Hi All,

This may be useful for people looking to study for the new ABRSM 2011-2012 piano syallbus.

Pieces will gradually be added and will include all pieces from the ABRSM book (No.1 to 3 from each list), plus any other listed piece I have available.

2011-2012 Scales
Grade 1 to 5
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=82B4ED121F8F99D3
Grade 6 to 7
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B17FB737BE9D3C80

2011-2012 Pieces (demo performance and tutorial)
Grade 1
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EA8D704B8441954D
Grade 2
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=64E0FE47FA591792
Grade 3
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D7DD10A2AC950B11
Grade 4
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5AF25907EDDBFCA9
Grade 5
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=BA516FD389619D3D
Grade 6
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AB18EFE9EA72B5AB
Grade 7
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E2FD014EAEEB7E0A
Grade 8
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=80AA18C63B1CE335

Alan Chan

Very interesting to listen to - thank you.

By the way, I think you'll find the Alan Haughton in Grade 3 is supposed to swing (you can hear the opening at the beginning of the ABRSM "Piano podcast").

Thank you so much!

I take it you're a member of the ABRSM team, Alan Chan? I'd noticed that the AB give a lot of links and info on Facebook and I was beginning to think that the forum was the poor relation I don't use Facebook and don't want to, so it's really good to have AB info posted here as well xx



Edit: Just tried to look at Grade 2 but it says the videos have been removed...

Thank you for your comments. I try to be as accurately as possible but there may be omissions and errors. I live in Sydney and enjoy playing the piano very much. They are just my personal recordings and I have no association to ABRSM.

Ah I see, thanks

I've just done Grade 1 and at some stage I'd like to do Grade 2 so hopefully the G2 videos will be viewable some time (no hurry from my point of view though )

Grade 2 is available now

Just been listening to them, thanks! I like all the List B pieces, and I even like one of the pieces off List A - the Haydn arrangement with the twiddly bits The Kember piece off List C is fun as well.

Do you do requests? I'd really like to listen to the Vaughan Williams on List A if you're thinking of recording some of the alternative pieces! On the other hand, they might have changed the list by the time I'm ready to do Grade 2


Welcome to the forums by the way!

Interesting page, Ive kind of already chosen my pieces,

A3
B1
C1 << though the CD has a nice piece C6 ~ dont like the C pieces this time round

To the OP: If you're the same person I think you are, I think you've also uploaded the Burgmuller studies - at full, originally specified speeds... *faints*

Many thanks alanchan. Very useful indeed.

Thank you very much Allan

I can't access the Grade 6 pieces as it says the videos are private

I am not aware of any pieces being private.
Which video exactly are you looking at, as an example?

I think there must be a problem, Alan, as when I tried to access the grade 8 video it said "All videos in this playlist have been removed". YouTube is a funny site!

I agree with Appassionata about the message with the grade 6 link - I got the same. Grades 5 and 7 are fine though.

Hope this link will take you to the first video on the Grade 6 playlist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo0GJFUBniI...5AB&index=0
(this it the video itself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo0GJFUBniI)

Grade 8 pieces haven't been recorded yet thats why the funny message from youtube. But they should really say "no videos in this playlist" though

Sorry I just realized (now) the Grade 6 was set to private for some reason. Now it should have been fixed.

I'd first like to thank Alanchan for his You-Tube contribution, which will certainly be of great help to many of us. It's nice to hear a sample of how scales sound at different tempos and also to have a taste of the various pieces.
I'm a 53-year-old lifelong music lover and a piano student (between Grade 6-7) who keeps grappling with the technical difficulties this instrument poses but who tries to find the time for continuous substantial practice every day. Although my piano playing leaves much to be desired (my Merit in Grade 6 last June doesn't mean much to me as I am only too conscious of my shortcomings) I'd like to post a few comments on two pieces I've listened to: the Mozart Presto (Grade 7 List A) and Haendel's Allemande.
In my opinion, the dynamics in Mozart are insufficiently evident (the p anf f contrasts, for example) and any Grade 7 student would be expected to produce very clear dynamics in a piece which is otherwise comparatively easy for the grade (don't take me wrong, the speed, neatness, dexterity and perfect phrasing required make the piece very hard and a true Grade 7 one if it is to be played with all the lightness and precision Mozart requires here). By "comparatively" easy I mean that any Grade 6-7 student can read the piece quite satisfactorily after a few sittings while it takes a very long time to read the Liszt Romance (same grade, same syllabus, an alternative piece for List B) at a technically satisfactory standard (with all the coordination and fluency needed for those leaps and extended arpeggios in the LH, awkward chords and so on).
As for the Haendel piece, it lacks the elegance and refined atmosphere that this beautiful Allemande aims to recreate. I'm writing this because listening to the videos, many students might be misled into thinking that this is the way they should sound and to remind everybody that these are versions of pieces, where there is room for improvement as far as I can judge. I won't make myself very popular posting this, I know, but I really felt like giving my very, very, very humble opinion,

