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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:

  • 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

  • explain which is their favourite piece and why

  • 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.)

  • 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)

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