Level 5 – Repertoire, Course Lists & Discussion Space

Level 5 description

You’ve built a solid foundation at the keyboard and you’re ready to develop your skills and expand your repertoire. Get serious about counterpoint by studying Bach’s 2-part Inventions, learn your first Mozart or Beethoven sonata movement, and start exploring the enchanting worlds of Chopin and Debussy. Start freeing up your technique and discover healthier and more efficient ways to practice with our recommended courses and labs, while reinforcing your musical understanding and broadening your expressive palette.

Level 5 recommended study pieces

Level 5 recommended courses

Level 5 practice labs

Level 5 complete repertoire lessons:

  • BACH: Invention in C major, BWV 772
  • BACH: Invention in D minor, BWV 775
  • BACH: Invention in F major, BWV 779
  • BACH: Air from Partita No. 6 in E minor
  • HAYDN: Adagio from Sonata in E minor, Hob. XVI:34
  • MOZART: Andante from Sonata in G major, K. 283
  • MOZART: Sonata in C major, K. 545
  • BEETHOVEN: “Moonlight Sonata” – I. Adagio sostenuto
  • BEETHOVEN: "Moonlight Sonata" - II. Allegretto
  • CHOPIN: Prelude in E minor, Op. 28 No. 4
  • CHOPIN: Prelude in B Minor, Op. 28 No. 6
  • CHOPIN: Prelude in A Major, Op. 28 No. 7
  • CHOPIN: Prelude in C Minor, Op. 28 No. 20
  • SCHUMANN: "Knecht Ruprecht,” Op. 68 No. 12
  • SCHUMANN: "First Loss," Op. 68 No. 16
  • DEBUSSY: “The Little Shepherd” from Children’s Corner
  • DEBUSSY: Arabesque No. 1

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Questions & Discussion

↓ Reply below to ask any questions about this level, or to get a second opinion from fellow users! â†“

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    • Kerstin
    • Kerstin
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Ben! Interesting quiz,  but I am not sure if it’s the right level. There are nice pieces you recommend. Beethoven Moonlight Sonata I have played already all movements.

    Last year I have played Chopin Scherzo Nr. 1 and 2 and some Etudes. Right now I have started with the Polonaise op 53. So my level in playing is much higher, but I am really bad in improvisation and never practiced scales and arpeggios in all keys - can‘t do it. So this is very low. I always practice what‘s in the piece. Taubmann Approach is great. I get some lessons right now with a teacher Bob recommended  me to improve my technic and get more speed. Thanks a lot for your work.

    tonebase is great. LG Kerstin

    🌟🎹🌟

    Like 1
      • Ben Laude
      • Head of Piano @ tonebase
      • Ben_Laude
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Kerstin That's interesting to hear! Yes, the level quiz will deliver some skewed results if you're weaker in certain skills and fundamental but pushed ahead with repertoire. Improvisation is probably a weakness for a lot of classically trained pianists (it is for me), but having a low mark in that area alone won't change your level.

      I'd have to see how you graded your abilities in certain categories, but there's also some ambiguity about how to think of quiz questions. You might not have ever formally mastered scales and arpeggios in all keys at a fast tempo, but if you're capable of playing the first two Chopin Scherzos then you're definitely capable of playing any scale or arpeggios you want on relatively short notice. So you should have at least given that one a 4/5, if not a 5/5. Maybe take the quiz again with that approach! Based on what you said you've played and what you're working on, you should be level 8 (I'd put the Heroic Polonaise at 9, and you just started it).

      On the other hand, if you wouldn't be comfortable playing all scales and arpeggios tomorrow or the next day, or if you don't have a grasp of key relationships or developed relative pitch to play a simple tune by ear, for example, then I would guess that learning a Chopin Scherzo or Polonaise would be a pretty massive undertaking – and I would say you are playing above your level. If that's the case, I recommend you treat your level assignment as your general musicianship grade, and consider focusing on becoming more automatic in more fundamentals and skills categories. Te point to that is it will enable you to learn the pieces you're working on with much more efficiency and facility.

      Like 1
      • Kerstin
      • Kerstin
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Ben Laude Hi Ben! Thanks for your answer. Maybe I underrate myself. I was studying piano in the late 80th. Have forgotten a lot of theoretical things and hearing intervals and harmonies etc was always a problem. I was watching your basic theory course and I had the idea I could learn it , but now I have not enough time. I am not a professional musician. I spend my time after work for playing. Sometimes I play for my friends. 
      In my study period in the 80th I played also some concertos -Beethoven 2. and Prokofjew 1. piano concerto. So playing is fine. The biggest problem I had and still have is to get the pieces in my mind. Last year we had the two weeks intensiv about analyzing pieces. And I did part of Scherzo 2 and Moonlight Sonata 1. movement. 
      Was very interesting. But while I am playing I don‘t think in harmonies at all. I recorded the 2. Scherzo for myself. Was the first fight through, when I had it almost in my mind. So that makes a better picture, how I can play. Have a nice week!

