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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
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.