ABRSM examinations

I am posting this while you guys are in school.

Which means, I am not in school.

"You ponteng school? I tell..."

No, you all know me. I won't be ponteng-ing school.

"You self-quarantine yourself? A (H1N1)! Good lord, I just have in contact with this person few days ago!"

No, I don't have A (H1N1), please don't be panic. (though I have coughs and sore throats...)

For those who already know, this is not news to you. For those who still in the dark, I was taking my ABRSM examinations, like it or not.

How am I going to express my feelings here? Hmm......

Heartbeat doesn't race so fast, as people writes. They beat, very slowly. But, each heartbeat is a prominent one. You can feel it, without using your hand.

Before meeting the examiner......

The people from the registration counter ask things like, "Do you practice a lot?"

Then, he knock on the door, three times.

There is no response.

No one seems to open the door.

Suddenly......

(dinner bell ringing)

The man just opened in and I followed him at the back, with hesitation.

A "good morning" was presented. I replied back.

In the examination room......(the below conversations are not the exact words from the character's mouth. Don't expect the author to remember everything!)

"Do you want to try out the keys to make yourself comfortable?"

I nodded. A few keys was pressed, and a few moments later...

"So, you want to start with your scales or pieces firsts?"

"Scales firsts."

"Then, we shall start with your scales. (Then she asked about the Group 1 or 2, but I cannot remember how she asked...)

After scales......

"You may start your first piece whenever you ready."

The first piece was somelike disasterous. I trampled over the ornaments (which is a turn and a mordent mashed up), and the semiquavers for the left hand is not clear.......

Few moments later, "You may start your second piece whenever you are ready."

The second piece is much, much better from the previous one. (Probably because it is a slow one and expressive is my thing...)

Few moments later, "You may start your third piece when you are ready."

The third piece is not bad. I've done the acciaccatura and the foot stamping part. (There is a "right heel" note which means stamp with your right foot/heel)

After the three pieces...

"Now I want you to do a sight-reading for me." And she stood up, taking a book, "well, some people just look at the notes and some would played it," walk towards me. "(Finger pointing the book) You have half a minute to look through and it's called 'Sunny day'."

"I will inform you when I want to start."

I tried out, and it is quite okay. But it is otherwise when the real playing starts.

After the sight-reading tests...

"Now, I would like to do an aural test. Can you stand behind the piano and then I could see you?"

I stood, walked towards the back of the piano.

"Lovely. Now would you want to sing higher notes or lower notes?"

"Lower notes."

"Right. Now please sing to this." She pressed a key, and I sang, and a lower key, then an octave key.

"Now I will play a two-phrase piece and you will have to sing the lower part. And this your key chord (a G major chord played), and this is your starting note (a D note played)." Then, she plays the piece.

It is quite an easy one, and I sang, at least 75% is correct. Then......

"Try again. (She played the piece AGAIN)"

This time, I sang all the notes correct.

"Now, you will have to read through the piece and sing the upper part of the melody. This is your key chord (an E-flat major chord played), and your starting note is this (E-flat note played) and you will sing an octave lower (an octave lower E-flat note played). Remember, the speed of the piece is 1, 2, 1, 2. You can sing through and I am not listening yet."

I go through once. And she quickly started.

Then she said somekind like she missed a note or I missed a note, and we start the test AGAIN.

Then it's time for cadences. (I don't really remember how she asked in this section...)

Then, it's time for music perception.

"Now, I will play a piece and please notice the features of the piece. I will ask about the structure and the period of this piece."

She played a piece. And then she asked, "What can you say about the difference of the movements between the first part and the last part?"

I answered, full with doubts. "In the first part, both hands played in unison, and the last part, both hands seems to be contrapuntal and contrary."

She helped me to strengthen my answer. "In the last part, does the both hands still in the same position or they moved away?"

"They had moved an octave apart."

"Now, please clap this rhythm and tell me is it in 2, 3, 4, or 6/8 time."

She played the beginning section twice, and I clapped at least 60% of it.

"Is it in 2 time, 3 time, 4 time or 6/8 time?"

"6/8 time"

"And you have finished your exam for the day! Thank you and have a pleasant day. Bye bye!"

I replied a 'thank you' back.