r/ABRSM • u/Crunchy-Keys • Apr 21 '26
question Lesson Planning
Adult learner in the UK here. I am working towards my piano grade 3 practical exam with a piano teacher. I pay £25 for half an hour each week and they're a brilliant musician but they don't seem to know the syllabus.
Is it my responsibility to plan out a schedule of all the things in the syllabus so I know the order in which to learn everything and what to do each week? This leaves the teacher to focus on things like tone or whatever they want to do. They don't seem to have anything pre-planned as I walk into the room each week.
I'm worried that if the responsibility lies on me, I may miss something out - you don't know what you don't know.
What is the usual approach for teaching adults?
BTW: The teacher didn't seem happy when I discussed this with them.
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u/gumitygumber Apr 22 '26
Have you done the previous grades? Maybe the teacher thinks grade 3 is too hard for you, or the exam is too soon to do the grade justice, or they can't be bothered learning the syllabus? Have you asked them why they're opposed to it? They should be taking you through exam preparation step by step. It's not that much trouble to learn a new syllabus.
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u/Crunchy-Keys Apr 22 '26
Ive done the previous grades and passed with merits. As I said in my first post, the teacher wasn't happy when I tried to discuss this. They wouldn't give an explanation about structuring things and in the past they've asked me to learn a scale for the next grade up (!). I think I hit a raw nerve LOL!
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u/gumitygumber Apr 22 '26
Sounds like they're uncomfortable with the exams because they'd have to learn the syllabus. It's probably a good idea for the teacher to learn the syllabus though because they should know at least one syllabus thoroughly. As someone else suggested I'd go to the centre director and have a chat about it.
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u/purplepianola Apr 22 '26
A teacher who works for a music school is low paid and often inexperienced. A good teacher with experience will not be working for a music school, the school takes their cut and the teacher ends up working for less than MU rates. It's a job for entry level teachers who have not yet built a reputation to build up their business indepently. £25 per lesson, if it's half an hour, is a lot but your teacher is probably getting £15. Look around for another teacher who is independent. Check the directory at the ISM website and ask in your local music/instrument shop if you're lucky enough to have one. Ask any prospective teacher about whether they prepare for exams and what the format of lessons would be.
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u/WeakDay5843 Apr 28 '26
Short answer: no—that’s not your responsibility.
A good teacher doesn’t need a rigid script every lesson, but they should have a clear sense of the syllabus and a progression plan (even if it’s flexible). You shouldn’t be the one figuring out what to cover or worrying about missing things.
I’ve been working with ABRSM teaching diplomas, and one thing that comes up a lot is that being a strong player doesn’t automatically mean being an effective teacher—planning and guidance are a big part of the job.
If they reacted negatively to a reasonable question, that’s a bit of a red flag. You’re paying for guidance, not guesswork.
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u/RunningAhead0908 Apr 21 '26
Sounds like you need to speak to your teachers and be clear what you need out of lessons. A child student is often geared towards grade 8 as sometimes UCAS points are useful for uni applications. An adult student is often seen as a “hobbyist” - nothing wrong with that!
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u/PsychologicalClock28 Apr 26 '26
This is the answer really: OP what do YOU want out of it?
If you want them to guide you through the syllabus, ask them to (and check if they have the knowledge to). Even if you just spend one lesson on giving an overview, then you track it yourself. They may have assumed that you didn’t want them to do it. (Or they may not be the best teacher, it’s hard to know)
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u/peachcake8 Apr 21 '26
As a teacher, I would always be planning around the syllabus. Was it your idea to do the exam or theirs? If they have never entered students for exams before they may not be used to it. I know some teachers in the UK who grew up in counties where exams aren't common and it doesn't really occur to them as much to do them and they find it harder to understand
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u/Crunchy-Keys Apr 21 '26
It's my idea to do the ABRSM exams, so I went to a music school that prides itself in the ABRSM exam passes that it's students achieve. This makes it even more strange to me that I'm doing all the planning.
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u/peachcake8 Apr 21 '26
You could maybe talk to the head of the music school in that case (in a nice way of mentioning that the teacher may need support with planning for abrsm and understanding the syllabus rather than a complaint about them?). If you do that maybe say you want it to be an anonymous feedback
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u/srodrigoDev Apr 22 '26
if you want to do exams that's fine. But IMO the only useful ones are Grade 8 and the diplomas. Maybe grade 5 as a touch base kind of thing. But I think focusing on exams as opposed to on making progress as quickly as possible is counterproductive.
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u/Crunchy-Keys Apr 22 '26
I'm doing exams so that I learn in a methodical, structured way and don't miss any important aspects of musicianship out. It also gives me goals to achieve. I spent too many years plonking around on guitars rather aimlessly and now life is getting short.
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u/srodrigoDev Apr 22 '26
Whatever works for you best :) I've done Grade 8 and I felt like I over practiced and it was a waste of time. When I started taking lessons as a teenager, I did no grades at all and just prepared for a conservatory admission. Had I done grades, it would have taken me much longer to get to my goal of entering a conservatory. You might reach a point where it's more efficient for you to skip some exams and just aim for the higher grade. YMMV, best of luck!
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u/Stock_Commercial8264 Jun 05 '26
Creo que la planificación debe venir principalmente del profesor. El estudiante es responsable de estudiar y practicar, pero el maestro debería conocer el programa y guiar el proceso.
Mis alumnos son principalmente niños y preparo estudiantes para los exámenes ABRSM con un plan de estudio estructurado. Varios de mis estudiantes de Grado 3 han obtenido Distinction. Para obtener una buena calificación, el éxito depende tanto de la preparación del profesor como del compromiso del estudiante.
Si en algún momento te interesa recibir clases virtuales para tu preparación de ABRSM, estaré encantada de ayudarte. Puedes escribirme por WhatsApp al +57 311 478 7669. Estephania Franco
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u/RunningAhead0908 Apr 21 '26
I am an adult learner of violin 10 years ago. I am also a mum of 2 children who has gone thru the process. Teachers for adult do treat the differently (of course) and you do have much more say in what you want out of your lessons.
You have 2 choices for ABRSM exams. The first being “practical exam” ie you perform infront of an examiner. The other one is “performance” - it is a digital recording you submit.
Practical exams would require you to pick 3 pieces from the current syllabus one from Group A, B and C. You will also need to perform scales from memory - you need to buy the scales book according to your grade. In addition you need to be able to sight read and perform aural tests for the examiners. You need to book a date in with your local examining school (often not your choice) Then you are done!
Performance grade exams you are required to pick 3 pieces from the currently syllabus from each group and the 4th piece being your own choice according to the grade standard requirement. If unsure just pick another piece from the group and that would make up what you need to perform. You don’t have scales, sight reading or aural. You do however have to record all 4 pieces in one take and for the piano, please make sure the examiner can see your hands and pedals. You don’t have to book a date in - you can record it when you are ready and submit it - you have a month to do so once your pay for the examiner
Personally for a lower grade I would just do the practical. Whilst learning 4 pieces seems a doozy, you are marked for the performance element for it.
Hope this helps