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Start with the exam board and format, or say that the goal is to play at this level without taking an exam. The choice changes what needs attention between lessons. These are the main differences in the ABRSM Practical, ABRSM Performance and Trinity piano syllabuses.

For ABRSM, the 2027–2028 repertoire starts on 1 January 2027. The preceding 2025–2026 pieces remain eligible until 31 December 2027 for both Practical and Performance. Keep the set-list requirements within one edition. Before buying new music, check the intended exam date and which syllabus the learner is already using.

ABRSM Practical Grade 4 includes C harmonic minor in contrary motion: the hands start on the same tonic and move in opposite directions over two octaves. The scale is played from memory, legato (with connected notes) and evenly. The requirement appears in the Grade 4 technical-work table.

Here is a shorter practice example. First trace each hand’s one-octave journey:

• Right hand rising: C–D–E♭–F–G–A♭–B–C.
• Left hand descending: C–B–A♭–G–F–E♭–D–C.

The ♭ sign means flat. If B♭ slips in because C minor has three flats in its key signature, the correction is B natural: harmonic minor raises the seventh note, and keeps that raised note on the way down. This follows the Open University explanation of harmonic minor.

Practise A♭–B–C and C–B–A♭ slowly, keeping the time between notes even across the wider A♭–B step. Then join the hands using the fingering agreed with the tutor. A useful sign of progress is that both hands arrive together without a pause at a finger change. Extend the secure pattern to the full two-octave requirement.

ABRSM Grade 4 sight-reading introduces 6/8 and anacruses, meaning notes that lead into the first full bar. Its sight-reading guidance also allows half a minute to look through and try the music before assessment.

For an invented bar containing six equal quavers, count ONE-two-three FOUR-five-six. Feel two larger beats, each containing three quavers. If there is a single-quaver pickup before the first barline, enter on “six”, then land on the next “ONE”. Clap that rhythm before adding pitches. The improvement to listen for is a steady two-beat feel through the pickup and into the full bar.

Listening needs its own practice too. ABRSM Grade 4 aural includes repeating a melody by singing or playing after hearing it twice. As a practice task, listen first for its rhythm and direction, then reproduce a short phrase and compare it with the original. If the ending changes, isolate those final notes before trying the complete phrase again.

ABRSM assesses tone, musical shape and communication alongside correct notes and timing. Its marking criteria explain why polishing a piece means more than removing mistakes.

For a lyrical piece such as Grieg’s Waltz, Op. 12 No. 2, a Grade 4 List B choice for 2025–2026, try a short phrase from your score. Choose the note the phrase moves towards. Play the melody alone, then add the accompaniment more quietly. If the tune disappears when the left hand joins, reduce the accompaniment’s volume while keeping its rhythm steady. Listen again: can you still hear the melody’s direction and a deliberate phrase ending? This is a practice suggestion to explore with the tutor, rather than a prescribed interpretation.

For ABRSM Performance or Trinity Repertoire-only, follow the individual-piece work with complete programme runs. Try this transition exercise: after a lively piece, release the final sound, hear the next piece’s opening pulse silently, then begin at its own tempo. Record a practice run and check whether the next opening stays controlled. ABRSM’s programme-planning guidance also asks learners to consider stamina, nerves and the order of pieces.

Trinity’s Grade 4 syllabus gives different technical-work instructions for face-to-face and digital exams. For example, digital Set A includes F minor, hands together over two octaves, played quietly and staccato (with detached notes). That is a specific sound and coordination task.

For practice, take a short part of that scale and make each note detached without making it louder. If lifting the fingers produces a sudden accent, slow the pattern and aim for equally quiet notes in both hands. Then restore the full range. Listen for consistent separation, volume and timing. This exercise is relevant when that set is being prepared; it is not an ABRSM scale instruction.

For Trinity face-to-face, prepare three exercises, one from each group, with two performed in the exam. The digital technical-work pathway uses a chosen set plus two exercises from different groups. Confirm the pathway and exercise selection before turning the syllabus into a practice list.

A useful practice note names the passage, the action and what to listen for. “Bars 5–6: keep the left hand quiet enough to hear the melody” is more usable than “practise the piece”. The bar numbers here are an example to replace with the learner’s own passage. Paul Harris’s ABRSM practice guidance supports small, specific tasks and reflective checks.

Arrange access to a piano between lessons and tell the tutor the instrument’s make or model, keyboard range and pedals before the first session. Latimer is online-first; in-person lessons depend on a separate arrangement with the tutor.

Each tutor sets their own hourly rate, shown on their profile. Latimer invoices after lessons on a pay-as-you-go basis. Agree the lesson length and schedule with the tutor so the cost fits the family’s budget.

Before committing to an exam, check the cost of music and exam entry and who will handle each payment. To judge lesson value, look for explanations the learner can use independently, a manageable practice task and a clear way to review it next time. See how Latimer tuition works for the service arrangements.