MusicOnline UK Teaching Notes - ABRSM Piano 2019/20 Grade 1 - C2

Who Said Mice?

Joan Last

ABRSM Grade 1 Piano 2019 - 2020.

The two note slur is a feature of this piece. Make sure the second note each time is lifted. Your wrist should fall and rise with each couplet. To quote from the ABRSM's official teaching notes for this piece - "the image of a cat's floppy paw is a most potent one for conveying the soft wrist needed for success".

This piece also uses a large dynamic range, from pianissimo to forte and the examiner will be looking for good control and contrast of dynamics. Notice at the end the "dim molto" which is made even more challenging by the "piu mosso" (faster) last three bars.

Finally, notice the comma with a pause at the end of bar 4. Don't be afraid to let the suspense hang here. Many students might feel awkward or embarrassed by the silence, but a good performance will include a confident creation of anticipation here.

The New ABRSM Piano Syllabus 2019/20 - CLICK HERE