Last Updated on December 16, 2022 by Rebecca
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- Where to Buy RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire Book
- Pre-requisite Skills for RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
- Some Skills and Concepts You'll Work on in RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
- Song List (RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire Book)
- Female Composers Featured in RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
- Performances of RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire Pieces and Songs
- The Calico Cat – Helen Marlais
- A Gorilla Named Chee – Dennis Alexander
- The Sneaky Tiger – Kevin Costley
- Minuetto in C Major, op. 37, lesson 2 – James Hook
- Minuet in F Major – attr. Leopold Mozart
- The Rising Sun – Nancy Telfer
- Starfish at Night – Anne Crosby Gaudet
- Raptors – Kevin Olson
- Oranges and Lemons – English Folk Song, arr. Boris Berlin
- Pumpkin Boogie – Nancy Faber and Randall Faber
- Boat of Tai Lake – Chinese Folk Song, arr. Emilie Lin
- The Thirsty Frog – Colleen Athparia
- Swoop, Peck and Fly – Alison Mathews
- Sneaky Sam – Melody Bober
- Carillon – David L. McIntyre
- New Shoes – Linda Niamath
- Shadow Puppets – Edward Han Jiang
- Paswewe (It Echoes) – Barbara Assiginaak
- Looking-Glass River – Nancy Faber and Randall Faber
- Leaping the Waves with Dolphins – Barbara Arens
- Roda – Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez
- Playing, op. 39, no. 5 – Dmitri Kabalevsky
- Bouncing Ball – Teresa Richert
- Steampunk – Diane Hidy
- Final Thoughts
- Related Posts
Where to Buy RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire Book
The Royal Conservatory of Music's Preparatory B Piano Repertoire book (Celebration Series, Sixth Edition) is available on Amazon.
Pre-requisite Skills for RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
RCM's Prep A and Prep B books function as a bridge between method books and RCM's Level 1 piano repertoire.
In a method book series, you'll learn the basics of piano, like how to read music and how to sit at the piano. But to be ready for RCM's Level 1 piano repertoire, there are some additional skills you'll need to master first. The Prep A and Prep B books will help you do that.
The Prep A and Prep B pieces are also a good introduction to the more formal and stark presentation of traditional sheet music. Method books are often designed to be colourful and fun, so many students feel intimidated when they transition to standard sheet music that looks less “friendly.”
The Prep A and Prep B books provide simple pieces, presented in typical “boring” sheet music format, so you can be successful with this presentation and overcome any nervousness you may have felt about sheet music.
You know you're ready for RCM's Prep B Piano Repertoire if you're already comfortable with the following:
- reading music on the entire range of the grand staff
- jumping around the keyboard (you're not locked into 5-finger position-based playing)
- 8th notes
- sharps and flats
Some Skills and Concepts You'll Work on in RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
- key signatures
- harmonic intervals (2-note chords)
- chords with up to 4 notes
- 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4, 2/2 simple time signatures
- basic compound time (6/8 time signature)
- odd time (5/8 time signature)
- hands together
- moving hands out of position
- pieces that are a full page long
- grace notes
- tuplets
- glissando
- continued practice of the same skills and concepts introduced in Prep A
Song List (RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire Book)
- The Calico Cat – Helen Marlais
- A Gorilla Named Chee – Dennis Alexander
- The Sneaky Tiger – Kevin Costley
- Minuetto in C Major, op. 37, lesson 2 – James Hook
- Minuet in F Major – attr. Leopold Mozart
- The Rising Sun – Nancy Telfer
- Starfish at Night – Anne Crosby Gaudet
- Raptors – Kevin Olson
- Oranges and Lemons – English Fold Song, arr. Boris Berlin
- Pumpkin Boogie – Nancy Faber and Randall Faber
- Boat of Tai Lake – Chinese Folk Song, arr. Emilie Lin
- The Thirsty Frog – Colleen Athparia
- Swoop, Peck and Fly – Alison Mathews
- Sneaky Sam – Melody Bober
- Carillon – David L. McIntyre
- New Shoes – Linda Niamath
- Shadow Puppets – Edward Han Jiang
- Paswewe (It Echoes) – Barbara Assiginaak
- Looking-Glass River – Nancy Faber and Randall Faber
- Leaping the Waves with Dolphins – Barbara Arens
- Roda – Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez
- Playing, op. 39, no. 5 – Dmitri Kabalevsky
- Bouncing Ball – Teresa Richert
- Steampunk – Diane Hidy
Female Composers Featured in RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
RCM did a good job of including in this book several pieces by female composers. Here is a list of the female composers featured:
- Helen Marlais
- Nancy Telfer
- Anne Crosby Gaudet
- Nancy Faber
- Emilie Lin
- Colleen Athparia
- Alison Mathews
- Melody Bober
- Linda Niamath
- Barbara Assiginaak
- Barbara Arens
- Teresa Richert
- Diane Hidy
Performances of RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire Pieces and Songs
When practicing piano, it is always useful to hear and study performances of the pieces, for several reasons:
- Helps you select those you are most interested in learning.
- Helps you learn what the pieces are meant to sound like
- Helps you think critically about others' interpretations, to inform your own interpretations
With this in mind, here are performances from YouTube of each piece from RCM Preparatory B Piano Repertoire, Celebration Series Sixth Edition.
The Calico Cat – Helen Marlais
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
A Gorilla Named Chee – Dennis Alexander
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
The Sneaky Tiger – Kevin Costley
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Minuetto in C Major, op. 37, lesson 2 – James Hook
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Minuet in F Major – attr. Leopold Mozart
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
The Rising Sun – Nancy Telfer
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Starfish at Night – Anne Crosby Gaudet
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Raptors – Kevin Olson
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Oranges and Lemons – English Folk Song, arr. Boris Berlin
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Pumpkin Boogie – Nancy Faber and Randall Faber
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Boat of Tai Lake – Chinese Folk Song, arr. Emilie Lin
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
The Thirsty Frog – Colleen Athparia
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Swoop, Peck and Fly – Alison Mathews
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Sneaky Sam – Melody Bober
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Carillon – David L. McIntyre
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
New Shoes – Linda Niamath
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Shadow Puppets – Edward Han Jiang
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Paswewe (It Echoes) – Barbara Assiginaak
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Looking-Glass River – Nancy Faber and Randall Faber
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Leaping the Waves with Dolphins – Barbara Arens
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Roda – Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Playing, op. 39, no. 5 – Dmitri Kabalevsky
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Bouncing Ball – Teresa Richert
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Steampunk – Diane Hidy
Preparatory B Piano Repertoire
Final Thoughts
I've had both adult students and young students who enjoyed working on pieces in this book. And it works well as an effective bridge between method books and RCM's Level 1 piano repertoire.
If you're interested in learning the pieces above, you can find The Royal Conservatory of Music's Preparatory B Piano Repertoire book (Celebration Series, Sixth Edition) on Amazon.