UK Piano Page Piano Forum

Hi everyone.

I had posted here last year asking for advice on piano lessons for my then 3 year old. I've added an update to the piano showcase forum.

http://www.piano-tuners.org/piano-forum ... =18&t=8939

Does anyone have a list of pieces by Grade level which I could use? Her two main books are Bach Anna Madgalena Notebook and Mozart 25 earliest pieces but the pieces in the books seem to vary in difficulty. She is constantly looking for new material to try out so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Regards,

Sanna

Go to your local music shop and have a look at the set exam pieces from the various music boards: Trinity Guildhall, Associated Board, London College and there are others. They sell their books by Grade ranging from initial as far as Grade VIII.

Look at the initial pieces and compare with what your daughter is playing at the moment. There are other books that help develop sight reading such as Paul Harris' range "Improve Your Sight Reading", again organised by grade level. "Piano All Sorts Initial-Grade 1" may also be worth checking out.

Thank you very much for the suggestion. Late last year she did work through most of the ABRSM Grade 1 book and then moved on to the Grade 2 pieces before her tutor suggested the Mozart and Bach books as well. Would the exam pieces from the different music boards be of the same difficulty across the Grades?

Would you suggest going a grade lower so she could use them as quick studies since the Bach pieces take a few weeks to get through?

Sanna,

A pupil of mine just played at the Harrogate Music Festival yesterday, and the book he learnt the 2 pieces from is highly recommended:

The Best of Grade 1 by Anthony Williams (AB)

It contains a mixed and varied program of piano music taken from previous year's exam pieces, and the pieces are not in chronological order.

All the examining Boards will be around the same 'Grade' - their syllabus requirements differ slightly, but I use Associated Board as everyone knows the format for each exam. Your teacher may also be able to provide "intermediate" pieces of music (between the grades), and I arrange well-known songs & tunes for beginners - things like music from 'Oliver' ("I'd do Anything" is a favourite); or music from Disney films - Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and even easy arrangements of pop music/ tv themes etc. Alot of the music is in difficult keys/ notation, so I transcribe it into easy notation - and mostly in C major/ A minor or F/G major. Have a word with your teacher.....

CN

Thanks for the book suggestion Colin. I will have a look for it. Sounds like it will be ideal. I'll ask her teacher too but I wasn't looking for him to set more material for her to cover.. really just more music for her to play around with at home and not feel pressured into getting it perfect by her next lesson. I suppose if I ask in the right way he will not see it as me wanting him to give her more work.

She has been doing a few of the popular songs but by ear. Should I just let her continue that or look for the sheet music?

That is great that is enjoying what she's doing, let her continue to play by ear if she like to explore more on piano. If you feel that she is ready to have a sheet then ask her if she wants to play it.