This is one of my long-time favorites from the “invention” category (List C). Not only is the imitation a challenge, it’s got lots of expressiveness and a hefty dose of mysteriousness. Scales and broken chords: the candidate plays a selection of scales and broken chords from the syllabus, as requested by the examiner. Learn the right and left-hand parts separately. Be patient and play slowly until you’ve learnt the notes.

On the big day, remember that it’s normal to feel nervous. But don’t let nerves get the better of you. Take your time. Get used to the piano and make sure the stool is at the right height before you start playing. The book is cutesy, but Angelfish is a surprisingly mature-sounding piece. There are plenty of patterns that make it easy to play, but it sounds a little more complex. The whole Connections book is great, and Merry-Go-Round is one of my favorite tunes of the whole grade. It sounds classy and fancy, but requires intelligent pedaling and good expression.Just a little syncopated pedal, but nothing too complex for those just getting into pedaling. This is a very nice-sounding piece, and is good practice for making your way across the keyboard. Do you have any question on Grade 1 Piano pieces? Take a look at the most frequently asked questions below: We’ll take a closer look at the exam pieces later on. But for now, let’s look in a little more depth at the technical parts of the exam. You have to choose one piece to play from sections A, B, and C of the Grade 1 Piano syllabus. For 2019 & 2020 there’s a great selection. Melodic features: Mainly stepwise movement or small intervallic transitions – overall tessitura generally not greater than an octave

Find and listen to your piano pieces online. Listening to them can give you a better understanding of how a piece is meant to sound. So, with all this in mind, how can you best support your child in preparing for the Grade 1 piano exam?In the aural test, the examiner will play a short passage of music. Candidates will be asked to do the following four things: I love teaching this piece, and my students love it too. If you struggle with a steady beat or staccatos, this is a good one to try out. Don’t be worried about your singing voice! Only pitch is assessed not vocal quality. The examiner will be happy to adapt to the vocal range of the candidate, you can potentially hum or whistle or sing at a different octave if needed! How do you prepare for the ABRSM Grade 1 Piano Exam? Regular piano lessons. A great piano tutor. And lots of practice at home. When you’re practicing, save the best till last. You’re much more likely to stay motivated if you know your favourite piano playing is still to come.

Aural tests: the candidate listens to the examiner play a passage of music on the piano and then answers questions about it. Are you taking your Grade 1 Piano exam soon? Take a look at these tips to improve your piano practice and exam preparation: In Grade 1, we take our chord study a step further and talk about cadences. Cadences are like musical punctuation - you'll see them throughout the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern periods of music. Choose pieces that you like to listen to. It’s easier to learn something when you find it interesting. Ask your piano tutor to play pieces from the syllabus so you can choose your pieces for the exam together.When you see a whole piece of music you might wonder how on earth you’re going to learn to play it. But breaking it down with your piano tutor will things will seem much easier. If you're interested in how the grade 1 piano exam works through the RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music), this video is for you. Even if you have absolutely no interest in taking exams, this is useful information to know if you're self-studying (or just want to better understand what your teacher is telling you).

There are many chords out there in the world. So far we've learned major and minor chords. In this video/post, the discussion evolves to 7th chords - the different varieties, and how to form them. Technically Baroque (not Classical), but we're using it as a blanket term here. I teach this one a lot, as it offers a nice blend of repetition, patterns and challenge. It also sounds good (a bonus). This is a part of the official RCM grade 1 syllabus. This one is in the same vein as Telemann's Fantasia, but much more difficult. It is in the Grade 1 piano syllabus for the RCM, so it's still at the same level, but there are many more leaps to be found here - and it's faster too. The total possible mark is 150. A pass is 100 marks. A pass with Merit is 120 marks. And a pass with Distinction is 130 marks. Once you’re able to play the piece with both hands, work on the dynamics. That means playing loudly when you see an f or playing softly when you see a p. Your piano tutor will help you to recognise any dynamic elements in the piece.Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice your pieces the better you’ll be able to play them. And the more confident you’ll be on exam day.