April 8, 2025

2024-2025 (7th Grade / RCMCP Level 4)

  • List: Air in B-flat

  • List B: Diabelli

  • List C: An Old Romance

  • Etude 1: Etude in E Minor

  • Etude 2: Ballade

Revise as you wish!

Ethan Edwards
Air in B-flat Major, HWV 471 – George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)

An “air” is just a melody — but Handel’s airs are always special. This one is graceful and easy to love, with a smoothness that makes it sound timeless.

Ethan Edwards
An Old Romance from Grandfather’s Book, Op. 119 – Alexander Grechaninov (1864–1956)

Russian composer Grechaninov wrote this piece as part of a collection inspired by old family memories. “An Old Romance” feels like a love story told by someone who remembers every detail — slow, sweet, and a little wistful.

Ethan Edwards
Ballade, Op. 100 No. 15 – Johann Friedrich Burgmüller (1806–1874)

Burgmüller was a 19th-century composer who specialized in writing music for students that sounded grown-up. This Ballade tells a dramatic story with just a few notes — full of feeling, flair, and forward motion.

🎹💚Grechaninov Op. 119 No. 2, An Old Romance (L. 4, C)

  1. Set the metronome to 56 per 8th note. Don’t go any faster than this for the entire piece.

  2. Focus this week: Pedal and speed-building

    1. Set a timer 5-10 min and focus as well as you can during that time.

    2. Listen to the recording

    3. Practice LH bass notes with the RH melody before you play all notes as written.

🎹💚Ballade op 100 no 15 by JF Burgmüller (L. 4, Etude)

  1. measures 24-34: transition to new scene - little red riding hood running from the wolf. Do this 3 x’s per day.

  2. 16th note measure sections - accent practice hands together. Close-loud and staccato.

🎹💚Air in B-flat Major HWV 471 by George Frederic Handel (L. 4, A)

  1. Practice starting from any measures of the piece. At least three spots a day.

  2. Think about tempo before you begin (eyes close) “don’t forget that this will help you, ,even though it’s annoying.”

💚Diabelli, Op. 168 No. 1 (L. 4, B)

  1. M.m. 50 per quarter note (use audio in Newzik for measures 18.5 to 25)

    1. If you make a mistake (off with metronome, incorrect notes / position) pause, go back 2 beats and count again before you start.

    2. At this speed: focus is cantabile melody, and firm fingertips while being relaxed.

    3. If you get stuck more than two times in the same section, reevaluate and take it hands alone / use other tools to fix the issue.

  2. Up next!

    1. increase tempo to 52

💚Four Star Sightreading and Ear Tests Level 4 (tests PDF)

  1. Chords - good

  2. Intervals - working on P4 and P5

💚RCM Technical Requirements Level 4 in Newzik (“overwhelming?”)

  1. Set a timer for 5 min and go through as many as you can, efficiently. Keep track of where you are and be OK with stopping when the timer goes off! 😎

  2. PLEASE make your fingers round and firm. This helps fix your tidy attacks.

  3. See the markings in the diagram for instructions.

💚Etude in E Minor op 65 no 42 by Carl Albert Loeschhorn (L. 4 Etude)

  1. Practice with m.m. 84. We can try something different next lesson if this is frustrating during practice this week.

💜Basic Rhythmic Training by Robert Starer

  1. Prepare no. 115

  2. Measures 1-4 - study in your mind first, then clap and ta.

  3. Same thing for measures 5-8

  4. Then put them together!

🖤Celebrate Theory, Level 4, Unit 8

🖤Sight-reading: Czerny Op. 599. Left off at No. 64

  1. BEFORE YOU BEGIN: FOCUS

    1. Keep a pulse no matter what and no matter how slow.

    2. Don’t fix mistakes in realtime.

    3. Let notes go if needed and look ahead to the next landing point.

  2. Paused:

    1. Bartok: Mikrocosmos, No. 6

    2. J.S. Bach, 6 Preludes, BWV 939-943, No. 4

  3. Finished:

    1. Bürgmuller, 25 Etudes, Op. 100

  1. 💚Clementi, Sonatina in G Major, Op. 36 No. 2: Movement III (L. 4, B)

  2. 💚March in D Major BWV Anh. 122 C. P. E. Bach (L. 4, A)

  3. 💚Etude in E Minor op 65 no 42 by Carl Albert Loeschhorn (L. 4 Etude)

  4. 💚Masquerade by Linda Niamath (L. 4, Etude)

  5. 💚Clowns by Kabalevsky (L. 3, C)

  6. 💚Arabesque op. 100 no. 2 by Johann Friedrich Burgmüller (1806-1874) (L. 3, Etude)

  7. 💚Left Alone by Joyce Grill (L. 3, Etude)

  8. 💚Sonatina in A Minor op. 94 no. 4 (L. 3, B)

  9. 💚💚Sonatina in C Major op. 36 no. 1 by Clementi (L. 3, B)

  10. 💚💜Musette in D Major BWV Anh. 126, attr. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (L. 3, A)

  11. 💚💚Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 114 by Christian Petzold (1677-1733) (L. 3, A)

  12. 💚Minuet in G Minor, BWV Anh. 115 by Christian Petzold (1677-1733) (L. 3, A)

  13. 💚💜Impertinence, HWV 494 George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) (L. 2, A)

  14. 💚💚I Spy by Melody Bober (L. 2, B)

  15. 💚💚Canon in A Minor by Cornelius Gurlitt (L. 2, C)

  16. 💚💚Etude in D Minor op. 82 No. 65 by Cornelius Gurlitt (L. 2, Etude

  17. 💚💚Mist by Clifford Poole (1916-2003) (L. 1, B)

  18. 💚💚Aria in F Major, BWV Anh. 131 by Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782) (L. 1, A)

  19. 💚💚Waltz Op. 39 No. 13 by Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987) (L. 1, B)

Level 3 or Practical RCM assessment: May 29, 2024

  1. List A: Minuet in G Minor, BWV Anh. 115 by Christian Petzold (1677-1733)

  2. List B C Major

  3. List C: Clowns by Kabalevsky

  4. Etude 1: Left Alone

  5. Etude 2: Arabesque