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Cimarosa - Sonata in G, C.34
ABRSM Grade 4 – A2
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 4 publication here. Open domain editions are also available here. You can listen to a recording of this piece and others from... 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 >>
Diabelli - Allegretto in C (No. 3 from Die ersten 12 Lectionen, Op. 125)
ABRSM Grade 1 – A1
This pleasant Allegretto was intended as an instructional piece by its composer, Anton Diabelli. There is much the elementary player can learn from it. From forearm bounces to expressive drop-roll slurs, we learn to control the tonal balance between the hands so that the melodic line shines through. There is a satisfying symmetry in the phrase structure (2+2+4 bars) and a smooth modulation to the dominant key. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for digital download individually... Read >>
Mozart - Allegro (1st movt from Sonata in F, K. 332)
ABRSM Grade 8 – A2
The first movement from Mozart’s Sonata in F, K. 332 is bursting with different ideas, contrasted so dynamically you would think you were at the circus! From innocent, graceful minuets to the drama of the hire-wire act (with its gravity-defying hemiolas) we aim to characterise each scene of the opera as vividly and as colourfully as possible. 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... Read >>
Badings - Canon
In this interesting little canon by Dutch composer Henk Badings both hands are of equal importance. The piece offers a wealth of possibilities for teaching the elementary player how to listen carefully as the melody line is passed back and forth between the hands, and how to phrase musically. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music from the Trinity College online store (external link). Click here to... Read >>
Kuhlau - Allegro (1st mvt from Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1)
ABRSM Grade 6 – A3
Friedrich Kuhlau’s sonatinas are beautiful examples of sonata form in miniature, ideal vehicles for the study of sonatas by the Classical masters. The structure is crystal clear in this Allegro; we find a satisfying mix of cantabile melodies (accompanied by Alberti basses), brilliant passages in fast scales, and dramatic moments that feature left hand octaves (it is perfectly fine to add touches of pedal here). Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for digital download individually from the... Read >>
Beethoven - Moderato (1st mvt from Sonatina in G, WoO Anh. 5)
ABRSM Grade 2 – A2
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 2 publication here. Open domain editions are also available here. Click here to view our From the Ground Up edition which uses a reduced score to give you a step-by-step approach to learning this piece. You can listen to a recording... Read >>
Trad. Chinese (arr. Yip) - Kangding Love Song
ABRSM Grade 2 – B3
Kanding Love Song is a traditional Chinese song featuring a pentatonic melody in the right hand against an Alberti-style accompaniment in the left. The player will need to listen carefully to the tonal balance between the hands, projecting the melodic line with attention to the articulation and hairpin crescendo-diminuendo markings. In the second part of the piece we find dialogue as one hand answers the other. This piece calls for imagination and delicacy of touch. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links ... Read >>
Nikki Iles - The Elephant Parade
ABRSM Initial Grade – C2
Using the notes of the scale of D natural minor, The Elephant Parade not only describes a long line of elephants lumbering along the road but also gives the opportunity to compare the pianist’s arm to an elephant’s trunk. Requiring strength in the finger tips yet flexibility in the wrist and arm, this fun piece serves as a useful elementary study. As with all the pieces in the Initial syllabus, laying down solid technical groundwork is essential for the elementary player’s future progress and healthy development.... Read >>