What ABRSM "DON'T" tell you about their Performance Exams 😉

If you are like many of my students who have taken the ABRSM performance exam, you will have, no doubt made quite a few recordings before coming up with the one you want to send off, and the repetition of the opening announcements, showing ID and the programme form, can be quite frustrating.
However I heard a rumour that these announcements could be made separately. Curious I went to the ABRSM website that clearly states in the guidance,
"The exam should be recorded as one continuous audio-visual file - this means that once recording has started, the candidate should make their announcements, show their documents to camera and perform all their repertoire in one continuous take. "
Confused I decided to write to them for clarification and the response I got was quite surprising. I was told,
"Announcements for the Performance Grade exams can be recorded separately and added to the unedited continuous performance if announcement was not made in the original recording. Please ensure that none of the exam performance has been edited in any way."
So if you forget (conveniently or otherwise) 😉 to do the announcements first, you can always add them on later, as long as you make sure the four pieces are an uninterrupted performance.
if you do not feel technically confident to do this yourself, you can always email the files to me at [e-mail] and for a small fee of £5 I will merge them for you.

[@yezuyi2938]

I was rather thrilled when i got to know this through your video.
So, i decided to ask the abrsm in singapore concerning this. Interesting, their response is, no, you cannot take them separately and edit into the performance video. Both have to be taken in one take.
So, i wonder why the inconsistency in this though we are all submitting into the same portal. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 😅

[@MusicOnlineUK]

This is the official answer no you cannot, but I have written proof from ABRSM that if you "conveniently" forget to add your announcements, they CAN be added at a later date.

[@patrickconnaughton3791]

Asked the question also. It might work once but I think ABRSM must monitor. I would hate to get a good performance rejected then have to re-record.
Message:
Thank you for getting in touch.
The Performance Grade exam is to be recorded as one continuous audio-visual file, as per our guidelines. This means the announcement, the audio and video must be recorded on the same device, and cannot be recorded separately then edited together. Doing so may mean the recording is reviewed by our Quality Assurance Team.
Ok so it MAY be reviewed. They could also think, ok so you are trying to trick the system so let's reduce marks awarded for each piece.
Please ensure you read the relevant guidance available here before making a recording.
If you have any further questions, please let us know.
Kind regards,
Sandra
Customer Support Team
Global Operations
ABRSM

[@recordclassicalmusic]

Well! That is SO good to know! Thanks so much for sharing!👍👍

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Glad it helps

[@jonathaneverall7665]

This is brilliant news just as i am about to go through the pain of announcing my pieces a zillion times. Not any more! Shame i didnt learn this before my daughter's exam video. She went crazy with the repetition.

[@oc1anking956]

This channel= Underrated
I got 139/150 for grade 6 performance (after getting 126/150 grade 6 in 7 lessons) I cant explain my gratitude to this channel

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[@oc1anking956]

your welcome

[@heifetz14]

The ABRSM will go out of business in a few years if they do not get a tech department that has any sort of skill. A big exam center in west london has stopped hosting exams.I wonder why ?.I asked the board why performance exams are not available for jazz candidates. They had no convincing reason.Jazz is the poor relation as far as the board is concerned.

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Seems like they are trying to do the populist thing and at the same time not doing it well and also dumbing down from the previous respected standards.

[@zeroxr0991]

I remember that I used to watch your videos and lives (Lolmaster2234 if you remember ?) and I passed my grade 8 with a distinction when I was 12. I'm currently working toward an ARSM, with the Moonlight Sonata and Walts Op 69 by Chopin, and this is very useful info !

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Yes I remember you

[@FionaDriver]

I give my pupils three goes - if they need more than that I don't think they are ready! The iPhone is awful - it compresses dynamics so they aren't heard at all, which then the examiner comments on the lack of dynamics - even though the candidate DID do them. Very annoying and so I'm recording audio and visual separately (still continuous and unedited) now to avoid this issue.

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Yes audio quality can be a problem

[@Pan-daMaddy]

Hello I was wondering if adding sustain pedaling to a piece would be considered musical interpretation? Thank you

[@MusicOnlineUK]

It depends on the piece. If pedal is commonly used in the period of the piece in question then yes possibly, also is the style a sustained one or are there may detached notes?

