How to practice for Grade 1 Piano in Nov?

[Munashe]

My 13 year old daughter has been doing piano for 2 years and is due her to take test in November. I must admit she hasn't touched the piano since the start of the holidays and is just getting on it now.

How much practice should she be doing now a day? Also are there some hints and tips on what she can do to pass. I was looking at some youtube videos the other day. Are there good ones you can recommend. I am just clueless in this area so I would appreciate some advice on what she can do to help her between now and Nov. She will start seeing her tutor again in September.

What sort of things are the examiners looking for at this stage to gain good marks?

To get a Pass she needs to play the right notes at the right time in her pieces - to get Merit or Distinction she needs to do extra detail like louds/softs, playing smoothly/detached in the places where the composer or where her teacher has marked that.
Playing fluently matters - if she stumbles at a particular point then that place needs separate slower practice.
Pretty much no one loves scales but they give extra useful marks and I offer chocolate to my students who get full marks for this section because it can be done!
Sight reading is often a challenge at Gd 1, does she have a book to use to practice this?
Aural tests can be FUN! If she's doing ABRSM there is a useful app to help, Gd 1 is free.

Has she got the ABRSM pieces book yet? If she has and has already selected her pieces then her tutor should be giving her advice on how to practice. It's not hard to do well on grade 1 provided that she is well prepared. Practice daily, scales, arpeggios then pieces. She should aim for about 30 minutes a day at this stage which was plenty when ds did his last year (passed with merit).

What is the reason for looking at the youtube videos? Is it to decide which piece to choose hear how it should sound? It is fine to watch them to hear what they are meant to sound like but please don't mistake them as models to "ape" for exam. That said, the ABRSM have a grade 1 piano exam video which shows you the sort of things they assess candidates on.

To achieve high marks on pieces, she should pay particular attention to dynamics (loud, soft etc), style of the piece and not any changes in tempo. I don't think they put any emphasis in pedal use at this stage but if she can reach it and the piece has a pedal mark then she could use it.

Sight reading seems to be something that candidates dread most. At this stage she is only expected to do it hands separately. The ABRSM have publications for her to practice this area but you can also give her pieces that are slightly easier than what she is doing now as sight reading practice.

Thank you for your replies.

Reason I was on youtube was just for me to get an understanding of the exam. Yes she has the ABRSM.

I will ask her to read your replies. It will make much more sense to her.

Also when you say practice daily does that literally mean daily or 5 times weekdays are fine? She normally practices in the afternoon when she is tired. I was thinking of getting her to practice 15 mins in the morning and another 15 in the afternoon/ evening.

You only have to practice on the days you eat

I think if it is realistically possible with your family schedule, every day is the way to go, so 7/7. If a dc is really tired, I would let it go, better no practice than really bad practice IMO. Even just doing a few of those Dozen a Day exercises at the weekend rather than her actual pieces is better than not doing anything and it need only take a few minutes.

I can't advise on the actual exams because my dd has never done any but I would make sure you have the scales done and dd is good with sight reading. Is the teacher covering all this or do you need book recommendations?

For Grade 1 mine usually did 15 mins 6/7 days - got 2 merits and 1 distinction and they were all quite young. I found mornings good if we had the time.

Daily practice usually means practice on work days and have the weekend off. Although I said aim for 30 minutes, it was probably closer to 20!

10 mins a day, preferably in the morning, is plenty. My ds did his diploma on 10 mins a day, although it took him six months to learn the pieces.

Huh, daily looks like the way to go even if we can get a couple of minutes practice. I have to get her up 20 minutes early daily so she can get it done first thing. Weekend will be much harder to fit in but I will see what we can do. Many thanks again for your helpful replies.