Hello
I am hopefully going to pass my grade threee piano (practical) in Nov.05.
I do feel inadequate though as many pieces I find state "easy piece for children".
I am an adult learner and don't find these pieces easy at all.
I recently got a book from the library ( The complete Pianist's Pleasure) EASY ARRANGEMENTS.....in the book is Grieg's The Watchman's Song....
Apart from the odd note the arrangement is the same as the grade 4 piece in the 2003-04 syllabus.
What is the highest graded piece that you have seen and it's been called easy...
Also at what grade are pieces not called easy...
BFN Mike

Well, there was the Bossa Nova I played for Grade 5 from Mike Cornick's 'Easy Jazzy Piano'. I enjoyed playing it, but I never found it particularly easy.

I find this annoying too, Mike - I'm also at about Grade 3-ish but not taking an exam this time.

On the other hand I don't think I'd pick up a piece of music that said "Rather Tricky Works for Piano" or "Fiendishly Difficult Pieces" or the like......

Cheers

Katyjay

I think they sometimes call them easy so you will buy them...I have looked as some and thought .....this looks ok then sit and try them and find them a bit hard...still I have plenty saved up to play...
Easy Jazz grade 5....surely grade 5 isn't that easy....Do you grade 6 plus players think grade 5 is easy now you've gone past that marker....
Well just off to play that easy piece I bought earlier...Think it's called The Warsaw Concerto ....should knock it off in a couple of hours I think...
BFN Mike

Now that I am gearing up for grade 8 piano, looking back, grade 5 doesn't seem much of a challenge now even if at the time it was. I understand that it is frustrating when you are playing pieces for the early grades and they are termed as 'for children' etc.

However, take solace in the fact that 6 years ago when I was doing grade 1, the grade 1 pieces looked quite complicated and were quite a challenge to learn. Now, looking back, they are so easy I wouldn't even bother playing them, not even for sight-reading practice. As I said, I am doing grade 8 now and looking at them, they look quite hard and are a challenge to learn. Hopefully, in another 5 years, they will be easy.

So, Plink Plonk, if you stick with it, in a few years you will experience the same progress that I have made. You will find the grade 3 pieces easy - the very same ones you find a challenge now. It is all relative.

Shelton

I saw a book a few months ago and it said 'Easy Mozart'. When I opened up the book, it certainly did not look 'easy'.

might have been the book i got for Christmas when i was 10...*nearly faints*

Ditto. I have been working on grade 3 stuff, the same as you; but "easy piano" is sooo hard.

Look at the AB publication "Chopin, an nitroductory album" with is in the series "Easier Piano Pieces" (not the use of "Easier" rather than "Easy"). It starts with what is almost an apology saying that none of Chopin's music is "easy"! I would say the easiest pieces in there must be grade 4/5, there are several Grade 7 / 8.

I also have a CD ROM called Sonatinas and Easy Classics which includes Claire de Lune

This is one of my pet hates too. There is something on the grade 5 syllabus now from 'easy studies' or something like that. I have a book of Kabalevsky's Childrens Pieces some of which are rated (by the publisher of the book as grade7!). I appreciate that there is much harder piano repertoire out there and that in the grand scheme of things some pieces aren't that difficult; but spending time learning something which is classed as 'easy' isn't exactly motivating.

It is worth noting though that easy is dependent on how well you play the piece: I'd find it easier (i.e. could do it quicker) to play a grade 8 piece to 'pass' standard than a grade 6 piece to distinction standard. Try not to be disheartened though; it's about how well you play it, not how hard it is . Wherever you get to there'll always be someone who says 'I can play that it's easy' these people ususally aren't the best pianists either .

Hello
So if it's possible to find almost grade eight type pieces in Easy/easier pieces...how hard are the hardest pieces...
After grade eight does this mean you can't play everything (so to speak)...
I know there is diploma etc...but if a piece was found called hardest pieces ever fore piano what grade would it considered to be...
Let's assume there are 100 grades and eight is grade eight...also assume equal quality of playing............
Does anyone know...

bfn Mike

FRSM is the highest, that is the highest qualification. Hardest piece? I beleive that anyone can play any piece, it just needs a lot of practice. Obviously, the higher the grade or ability you are the less time you will need to play it.

Instead of finding the most diificult in facts. Try to find the hardest piece in people's opinion.

I think that at any one time, there are only a few people in the world who can play some of Rachmaninov's concertos.

Seems strange as we're so used to hearing these peices but it's like anything else that involves commitment and training.

Watch the olympics and you get the impression everyone runs a mile in under 4 min these days. In actual fact there are very few living people who can come anywhere near that level of acheivement.