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Piano books

(intermediate)

The best educational books in one place

We have years of experience using and testing educational books for a range of instruments. We only recommend books that we have used ourselves and that we can confidently vouch for.

All the best books out there have been collected here for you so that you don’t have to search for hours on end to find good material.

This page is constantly updated when we discover new treasures and to include the latest releases from ABRSM’s graded exams.

We have done our best to provide accurate and up-to-date information on each individual product below. Please note that there are more options for learning the required syllabus than we have included on this page. We have included books that we personally recommend. If there is something regarding the exams or syllabus you’re not sure about, please check ABRSM’s website. You can also contact us and we will do our best to advise you.

ABRSM now offers two different exams (scroll down to the bottom of this page for more info). They both give you equal amounts of UCAS points which can be used in university or college applications in the UK. Please note that it’s only grades 6-8 which can give you UCAS points.

Books for intermediate players

Piano books - Intermediate - Book suggestion coming soon

Something great is coming...

We’re in the process of adding more fantastic books here. Just bear with us. They will be here soon!

Piano books - Intermediate - Book suggestion coming soon

Something great is coming...

We’re in the process of adding more fantastic books here. Just bear with us. They will be here soon!

Piano books - Intermediate - Book suggestion coming soon

Something great is coming...

We’re in the process of adding more fantastic books here. Just bear with us. They will be here soon!

Everything you need for the ABRSM grade 5 exam

For the traditional practical exams, you need to prepare 3 pieces. This book contains 9 pieces to choose from. It’s very common to choose all three pieces from this book. But there is more choice for those who want a broader selection. Click here to see the complete syllabus from ABRSM.
 
Although there are alternative books, the most convenient thing for most people is to choose all three pieces from this book.

This book contains everything you need to prepare the scales and arpeggios for your grade 5 exam.

Piano Specimen Sight-Reading Tests is a good alternative to sight-reading practise, but we prefer Improve Your Sight-Reading because it includes a whole lot more practise pieces that progress in difficulty. Sight-reading takes time to get good at, so more material is often needed.

All you need to prepare the aural part of the exam. This book includes two CDs. Practising aural skills is all about listening, so the CDs will be a huge help, especially if you want to practise in between lessons when your teacher is not there to play for you.

Aural Training in Practice is a good alternative if you want a bit more explanation and guidance.

Info about ABRSM exams

This is the traditional exam form that ABRSM has been using for years. These exams consist of 3 pieces, scales and arpeggios, sight-reading and aural tests.

This is a new type of exam that ABRSM introduced in 2020. You only need to prepare 4 pieces for these exams – 3 pieces from ABRSM’s syllabus list and 1 additional piece that you source yourself. In these exams, there is more focus on the performance as a whole, and the choice of your pieces carry some weight towards the final mark.