Intermediate

Schubert - Minuet and Trio (D. 41 No. 21)

ABRSM Grade 4 – A3

An elegant minuet and trio with some pleasing chromatic touches, this pair of dances is full of interest as well as challenges in touch and articulation.... Read >>

JS Bach - Invention No. 4 in D Minor, BWV 775

One of the most beloved of Bach’s Inventions, this work is ideal for studying two-voiced counterpoint with equal challenges in each hand. In addition to melodic inversion, this lesson highlights how to apply three-dimensional solutions to scalar figures, detached arpeggios, and trills. Fred’s marked score provides detailed analysis of invertible counterpoint, harmony, sequence, and hemiola possibilities. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links Click here to download a Fred's marked score for this work or Click here to... Read >>

Alwyn - The Sea is Angry

This video provides a walk-through of William Alwyn's The Sea is Angry which is an excellent piece for intermediate pianists who want to play something that will expand their sound.... Read >>

Chaminade - Idylle (No. 1 from Album des enfants, deuxième série, Op. 126)

ABRSM Grade 4 - B2

Cecile Chaminade composed around 200 piano works that have become popular because they are manageable by intermediate-level pianists. This picturesque, contented piece paints a pastoral scene in which the melodic line is exclusively in the right hand, the left hand accompanying with broken chord patterns. We achieve the singing style not only by projecting the melody over the accompaniment, but also by shaping the line by phrasing, breathing, and intonation (taking a tiny bit of time over larger intervals). Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) ... Read >>

Burgmüller - 20. La Tarentelle in D Minor (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The tarantella is a fast Neapolitan folk dance in compound time, characterised by spinning patterns. We find many examples in the piano repertoire; Prokoviev’s Tarantella from his Music for Children, op 65, also in the key of D minor and around the same level of difficulty, would make an excellent comparison piece. There are elements of bravura in this étude, fast and loud passages (with repeated notes) alternating with more delicate leggiero phrases. Allow the arm to steer the hand in the introduction, avoiding curling up the fingers on the repeated notes. The fingering from the original edition suggests a... Read >>

Maykapar - Valse (No. 5 from Biriulki, op. 28)

Maykapar’s elegant waltz has plenty of colour and charm. The player can experiment with different types of pedalling to bring the music to life. Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music form the Trinity College online store (external link). Click here to view open domain editions for these works (external link, see page 9). Click here to view the index for our Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus. Click here... Read >>

Mozart - Theme, Var. 1 and Var. 5 (from 12 Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, maman", K. 265)

ABRSM Grade 5 – A10

The French melody Mozart used for his 1785 set of twelve variations, Ah, vous dirai-je, maman first appeared in 1761, and has been used for many children's songs since. The innocent theme presented in the right hand can be coloured by some imaginative articulation in the left hand, with the possibility of some overholding (finger pedalling) in spots to create a harmonic carpet. The semiquaver patterns in the first variation require not only careful control but also contouring and phrase shaping. The fifth variation is all about dialogue between the hands, the one interrupting the other in playful fashion. The... Read >>

Heather Hammond - Changing Times (from Cool Piano 5)

ABRSM Grade 5 – C2

We find two time signatures – 4/4, featuring an expressive RH melody with a flowing LH accompaniment in quavers, and then a contrasting jazz waltz in 3/4, faster and with zingy syncopations. Resources & links Piano Exam Pieces 2021 & 2022, Grade 5 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.... 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 >>