Elementary

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 >>

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 >>

Handel - Gavotte in G, HWV 491

ABRSM Grade 3 – A3

A model of symmetry and tightly organised musical structure, Handel’s Gavotte in G gives the player scope for developing sensitivity of touch and articulation in both hands. 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 by permission of the copyright owner. The Practising the Piano Online... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Head - The Quiet Wood

ABRSM Grade 1 – B3

This piece has an interesting structure that will interest enquiring minds. The opening six-bar phrase returns twice more, both times with slight variations on the original. See if you can describe these differences. A four-bar middle phrase gives the piece an overall A A’ B A’’ design. Sing the melodic line to discover high and low points of the phrase, and where it needs to breathe. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece... Read >>

Daniel Gottlob Türk - Arioso

In the expressive style, with sighing appoggiaturas and chromatic touches, this piece requires a singing right hand with lots of shaping and nuances. 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). Click here to view the index for our Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus. Click here to view a... Read >>

Schein (arr. Snell) - Allemande

An allemande is a serious, noble dance in moderate time, very common in baroque suites. In this video, I explore some possibilities for touch, articulation and dynamics, as well as outlining the structure and shape of the piece. Developing an understanding of compositional devices (such as sequence and modulation, etc.) in the early stages of our musical journey will help us appreciate how music is built, which in turn speeds up the learning process as we become more advanced. Resources & links Click... Read >>