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Haydn - Allegro molto (3rd mvt from Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:50)

This is the last movement of the so-called “English” Sonata in C, inspired by the powerful and resonant Broadwood pianos Haydn encountered on a visit to London in the 1790s. The music is full of humour and lightness of spirit, requiring a sense of comic timing in the fermatas. Dabs of pedal add colour and resonance to the accents (the spread chords) but use it sparingly elsewhere to preserve clarity of texture and articulation.... Read >>

Haydn - Allegro moderato (1st mvt from Sonata in B minor, Hob. XVI:32)

ABRSM Grade 7 – A1

Haydn’s music is so often sunny and positive in mood, with a humorous streak. The Sonata in B minor is surprisingly dark and dramatic in Sturm und Drang style, with only brief hints of brightness in the second subject material of the exposition. That the first subject is highly ornamented and we find no dynamic markings hints that Haydn may have intended the work for harpsichord. Needless to say, any performance on the piano needs to be pianistic: brought to life by a relatively wide range of dynamics and subtle use of the pedal. ... Read >>

Reinagle - Minuet (No. 10 from 24 Short and Easy Pieces)

Trinity College - Grade 1

Alexander Reinagle’s expressive Minuet in C is full of interesting features, and a variety of different dynamics and texture changes for a piece only sixteen bars long. With an emphasis on active listening, touch and phrase shaping, this video explores minuet style and models good practice techniques.... Read >>

Papp - Szöcske (No. 15 from 22 Kis Zongoradarab)

ABRSM Grade 1 – C2

We feel the grasshopper of the title jumping freely from one hand position to the next. It is essential for the elementary pianist to form a strong supportive arch in the hand from the thumb to the 5th finger, and this piece is a useful study not only in helping to develop this shape in the hand, but also in experiencing forearm bounces and mobility across the keyboard.... Read >>

Andrew Eales - Fresh Air

ABRSM Grade 1 – B1

Andrew Eales’ Fresh Air features a gentle tune in the right hand with a chordal accompaniment in mostly long notes below. Here and there the lower right hand fingers are called upon to hold onto a harmony note, presenting a technical challenge that adds to the piece’s value. As the composer points out in the footnote, the chords mostly lack their bass note, which gives the music a sense of weightlessness, as if floating. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This... Read >>

Howells - There Was a Most Beautiful Lady (No.3 from Country Pageant)

ABRSM Grade 6 – B9

Sometimes known as Slow Dance, Herbert Howells’ There Was a Most Beautiful Lady comes from the set Country Pageant composed in 1928. Full of piquant modern harmonies there is a strong sense of a much earlier Old English style in this wistful piece. To bring it off, feel the three main beats in a bar (not too slow) while bringing some flexibility to the challenging rhythmic patterns in the right hand. Project the main melody as though an oboe solo. The pedal markings given in the score are “special” pedals; elsewhere use pedal at your discretion. ... Read >>

H. Hofmann - Minnelied (No. 7 from Stimmungsbilder, Op. 88)

ABRSM Grade 5 - B1

Heinrich Hofmann was a German composer in the Romantic tradition, and in this lovely piece we clearly hear the influence of Robert Schumann. In legato cantabile style, we project and shape the top right hand line as though we were singing it, ensuring the lower right hand notes are very much in the background yet allowing the left hand to supply appropriate support from the bass line. This layered sound requires blending and colouring with the pedal. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) ... Read >>

J. F. F. Burgmüller - Tarantella (No. 20 from 25 études faciles et progressives, Op. 100)

ABRSM Grade 5 – A1

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 5 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 >>

Trad. English (arr. Blackwell) - Parson’s Farewell (from The English Dancing Master)

ABRSM Grade 1 – A3

This arrangement of a traditional English country dance was first published in 1651. We feel the antique flavour of the music in the way that the 7th degree of the scale (C) is often flattened, suggesting the Dorian mode. A contrasting middle section in the relative major features a drone in the left hand, the right hand dancing vigorously above it. ... Read >>