Thank you Juan for your opinion. It is very constructive and helpful to us. None of the video condition is ideal (e.g. my techniques / music taste, amount of practice, recording facility), so it is a good idea to find out if there is anything we could do better. And it is really great to share your thoughts in the forum. My videos could be a starting point. And for serious exam students, think about what could be better and hope you will learn from them. Thanks again. Alan
P.S. For the Grade 7 B5 Liszt Romance, it is difficult for small hands (<19cm?), or even medium hands (19-22cm). I suggest to first try the last two Bars (those huge arpeggiated chords) before deciding to learn it.

Thanks ! Great videos. Have you plans to add the grade 8 pieces?

Nice interpretation of the Oscar Peterson! Would you call that jazz? I think I've been practising it much too fast. I've taken some pointers from your video, thanks for putting them up

I have started with some Grade 8 pieces. So far I have done A2, A3, A4, B1. I will definitely give another try on B1 later (want to make one that I could give myself 27/30 or higher). But I will probably do those hot pieces like A8 first.

I've just listened to your rendering of Liszt's Romance (Grade 7 - List B) and enjoyed it very much. I think it is nicely played except for a few details here and there but I'm no teacher so I won't go into that (I could tell you if you're interested). Your hands look very nice sliding across the keyboars and there is a feeling of ease as you play the arpeggios all along. Very nice!
You see, I've been grappling with that Liszt Romance - which seems to be well above my standard - for 3 months and at 53 years of age, I sometimes get the feeling I'll never make it. My hands are large (can stretch a 9th but not beyond that) but not as large as yours and I have some troble with octaves, which I've never practised in these 4 years (indeed, I began learning the piano in 2006 and passed Grade 6 with merit last June) and, of course will find the last two bars next to impossible, I foresee ...
However, I'll try very hard and may sooner or later get to some decent standard I hope.
Just out of curiosity, I'd like to know how long you've been playing the piano and how much practise you do each day.

Would that the same could be said of the book at my local music shop!

Out of stock twice in a row - both times within the first four weeks of term.

Sigh.

Alan, many of my pupils use youtube so to find some one has made the effort to make these recordings as an example is great. It certainly gives them an alternative to my efforts of playing the pieces to give them an impression of them

Skylark, congratulations on your grade 1 and I wish you well with your progress to Grade 2.

I think the more of us jobbing musicians who are prepared to perform examination music in our first instrument and make them available to students the better. Our local ISM branch are planning a concert of music primarily learnt by children whether these pieces are on the examination syllabi or not so that pupils can hear good performances of them.

More initiatives like this whether it is Alan's ABRSM youtube project or this ISM concert are needed so that people who are starting out can hear quality performances to inspire them to learn are needed.

Thank you Alan for providing me with a resource I can direct my Piano Pupils to.

I have been playing since 6. I have been practicing not that much - usually once or twice a week for 2-3 hours each. Personally I don't really learnt pieces good enough and they are more or less sight read (except for the Grade 8 ones that I am practicing on - they need practice!)

Yes, but how old are you?

I am adult age (older than University students)
But still struggling with those Bach pieces. I just did Grade 8 A1 at snail speed

Ah wow! They look really helpful!

... ... ... *faints* ...

the speed of the g6 - 8 scales ... Oof!

I have just had a listen to some of the Grade 8 pieces. I am afraid many are way below ideal tempo, especially the Bach Capriccio, which is about half speed! The B flat Prelude is also very slow. But now I've heard the Madsen, it encourages me to get hold of a volume of them, and uits a useful thread for anyone who just wants an idea of how many of the pieces go.