📘 ABRSM
ABRSM — Practical & Performance Grades
Marked /30 exactly as examiners. Split across: Pitch / Accuracy, Rhythm / Timing, Tone Quality, Expression / Interpretation. Shows Pass / Merit / Distinction thresholds clearly.
FIXED EXAMINER REPORT
FINAL SCORE: 24/30 — MERIT
🔹 5 Good Points
- Excellent note accuracy and fluency overall; playing was secure and confident, particularly in bars 1–14.
- Strong sense of pulse and tempo control; the ritardando in bars 30–32 was handled beautifully.
- Tone quality was warm and resonant, with effective dynamic contrast — the soft playing in bar 18 was especially convincing.
- Phrasing was musical and well shaped; the return of the main theme in bar 25 was clearly defined.
- Stylistic understanding was excellent; articulation and character were entirely appropriate for the period.
🔸 3 Areas of Improvement (Focused)
- Rhythmic stability needs attention: in bar 15 the rhythm became unsteady — practise this section with a metronome.
- Development of musical ideas: the main motive from bar 1 was repeated exactly — try varying its rhythm or harmony later on.
- Physical tension affecting sound: tension in the arms during bars 22–24 caused the tone to tighten — stay relaxed at louder dynamics.
Overall: A confident and enjoyable performance — very close to Distinction standard.
📐 Detailed Musical & Structural Analysis
Regarding “Study in A minor”:
- Structure Detected: Ternary Form (A–B–A) — clear contrast in Section B (bars 17–24) and a well-defined return to the opening theme at bar 25.
- Chromaticism: Present in bars 10–12 — played accurately and smoothly, adding excellent colour and tension.
- Balance & Pedaling: Melody balance was clear throughout; pedalling slightly blurred in bars 11–13 — change more cleanly to preserve harmonic clarity.
- Articulation: Staccato notes in bars 5–8 could be shorter and lighter; legato lines from bar 16 onwards were beautifully connected.
🌟 Concluding Remark & Overall Potential
A very musical and enjoyable performance showing excellent understanding and real technical potential. Your natural sense of phrasing and character communicates the music strongly already. The issues identified are technical details that focused, slow practice will smooth out quickly. You are clearly a dedicated musician with a lot of talent — keep up the excellent work; you have a very bright musical future ahead!
