Test on Piano Pedagogy and Performance

Question 1: The character and volume of sound produced on a piano are dependent on the speed at which the piano key descends to the key bed.

A. Ano

B. Ne

Explanation: The study materials state that 'it is vital for the pianist to understand that the character and volume of sound depends on the speed at which the piano key descends to the key bed. To control the speed of key descent is to control the volume. It is also to control the tonal colour'.

Question 2: According to Robert Schumann's 'Rules and Maxims for Young Musicians,' which of the following is NOT a sign of being 'intelligently musical'?

A. Almost foreseeing what is coming when playing a new piece

B. Laboriously playing a piece through with eyes painfully fastened on the notes

C. Playing an old piece by heart

D. Having taken music not only into your fingers, but into your head and heart

Explanation: Schumann states, 'You are not so when, with eyes painfully fastened on the notes, you laboriously play a piece through; you are not so when you stop short and find it impossible to proceed, because some one has turned over two pages at once.' The other options describe what it means to be intelligently musical.

Question 3: Musicians must train themselves to think in fractions of a second when approaching passage-work and scales.

A. Ano

B. Ne

Explanation: The study materials state that 'musicians must train themselves to think in fractions of a second – a half, a quarter, an eighth, even a sixteenth of a second' when approaching passage-work and scales.

Question 4: According to the study materials, which of the following practices is recommended for mastering wide skips?

A. Move the entire arm as quickly as possible just above the keys to arrive at the other end on time.

B. Practise moving the arm horizontally as quickly as you can to the position for the next note, without playing it, and check that the finger is above the correct note.

C. Attempt to arrive at the required note position for a skip before it is actually due.

D. Focus solely on finger exercises to increase the speed and accuracy of the individual fingers.

Explanation: The text states that a wide skip involves moving the whole arm as quickly as possible just above the keys to arrive in time. It also suggests arriving at the destination before you're due, and specifically recommends practising moving the arm horizontally as quickly as possible to the required position for the next note without playing it, while checking finger placement. The text does not suggest focusing solely on finger exercises for skips; rather, it emphasizes whole arm movement.

Question 5: Aspiring performers are encouraged to imitate interpretations from recordings of other artists to develop their unique style.

A. Ano

B. Ne

Explanation: The study materials state, "I strongly advise my pupils to think carefully about these markings and never to imitate other performers' interpretations from a recording that never changes." It also advises, "One must never, however, ape another artist."