Piano Pieces : Grade 4/5

Seres

Started back playing piano after leaving it aside for many year . I can manage grade 4/5 pieces and im looking for suggestions for nice pieces ??

pconn062

Seres wrote: »

Started back playing piano after leaving it aside for many year . I can manage grade 4/5 pieces and im looking for suggestions for nice pieces ??

Hi Seres, your best bet might be to buy the current Grade 4 or 5 RIAM syllabus, there are six pieces in each one so plenty to choose from. Or if you know anyone who has done a grade exam recently they might have old books lying around. There is a nice piece on the current grade 4 syllabus by Tchaikovsky called The New Doll, and on grade 5 there is a nice piece by Schumann called Wiegenliedchen, both are up on youtube if you want a listen.

Fluorescence

McCullough Piggotts were selling off loads of old grade books for €1-€2 recently, they might still have a few if you pop in.

Try getting your hands on Schumann's Album for the Young and Scenes from Childhood. Plenty of short, interesting, fun pieces (in fact the opening of Kindersczenen was on the Grade 5 ABRSM syllabus a few years back, and Traumerei is a very well known, intermediate piece from that set). Both can be picked up reasonably cheaply.

If you can find it, a collection of Beethoven's bagatelles would be a nice addition to your repertoire too. Contains a good few relatively short pieces that aren't too difficult to play.

And it's never too early to learn Bach. The 2 part inventions would be at the higher end of your current ability but very do-able. Very satisfying once you nail them too, and they lead nicely into the 3-part inventions and the 48 preludes and fugues when you get to that stage.

Have fun

Seres

Thanks

Im not too sure about the pieces on the RIAM syllabus , will check them out but sometimes its hard to find a nice piece . I have done a few of Schumann recently and liked them so will check out the other suggestions. Bach is on the plan eventually . Thanks

The Mad Hatter

With my own students, I'm very fond of Friedrich Burgmüller's studies Op. 100. They're of a slightly lower standard - say Grade 3-4 - but a good way to improve your reading and technique. Ditto Leopold Mozart's Wolfgang and Nannerl notebooks: there's some really good stuff in there, starting at about Grade 1 standard, and working up.

I wouldn't write off Bach completely just yet, but finding the right pieces can be tough. There's a couple of his preludes on Grades 3 and 5 this year. Check out the six little preludes - the first two are very manageable and great.

Seres

Was looking at this piece here by Mendelssohn ' The Venetian Boat Song N.2' , really nice , any idea on the difficulty level ? Looks doable for my standard but would neither a keener eye than mine to assess the difficulty

http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=9353

Fluorescence

Doesn't look too bad - the climbing left hand might give you a wee bit of trouble at first but once you nail the first 2 bars or so you'll be flying. Go for it

Seres

Fluorescence wrote: »

Doesn't look too bad - the climbing left hand might give you a wee bit of trouble at first but once you nail the first 2 bars or so you'll be flying. Go for it

Great thanks , will get stuck in tonight :pac: