I suppose you might ask, with some justification I may add, what the point of another set of piano sight-reading books is. ABRSM have always produced a set of eight volumes of specimen sight-reading tests to support each of the piano exams at Grades 1-8.
This new series of books, More Piano Sight-Reading, is, in some ways, not dissimilar. The books offer a range to specimen sight-reading tests to support each grade. Reflecting the increasing length of the tests, Grade 1 offers 45 examples, whilst Grade 8 offers 20. In that sense, the addition of this series offers between both books, 90 and 40 specimen tests at each grade.
A new feature of this series is the inclusion of several pages of preparatory exercises. These, generally short exercises introduce pianists to the parameters of the tests at each grade, and usefully, these parameters are printed inside the back cover.
At Grade 1, the preparatory exercises are short, 2-3 bar extracts which initially introduce stepwise movement before beginning to introduce larger leaps. Time signatures, key signatures, tempo markings and dynamics are also introduced within these preparatory exercises, again reflecting the parameters given for the grade. Interestingly, articulation has been omitted from the preparatory exercises at Grade 1.
As you move through the grades, the preparatory exercises become slightly longer and predominantly offer a stepping stone from the previous grade. For example, the preparatory exercises in the Grade 5 book are short, generally Grade 4-level sight-reading tests, thus offering a bridge between both grades.
As with all ABRSM publications, they are well-presented, clearly printed and structured with clarity. According to ABRSM, the series encourages players to ‘strengthen their sight-reading skills’, supporting them ‘with the transition between grades’, and encouraging them ‘to integrate sight-reading into their daily practice’.
I’m sure that both teachers and pupils alike will make good use of these books, whether they intend to work towards ABRSM exams or not.
More Piano Sight-Reading is published by ABRSM in eight volumes, and is available to purchase from Thursday 4th April, 2019.
