Levels

Teachers must enter students in the appropriate playing level. Use this list of pieces to help you determine the level. These are guidelines only, certain pieces are listed to help you decide where your particular piece fits. Pieces are categorized according to technical and interpretative difficulties. If a student has been misplaced, they will be moved to the appropriate level and you will be notified of the change.
**We reserve the right to combine levels when necessary, according to the number of entries. We will always combine levels before we will combine age divisions. We also might need to combine styles of classical pieces. If students are registered according to age, level, and style of piece, then the database can categorize easily and students can be grouped in the fairest way possible.
*8 and under students will NOT have levels. Also the Concerto age divisions will NOT have levels. All Concertos are from the classical repertoire, no non-classical concertos. Please refer to the MTNA website for a list of classical composers.
**If you need further guidance, refer to the book by Maurice Hinson "Guide to the Pianists Repertoire", 3rd edition. "Easy" levels would be in Bronze level. "Intermediate" would be in the Silver level. "Moderately Difficult to Difficult" would be in the Gold level. Also refer to classical composers in the MTNA national website composer list.

The following list has examples of types of pieces to help you choose the level your student is in for that particular division):

1. Gold Level Performer: (early advanced to Advanced student, more experience in performing and competitions, 5 or more years of piano study, guideline.)

Non-Classical/Modern: Advanced level sheet music, level 5 & 6 methods, Jon Schmidt, Jim Brickman, Federation Bulletin levels Medium - Musically Advanced 2 levels.

Classical: early advanced to advanced repertoire. Keith Snell Repertoire books Levels 7-10, most classical sonata movements of Beethoven, Mozart. Chopin Nocturnes, Etudes, Scherzos, Grand Waltzes, harder preludes, Ballades, Polonaises. Bach Preludes & Fugues, French and English suites. Debussy Images, harder Debussy preludes, Ballade, Mazurka. Gershwin preludes. Advanced Prokofiev pieces, Barber, Rachmaninoff preludes, Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies, Brahms Intermezzos, Barber Sonata.

2. Silver Level Performer: (early, mid, late intermediate student with some performance experience and competition experience).

Non-Classical/Modern: Level 2B - 4 methods and supplemental books, Federation solo & LFO levels Primary 4 - E4. Late elementary to Intermediate level sheet music, modern composers: Vandall, Mier, Rollin, Goldston, etc.

Classical: early to late intermediate repertoire. Keith Snell Repertoire books Levels 3-6. Easier Sonata movements by Mozart & Beethoven. All classical period sonatinas except beginning sonatinas by Lichner. Debussy Childrens Corner Suite & Reverie, Le Petit Negre. Chopin Waltzes, easier preludes, easier nocturnes. Bach Inventions & 12 Little Preludes. Most Mendelssohn Songs without Words and Children's pieces Op. 72, Bartok Romanian Folk Dances 1-5. Copland Cat and Mouse. Schumann Scenes from Childhood, Album for the Young. More difficult Kabalevsky pieces.

3. Bronze Level Performer: (Beginning students, level 1 & 2 methods, not as much experience performing and competing, usually under 3 years of piano study).

Non-Classical/Modern: Level primer, 1 & 2 method books and sheet music, Federation Solo & LFO levels Pre Primer - Primary 3.

Classical: Beginning to late Elementary repertoire. Keith Snell Repertoire books Level Primer - 2, Bach Minuets & pieces from Anna Magdalena notebook, easy sonatinas by Lichner and easier movements. Schumann easier pieces from Album for the Young, Bartok Mikrokosmos vol. 1 & 2, Kabalevsky pieces, Burgmuller, Mozart minuets, Gurlitt pieces.