Que jouer après Polonaises, op. 26 ?

Choose your level of commitment: consolidate, move up a tier or prepare a challenge. The top-ranked cards combine difficulty, risk, shared skills and confidence.

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Gentle step

The safest next step.

Gentle

Ballade, for piano, op. 9

César Franck

72/100 +5 pts 7-14 weeks

close skills low risk to confirm

A short step up, staying in Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Octaves — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.

Gentle

Polonaise in B flat minor, op. 21

Alexander Scriabin

72/100 +5 pts 7-14 weeks

partial transfer low risk to confirm

A short step up, staying in Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Rythmes pointés and Octaves — the pitfall is the pulse drifting as soon as the writing thickens: subdivide with the metronome.

Gentle

Polonaises, op. 71

Frédéric Chopin

72/100 +6 pts 7-14 weeks

close skills low risk fair confidence

A short step up, staying in Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Ornements romantiques and Passages rapides — ornaments must be secure before the piece goes up to tempo, otherwise they break the line instead of decorating it.

Gentle

Ballade slave, L.70

Claude Debussy

70/100 +3 pts 7-14 weeks

close skills low risk to confirm

A short step up, staying in Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Octaves — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.

Gentle

Polonaise in G flat major, B.36

Frédéric Chopin

70/100 +3 pts 6-12 weeks

partial transfer low risk fair confidence

A short step up, staying in Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Rythmes pointés and Octaves — the pitfall is the pulse drifting as soon as the writing thickens: subdivide with the metronome.

Balanced step

A genuine step up, without a jolt.

Balanced

Ballade no. 2 in B minor, S.171, R.16

Franz Liszt

78/100 +12 pts 14-28 weeks

close skills moderate risk to confirm

A real step up, staying in Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Octaves — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.

Balanced

Polonaise in F sharp minor, op. 44

Frédéric Chopin

76/100 +10 pts 14-28 weeks

close skills moderate risk fair confidence

A real step up, staying in Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM). New compared with the previous piece: Rythmes pointés and Octaves — the pitfall is the pulse drifting as soon as the writing thickens: subdivide with the metronome.

Balanced

Polonaise in G minor, B.1

Frédéric Chopin

76/100 +9 pts 14-28 weeks

close skills moderate risk fair confidence

Balanced

Poème tragique in B flat major, op. 34

Alexander Scriabin

75/100 +8 pts 14-28 weeks

close skills moderate risk to confirm

A real step up, staying in Advanced (around grade 8 ABRSM/RCM). The demand here is musical rather than mechanical: Tempo rubato — the pitfall is the pulse drifting as soon as the writing thickens: subdivide with the metronome.

Ambitious challenge

A useful leap with guided practice.

Challenge

Polonaise no. 6 in A flat major, op. 53, "Heroic"

Frédéric Chopin

84/100 +17 pts 32-64 weeks

partial transfer high risk to confirm

An ambitious leap into Great repertoire (diploma level, beyond grade 8) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. New compared with the previous piece: Rythmes pointés and Octaves — the pitfall is the pulse drifting as soon as the writing thickens: subdivide with the metronome.

Challenge

Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, op. 120

Ludwig van Beethoven

88/100 +22 pts 32-64 weeks

close skills high risk to confirm

An ambitious leap into Great repertoire (diploma level, beyond grade 8) — only worth starting if the practice time is really there. New compared with the previous piece: Connaissance des formes — understand the form and the harmony before memorising, or memory collapses the moment you play for someone.

Challenge

Polonaises, op. 40

Frédéric Chopin

59/100 -7 pts 20-40 weeks

close skills low risk fair confidence

Next piece in the same collection, Intermediate (around grade 6 ABRSM/RCM): the order its editor chose, a progression already tested. New compared with the previous piece: Ornements romantiques and Passages rapides — ornaments must be secure before the piece goes up to tempo, otherwise they break the line instead of decorating it.

Same level

To widen the repertoire without raising the level.

Same level

Waltz in D-flat major Op.64 No.1 (Minute Waltz)

Frédéric Chopin

66/100 -1 pts 4-7 weeks

partial transfer low risk to confirm

Equivalent demands, still Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Ornements romantiques and Passages rapides — ornaments must be secure before the piece goes up to tempo, otherwise they break the line instead of decorating it.

Same level

3 Ballet Scenes as Concert Waltzes, op. 33a, KiV 238

Ferruccio Busoni

65/100 -2 pts 4-7 weeks

partial transfer low risk to confirm

Equivalent demands, still Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Staccato — practise it slowly and hands separately before any attempt at tempo: that is where tension builds up.

Same level

Boléro, op. 19

Frédéric Chopin

69/100 +3 pts 4-7 weeks

partial transfer low risk to confirm

Equivalent demands, still Advanced (around grade 7 ABRSM/RCM): what changes is the ground. What changes is the skill in play: Caractère et style — the notes are not enough: articulation and ornaments follow performance conventions best checked in an urtext edition.

Progressions computed from difficulty, skill overlap and style between works. A What do we play next? recommendation should remain a pedagogical starting point, not an automatic prescription.