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Grade 8 Pieces
Four pieces; at least one chosen by the candidate from each of the three Lists, A, B and C, and a fourth of the candidate’s own choice; for further programming requirements, see the ABRSM Exam Syllabus.
Please use the links below to find the titles recommended in the ABRSM Exam Syllabus.
Please note the first three pieces in each list are in ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028 Grade 8
Books marked with đź“– are currently unavailable in the UK.
Grade 8 Scales & Arpeggios
ABRSM Piano Scales & Arpeggios Grade 8
Grade 8 Sight-Reading
ABRSM Piano Sight-Reading Grade 8
Grade 8 Aural
ABRSM Specimen Aural Tests Grade 8
Additional Resources
Grade 8 Sight Reading
ABRSM More Piano Sight-Reading Grade 8
Joining the Dots Grade 8
Improve Your Sight-Reading Grade 8
Grade 8 Aural
ABRSM Aural Training in Practice, Grades 6-8
Improve Your Aural Grades 7-8
Aural Test Survival Grade 8
Theory of Music
ABRSM Music Theory Exam Materials
Additional Music Theory Resources
Grade 8 2027 & 2028 List A
1. J. S. Bach, Allegro (1st movt from Italian Concerto, BWV 971), Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
2. Beethoven, Rondo (3rd movt from Sonata in C minor, ‘Grande Sonate pathĂ©tique’, Op. 13), Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
3. Ravel, Fugue (No. 2 from Le tombeau de Couperin), Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
4. J. S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 884, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Part 2 (ABRSM)
5. J. S. Bach, Sarabande and Rondeaux (4th and 5th movts from Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826), Partitas Nos. 1–3 (ABRSM)
6. Beethoven, Allegro (1st movt from Sonata in E, Op. 14 No. 1), Sonata in E, Op. 14 No. 1 (ABRSM) or The 35 Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1 (ABRSM) or Complete Pianoforte Sonatas, Vol. 1 (ABRSM)
7. Handel, Prelude and Allegro (Fuga) (1st and 2nd movts from Suite No. 8 in F minor, HWV 433), Eight Great Suites, Book 2 (ABRSM) or Keyboard Works, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter)
8. Haydn, Allegro con brio (1st movt from Sonata in D, Hob. XVI:37), Selected Keyboard Sonatas, Book 3 (ABRSM) or Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3 (Wiener Urtext)
9. Haydn, Allegro (1st movt from Sonata in E-, Hob. XVI:49), Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3 (Henle)
10. S. Hough, Toccatina (5th movt), Suite R-B and Other Enigmas (Weinberger)
11. MartĂnez, Allegro/Moderato (1st movt from Sonata in A), Piano Music by Female Composers (4th revised edition 2011) (Schott) or Core Classics, Grades 7–8 (ABRSM)
12. Moszkowski, Scherzino, Op. 77 No. 2, Music for Piano (G. Schirmer)
13. Mozart, Andante grazioso and Vars. 1–6 (1st movt from Sonata in A, K. 331), Sonata in A, K. 331 (ABRSM) or Sonatas for Pianoforte, Vol. 2 (ABRSM)
14. Rameau, Les cyclopes, Les cyclopes / Les sauvages (Bärenreiter) or Pièces de clavecin (Heugel)
15. D. Scarlatti, Sonata in D, Kp. 443, L. 418, Selected Keyboard Sonatas, Book 1 (ABRSM) or 200 Sonatas, Vol. 3 (EMB Zeneműkiadó)
16. C. Schumann, Un poco agitato (No. 2 from Quatre pièces fugitives, Op. 15), Romantic Piano Music (Vol. 2) (Bärenreiter) or Quatre pièces fugitives Op. 15 (Breitkopf & Härtel)
Grade 8 2027 & 2028 List B
