Skills and Concepts of Grade 1 Piano
- Ashwin Prabhakaran
- Mar 20, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 24, 2023
WHAT IS GRADE 1
- For Piano Students and their parents, getting to the Grade 1 is that monumental step that signals their entry in serious Classical music education.
Each Teacher takes a Different Pathway to get to the Grade 1 level.
- Depending on the Board, prior to Grade 1 there are some level(s) too.
- ABSRM has the Prep Test and Initial levels
- LCM has Pre-Prep, Step 1 and Step 2 levels
- Trinity has Initial Grade
My observations below are based upon the Current Syllabi of the 3 Boards:
1) ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces Grade 1 (2023-24)
2) LCM Piano Handbook Grade 1 (2021-24)
3) Trinity Piano Grade 1 (2021-23)
LET US BEGIN
1) TIME SIGNATURES USED
- 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 2/2
- Common Time and Cut Common Time
2) RHYTHMIC IDEAS OBSERVED
- Semiquavers is the smallest Note Values
- Swing Rhythms are present in those styles
- Triplets
- Syncopated Rhythms
- Music beginning on Pick-Up is common and expected
- Usage of Rests to Punctuate the Phrases is seen in a few pieces
- Percussive Clapping / Tapping observed
- Irregular Phrase Lengths is to be expected
3) STAFF READING FEATURES
- There are pieces where both hands are in the Same Clef
- There are Pieces where Clef Changes happen within the piece
- Usage of Leger Lines are to be expected
- Usage of Accidentals is common
- Key Signatures upto 2 Sharps and 1 Flat are used
- Full Range of Staff should be known by student
4) TEMPI / PERFORMANCE DIRECTIONS / CHARACTER
- Andante
- Andantino
- Allegretto
- Allegretto Grazaioso
- Allegro
- Swaggering
- Moderato
- Poco Adagio
- At a Trotting Pace
- Sneakily
- With Lots of Energy
- Pretty Snappy
- Moderately
- Mischieviously
- Langsam (Lento)
- With a Bouncy Beat
- Calmy, walking along
- Slow with a Singing Tone
- Suspenseful
- Calmly, as if underwater
- March Tempo
- Vivacious
- Boldly
- Brightly
- Wistfully
5) USAGE OF TONALITIES
- Majors - C, G, D, F, E
- minors - A, E, D, G, E
- Sectional Modulations to Relative Keys and Tonalities is common
- Pieces in Blues Scales are present
- Chromatic Passages are present in a few Pieces
- Non-Diatonic Chords are present in a few Pieces
- Modal Music is introduced
- Pentatonic Melodies can be seen
6) HARMONIES USED
- Tonic
- Dominant
- Sub-Dominant
- Secondary Dominants
- Mediant
- Sub-Mediant
- Diminished 7th
- Non-Diatonic Chords
- Harmonies from the Jazz idiom used
- 7th Chords typically played as a 2nd
- Some 6th Chords used
- Pedal Point presented as Alternating Intervals, or as a Long note
7) STYLES OF REPERTOIRE
- Minuet
- Waltz
- March
- Passepied
- 12 bar Blues
- Boogie Style
- Swing Style
- Ragtime
- Counterpoint Music
- Percussive Pieces
- Character Pieces
- Music inspired by Folk Sounds
- Music inspired from Non-Western Cultures
8) TEXTURES USED
- Melody-Accompaniment
- Q&A between Hands
- Melody Shifting between Hands
- Blocked Intervals
- Blocked Triads
- Alternating Intervals
- Broken Triads in 3 Time
- Broken Triads in 4 Time
- Alberti Bass
- Counterpoint
- Introduction to 3 Voices
- Duet-Style in Same Hand
9) ARTICULATIONS USED
- Slurred Diads
- Slurred Triads
- Finger Pedalling Used
10) CO-ORDINATION BETWEEN HANDS AND HAND SPAN
- The Largest Interval seen is a Blocked 7th
- Sudden Octave Leaps
- Both Hands Leaping to Opposite Direction for Different Spans
- Imitation Between Hands
- One Hand Phrase Starting on Down Beat while Other Hands Phrase Starting on Up-Beat
- One Hand Staccato while other Hand Legato
- Each Hand Playing a Different Dynamic
- Melodies can change Directions often
- When Both Hands are Playing Phrases, the Phrase lengths can differ
IN CONCLUSION
- Grade 1 is where Style and Interpretation begin to matter.
- At the Grade 1 levels, all of the Boards expectation is nearly at par. However their pathways start to diverge extensively by the time the student reaches Grade 8
- When a student Reaches Grade 1, teachers often take them off the Method Book Route, so it is recommended that Students learn to play the entire Grade book (minimum 6 pieces) before they go for the exam
- It is also essential that a student has had a strong and deep foundational learning prior to starting Grade 1 work
- The goal of Grade 1 should be immerse the student into a vast variety of sounds, styles, techniques and meters
- Grade 1 Pieces can be revisited at later Grades to teach concepts
- Teachers can introduce concepts listed above in case they want to explain to parents about student's learning
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All the best with your blog Ashwin! It's so nice to have a piano teacher in India write their perspective.
Nice reading this article on the content of the Grade 1 examination. I particularly like your comment "It is also essential that a student has had a strong and deep foundational learning prior to starting Grade 1 work." THIS, I think needs to be highlighted because a student who approaches grade 1 with a good foundation and a wide repertoire will find the higher grades are more enjoyable and (instead of struggling through them like many examination oriented 4 piece a year students do) will enjoy them as an exciting challenge.
Looking forward to reading your posts.
This is a great outline of what is found and expected in grade 1 piano. Quite helpful to have it all written in one place. Also helps me explore what is covered in the boards I don’t teach so I have a better idea of where my students stand.