Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.
Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.
Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.
The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.
Does this rating look right to you?
This rating is computed automatically from heterogeneous sources. It gets things wrong, sometimes badly. If you know this work, your answer is worth more than our computation: it tells us which ratings to review.
Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.
The safest next step.
A genuine step up, without a jolt.
A useful leap with guided practice.
This C major sonata feels lively and playful, built from short phrases and contrasting repeats that call for crisp articulation and a forward rhythmic drive rather than sustained lyrical lines. Technically you will face, in particular, Connaissance des formes (3.6/5): you must internalize the binary structure and repeats to anticipate transitions and shape the small phrases, and Ornements baroque (3.1/5): you need brief, precise execution of ornaments — trills and grace notes — controlled by light fingers and a flexible wrist. The piece belongs to the Baroque period and is part of Scarlatti's large output of keyboard sonatas, known for their economical means and inventiveness in keyboard writing. I do not give a recommended interpretation here because I prefer not to risk naming a specific recording without full confidence.