has anyone noticed that the grade 6 pieces are never that good with the exception of the odd jazz pieces. I'm now doing grade 7 piano and the A list is amazing

I really like the current AB grade 6 pieces!

Apart from Microforms that is

the A list isn't that good with the exception of the beethoven

I'd say the Beethoven is the most interesting/challenging. The Sonata in F sounds nice, but I'd probably choose the Gigue if it were my own exam.

Rumba Toccata you either love or hate. I think it's great fun All a matter of taste I suppose.

I didn't see last year's book so I don't know how these ones compare to previous pieces.

I don't like many of the Grade 6 pieces. Started the Gigue but teacher decided to take a break from exams just now and work on repertoire. Also played one of the alternatives ( not sure what list its on) its Refrain du gondolier. Really like that one.

Have not been inspired by many of the others.

The Sonata is ok I think - quite like it.

Rumba Toccata - yes, I think it's great fun too. The gigue I liked straight away (and I don't always like Handel).

The Heller is lovely, one of my favourite pieces by that composer.

The Beethoven I can take or leave I'm afraid - sorry !

the gigue came across as dull it sounds a lot better on the harpsichord the refrain du gondolier is OK and a good piece but it doesn't take that long to learn. i managed to sight read it. is anyone taking the grade 6 exam

I have a few pupils taking it, but only in Trinity Guildhall...

I think the selection is really good, and agree that Microforms is pretty horrible. The rest, however are all pretty nice.

I'm doing g6 in March and I'm playing the Sonata in F for A, Refrain du gondolier for B(I love that piece) and probably Rumba Toccata for C, but I tend to shake a lot when nervous so I hope it doesn't go wrong.

I didn't like the grade 6 piece at first, but now I like a lot of them - Larghetto Maestoso allegro assai is soo awesome!

Refrain du gondolier is also really beautiful!

I'm hoping to take my exam next Christmas...I postponed for this July as I have my GCSE's coming up...I wouldn't be able to practise as much as I'd like to...

Sorry for sounding harsh, but I found the 2007-08 piano exam books uninspiring for the most part. Furthermore, in some of the grades, the pieces seem a lot harder than those in the 2005-06 and 2003-04 books. There are some really attractive pieces on the alternative lists, however.

There are a few nice Grade 6 pieces: Handel's Gigue, Bach's Allemande from the B-minor French Suite, Schubert's Moment Musical, Burgmuller's Refrain du gondolier, Mendelssohn's Song Without Words, Rodney Bennett's Four Calling Birds, and Prokofiev's Valse.

Rumba Toccata is fun to play, but musically it is horrible.

On the Grade 7 A List, the alternative pieces--Clementi, Haydn and Scarlatti--are indeed amazing. The Beethoven Allegretto is just OK. The W.F. Bach Polonaise seems dull. Loeillet's Giga seems way below Grade 7 standard and the writing is mediocre.

I can't wait to see the 2009-10 piano list. Hopefully it will be more interesting.

I thought there were lots of great Grade 6 pieces in the previous syllabus.
Maybe this summer will bring another winning lot.

I think with this piece, it depends on who is playing it - it's a very easy piece to make a complete hash of

From the grade 7 music I love the Tchaikovsky

By "musically horrible," I meant that it was a bad composition. A good performance may create the illusion that the piece is well-written when in fact it isn't.

I'm doing my Grade 6 this year - the pieces in the book weren't really that suitable for me so I'm choosing different ones. I'm looking at the Sonata in F, I think it's quite good and alright to play. I've chosen the Prokofieff Valse as well, but I've yet to have a good look at it .

I'm doing Grade 6 at the moment... amd this time I've found 3 pieces in the book I do like! I'm doing Sonata in F which is ok, the Suk, which I think is lovely and I think I'll do the Rumba one, but I haven't started that yet! Might do the exam in June but I reckon it'll be November!

I agree the Beethoven is much more challenging than the other A list ones. I have a recording (not AB) where it goes extreemely fast. I'll never play it like that!

I think Gondalier's song has quite a lot of details that need to be thought about to make a really good performance. It's not that easy!

Four Calling birds is so beautifull!

Wow ages since I've posted on here!!!
I'm doing Grade 6 piano and yeah i'm not overly excited by the grade 6 pieces... the Rumba Tocatta is the best

I'm aiming to do LCM Grade 6 in November and bought the book last week.

I played throught the lot as a sightreading exercise and chose my three favourites - a good balanced program - except they're all D major (or Bm). They do modulate here and there but the key signatures are all the same. Does anyone know if this will go against me in the exam? I've tried reselecting but keep coming back to the same ones.

Each piece is marked on it's own merits.
there is nowhere on the mark sheet to give marks for choice of programme.

Thanks . I'm just having a touch of "insecurity".