Please use the links below to find the titles recommended in the ABRSM Violin Initial Grade from 2024 Syllabus:

Initial Grade Pieces

One piece must be chosen from each of Lists A, B and C.

Please note that the first three pieces in each list are found in the Initial Grade Violin Exam Pack from 2024, (ABRSM)

List A

1 Lloyd Coleman Happy Hippo Hop
2 Trad. English The Old Woman and the Pedlar, arr. Bullard
3 Trad. Welsh Pwt ar y Bys, arr. Gritton
4 Katherine & Hugh Colledge Knickerbocker Glory (No.10 from Waggon Wheels)
Katherine & Hugh Colledge: Waggon Wheels for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes)
5 Cutter Little March, arr. K. & C. Sassmannshaus ending at b. 20 DUET/PIANO Violin Recital Album, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter)
6 Stanley Fletcher Sweet Eyed Sue (No. 9 from New Tunes for Strings, Book 1) with repeat using bowing variation 1 DUET/PIANO Stanley Fletcher: New Tunes for Strings, Violin Book 1 (Boosey & Hawkes) New Tunes for Strings Vol. 1 Teacher's Book
7 Trad. Big Ben, arr. Davey, Hussey & Sebba DUET/PIANO Abracadabra Violin (Third Edition) (Collins Music) 🎵 Abracadabra Violin (Third Edition) and CD (Collins Music)
8 Trad. Secret Agents, arr. Davey, Hussey & Sebba with repeat DUET/PIANO Abracadabra Violin (Third Edition) (Collins Music) 🎵 Abracadabra Violin (Third Edition) and CD (Collins Music)
9 Trad. Go Tell Aunt Rhody, arr. Suzuki DUET/PIANO Suzuki Violin School, Vol. 1 Revised Edition (Alfred) 🎵 Suzuki Violin School Volume 1 (Revised Edition) Book & CD (Alfred) Suzuki Violin School (Revised Edition) Piano Accompaniment (Alfred)
10 Wohlfart Polka, arr. Nelson Piece by Piece 1 for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes)
11 S. Nelson Marzipan March (Theme) The Essential String Method, Violin Book 2 (Boosey & Hawkes) Essential String Method Vol. 1 and 2 – Piano Accompaniment for Violin/Viola
12 Vivaldi Autumn (from The Four Seasons), arr. K. & D. Blackwell DUET/PIANO Violin Mix 1 (ABRSM)
13 Mark Wilson & Paul Wood Oh, What a Day! No. 38 from Mark Wilson & Paul Wood: Stringtastic Beginners for Violin (Faber) 🎵 Stringtastic Beginners: Teacher's Accompaniment (Piano)

List B

1 AltheaTalbot-Howard The Knights’ Pavane
2 Bob Dylan Blowin’ in the Wind, arr. Iles
3 Trad. French Au clair de la lune, arr. Bullard
4 Kathy & David Blackwell Peace Garden* DUET/PIANO Fiddle Time Joggers Book & audio downloads (OUP) 🎵 Fiddle Time Joggers Violin Accompaniment 3rd Edition (OUP) Fiddle Time Joggers Piano Accompaniment (OUP)
5 Trad. American The Mocking Bird, arr. K. & D. Blackwell DUET/PIANO Fiddle Time Joggers Book & audio downloads (OUP) Fiddle Time Joggers Violin Accompaniment 3rd Edition (OUP) Fiddle Time Joggers Piano Accompaniment (OUP)
6 Thomas Gregory Footprints in the Snow Vamoosh Violin, Book 1 and audio (Vamoosh) Vamoosh String Book 1 – Piano Accompaniments
7 Huws Jones Gone for Good (No.12 from Ten O’Clock Rock)
Huws Jones: Ten O’Clock Rock for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes) Ten O'Clock Rock – 18 Concert Pieces for Beginner – Piano Accompaniment
8 S. Nelson I am a River The Essential String Method, Violin Book 2 (Boosey & Hawkes) Essential String Method Vol. 1 and 2 – Piano Accompaniment for Violin/Viola
9 S. Nelson Over the Moon Piece by Piece 1 for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes)
10 S. Nelson Swingalong ‘E’ version DUET/PIANO
P.16 from Tetratunes for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes) Tetratunes – Piano Accompaniment ((Boosey & Hawkes)
11 Thomas Gregory Rolling Hills Vamoosh Violin, Book 1 and audio (Vamoosh) Vamoosh String Book 1 – Piano Accompaniments
12 Mark Wilson & Paul Wood Music for a Rainy Day No. 27 from Mark Wilson & Paul Wood: Stringtastic Beginners for Violin (Faber) Stringtastic Beginners: Teacher's Accompaniment (Piano)
13 David Woodcock Sad Sandy🕮 Easy Tunes for Tamariki for Violin (Wellington Branch IRMTNZ) 🕮

List C

1 Nancy Litten Crunch Time
2 Christopher Norton Grizzly Bear (No. 5 from The Microjazz Violin Collection 1)
3 Trad. German Kuckuck, Kuckuck, ruft’s aus dem Wald, arr. Blackwell
4 Kathy & David Blackwell Rhythm Fever – DUET/PIANO Fiddle Time Joggers Book & audio downloads (OUP) 🎵 Fiddle Time Joggers Violin Accompaniment 3rd Edition (OUP) Fiddle Time Joggers Piano Accompaniment (OUP)
5 Thomas Gregory Walk on Mars! slides optional; with DC, as in accomp.
Vamoosh Violin, Book 1 and audio (Vamoosh) Vamoosh String Book 1 – Piano Accompaniments
6 Anita Hewitt-Jones & Caroline Lumsden Have a Cup of Tea (from Bread and Butter Pudding) Lumsden & Hewitt-Jones: Bread and Butter Pudding violin part (Musicland) Bread and Butter Pudding (Violin/Viola & Piano) (Musicland)
7 Huws Jones Ten O’Clock Rock (No. 9 from Ten O’Clock Rock) Huws Jones: Ten O’Clock Rock for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes) 🎵 Ten O'Clock Rock – 18 Concert Pieces for Beginner – Piano Accompaniment
8 Caroline Lumsden & Pam Wedgwood Jungle Footprints (from Jackaroo) scream optional Lumsden & Wedgwood: Jackaroo for Violin (Faber)
9 Trad. German Pit a Pat Rain, arr. K. & C. Sassmannshaus DUET/PIANO Violin Recital Album, Vol. 1 (Bärenreiter)
10 Peter Wilson Bow Rock (No. 4 from Stringpops 1) Wilson & Ranger: Stringpops 1 for Violin (Faber) 🎵 Stringpops 1 Piano Accompaniment (Faber)
11 Ross Carey In May 🕮 Easy Tunes for Tamariki for Violin (Wellington Branch IRMTNZ) 🕮
12 Jessica O’Leary Witches’ Waltz Flexi Violin, Book 1 (Faber)
13 Trad. American Let us chase the squirrel, arr. K. & D. Blackwell Violin Mix 1 (ABRSM)* Previously named ‘Chinese Garden’

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Candidates should not perform from unauthorised photocopies (or other kinds of copies) or illegal downloads of copyright music in examinations. There are limited circumstances where can copies be used in an examination the UK. The MPA’s Code of Fair Practice gives further guidance. Before making a copy an application should be made to the copyright holder and evidence of permission should be brought to the exam. Candidates and Applicants must act within the law with regard to copyright.