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The Show Must Go On - MusicOnline UK Podcast - Episode 42

122 views · Published 8 March 2018 · 4:18 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: MusicOnline UK · 2018 · Education

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Want a DISTINCTION in YOUR next ABRSM Exam? https://www.music-online.org.uk/2019/01/how-to-get-distinction-in-abrsm-exams.html Ramblings of a music Teacher  - Episode 42 - The Show Must Go On.

The title of this particular episode is inspired from being ill with flu this week  (as you may be able to hear from my voice) and not really feeling like making my regular Thursday podcast. But then I remember you my subscribers and how you would be waiting for this weeks “ramblings” and thought to myself - The Show Must Go On.

This week I want to talk about what you do when you make a mistake in a performance. Even top professionals sometimes make mistakes, but one thing you never hear them do is stop. I have often said that rhythm is more important than pitch and if you go back to correct the mistake you are then compounding the error by spoiling the flow of the music making a second mistake. To be honest, half the time, unless your audience knows the piece very well and you keep going they probably would not notice. If you stop to make a correction it will be blatantly obvious that something went wrong. Listen to these two versions of the same extract.

In the first there was a mistake - but unless you know the piece it’s quite unlikely you would have noticed. In the second, there are hesitations and corrections and it is much more obvious to everyone.

But what about in an exam. The examiner WILL know the piece. Should you correct mistakes in this instance, because he will know if you made one. Again the answer is NO. The exam is marked not just on getting the pitch of the notes correct, but on an overall musical performance. Any attempts to correct will spoil that performance.

So next time you play a piece you should know well, just be aware if in “performance mode” you keep going whatever, or are in the habit of correcting mistakes. Let me know in the comments below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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