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 Alla polacca in A minor feels both dance-like and slightly wistful, alternating marked accents with softer, sighing episodes that require a steady sense of pulse. Technically, Connaissance des formes (3.1/5) is important to articulate the short repeated phrases and small cadential modules — you will need to shape repeats and half-phrases so the polonaise structure stays clear — and Nuances (2.5/5) demands fine dynamic control achieved by subtle variations of touch rather than large sudden changes. The piece belongs to the Classical period and reflects C.P.E. Bach’s interest in stylized dances and expressive contrast, placed among his keyboard pieces that probe affect and expressive mobility. I do not give a specific reference recording because I am not fully certain of a single widely recognized interpretation for this exact piece.