1. Bridge, Rosemary (No. 2 from Three Sketches, H. 68), Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
2. Chopin, Nocturne in E minor, Op. 72 No. 1, Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
3. Jian’er, An Offering of Intimacy (No. 1 from Two Preludes, Op. 4), Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
4. Arensky, Nocturne in D- (No. 3), 24 Morceaux characteristiques, Op. 36 (Alfred)
5. A. Beach, A Hermit Thrush at Morn, Op. 92 No. 2, Piano Music of Amy Beach (Hal Leonard) or Amy Beach Piano Music (Dover)
6. Beethoven, Adagio cantabile (2nd movt from Sonata in C minor, ‘Grande Sonate pathĂ©tique’, Op. 13), Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 (PathĂ©tique) (ABRSM) or The 35 Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1 (ABRSM) or Complete Pianoforte Sonatas, Vol. 1 (ABRSM)
7. Chopin, Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17 No. 4, Mazurkas (Henle)
8. Hensel, Andante cantabile in D-, Selected Piano Works (Henle)
9. M. Hill, The Leafy Lanes of Kent, The Leafy Lanes of Kent (Wirripang) or The Composers’ Series Vol. 10a, Mirrie Hill (Wirripang) đź“–
10. Janáček, Andante (No. 1), In the Mists (Bärenreiter)
11. K. Parker, A Water Colour, A Water Colour (Wirripang) đź“– or The Composers’ Series Vol. 3, Katharine Parker (Wirripang) đź“–
12. Rachmaninoff, Moment musical in D-, Op. 16 No. 5, Six moments musicaux, Op. 16 (Simrock)
13. Schubert, Impromptu in A- (No. 2 from Four Impromptus, Op. 142, D. 935), Impromptus, Op. 142 (ABRSM) or Impromptus and Moments musicaux (Henle) or Core Classics, Grades 7–8 (ABRSM)
14. Schumann, Romanze in F+ (No. 2), Drei Romanzen, Op. 28 (ABRSM)
15. Tchaikovsky, Janvier ‘Au coin du feu’ (No. 1), The Seasons (Henle)
16. P. E. Wolf, Hiding Rainbow (Bujkáló szivárvárny) (No. 22), Jazz Preludes Wolf-temperiertes Klavier 2 (EMB Zeneműkiadó)
Grade 8 2027 & 2028 List C
1. Cairos-Rego, Waltz Caprice, Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
2 A. Ffrench, Footprints in the Sand (from Dreamland), Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
3 G. Simcock, Winterley, Piano Exam Pieces 2027 & 2028, Grade 8 (ABRSM)
4. E. Alberga, If the Silver Bird Could Speak, Spectrum (ABRSM)
5. BartĂłk, Dance in Bulgarian Rhythm No. 6 (No. 153 from Mikrokosmos), Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (Henle) or Mikrokosmos, Vol. 6 (Boosey & Hawkes)
6. Chaminade, Pierrette (Air de Ballet), Op. 41, Piano Music by Female Composers (4th revised edition 2011) (Schott)
7. C. Peixun, Thunder in Drought Season, 100 Years of Chinese Piano Music – Vol. III Works in Traditional Style, Book II Instrumental Music (Shanghai Conservatory of Music Press)
8. Debussy, RĂŞverie, RĂŞverie (Editions Jobert) or Night and Dreams (Schott)
9. T. Garland, Eco Warrior, Nikki Iles and Friends, Book 2 (ABRSM)
10. B. Grøndahl, Trolldans (No. 6), I Blaafjellet (In the Blue Mountain), Op. 44 (Peters)
11. Khachaturian, Toccata, Toccata (Sikorski)
12. U. Korn, Caballos Españoles, Tango Meets Jazz (Schott)
13. B. J. Mayerl, Autumn Crocus, Encore Plus, Book 4 (ABRSM) đź“–
14. McHugh, arr. Iles, On the Sunny Side of the Street, Jazz on a Summer’s Day (OUP)
15. Messiaen, La colombe (No. 1), Préludes pour piano (Durand)
16. Trad. Irish, arr. Iles, Danny Boy, Jazz in Autumn (OUP)
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