Elementary

Sarah Watts - Scary Stuff (from Razzamajazz Repertoire Piano)

ABRSM Grade 3 – C3

This excellent character piece calls for an active imagination as you tell a spooky story in sound. Have this story in mind as you play, savouring the tremolo at the end of the B section (a musical scream). 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 >>

Peter Gritton - Haunted House

ABRSM Initial Grade – C1

There is a repeated phrase in the left hand, the right hand playing something different each time. The challenge is to combine a legato touch in one hand with staccato in the other hand. This essential coordination skill can be acquired using an exercise of your own invention based on simple five-finger patterns. The chord at the end of the piece is arpeggiated slowly, as quietly as possible. It is helpful to put the pedal down in the half-bar rest before the chord. Hold the chord as long as you like, until the sound has died away. ... Read >>

Adair - The Lost Bone (No. 9 from Little Dog Tales)

ABRSM Initial Grade – B1

The composer tells us that a naughty puppy called Boots drops his bone to go out chasing rabbits. When he can’t find any rabbits, he returns to find his bone is missing and this makes him very depressed. Perhaps we might find words to fit the left hand’s melodic line? This will assist in the phrase shaping and with the breathing necessary in the shifts at the end of each phrase. There are three different positions in the soft accompanimental right hand chords, not counting the final chord, which is major. This leads us to suspect Boots might have cheered... Read >>

Christopher Norton - Inter-City Stomp (No. 7 from Microjazz Collection 2)

ABRSM Grade 2 – C3

This appealing piece requires imagination and a strong sense of pulse and rhythm to bring it off in performance. A forearm staccato and strong finger tips are essential ingredients. 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 permission of the copyright owner. The Practising... Read >>

Grechaninov - Riding the Hobby-Horse (No. 5 from Children’s Album, Op. 98)

ABRSM Grade 3 – C2

This delightful piece describes a ride on a child’s hobby horse, with some written commentary from the composer. An opportunity to develop forearm staccato, the music contains both marcato and tenuto accents in a variety of different dynamics. An effective pedal texture towards the end adds colour. 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... Read >>

Nancy Litten - The Sad Ghost

ABRSM Grade 3 - B1

This piece depicts a ghost peeping at its old haunts, sighing as it goes. We feel the eeriness of the mood in the mournful main melody, supported by a left hand that features chromatic scales that seem to float downwards. The repeating note pattern at the end takes us to the top registers of the piano, and the ghost disappears. There is the possibility for some colourful pedalling for those who wish to explore it, or the piece can be played without. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) ... Read >>

Burgmüller - 1. La Candeur (Openness) in C major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

Cultivate a singing style in the RH (legato cantabile), shaping the line expressively with nuances. The short phrase marks (slurs) do not necessarily imply a lifting of the hand at the ends but show how the notes are to be grouped (in the manner of string bowing). Interpret these with a slight emphasis on the first note of each group and a subtle diminuendo towards the end of the group. A chord legato wherever possible in the LH progression ensures the smoothest connections and the best control of sound: Crescendo means soft! Start... Read >>

Iles - I’m Late!

Beautifully written for the piano, and full of contrasts in touch and texture, this humorous jazz piece describes the moment in Alice in Wonderland where the White Rabbit goes for his job interview with the Duchess, and Alice follows. Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music form the Trinity College online store (external link). Click here to view... Read >>

Bartók - Dialogue (from First Term at the Piano)

ABRSM Initial Grade – B3

The great Hungarian composer Béla Bartók was an important educator, writing piano music for all levels, including the very early stages. Dialogue comes from a set of elementary pieces entitled First Term at the Piano. It features the two hands in conversation with each other, the right hand leading and the left hand imitating a bar later. Each hand stays in its own hand position throughout; the player’s task is to manage the five-finger positions with flexibility of phrasing and hand movements, avoiding locking the wrist by adjusting it laterally in order to align the arm behind the finger that... Read >>