Sheet music reviews: Piano Grades are Go! Initial to Grade 1

The choice of new repertoire books aimed at early-stage pianists can often feel overwhelming. There is a limit to how much repertoire any pupil can get through, so any new book must offer both variety and pedagogical focus to make it a worthwhile purchase for increasingly cash-strapped parents, while also being motivating and attractive to play.

Happily, Piano Grades are Go! Initial to Grade 1 stands apart from most repertoire books in that it meets all these criteria. There is a wide variety of styles within each graded section, including tango, waltz, blues and march. The composer's experience as both a teacher and examiner are evident in the very careful benchmarking of the pieces. Presented in order of increasing difficulty, the hardest pieces at the Initial Grade allow for a smooth transition into the least difficult Grade 1 pieces. Most, if not all, pieces could be learnt either prior to exam work or between grades.