http://www.abrsm.org/?page=exams/gradedMus...Syllabuses.html

Thanks for that

Brilliant! Grade 6 list looks good.

Thanks for the heads-up, Spaceman.

I plan to take Grade 7 next year, so I now need to decide whether to use the 2005-2006 or 2007-2008 syllabus.
One thing though, based on the title alone, I doubt I could play a piece called "Willie Wagglestick's Walkabout"!

It's a brilliant piece - if it's the same one that's in one of my books Foy's Foibles, then it's great fun!!!!

Thanks for letting us know spaceman. So are the books available to buy now?

Lisa xxx

Looks like it...
http://www.abrsmpublishing.com/publications/4615

Thanks, spaceman. It's nice to see that a few old favourites of mine are back in the syllabus!

Thanks Spaceman - have had a good browse.

Ive just had chance to look at Grade 6 - 8 piano pieces set.

Are they trying to dumb down Grade 8 ? There are some easy options in the list.

I would feel a bit of a fraud if I passed grade 8 playing the Scarlatti A minor Sonata, Mozart K332 or K309 first movement ,and the Grieg Nocturne.

You may not believe this but I actually played the first movement of K332 for GRADE FOUR (London College), when I was about 11 in 1958 ! K309 is also straightfoward.

The Grieg Nocturne is surely about Grade 6 in standard. Its certainly easier than Butterfly in the Grade 7 syllabus (this has previously been in Grade 8 I think). The only problem with this is counting the rhythms properly, but easily mastered.

Even the Chopin F Minor Nocturne is not really Grade 8 difficulty.

I know people have different conceptions of what is easy and what is difficult, and I appreciate in the Mozart Sonatas, its more of an interpretation thing than just getting the notes right, but surely those two Sonatas are not Grade 8 standard. After K545 they are probably the easiest two.

I guess this post will be controversial, but I do not apologise for it.

Thanks, fsharpminor. I've at last found a List B Grade 8 piece that I feel comfortable with: no prolonged octave passages or 4-part chords for me to stretch around, and now I'm expected to feel a fraud because it's manageable. Great.

I'm currently preparing for DipABRSM clarinet, and my programme includes the first, second and fifth movements of the Finzi Five Bagetelles, which have recently appeared on the Grade 6 (first and second movements) and Grade 8 (fifth movement) syllabi. Whilst this might make them technically easier than some of the other pieces available, I hope it doesn't make my choice any less valid. There is, after all, the small matter of interpretation, which is expected for the higher grade exams and diplomas, and is often far harder in the technically easiest works.

Just because one person finds something easy doesn't necessarily mean that someone else will as well. K332 has several bars of triplets against RH legato octave quavers, and K309 has LH melody - no prizes for guessing on which few bars in these sonatas I'd have to work hardest.

Well I guess everyone should be playing those pieces up to concert standard then since they are so easy.

The Grieg Nocturne is actually quite hard to interpretate, a lot harder than the Butterfly.

Different people find different things hard. For example, I can play and interpretate classical pieces quite easily but my teacher loathes it. He however, finds Debussy pretty easy but I wouldn't even poke it with a 50m rod.

It's up to the candidate to pick a programme which is a balance between fast virtuoso pieces and calm full-of-emotion pieces.

Anyway, you don't have to choose those pieces you find easy. There are loads there!

On a completely separate, uncontroversial note - wow, the colour's pretty

Who knows, I might get round to going back to piano and taking my Gr 8 at some point on this syllabus *goes off to browse*

:hugs: I feel the same. I was having a great time learning not one, but two sub-standard pieces. I suppose I should be grateful that the Mendelssohn P+F is 'hard enough'

Just got back from the music shop. I bought the grades 1 - 4 books for my piano students and have played through all the pieces. I must say, although I am not impressed with every single piece, the majority of them are pretty good this time. Well done the AB!

I think 'The Bee' in the grade 2 book is a nice piece and I think my students will really enjoy playing it! As usual, the jazzy C pieces are really pleasant too, although some of them will be challenging!

What does everyone else think?

I bought the book of grade 7 pieces the other day & although there are a few that I'm not too keen on, I really like most of them so it'll be hard to choose which ones I'll play!

I love 'Willie Wagglestick's Walkabout' from the C list, it's a real jazzy piece & looks really fun to play. I've started learning a little bit of it already & although some parts are a little tricky, I think I'm going to really enjoy playing it. I'm not sure which pieces I'll choose from the other two lists yet but I really like the sound of 'Octobre: Chant d'automne' from the B list. It's a beautiful piece & really expressive so I think it'll be a real contender!

Lisa xxx

I don't have the G7 book, but I did download the Bill Evans "Time Remembered" C list piece via a link from the publisher's web site. I thought it would be good to try playing a "real" jazz piece. However, I was shocked at the length of the piece. It's 8 pages long (don't know how many bars), this seems to be much longer than other pieces at this level. Unless it's easy to learn (which didn't obviously seem to be the the case at first glance) it seems to be much harder than other pieces at this level just because of its length.

I note that we now have two threads running on the new syllabus. Why do posters start a new thread when there is already one similar running.

Ok Im a grumpy old man of 59 !

Hello

The two threads have now been merged so that all the comments are in the same place. If you notice threads about the same subject again, just let one of the moderators know and we can merge them together.

Thanks

What colour is it?

It's light blue.

I quite liked the purple one. The green one was nice too. Didn't like the red one though.

omg how can they have dumbed down gr8 so much

Im not having a go at those of you who are glad it has been,

but ive been working away on the 05/06 syllabus for over a year now and took my gr8 exam on sat...and the day after it i log on and find that they have got rid of half the scales and have much much easier pieces, it is kind of annoying!

Same number of scales, I just looked.
There were 8 starting notes before (major and minors) and there are now.

As for pieces, some people might think the opposite to you.
What is easy or hard is a personal view.

I hadn't realised the scales requirement had changed. I'm glad you pointed it out, although I know all the scales on the current syllabus.

'Easy' is in the eye of the beholder. There are some less stretchy pieces on this syllabus, for which I am grateful. But there are also pieces on this Grade 8 syllabus that are also set for diplomas, apparently, one of which I am playing. For me a piece I can reach is 'easier' than one I cannot.

No, I've just looked again, the scales are exactly the same. They've just clarified the nomenclature used, so that Db major is paired with C# minor, and Ab major with G# minor.

sorry my mistake about the scales

there is one thing about interpretation, but you cannot tell me that that easier mozart sonata k-somethingorother is in the same league of difficulty as the haydn Eb-major no.49 sonata that i played from the list this year...was very hard!

Well, the Haydn C major is on the new list. I know someone who is playing the sonata for LRSM, and who found the first movement one of the trickiest pieces on her programme.

The Mozart is much less stretchy than most of the current List B, from which I had learned the Clementi G major. For the sake of my left hand, which has developed a large ganglion since I've been playing piano at this level, I am thankful.

I've learnt four (at least) pieces from each of the last four grade eight syllabi - the blue, red, green and purple books. I've been looking at two already from this latest offering. I can't say I notice a huge difference in standard. It's not like I've been able to sight-read any of the pieces!!

I will tend to stick to similar styles and composers - what I'm happiest learning in my own little world. Thus, I feel relatively qualified to give my opinion on these pieces. There are some pieces on a grade eight syllabus, from any year, that I cannot play. Simple as that.

Try not to come across as 'I've worked so hard, now I'm done. It's so easy for all you lot, it's so unfair. They're dumbing it down for you.' Please don't belittle others' achievements before they have even tried for them. You sound like you took A' levels many moons ago