Technical Requirements:
- Scales and arpeggios: major, minor, and chromatic in various key signatures.
- Sight-reading: a piece of unfamiliar music that you will be asked to play at sight.
- Rhythmic patterns: playing different rhythms accurately, including syncopated rhythms.
- Technical exercises: these could include trills, mordents, turns, and embellishments.
Pieces:
- Two or three pieces chosen from a list provided by the exam board. These pieces may include sonatas, études, and character pieces from different periods and styles, such as Classical, Romantic, and Baroque.
- One piece of your own choice that is not on the provided list. This piece should demonstrate your musicality, technical proficiency, and interpretation.
Aural Skills:
- Melodic dictation: you will be asked to write down a melody that you hear played on the piano.
- Chord recognition: identifying chords played on the piano.
- Rhythm dictation: clapping back or writing down a rhythmic pattern that you hear played.
General Musicianship:
- Written theory questions: testing your knowledge of music theory, including notation, key signatures, time signatures, and musical terminology.
- Identifying musical elements: you might be asked to identify elements such as dynamics, phrasing, articulation, and tempo markings in a given piece of music.
- Improvisation: creating a short improvised piece based on a given theme or chord progression.
It is important to check the specific requirements and syllabus of the exam board you are taking the exam with, as the details may vary slightly. Regular practice, thorough preparation, and a good understanding of the requirements will help you achieve success in your Grade 6 piano exam.