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 E major sonata feels bright and playful, with energetic leaps and lyrical episodes alternating with sparkling passagework; there is a restless rhythmic drive that needs forward motion without rushing. Technically, focus on the Ornements baroque (3.1/5): they require clean, rapid embellishments (short trills, small appoggiaturas) executed with precise finger lifts and clear articulation; and on Analyse harmonique (3.6/5): following the harmonic progressions helps shape phrases, anticipate cadences and balance the voices through modulations. It belongs to the Baroque keyboard repertory and is one of the many sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti that showcase his inventive approach to the keyboard, combining virtuosity with dance-like elements.