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Trinity Initial Piano: Starting Your First Exam

Here is some information about the Trinity College London Initial Piano  Exam. This is a pre-grade 1 exam that pianists will start once the basics of note-reading and playing and performing confidently in a beginner hand position have been mastered. You will also need to have completed the 1st and 2nd theory books listed below before starting on the Initial exam work. We recommend practising at least 10 minutes a day in order to work through all the requirements for the exam. A daily practice chart can be found in this handbook. Print a copy each week and show this to your teacher at the start of each lesson. It is important that an effective daily practice routine is maintained at home. We ask parents to supervise as many practice sessions as possible to ensure all requirements for the exam are being practised in rotation. Here are some resources to help you prepare for Trinity exams. Please note that theory exams are taken with ABRSM. All students will need to purchase these books: LIST OF BOOKS BY GRADE: Initial Exam Book (Pre-Grade 1) Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Aural Grades 1 to 5 Sight-Reading book On The Day: Your teacher does not attend your exam. If you are playing a duet you can engage the services of an accompanist. Please contact Theo for more information: theoadler (at) mail.com Practice the aural tests weekly (small monthly subscription fee): http://www.e-musicmaestro.com/auraltests/select Musical Knowledge (please print both sections and bring to your lesson) Trinity Handbook for SE22 Piano  School Students:
MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

Southwark Business Awards: AWARD WIN VALIDATES PIANO SCHOOL’S EXTRA-MILE EFFORTS DURING LOCKDOWNS

With the 2024 Southwark Awards approaching, here is our experience of winning the 2021 Business Resilience Award during lockdown.

Award win validates piano school’s extra-mile efforts during lockdowns

For SE22 Piano School, winning the 2021 COVID-19 Business Resilience Award sponsored by Lendlease, was validation of their outstanding work to support clients and keep the business going during lockdowns.

Lorraine Liyanage, Head Teacher and founder, said: “Covid had been such a struggle and we had stayed afloat by looking at ways in which we could add more value while kids were at home during lockdown. We are the only business of its kind in the area and we got this award because we offered more than just the lesson.”

During the pandemic the school was able to offer Zoom music lessons and in addition, organised weekly group lessons that were open to all young musicians, not just students. These allowed a meeting place for both teachers and students to perform music for each other.

The winner’s graphic has been placed on the school’s website and social media and there has been a spike in enquiries since the Virtual Awards Ceremony last October and as COVID-19 restrictions lift.

The East Dulwich-based music school is now open for piano, guitar, singing and theory lessons in person, and helps students prepare for the upcoming music scholarships and aptitude tests to local state schools.

Its achievement in the 2021 Southwark Business Resilience Awards was all the more welcome after an initial disappointment in 2019.

“We first entered the awards programme in the year they started but didn’t get anywhere so decided to try again – in business you can’t get put off – and it was a massive surprise that we won.”

ABRSM Music Exam facts and figures!

Grade 8 Distinction - student of Lorraine Liyanage
Grade 8 Distinction – student of Lorraine Liyanage
Click here to view more ABRSM Exam results
Click here to view more ABRSM Exam results

Later today I will be publishing our ABRSM and Rockschool exam results from the July Summer session. In the meantime, here’s some interesting information taken from the ABRSM web site about the number of candidates entering for graded exams by instrument. You can see just how popular the piano is in the UK and also what grades candidates achieved at examinations. As a keen harpsichordist, it’s a shame that only 15 students entered exams in 2009. I’m hoping to boost those numbers by getting more pianists learning the harpsichord too! I organise harpsichord competitions for musicians of all ages and abilities as well as workshops at Handel House Museum and Peregrine’s Pianos.

1) Entries by instrument/subject.
Source: ABRSM page 

InstrumentEntries
Piano124,090
Theory of Music45,275
Violin35,587
Flute28,832
Singing27,657
Clarinet23,022
Alto Saxophone10,812
Cello8,166
Trumpet7,821
Guitar5,035
B Flat Cornet3,401
Descant Recorder2,897
Oboe2,768
Trombone2,459
Viola2,072
Jazz Piano1,803
Horn1,393
Harp1,392
Jazz Alto Sax1,209
Bassoon1,077
Double Bass1,033
E Flat Horn960
Euphonium651
Treble Recorder574
Tenor Saxophone509
Organ490
Percussion479
Baritone402
Tuba379
Practical Musicianship290
Jazz Clarinet268
Soprano Saxophone257
Jazz Trumpet212
Jazz Flute172
Jazz Tenor Saxophone119
Jazz Trombone53
Bass Trombone22
Jazz Cornet22
Jazz Soprano Sax16
Baritone Saxophone15
Harpsichord15
E Flat Soprano Cornet7
Jazz Baritone Sax3
Jazz Flugelhorn2

2) Practical exam statistics
Source: ABRSM Page 

GradePassMeritDistinctionFailTotal
129,83329,82214,9821,25375,890
225,89319,2697,3701,64654,178
322,50616,2626,0161,71446,498
416,33710,8194,1191,61032,885
515,1169,3183,7721,95330,159
66,0444,2581,94885513,105
74,0533,0331,7827019,569
83,3072,8512,5428589,558
     271,842

3) Theory Exam statistics
Source: ABRSM Page 

GradePassMeritDistinctionFailTotal
11,0041,8864,3123857,587
26151,4142,8811835,093
31,2121,6621,4095334,816
47739156363392,663
57,7097,5283,6953,09422,026
643313627246842
7121741621232
8143881296339
     43,598

I believe that the average age for a candidate taking Grade 1 piano is 10. I cannot find the exact reference for this, although there is mention of this in an old copy of ‘Libretto‘, a magazine published by the ABRSM. This also states that the ‘typical Grade 5 practical candidate is 14 years old’.

ABRSM’s graded music exams for individual instruments, singing and Theory as well as diplomas and Music Medals are accredited by the regulatory authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are part of the National Qualifications Framework. In Australia, Canada and South Africa, ABRSM exams can be used for credit towards the relevant qualifications taken by students completing compulsory secondary education. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) includes Grades 6–8 in the tariff for UK university and college entrance.

We offer 1-to-1 Music Aptitude Test lessons for students applying to schools such as Ashmole, Kingsdale, Marylebone, Twyford, Moulsham and many more.

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