[@cassidium]

I was wondering if i could use a good quality mic to record the sound, and then do post editing to combine the sound from my mic to the video taking from my iPhone for the exam. The problem with using the original sound recorded from the iPhone is that iPhone has a auto-levelling function, which makes both the bass and treble sound the same volume, or, it also makes the soft part of the music sounds almost as loud as the loud part of the music. In this case, the dynamics in my playing cannot be conveyed to the examiner.

[@MusicOnlineUK]

As long as the performance hasn't been edited, I can't see a problem adding sound from a separate source if it's the same performance, but might want to drop the ABRSM and email just to be sure

[@seye69]

Very useful to know - thank you! I'm also wondering (I will check with ABRSM) whether it would be ok to record using a direct line from my digital piano to my camera and wear headphones.

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Interesting question, let me know what they say

[@Diya.B.]

I have 4 more days to record and upload my grade 8 exam before my syllabus expires. Wish me luck :') I've been playing these pieces for over 3 years now, but I started uni last year and I stopped practising and recording my exam pieces, so I've had to start learning the pieces again. I don't have an acoustic piano at home and my teacher is away... I'm trying to get access to one in a church, but I'm seriously doubting that I'll have enough time to make a decent recording :'(

[@MusicOnlineUK]

How did it go

[@jules153]

Good info. Do you know if it's the same for Trinity (TCL)? Cheers

[@MusicOnlineUK]

This is only as a result of making a direct enquiry to ABRSM, so it would probably mean a similar request to trinity to be sure

[@iandodds693]

Hi, I wonder if the student, having made a satisfactory performance could then turn to the camera, give a smile and then announce the details/show passport.
So if the playing was poor or aborted they would simply restart recording another.
That would make more sense.

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Unfortunately the regulations state that the announcements have to be made at the beginning. But there is no problem if you want to add the announcements on later

[@iandodds693]

Thanks for your reply. I've been trying to get info from the Board about the overlap period for current '22/24 syllabus. This concerns a student who wishes to start grade 6 performance and might not be quite ready for March '25. Do you know about this? Thanks

[@samanthawalker1304]

Hi, my son has just done his grade 8 performance recording but unfortunately the piece of paper with his name and list of pieces was off the side of the camera so you only see half the page. I have added on a 4 second video of him holding the paper but the video is now much smaller than the original so will probably not work. Any thoughts on this?

[@MusicOnlineUK]

As long as the audio quality is still good and the video resolution still looks reasonable, should be OK

[@samanthawalker1304]

@@MusicOnlineUK Thank you very much 😊

[@gogogeegee76]

This is all very good, but has anyone tested it?

[@MusicOnlineUK]

@@gogogeegee76 yes

[@gogogeegee76]

@@MusicOnlineUK Nice! And thank you so much. Have my gd5 exams very soon here.

[@palaster]

Would you be willing to give me some advice about my recording? My situation is the following: I made a recording of the four pieces including the announcements and stuff, but the passport and form is not really readable. Would it then be a good idea to make a separate video with the passport and form and add it as an preamble to the original video? Or upload it as a separate file?
Also, I am not very happy about the sound quality, but maybe it is good enough. How would I know if the sound quality is good enough? The description of ABRSM is only vague and I already send an e-mail but haven't gotten a response yet. Maybe you have some advice about this?
Because of injuries I am not able to just make a recording every day, so that's why I hope the recording I have now would be good enough and the readability issue can be fixed in an easy way. Thanks in advance.

[@MusicOnlineUK]

You can only upload ONE video, so find some software where you attach the preamble

[@miisuka5256]

Is it okay if I record with my phone for the performance?

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Yes

[@hilary_wan568]

Does this apply to every region or just uk? I accidentally forgot to take my id into it can I edit a clip after the recording?

[@MusicOnlineUK]

Yes all regions

[@michelleoliver7151]

How do you do this though? I’m not very technical!!

[@MusicOnlineUK]

if you do not feel technically confident to do this yourself, you can always email the files to me at [e-mail] and for a small fee of £5 I will merge them for you.