Elementary

Schumann - The Merry Farmer (No. 10 from Album for the Young, Op. 68)

ABRSM Grade 4 – B2

Schumann’s piano music is a joy to play – it is full of inspiration, fantastic contrasts in mood and character as well as beautiful melodies and breathtakingly beautiful harmonies. This series of articles provides notes outlining how to approach learning The Merry Farmer, Returning from Work from the Album for... Read >>

Elgar (arr. Jones) - Salut d’amour (Op.12)

ABRSM Grade 3 – B1

Elgar’s famous violin melody is transcribed for piano by Richard Jones in a setting that requires careful balance between the two hands, as well as control of tone in the left hand. Use of the pedal is essential. Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2021, Grade 3 is available from the ABRSM online shop here. The syllabus upon which these Practising the Piano Online Academy materials are based is © by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and is reproduced... Read >>

A. Reinagle - Minuet in C (No. 10 from 24 Short and Easy Pieces, Op. 1)

ABRSM Grade 1 – A3

Alexander Reinagle’s white-key Minuet in C is a model of symmetry. There are four 4-bar phrases in question and answer format, the first and third ending on the dominant, the second and fourth resolving to the tonic. The melodic line is presented in the right hand, the left hand accompaniment alternating between long notes and springy quavers. This piece offers the player the opportunity to develop tonal balance between the hands and variety in touch and articulation. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources &... Read >>

Pam Wedgwood - The Detective (No. 6 from Up-Grade! Piano Grades 1–2)

ABRSM Grade 1 – C3

The Detective encourages the player to come up with a vivid storyline for what might be happening in this piece. Imagine the scene, the characters involved and what they are doing. What is the outcome? The use of emojis drawn or stuck on the score at strategic points can assist with this narrative.... Read >>

Attwood - Allegro (1st mvt from Sonatina No.1 in G)

ABRSM Grade 2 – A1

Thomas Attwood was a student of Mozart, and we find many hallmarks of the master’s style in this melodious Allegro. The player will need to attend to expressive phrase shaping, articulation and balance between the hands. Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2021, Grade 2 is available from the ABRSM online shop here. The syllabus upon which these Practising the Piano Online Academy materials are based is © by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and is reproduced by... Read >>

Burgmüller - 10. Tendre Fleur (Tender Flower) in D Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The presence of a descriptive title inspires the imagination before we even play a note, and Tendre Fleur (Tender Flower) is all about pastel colours, sensitivity of touch and mood, and delicate expression. Marked p delicato, we discover two-note sighing slurs in arpeggio patterns that rise then fall, meandering quaver lines and sparse harmonies. The harmonic language is extremely simple – tonic and dominant harmonies alternate with each other in the home key of D (A section) and then in the dominant key of A (B section). A standard chord progression from bar 13 – 15 breaks the pattern and... Read >>

Mel Bonis - Douce amis (from Album pour les tout-petits, Op. 103)

ABRSM Grade 3 – B2

Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for individual purchase as a digital download here or in print as part of the Piano Exam Pieces 2025 & 2026 Grade 3 publication here. Open domain editions are also available here. You can listen to a recording of this piece and others from this grade on Spotify using this link. ... Read >>

JS Bach - Little Prelude in F, BWV 927

BWV 927 (From the Notebook for Wilhelm Friedmann Bach)

Bach’s lovely Little Prelude in F is a harmonic prelude, essentially an elaborated chord progression. In this article, the basic harmonic skeleton of the piece is gradually fleshed out, allowing students to understand its simple underlying structure, and to work systematically on its various layers.... Read >>

Trad. (arr. Önaç) - What shall we do with the drunken sailor?

ABRSM Initial Grade – A2

The melody of this traditional sea shanty in the dorian mode is clearly presented with some accompanimental material in the left hand. David A. T. Önaç’s clever arrangement presents some useful technical challenges, such as passing a line smoothly from one hand to the other, and changes in touch from staccato to legato. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for digital download individually from the ABRSM shop here or in print as part of the... Read >>