      LG Kerstin https://youtu.be/aE1hpUruXAE

      Like 1
      • Ben Laude
      • Head of Piano @ tonebase
      • Ben_Laude
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Kerstin You've played some challenging and beautiful pieces! Even if level 5 underestimates you a little, I do think it reveals some ways you can aspire to improve. The goal certainly is not to be consciously analyzing harmonies while you play a piece. But what you said, "thinking in harmonies," I do think is extremely valuable. You need to have an awareness of what you're playing, harmonically, and have it associated with a certain sound and potential physical reflexes. Similarly, when you speak fluently in a language, you don't have the definitions of words at the front of your mind. But you have rich contextual associations and deeply ingrained verbal reflexes attached to that word so you can just use it without thinking. That's what I don't think we do enough as pianists (and including you too – no offense, it's most of us!). Instead we learn how to pronounce words in very particular contexts scripted by a composer, as if that's the only time that chord has ever been used. But when you start realizing (feeling and hearing) that every piece you play is actually just repurposing and varying standard harmonic materials in a small set of possible keyboard positions, then suddenly pieces become faster to learn and easier to play. I do believe that this should be our goal, and if we can't do that with a given piece, even if we can eventually wrap our fingers around it, then in some sense it's still a bit above our level.

      Like
  • Hi Ben.  This is another level up for Tonebase.   I'm loving this.    The list of recommendations is very useful for me.    Some of which I have started but in general I dont play at full speed or without mistakes. 

    I have taken jazz / improvisation lessons so  I'm familiar with chords and such. 

     

    I didn't get around to respond to the previous survey.   One of the pieces i would love to get to sometime in the future is Schubert's Stanchen. But for now there are already plenty for me to work on. 

    Speed is a challenge for me.  That's why I'm practising your scales up towards your tempo. 

    Thank you so much Ben for continually making efforts to take into account the students needs and wishes. Very happy with tonebase.   đŸ™đŸ™

    Like 1
      • Ben Laude
      • Head of Piano @ tonebase
      • Ben_Laude
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Carol Chua Thanks for your feedback and request! Hope this system continues to help.

      Like
    • Ovidio Molina
    • Software Engineer
    • Ovidio_Molina
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Thanks, I was looking for some guide or recommendations and I see your list inspiring. I've played preludes op 28 no 4 and 20 before, as well as the first movement for Mozart's Sonata in C Major. I think your recommendations will help me improve technically and more songs to my repertoire.

    Like 1
    • Will
    • Will.1
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    I truly enjoyed this quiz and I think it was spot on regarding measuring me where I am. Thanks! 

    Like 1
    • Randi
    • Randi
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    Thank you for this! I think the quiz is pretty accurate for me. Of the pieces recommended, I have already played Moonlight (I), Bach's Invention in C major (currently working on C minor - these really break my head!), and Knecht Ruprecht. I am excited to bring this list to my teacher to help identify what to work on next.

    Like 1
    • Susan
    • Susan
    • 1 yr ago
    • Reported - view

    This is a really great tool. Thank you. I'm currently playing at level 5 and it matched the survey. I'm a 75 year old who started as a,beginner 9 years ago. I have a great deal of respect for you pianists ! I beat myself up for only being at a 5 after all these years but am grateful to learn and be able to play many of the pieces in the list. I will also use the recommendations as listed for tonebase . That said I often just enjoy listening to the sessions for advanced levels. It's great for insights and appreciation ( a master class of sorts)

    Like 1
      • Ben Laude
      • Head of Piano @ tonebase
      • Ben_Laude
      • 1 yr ago
      • Reported - view

      Susan Great to hear that you enjoy more advanced content too! I agree that there is MUCH to be learned from watching lessons above your level. But it can also be an alienating experience for some students, so we have to be more careful what we recommend!

      Like
  • Thanks, Ben, for setting this up. The quiz is really good and most of the pieces I am working on recently are on the list. I am planning to go through all the recommended courses. I have done almost all the study pieces and 2/3 of the repertoire one in this level. I just started on beethoven sonata no.8 cantabile in level 6. I wonder if I should keep working on all the level 5 pieces first? what is a good way to see if I am ready to move on to level 6? i started the pathetique a while back (1 year ago) and then stopped because I couldn't make much progress. Now I understand that I am just technically not there back then. I feel much better this time around. I want to play the piece well and not just learning it and move on. 

    Like
    • Bobby
    • Bobby.1
    • 11 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    I know you said it's good to use this as a starting point and to find our own path. But is there any sort of predefined progression one could follow to know when to move onto the next level? I think I might find the gamification of that quite motivating, e.g. learn 3 of the pieces and do the technique training + 10 scale challenge. Thanks for any info, really enjoying the courses and videos. 

    Like 1
  • I've just joined and am enjoying exploring the wonderful Tonebase site. I had my last piano lesson when I was 17 when I had passed Grade 6 (UK LCM) and was being prepared for Grade 8 but we moved away; since then my playing has been sporadic at best often just to practice choral pieces (I sing in a choir).  Now retired I'd like to get back to my old standard but mind and fingers are not so agile these days!  The quiz put me at level 5 but I see that I used to play some pieces which are in level 7. Returning to those pieces now can be very frustrating and I do wonder if I'm being too ambitious.  So I think I'm going to use a pick and mix approach in the various levels. My music theory definitely needs improving and I can't improvise at all. Also I want to be more musical in my playing and I hope my singing experience will help me there. Looking forward to the journey.

    Like
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