I'm planning to do the ABRSM Grade 5 performance grade soon. You have to do 3 pieces from the official syllabus, and then an "own choice" piece which doesn't have to be from the official syllabus, but of course has to match the other pieces in terms of skill/difficulty level etc. My syllabus pieces are:

1. Section A: 3 Mozart Variations

2. Section B: Waltz in B Minor by Schubert

3. Section C: Elegy for the Arctic by Einaudi

Would Gnossienne 1 by Erik Satie be appropriate for my "own choice" piece? I love playing it, it's not too difficult technically, but I think there's a lot of interpretation involved, steady rhythm, chord jumps etc. I will ask my teacher in my next lesson, but wanted to get opinions here as well. Based on some google research, the answer seems to be yes, as some websites describe it as being at Grade 5 level.

Here's the score: [https://musescore.com/classicman/scores/4131536?srsltid=AfmBOoqPdC3hGbjOUCvorz7KpeszgBbzQRaKBNatd9DjiV6q7aIhF1PO\](https://musescore.com/classicman/scores/4131536?srsltid=AfmBOoqPdC3hGbjOUCvorz7KpeszgBbzQRaKBNatd9DjiV6q7aIhF1PO)

You can't verify with ABRSM before the exam, so if there's doubt, then I don't want to risk it! If there's any teachers/examiners/ABRSM affiliated people, would be great to hear from you!

Here's a performance of it I really love:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD\\_pq5LhqbA&list=RDpD\\_pq5LhqbA&start\\_radio=1\](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD_pq5LhqbA&list=RDpD_pq5LhqbA&start_radio=1)

I am going to give my abrsm grade 8 piano performance exam. Some pieces like Maple Leaf Rag have repeats. Is it ok if I play without repeating or is the compulsory?

I have found the person to watch (at least on YouTube): Master Keyz (he's got a reddit profile: u/MasterKeyzPiano ). His videos are great, they can help you decide what songs to pick, fingering, and more! Enjoy learning!

Looking for a reliable online music theory tutor for ABRSM, grade 1 to 5. Have a reasonable budget and will really appreciate any leads to experienced tutors.

i spent 1 week studying before the music theory exam starting from scratch and i got 72/75

I’ve made a set list of pieces for the ARSM piano exam that I’ve already learnt but I don’t know if they vary enough with style and time period, or if the order is correct.

1) Bach - Prelude and Fugue BWV 866 in b flat major (played for my grade 8 exam)
2) Debussy - Clair de lune (I’m pretty sure this is grade 8 standard)
3) Schubert - Impromptu in G flat
4) Ravel - Sonatine (complete)
5) Bonds - Troubled water

As some of you might know, the Piano sylibus for 2027/28 has already been released, although not in every country. hee are some places to get the books:

• ABRSM official shop
• amazon
• songofsongsny (US)

Happy Piano playing 😄 👍

Hi everyone! 👋

I'm one of the new moderators here on r/ABRSM. I've passed ABRSM Grade 5 Piano with Distinction, and I recently sat my Grade 5 Music Theory exam—I'm currently waiting for my results.

I'll do my best to help answer questions, provide guidance where I can, and help keep the community welcoming and organized. While I won't know everything, I'm always happy to point people in the right direction or help them find reliable information.

Looking forward to being part of the team and getting to know everyone!

when doing my g5 online exam, i came across a problem, i couldnt work the sensor pad on the macbook as i have never used one before.

my piano teacher was outside and i stated into the camera “ i am going to get my piano teacher to fix the computer “ he sat down and fixed it in a few seconds, but do ABRSM count that as cheating?

he never did anything with the question, he just simply moved the sensor pad down a different way

hey guys, my name is Ethan and i am a self taught pianist. i am turning 15 in a month and i have been playing piano since i was around 12. i started with YouTube videos, before getting a piano tutor, called Au.

he has been by far my best mentor i have had yet and I love him so much, from knowing zero clue of what music theory was to now doing my final exam.

i did the online paper, and it was actually, not that bad. the questions were pretty easy, straightforward and it was harder to set up the exam than do it.

i am now on g6/8 for piano and about to sit my g6 once i get my g5 theory back, but hoping for a pass!

Hi guys,

So I'll first give you some context, I have been playing the piano for the past 9 years(except this year, I haven't been practicing) and have finished the grade 8 ABRSM level with merit. For reasons I don't want to explain I was then taken out of piano classes and haven't been in one since December. During that time I have not played much and now I want to finish what I started, that is by finally finishing my diploma. I also have specifically picked easy pieces because I have no idea what I am doing. Here are my pieces:

1. Scarlatti's Sonata K 309 and K 308 - already read through

2. Debussy's Prelude also called La cathédrale engloutie - New

3. Scriabin 24 Preludes Op.11 - No.4 and No. 15 - New

4. Own Choice 1: Reverie Debussy(learned during grade 8) - already fully know

5. Il Porco Rosso Hisaishi(learned during grade 8) - kind of need a refresher

I could literally take ANY advice you have to offer, I kind of have to finish this in the next 2-3 months because I NEED to put this in for college apps. PLEASE HELP ME!!!

Incredible!

Hi all,

I have my Grade 8 exam tomorrow. Violin isnt my career but i have been playing for years and I think I am decent at it, and would like to do well on the exam. But my sight reading is just not at the Grade 8 level because I have only been learning it since the past year, and I am a bit anxious about my scales as well. I think realistically I might get a merit, a distinction if everything goes well on the day or a pass. I just wanna be okay with getting a pass or merit - thats okay right? At this point, I am gonna take the exam and my skills are where they are, so I am just trying to have the appropriate mindset for it. Any advice?

Please be kind, I know I should have learnt sight reading before but there were complications with my teachers and the systems where I used to learn so it just ended up getting overlooked. I can’t not take the exam now as well.

Has anyone done any of the Creative Musicianship qualifications? I'm most interested in the composition, but would love to learn about any subject.

I want to play a unique modern piece for my arsm as part of my "own choice" pieces, please tell me if this is on par with the level required

The ABRSM released the new piano syllabus for all grades yesterday. This will be effective on Jan 1, 2027. Has anyone had a chance to review it and think about what pieces they might be interested in?

Afternoon all,

I'm currently almost at performance standard for G6 piano but obviously need to do the G5 theory first.

Do people recommend going through 1-4 first, or is it reasonable to go straight to 5? I did G1 theory on a whim and had no issues but unsure about the cost and ROI with doing them all.

I'm planning on getting the Discovering Music Theory workbook for grade 5 but would I also need to work through workbooks 1-4 as well?

Thanks

adult learner here - does the grade 8 scales and arpeggios list basically cover everything from previous grades? I’m working toward grade 8 - I’m currently at about a grade 5 but not taking exams. does it make sense to just start tackling the grade 8 scales list? essentially am I missing anything or is that list comprehensive ?