion of the exam (sight-reading, hearing, etc) will be from the 2015 Syllabus.

I think choosing two that represent two different musical stylistic periods is a safer bet. Both your choices would be considered romantic style, and you'll be depending on the generosity of the examiner to accept those as contrasting selections. If it were me, I would keep one of them and choose perhaps Study no. 13 Study in A minor by Czerny, op. 740, no. 41 or Study no. 14 Study in A flat major by Concone, op. 30, no. 19 as the other because I enjoy classical style. If you don't, then perhaps a modern one such as no. 5 by Takacs would also represent a clear contrast in style.

Oops, sorry for repetition. Apparently, Ataru074 had already given a similar response. I should read before I type.

Thank you for your advice. But assuming that I were to choose these two pieces, and the adjudicator thought that they were not contrasting, what would the penalty be? Like would I get a few marks deducted, or would he/she just give me a zero.

You would not have the opportunity to perform the second etude of your choice that is non-contrasting and would be given the opportunity to perform a different one that is contrasting in style. Otherwise you would take a zero. Memorization is not required nor rewarded for etudes, so you would do your best to perform with the music your next strongest etude that is acceptable assuming you have mastered most if not all of them at some point before sitting for the exam for your level. The question is why would you even want to take this chance?

Which etudes could you play right now? I would forget about choosing pieces until you have most of them mastered. When is the exam?