Easiest, yet great, piano piece ever written

[dnephi]

ABRSM

Grade 8 is the highest grade, and it probably compares with your grade 10.

Grade 8 ABRSM does not even begin to include the easier virtuoso repertory. All but two of the Chopin etudes are considered well beyond grade 8.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.



Grade 8 is not the highest in ABRSM examination system.
After Grade 8 there is Diploma, LRSM (Licentiship) and FRSM (Fellowship)

Diploma is something like easy Beethoven sonata (Pathetique or Moonlight)
LRSM is stuff like Chopin etudes and Liszt etudes (as stated in the syllabus) and hard beethoven sonata
FRSM is something like LIszt sonata, Ravel Gaspard, Chopin sonata....

It's easy to find the syllabus of the ABRSM exam syllabus on their website.

My friend just took the FRSM with ALL Liszt programme.

Would Liszt "Mazeppa" be at LRSM or at FRSM?

[klavierwunder]

This question is kind of unanswerable, as pieces can only get so easy (whereas pieces get infinitely hard).
I don't know exactly the skill level of your student, but Traumerie is a good piece to experiment vocalisation with- also his Album for the Young.
Mozart is a pretty consistent composer of some fairly playable pieces.

Traumerei--along with the rest of kinderszenen is easy technically, but it's a hard piece as far as interpretation is concerned.
Mozart it's better, but still Richter said that he rarely played Mozart and didn't like him because he was just too hard.

[bernhard]

Bernard ,

Thank you so much for this most wonderful thread.  As a newish player this thread has provided much relief from insipid method books.  I suspect my teacher will roll his eyes if I ever say again, "well I was on piano street...."

m1469 -  and thanks for reviving this on occasion,  your dedication is an inspiration.

Dorie

You are most welcome, Dorie.

Have a look here as well:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2958.msg25879.html#msg25879
(Easiest Chopin pieces – grades 4-5-6)
https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1769.msg13830.html#msg13830
(Debussy: The easier pieces)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2562.msg22127.html#msg22127
(Suggestions for repertory for someone who has been playing for a year)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3721.msg33399.html#msg33399
(grade 4 – 6 repertory)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4140.msg38111.html#msg38111
(True repertory for total beginners)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4238.msg39061.html#msg39061
(easy show off pieces)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4416.msg41105.html#msg41105
(nice slow romantic piece for beginner)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5063.msg49589.html#msg49589
(Albums for the young)

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,7008.msg80656.html#msg80656
(Beautiful music that is not hard to play)

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,8225.msg113552.html#msg113552
(minimalist pieces – description of Einaudi pieces.)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[lisztrachmaninovfan]

A good one that a lot of people know about is Bach's Minuet in G minor. That one is lovely, but easy.

[pianoplayjl]

Fur elise
Bach menuet in G major
Heller etudes.

[lukebar]

Love Love LOVE the Lyric Preludes in Romantic Style by William Gillock. Very distinct character pieces in all 24 major and minor keys. Some are exceptionally short, maybe only a couple of lines long. But I find myself playing through the whole book at least once a year. They really are masterpieces in miniature. Not all of them are "easy", but even the "easy" ones aren't really "easy". (I think that makes sense...)

You can listen to me play some of them on this episode of my podcast.
https://repertoirereview.com/cms2/node/77

[pianoplayjl]

Some of Schumann's album for the young
Grieg lyric pieces
Mendelssohn songs with out words