A feast of piano music from ABRSM
The new ABRSM Piano syllabus for 2019 and 2020 is now available, along with a fantastic set of supporting resources. So what’s on offer?
Completely refreshed repertoire
We’ve created new lists of pieces for every grade. There are jazz-inspired commissions from Nikki Iles, Richard Michael and Mike Cornick alongside fabulous arrangements – everything from Brahms and Prokofiev to Leonard Cohen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
There are plenty of pieces by celebrated composers – from Bach and Beethoven to Chopin and Chaminade, from Haydn and Handel to Bartók and Boulanger. And pieces from some highly-respected and much-loved educational composers too – Christopher Norton and Pam Wedgwood to name just two.
There are some amazing opportunities here for exploring and learning about music. From Baroque, Classical and Romantic favourites to iconic music of the twentieth century and wonderful tunes from the world of films and musicals.
Choosing the music
So how do we tackle the mammoth task of deciding what music appears in the syllabus? We listen, we take advice and we work with others. We involve teachers in all stages of the process. We take into account feedback about previous syllabuses, and we analyse statistics that tell us which pieces have been played most in exams.
We’re also starting to involve learners more. At a recent ‘piano party’ we asked young pianists to try out and give their views on possible pieces for future syllabuses. And, of course, we work closely with our panel of expert consultants. All are highly experienced piano teachers with a thorough knowledge of our graded exams. Some are ABRSM examiners too.
The result is a syllabus packed with music to motivate and inspire, while also providing an educationally sound pathway to learning and achievement.
Resources to support your teaching and learning
The publication of a new syllabus is always an exciting moment for the ABRSM team. At last we get to share the new repertoire lists, which bring so much music to so many people. We also get to launch some brilliant resources that we’re really proud of.
Our books of Piano Exam Pieces cover all eight grades. They offer a choice of carefully selected pieces and are great value for money too. We know different people have different needs, so you can buy the books with or without a CD of recordings. And these recordings, which provide a great way to familiarise yourself with the syllabus music, are also available as individual audio downloads. So you can buy the tracks you want.
For teachers, our handy Teaching Notes book is full of invaluable guidance on how to teach the new syllabus pieces. Finally, our updated Piano Practice Partner app encourages slow, hands-separate practice in a way that’s musical and fun for students.
Take a look at the syllabus today
All in all there’s lots to discover in the new ABRSM Piano syllabus. Find out more at abrsm.org/piano.
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