The next set of videos in our guide to the Trinity College London 2021 – 23 piano examination syllabus feature thirteen new pieces for the intermediate grades (Grades 4 – 6). These complement seven existing videos for repertoire from the previous syllabus that is included within the current one and twenty videos for works from the foundation grades (Initial – Grade 3).
Video Walkthroughs
In these excerpts from the full videos, I discuss pedalling, left hand jumps and ornaments. Each video walkthrough offers plenty of tips for practice, as well as suggestions for piano teachers, and guidance on matters relating to style and interpretation. As with the previous selection, many of the works are in the public domain with links to free scores where available.
Grade 4 – Lemoine – Etude No. 23, Op. 37
To manage the left hand jumps accurately, propel the arm upwards from the short notes and land freely yet squarely into the long chords. We can also use the technique of selective landing in our practice for ultimate security:
Trinity Syllabus Online Workshops
As a complement to our video resources, we’re running a series of three workshops on the Trinity College London 2021-23 syllabus on Saturday 11th December. These workshops will take on a similar format to the sessions we ran on the ABRSM syllabus last year (click here for more information).
In each session, Graham Fitch demonstrates how to interpret, learn, practise and teach a selection of repertoire from the syllabus. He will also touch on other elements such as scales, sight-reading and preparation. The workshop will be divided into three sessions featuring elementary, intermediate and advanced grades. Click here to find out more or to book your place!
Grade 5 – Schubert – Valse sentimentale, Op. 50 No. 13
Despite the given pedal markings, we don’t want just one recipe for the pedal throughout this piece. I recommend practising three different types of pedal, to give us the flexibility to move from one to another when we want to add or remove resonance to match the character and texture changes in the music.
François Couperin – Allemande (from L’art de toucher le claveçin)
For precision in the execution of the many ornaments, it’s a great idea to learn in the ornaments at a very slow tempo (as slow as semiquaver = c. 60), measuring them out rhythmically against the other hand. Master this before attempting to play them at speed. I show how this works in the following extract:
More excerpts from Grade 6 pieces are available on our YouTube channel or click here to view previews and links for the foundation grades (Initial – Grade 3)
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The full videos for the repertoire selections from the intermediate grades (Grades 4 – 6) are available here via the series index on the Online Academy. Click here to find out more about the Online Academy or click here if you’d like to to subscribe.
You can get further updates on resources for the Trinity syllabus by signing up for our mailing list here and subscribing to our YouTube channel for additional video previews.
Existing resources for the Trinity and previous ABRSM syllabuses can be viewed on the Online Academy here.