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.
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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 minor sonata feels sharp and driven, with disjointed leaps and rhythmic replies that produce a tense, almost improvisatory energy rather than a long singing line. Technically, prioritize Connaissance des formes (3.6/5) to respect repeats and shape contrasting phrases — this means clearly segmenting sections, managing repeats and anticipating modulatory turns — and Ornements baroque (3.1/5) to render trills and mordents cleanly, controlling wrist motion and finger precision so these ornaments support rather than obscure the line. The piece belongs to Domenico Scarlatti's Baroque keyboard repertoire and is one of his many short, virtuosic sonatas for harpsichord (now often played on piano) that explore percussive and harmonic effects. I do not provide a reference interpretation here because I am not 100% certain of a specific recording for this particular sonata.