Grade 1
The musical material selected for these grades is of an essentially elementary nature. Only the most basic, and hence most common, time signatures and keys are used. Melodic and rhythmic material is simple. Indications of dynamics, phrasing and ornamentation will occur only sporadically in the music, and will be limited to the most basic types. The repertoire of scales and arpeggios in Component 1 is limited to the least demanding examples. Technical accomplishment is a more important element of assessment than is musicality, and expectations of communication are limited.
Publication
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Musikalische Nebenstunden BR-JCFB A 60 (Jürgen Knuth IMSLP)
Lesson in C from First Lessons Op. 125 No. 6 (Durand or Peters)
Pieces for Children Op. 39 No. 15 (Boosey & Hawkes)
K 1c (Bärenreiter)
Z. 649 (Ritter von Schleyer IMSLP or Dover)
Children’s Notebook Op. 69 No. 1 (Schirmer)
Publication
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Sketches from Hans Andersen (OUP)
Sixty Simple Pieces Op. 36 No. 9 (Peters)
Romantic Sketches Book I (Alfred)
I Begin to Play Op. 20 No. 21 (PWM)
More Classics to Moderns Book 1 (Yorktown)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Publication
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Imaginations in Style (Hal Leonard)
Grand Piano Solos Book 2, (Alfred)
Piano Safari Level 3, (Alfred)
Coral Reef Suite (Hal Leonard)
(Alfred)
Up-Grade! 0-1 (PWM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Piano Anthology Grades 1 & 2 (LCM)
Title
Dance Song
Andante
October Song
Schwäbisch [Tanz], Swabian Dance in D
Lesson in C
Jumping
Allegro in F
Menuet in A minor
March
Title
Song of the Dark Woods
My Shadow
Das Kind ist müde
Thumbelina
A Sad Song
A Story from Long Ago
The Stream
At Play with a Hoop
Children at Play
March
Fairy Tale
Cuckoo
A Waltz for Springtime
Rhapsody
Rocking Song
Morning Has Broken
Title
Boogie Woogie Bear
Yerevan Mourns
Tricky Traffic
Fiesta March
Sneaky Sam
Chromatic Rag
Ghosts of a Sunken Pirate Ship
The Pink Panther
Minnie Mouse Hits Town
Baby Bossa Nova
Copycat
Ticking Away
Pony Ride
Cheerful Cha-cha-cha
Pluto
Saturday Shuffle
Details
hands separately ♩= 69
hands separately ♩= 69
hands together ♩= 69
hands together ♩= 69
hands separately ♪= 100
hands separately ♪= 100
Component 1: Technical Work (15 marks)
Candidates can prepare either Option 1: Scales and arpeggios, or Option 2: Study.
Option 1: Scales and arpeggios
The examiner will ask for a selection of the scales below. All are to be performed ascending and descending, from memory. Tempo markings reflect the capabilities expected at this level.
Requirements Range
Scales
C, G, D, F major; 2 octaves
A, D minor (harmonic or melodic, candidate’s choice) 2 octaves
C, G, D major 1 octave
Contrary motion scale
C major 1 octave
Broken chords
C, G major; 1 octave
A minor (harmonic or melodic, candidate’s choice)
Arpeggios
C, F major; 1 octave
D minor
Option 2: Study
Louis Khöler Study in C Piano Handbook 2021–2024: Grade 1 (LCM)
Component 2: Performance (60 marks)
Performance of three pieces, one from each list, A, B and C. At least one piece performed in the exam must be taken from LCM Piano Handbook 2021-2024.
List A
Composer
Johann S. Scholze
Charles H. Wilton
Diane Hidy
J. C. F. Bach
Anton Diabelli
Dmitri Kabalevsky
Wolfgang A. Mozart
Henry Purcell
Dimitri Shostakovich
List B
Composer
Elie Siegmeister
Chee-Hwa Tan
Friedrich Baumfelder
Yvonne Adair
Aleksandr Goedicke
Martha Mier
Feliks Rybicki
Erik Satie
Béla Bartók
William Boyce
Aleksandr Grechanínov
Eduard Horák
William Lloyd Webber
John Rowcroft
Audrey Sheard
Traditional arr. Wild
List C
Composer
Anne Crosby Gaudet
Elias Davidsoon
Louise Garrow
Bruce Berr
Melody Bober
Christopher Fisher
Carol Klose
Mancini arr. Matz
Pam Wedgwood
Louise Chamberlain
Brian Chapple
John Guilfoyle
Anthony Hedges
Pauline Hall
Pam Wedgwood
Pam Wedgwood
Component 3: Discussion (7 marks)
Grades 1 and 2
This component of the exam consists of a short discussion with the examiner. The piano may be used to demonstrate where necessary. Candidates should be able to:
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name, and explain the meaning of, all basic notational elements in the music performed in the
Performance component of the exam, including: staff, bars and barlines, clefs, pitches of individual notes, rhythmic values of notes and rests (including dotted notes), key and time signatures, accidentals, dynamics, articulation markings, phrases, ornaments, and any additional markings
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explain which is their favourite piece and why
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assign simple descriptive words to pieces to describe their mood (‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘bouncy’, ‘jazzy’, ‘gentle’ etc)
-
name different parts of the instrument (keys, pedals, strings, tuning pins, hammers etc.)
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describe good posture (sitting position, height of piano bench, distance from keys, basic hand position)
Component 4: Sight Reading (10 marks)
Candidates will perform a short, previously unseen piece of music. Up to one minute’s preparation time will be allowed to study the test before playing, during which the candidate may try parts of the test if they wish. Sight reading parameters for each grade are listed.
Component 5: Aural Tests (8 marks)
Test 1 (Rhythm)
A short harmonised passage, approximately 6 to 8 bars in length, will be played. The passage will be in either 2/4 or 3/4 time. Candidates will be asked the following:
1a. To identify the time signature as ‘2’ or ‘3’ time (2 marks)
1b. To clap or tap on each pulse beat in time, in 2 or 3 time, accenting the first beat of each bar, as the examiner plays the passage again (2 marks)
Test 2 (Pitch)
Two notes of different pitches will be played, one after the other. Candidates will be asked the following:
2a. To identify as ‘first’ or ‘second’ which of the two notes is either the higher or the lower, at the examiner’s discretion (1 mark)
The two notes will be played again. Candidates will be asked the following:
2b. To sing back one of the two notes (either the first or the second, at the examiner’s discretion)(1 mark)
The key-chord of a major key will be played, followed by a short unharmonised melody in the same key, approximately 4 bars in length. The examiner will stop playing before the final (tonic) note. Candidates will be asked to sing the missing final tonic. (2 marks)