Abrsm 2025 & 2026
Grade 4 Piano Exam
Category C 1
Song Name / Song Pieces Dance Du Cocher Coachman's Dance
Composer Jaques Ilbert
Printed metronome mark for this piece is 152bpm, which is extremely fast, but ABRSM’s footnotes in the Grade 4 exam book state that students may prefer a slower tempo, for example,100bpm. Clearly this leaves a large margin of possible tempos (or tempi) to choose from. For purposes of illustration, this piece was recorded at 126bpm, which seems a happy medium between playing at break-neck speed (152bpm) and the much slower 100bpm at the other end of the spectrum.
The main consideration when practising is to take note of the numerous tenuto notes. (those with the little horizontal lines above or below the note-heads) These must be given their absolute FULL VALUE and not played staccato, tempting though that might be! The word “sim.” (for similar) appears below the left-hand part in bar 3, implying the continuation of tenuto notes until bar 9. It also appears again in bar 26. We then have a complete contrast in bar 9, where delicate and light staccato notes are needed, but watch for the accents in bars 12 and 16. The loudest part of the piece is from bar 17 onwards - fortissimo, and again watch for the held tenuto left-hand chords during that passage - this will apply all the way to the end of the piece. At bar 33 it might be effective to drop the volume a little bit in order to build up a nice crescendo to the final bar - also remember to accelerate the tempo through those bars. (As directed in bar 33, “accel.”) . I pedalled beat 1 of the final bar, in order for the tenuto G notes of both parts to achieve their full-value, so be careful not to play them staccato, unless pedalling!
Grade 4 Piano Exam
Category C 1
Song Name / Song Pieces Dance Du Cocher Coachman's Dance
Composer Jaques Ilbert
Printed metronome mark for this piece is 152bpm, which is extremely fast, but ABRSM’s footnotes in the Grade 4 exam book state that students may prefer a slower tempo, for example,100bpm. Clearly this leaves a large margin of possible tempos (or tempi) to choose from. For purposes of illustration, this piece was recorded at 126bpm, which seems a happy medium between playing at break-neck speed (152bpm) and the much slower 100bpm at the other end of the spectrum.
The main consideration when practising is to take note of the numerous tenuto notes. (those with the little horizontal lines above or below the note-heads) These must be given their absolute FULL VALUE and not played staccato, tempting though that might be! The word “sim.” (for similar) appears below the left-hand part in bar 3, implying the continuation of tenuto notes until bar 9. It also appears again in bar 26. We then have a complete contrast in bar 9, where delicate and light staccato notes are needed, but watch for the accents in bars 12 and 16. The loudest part of the piece is from bar 17 onwards - fortissimo, and again watch for the held tenuto left-hand chords during that passage - this will apply all the way to the end of the piece. At bar 33 it might be effective to drop the volume a little bit in order to build up a nice crescendo to the final bar - also remember to accelerate the tempo through those bars. (As directed in bar 33, “accel.”) . I pedalled beat 1 of the final bar, in order for the tenuto G notes of both parts to achieve their full-value, so be careful not to play them staccato, unless pedalling!
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