Elementary

Burgmüller - 2. L’Arabesque (Arabesque) in A minor (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

Keep the LH chords close to the keyboard, the fingertips firm and somewhat active, the wrist loose but relatively still. When practising the LH separately, the following patterns will help to learn the hand shapes: Play RH semiquaver patterns lightly using a drop-roll (down-up) movement generated from the arm. Small lateral adjustments in the wrist keep us free and loose by assisting finger articulation. The first note of each RH group is the strongest, the last note lighter and short. You might practise chaining the drop-roll slurs thus (RH alone): ... Read >>

Burgmüller - 5. Innocence in F Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The tempo is moderate (crotchet = c.100) and the mood graceful. The short RH slurs imply a very slight stress on the first note of each group. A very delicate touch is called for here, the finger tips active and the wrist flexible. This supplementary exercise helps develop the touch. This tapping exercise is useful to secure the hand positions for the progression of chords. Keep fingers close to the keys, and make sure the wrist stays free at all times. Play the expressive sighs in the RH using a... Read >>

M. Praetorius (arr. Jones) - Gavotte in G (from Terpsichore)

ABRSM Initial Grade – A2

Players will be interested that this lively dance in duple time was written around 400 years ago. What sort of costumes might the dancers be wearing, and what sort of steps might they be making? A little online research will yield some answers to feed the imagination. The p-f dynamic contrasts and changes in articulation present worthy challenges for the player at this level.... Read >>

Clarke - King William’s March

In the bright key of D major, the right hand line features forearm staccato bounces, and short and long slurs as it moves nimbly across the keyboard. This energetic piece provides a good opportunity to learn about phrase structure and form. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) 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... Read >>

F. Price - A Morning Sunbeam (No. 3 from Three Sketches for Little Pianists)

ABRSM Grade 1 – B2

There is much musical interest and teaching value in Florence Price’s A Morning Sunbeam! While the melody in the opening section is mostly in the right hand, it passes to the left hand in the answering phrases, thereby extending the melody’s range without moving out of the five-finger position. In the middle section, in the subdominant key of C, the melody is now varied and we find a new feature - some bouncy off-beat chords in the right hand accompaniment. Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) ... Read >>

Crosland - Hand in Hand

Trinity College - Grade 1

Based on the twelve-bar blues, this interesting piece from Ben Crossland’s Get Set Jazz! Grades 0-2 will surely be a popular choice. It gives the opportunity to learn about the primary chords (I, IV and V), which could be used as a basis for improvisation in lessons. The player will need to observe accent and phrasing marks in the right hand, the left hand outlining the basic chords shapes.... Read >>

JC Bach - Aria in F, BWV Anh. 131

ABRSM Grade 1 – A1

JC Bach's Aria in F is part of a new series on the ABRSM syllabus designed for youngsters, or elementary players. This series of articles provides a step-by-step (or phrase-by-phrase) approach to learning the piece thoroughly and securely, building a solid foundation for performance in an exam, or if you... Read >>

Trad. German (arr. Blackwell) - Muss i denn

ABRSM Grade 1 – 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 1 publication here. Open domain editions are also available here. You can listen to a recording of this piece and others from this grade... Read >>

Trad. Swedish (arr. Bullard) - Björnen sover

ABRSM Initial Grade – A3

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 Initial Grade publication here. You can listen to a recording of this piece and others from this grade on Spotify using this link. ... Read >>