Continuing my previous post… here are my suggestions of the best pieces on the AMEB’s manual list from Grade 5 – 7 (and one from Grade 8 which I haven’t had as much experience with yet).
There are heaps more that are probably fantastic which I haven’t yet found, so please educate me with suggestions in the comments 🙂
GRADE 5
Hyde – Study for Scales and Staccato – LIST A (also great for a good Grade 4 student as an extra list)
Heller – Study in C Minor and No 16 of 30 Melodious Studies – LIST A
Beethoven – 1st movement of G Minor Sonata Op 69 – LIST BÂ
Clementi – 2nd movement of Sonatina in D major – LIST B
Mozart – movements from the 2nd and 4th Viennese Sonatina – LIST B
Grieg – Arietta No 1 Op 12 – LIST C
Bartok – Stamping Dance – LIST D
Norton – Tango, Beguine, Five to Eleven – LIST D
GRADE 6
Czerny – Study in E Major – LIST A (great fun, fast piece, lots of movement in 3rds with two hands)
Bach – Little Preludes – LIST A (worth investigating but vary greatly in difficulty)
Heller – No 20, 21 from Op 45 and No 12 from Op 46 – LIST A (all musical and suitably challenging)
Beethoven – Minuet and Minore from Op 22 – LIST B (challenging, but very rewarding)
Tchaikovsky – Chanson Triste Op 40 – LIST C
Norton – Preludes II and V – LIST D (as you can tell, I’m quite a fan of Norton!)
GRADE 7
Bach – D Major P&F Book 1 – LIST A
Moscheles – Study 6 Op 70 – LIST A
Beethoven – C Minor Sonata 3rd mvt – LIST B
Haydn – 1st movement of Sonata in D Major – LIST B
Mendelssohn – Tarantella in C Major No 3 Op 102 – LIST C (fantastic fun work and only 2 pages – the real challenge is the tempo!)
Bonsor – Willie Wagglestick’s Walkabout – LIST D (a winner for any student – fun, musical, not overly difficult)
Debussy – Golliwog’s and La Fille Aux Chevaux – LIST D (two of his best-known works and both wonderfully musical and not without challenge)
Joplin – Pineapple Rag – LIST D
Norton – any of the preludes – LIST D (vary in challenge, but all beautifully written
GRADE 8 (only one so far!)
Moskowski – Etude in G minor Op 72 No 2 – LIST A (fun and a little like Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude – good LH workout!)
…What are your favourites?
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3 Comments
Thanks heaps Bee! I look forward to checking them out.
Hi Tim, here are a few more of my favourites to add to your list:
Grade 5
Mendelssohn: Venetian Gondola Song (Op 19b No.6) LIST C
Bailey: Left Hand Drive LIST D
Grade 6
Bailey: Reflection from Six Sketches LIST D
Grade 7
Henselt: Si oiseau j’etais (AMEB syllabus lists it as Si j’etais oiseau) LIST A
Albeniz: Tango from Espana Op 165 LIST C
Granados: Danza Espanola No 5 from 12 Danzas espanolas LIST C
Bartok: Sonatina – first and third movements are LIST D
Copland: Jazzy (No 3 from Three Moods) LIST D
Sculthorpe: Djilile (from Three Pieces for Piano) LIST D
Grade 8
Lots of great pieces, but a particular favourite is Gershwin: Prelude No 1 LIST D
Hi Tim, great post! I’d like to add for Grade 6 List D, the first and third movements of the Kabalevsky Sonatina (Op 13 no 1) and Bonsor’s Feelin’ Good. For List C, Grieg’s ‘Puck’ (Smatrold) Op 71 No 3.