Official level, taken from the exam syllabus.
Other syllabi : RCM Grade 6
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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The safest next step.
A genuine step up, without a jolt.
A useful leap with guided practice.
The Arabesque No. 1 conveys a light, flute‑like atmosphere, built from sinuous melodic lines and delicate ostinatos that call for transparency rather than weight. Technically, you will need to focus especially on Legato (4.8/5) — in this piece that means very clear finger connections to sustain melodic continuity without heaviness — and on the Sustain Pedal (Pédale de sustain, 4.8/5), which requires precise, often half‑pedaling, to link harmonies without blurring the rhythmic details. The provided data lists the period as unknown; the work is catalogued here simply as a solo piano piece by Debussy. I do not give a reference recording here out of caution.