I am always struggling for material for my post-Grade-5 piano pupils. Has anyone got any suggestions, please? I use Recital Repertoire Bk 1 (Waterman & Harewood), and Hours with the Masters Bk 5, which are o.k., but then it's a scanned Haydn Sonata movement here, a lent out Grieg Lyric piece there, a Song Without Words somewhere else. Grade 8 stuff's easy, all the pieces I play! Any suggestions for compilations of stuff around these grades?
Your help would be appreciated. Steve

The More Romantic Pieces for piano series, book 4 is around G6 standard. I played a lot of stuff from musicals whn I was around that level, as well as some Scott Joplin and Mozart sonatas (mostly completing ones that I had played one movement of). Try to get hold of some old exam pieces as well if only to give you an idea of what is out there. I have all my old books, I can send you the lists of pieces for G6 and 7 for 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999-2000, 2001-2, 2003-4 and current if you are interested in any of them.

Yes, I've got lots of old exam books, thanks, and it's a good idea to use them. It's just trying to avoid getting them to buy lots of different books that's the problem. Thanks for your suggestions, Steve.

If you aren't already familiar with the ABRSM Spectrum books do have a look at them. Books 1 (British) and 3 (international) are the more difficult ones, 2 (British) and the very recent 4 (international) are easier. If your students haven't played any really recent repertoire - everything in the four books was written within about the last 10 years - I suggest it might be good to start with book 2. They should be particularly interesting for players who are also interested in composition, as each piece in each book is by a different composer, and part of their brief was to write in their own style but within certain technical limitations. It's a brilliant concept and a very stimulating collection. All were commissioned and compiled by Thalia Myers, a pianist and teacher. I'm sure there must be more info about them on the main ABRSM Web site.

Good hunting!

The Essential Pianist, published by Kevin Mayhew, has got plenty of well known (and good) piano pieces from Grade 5 - 7 in it.

Thanks, D.C. & J.S. , I'll look into these.

Try the AB Keyboard Anthology. Bk 4 = grade 6: Bk 5 = Grade 7.

There is a first, second and third 'series' at each level, so they give a lot of varied repertoire. Not much from the 20th century.

Steve

Thanks, Steve, I'll check it out. Could be just whet I'm looking for!

Looks like Steve managed to 'whet' your appetite!!! Sorry - apologies - I'm in a bit of a mischievous mood today!!!!

To try to be of some help though, have you looked at the Associated Board 'Easier Piano Pieces' series? They vary in standard but if you can get to a music shop and browse through them, there are some lovely books of music by composers like Gliere, Gounod, Fibich, Moskovski (or however you spell it!), even an introductory Chopin album - many of them post grade 5 level.

Do you find them any use, cd? The reason I ask is; it seems to me they are not well 'graded'. It is many years since I used them because there seemed so few pieces in each book that could be used by an individual pupil. So many of them appeared to me to cover a wide standard of performance, typically four or five grades.

Steve

Thenks very moch,

Hi Steve - you're up late!!! (Like I was up early this morning - school day!!) I find the books useful as library copies - i.e. I lend them out for individual pieces, rather than entire books. They have some wonderful gems in but I can also go for ages and not use a single one, as pupils are increasingly turning to jazz these days.

I'm sure some of them have slightly narrower grade range e.g. 5-6, but yes, agreed, a lot are maybe 4-7 or something like that. You can find out roughly what grades the AB thinks they are on their website, I think (or was it a catalogue I once saw it in......hmm....not sure, but I've seen them all listed with rough gradings somewhere.) Of course, I can recommend book after book if it's jazz/blues style pieces you're after........

(Oh by the way Steve - Hopwood, that is! - did you see Professor Blah's response to my early morning post?!)

Oh yes. Loved both your posting and that of Prof Blah. Two of the more intellectual contributions to these light-weight forums, I feel.

Steve

I remember after my grade 5 exams, my teacher required me to play the following books:

1) masterpieces (don't know if your place has got that one, this is really a cool book)
2) sonata album
3) chophin's mazuka --> nocturnes --> waltz
4) Some modern pop song pieces for sightreading