Foundations

Grade 2 — Growing in two directions at once

More complex rhythms, wider hand positions, and the first encounter with pieces that have genuine musical character. Two octave scales begin.

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What to expect at this grade

Grade 2 is where musical personality starts to matter. The pieces aren't just exercises — they have characters, moods, and styles that need to come through in the playing. Technical ability alone is no longer enough.

The most important technical focus is voicing — learning to play the melody louder than the accompaniment when both are in the same hand. This foundational skill deepens at every grade above and must be established now.

When your two-octave scales sound even and you can identify whether a piece is in a major or minor key by ear, your skill coverage for this grade is strong. Grade 3 makes real musical demands, so push your ear training now.

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Technical skills — what your hands and arms need to do

TechnicalFinger Independence — Extended Range

Reliable finger work across a wider range of positions. The hand must navigate position changes without tension or interruption.

Training exercises

Hanon exercises 1–15

Czerny Op. 599 Nos. 20–40

Repertoire examples

Handel — Impertinence, HWV 494

Kabalevsky — Toccatina, Op. 27 No. 12

Schumann — Wild Horseman, Op. 68 No. 8

TechnicalScale Technique — Two Octaves

Smooth two-octave scales with an even tone throughout. The thumb crossing must be silent and the top note must not be accented.

Training exercises

C major two octaves — very slowly, listening for the thumb crossing

G major — same approach

Repertoire examples

Clementi — Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1, 1st mvt (scale runs)

Burgmüller — Arabesque, Op. 100 No. 2 (RH scale fragment)

TechnicalTexture Control — Voicing

Playing melody notes louder than accompaniment notes in the same hand. The foundational voicing skill that deepens at every grade above.

Training exercises

Practice LH alone at mp, then add RH at mf — keep that balance throughout

Chord voicing drills on simple progressions

Repertoire examples

Grechaninov — Fairy Tale, Op. 98 No. 1

Schumann — Wild Horseman, Op. 68 No. 8

Kabalevsky — Toccatina, Op. 27 No. 12

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Musical skills — interpretation and expression

MusicalPhrase Shaping

Conscious crescendos toward phrase peaks and tapering at phrase ends. Grade 2 has clear four-bar phrases that reward this treatment.

Training exercises

Map the dynamic shape of a phrase before playing it

Sing phrases and play them matching the vocal contour

Repertoire examples

Grechaninov — Fairy Tale, Op. 98 No. 1

Kabalevsky — A Little Scherzo, Op. 39 No. 6

Schumann — Wild Horseman, Op. 68 No. 8

MusicalStylistic Awareness — Introduction

Beginning to distinguish Baroque from Romantic touch. Light, detached articulation versus warm, connected tone.

Training exercises

Play the same scale in Baroque style (non-legato) then Romantic style (legato) back to back

Repertoire examples

Handel — Impertinence, HWV 494 (Baroque: detached, no pedal)

Schumann — Wild Horseman, Op. 68 No. 8 (Romantic: legato, expressive)

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Scales & technical requirements

Scales	C, G, D, F, B♭ major — two octaves, hands together
Minor	A minor (harmonic) — one octave
Contrary motion	C major — one octave
Arpeggios	C, G major — one octave, hands separately

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Cognitive demands

Managing pieces long enough to require a real memorisation strategy

Responding to a wider range of dynamic and articulation markings in the score

Beginning to practise problem bars in isolation rather than restarting from the beginning

Stepping stones

Accessible pieces to start with — manageable challenges that build confidence at this grade.

A Merry Tune, Op. 89 No. 26

D. Kabalevsky

Impertinence, HWV 494

G. F. Handel

Grade benchmarks

If you can play these convincingly, you have genuinely mastered this grade.

Toccatina, Op. 27 No. 12

D. Kabalevsky

Wilder Reiter (Wild Horseman), Op. 68 No. 8

R. Schumann

Performance pieces

Worth learning beyond the exam — pieces that reward an audience and stay with you.

Fairy Tale (Children's Album, Op. 98)

A. Grechaninov

Arabesque, Op. 100 No. 2

J. F. Burgmüller

Ready for the next step?

Grade 3 — Real repertoire begins

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