One evening, as Emma sat at her piano, she began to practice the first piece on the list: "Minuet in G" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She had heard of Mozart, of course, but didn't know much about him. As she played the gentle, lilting melody, she imagined a grand ballroom in 18th-century Vienna, with nobles and ladies dancing to the music.
The more Emma practiced, the more she began to feel a sense of accomplishment. She was learning these pieces, and she could already hear herself improving. When she played through the entire program from start to finish, she felt a thrill of excitement.
Mrs. Jenkins had told her that "Für Elise" was a bit of a challenge, even for a Grade 1 piece. But Emma was up for it. She practiced and practiced, working on the tricky fingerwork and pedaling. And slowly but surely, she began to feel like she was getting the hang of it.
The ABRSM website had lots of resources, including a pdf of the piano exam pieces for each grade. Emma was excited to explore the website and download the pdf for Grade 2.
She imagined all the new and exciting pieces she would get to learn, and the progress she would make on her piano journey. With the pdf in hand, Emma felt ready to take on the challenge and make beautiful music.
As she continued to practice, Emma moved on to the technical exercises: scales and arpeggios. She found them a bit tricky, but Mrs. Jenkins had shown her some helpful fingerings and she was determined to get them just right.
