The new books (except for the moment Grade 3) have now been published and although it is good to have some new material to work with, they appear to have made substantial changes to the exams, most of which I do not like.

The format is now like piano exams in that there are only List A and List B pieces and you have to choose at least one piece from each group. One piece may be an own composition (of similar standard to the others). Some pieces are marked as suitable for improvisation or own interpretation but there is no need to choose one of these. If an own interpretation is chosen the candidate has to write 50 words to explain what they have done and why!! (presumably to stop the teacher from writing the interpretation). The ridiculous number of scales has been reduced and is now like the piano syllabus where there are just 2 majors and two minors. So far, so good, but now for the bad bits.

Despite the possibility of playing in single finger mode, the candidate has to be able to play named chords in root position and inversions (just first inversions for Grade 1 but first and second for Grade 2). Most of the suggested ways of playing these chords are outside the accompaniment section of the keyboard so I wonder what is the point of getting candidates to play chords that they will never use. N.B. This item comes in the extra "Exercises" section that has been introduced (as in piano exams)

Secondly, despite keyboard players not needing to read the bass clef, another exercise requires candidates to read from a piano score even from Initial grade.I can understand them requiring the ability to read piano scores at higher grades because at Grade 6 and above they have to play from a piano score using the "harmonise from across the entire keyboard" function that is present on the £500 + bracket of keyboards that are needed for such grades. Thus you hear the piano part as written plus an accompaniment. I do not see the point of beginner keyboard players learning bass clef.

Thirdly, many pieces require 3 changes of voice. If candidates have the basic Yamaha keyboards with only 2 memory buttons they are going to have to start messing about turning a wheel to change the bank and pressing a button whilst keeping the music going!!

Our keyboard levels of attainment were written to match the requirements of Trinity exams at the time and I am not going to re-write them to accommodate these, to me ,pointless new tasks that have been added. I think I will be entering less candidates than ever.