Aram Khachaturian’s Toccata is surely one of the most effective showpieces for the advancing pianist. Although it looks and sounds very difficult it is actually much more approachable than you might think, with patterns that are always highly pianistic and often surprisingly simple to memorise. There is plenty of scope for narrative and imagery in this piece, the pedal bringing textures together to create a soundscape that is at times savage and barbaric, then scintillating and brooding.
In this excerpt from his video walk-throughs for the piece, Graham Fitch demonstrates an approach to learning bar 74 which looks daunting due to numerous accidentals:
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Graham Fitch, based in London, maintains an international career not only as a pianist, but also as a teacher, adjudicator, examiner, lecturer, writer and commentator on piano playing and musical subjects.
This series provides a detailed guide to the ABRSM piano examination syllabus for 2021 - 2022, including video walk-throughs with practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the main pieces (from initial to Grade 8), and a selection of alternative pieces.... Read >>
Spread (or rolled, ripped, broken or arpeggiated) chords are simply chords where we play one note after the other, rather than playing all the notes simultaneously. Although this sounds relatively straightforward, there are questions and problems associated with spreading chords which this series of articles will seek to address.... Read >>
Although sharing your playing with others can be deeply rewarding, most pianists (including many professionals!) suffer from some form of stage fright at the prospect of playing in a public setting. In this video, Graham Fitch shares some of his thoughts and methods for dealing with performance anxiety.... Read >>
This collection of videos offers general tips and suggestions for preparing or a piano examination. It serves as a complement to our repertoire guides and covers topics including sight-reading, aural, technical tests (scales and arpeggios), general preparation and practice strategies.... Read >>
This series contains resources and further links to other resources featuring the ABRSM syllabus (until 2020) and is designed for elementary level players, young musicians and their teachers. Articles in this series provide step-by-step (or phrase-by-phrase) approaches to learning a pieces thoroughly and securely, offer practice exercises to help solve... Read >>
This series features video walk-throughs of a selection of pieces from Trinity College London’s 2021 - 2023 piano examination syllabus, giving plenty of tips for practice, as well as suggestions for piano teachers, and guidance on matters relating to style and interpretation.... Read >>
This series provides a detailed guide to the ABRSM piano examination syllabus for 2025 - 2026, including video walk-throughs with practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of pieces (from initial to Grade 8).... Read >>
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Drawing upon the latest discoveries in psychology and performance science, Adina Mornell’s course introduces the tools and strategies used by experts to learn by examining errors in order to constantly improve. Through a set of video presentations interspersed with exercises you’ll discover how to create your own recipe for enjoyable... Read >>
This series provides a detailed guide to the ABRSM piano examination syllabus for 2023 - 2024, including video walk-throughs with practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of pieces (from initial to Grade 8).... Read >>
This series features video demonstrations of a selection of pieces from Trinity College London’s 2018 - 2020 piano examination syllabus, with examples from each grade from Initial to 8. You will find plenty of tips for practice, as well as suggestions for piano teachers, and guidance on matters relating to... Read >>
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Do you know your chords and scales but struggle to think of anything to play when faced with a piano with no sheet music? In these videos, Dave Hall provides a step-by-step guide to improvisation for classical pianists with activities for ear training, fundamental theory and most importantly, ideas to... Read >>
This series features the first two weeks of Inspired Performance which is an online video and audio course which aims to help you move through your performance blocks towards a free, joyful and inspired performing life. It provides an overview of performance anxiety, how we experience nerves and how we... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the Grade 5 pieces.... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the Grade 6 pieces.... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the main Initial Grade pieces.... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the Grade 4 pieces.... Read >>
Dedicated to helping everyone play the music they love and long to play, Lucinda Mackworth-Young introduces her step-by-step system for learning to play by ear and improvise, so that even classically trained piano players can play spontaneously, anywhere, anytime - and say “Yes!” when asked to play Happy Birthday!... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of the Grade 7 pieces.... Read >>
This short course aims to start you on the first steps of a journey to help you find ways to manage those nerves so that you can perform to your full potential and enjoy the whole experience. The course is divided into fives days with a short video for each... Read >>
This series provides a detailed guide to the ABRSM piano examination syllabus for 2021 - 2022, including video walk-throughs with practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the main pieces (from initial to Grade 8), and a selection of alternative pieces.... Read >>
Spread (or rolled, ripped, broken or arpeggiated) chords are simply chords where we play one note after the other, rather than playing all the notes simultaneously. Although this sounds relatively straightforward, there are questions and problems associated with spreading chords which this series of articles will seek to address.... Read >>
Although sharing your playing with others can be deeply rewarding, most pianists (including many professionals!) suffer from some form of stage fright at the prospect of playing in a public setting. In this video, Graham Fitch shares some of his thoughts and methods for dealing with performance anxiety.... Read >>
This collection of videos offers general tips and suggestions for preparing or a piano examination. It serves as a complement to our repertoire guides and covers topics including sight-reading, aural, technical tests (scales and arpeggios), general preparation and practice strategies.... Read >>
This series contains resources and further links to other resources featuring the ABRSM syllabus (until 2020) and is designed for elementary level players, young musicians and their teachers. Articles in this series provide step-by-step (or phrase-by-phrase) approaches to learning a pieces thoroughly and securely, offer practice exercises to help solve... Read >>
This series features video walk-throughs of a selection of pieces from Trinity College London’s 2021 - 2023 piano examination syllabus, giving plenty of tips for practice, as well as suggestions for piano teachers, and guidance on matters relating to style and interpretation.... Read >>
This series provides a detailed guide to the ABRSM piano examination syllabus for 2025 - 2026, including video walk-throughs with practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of pieces (from initial to Grade 8).... Read >>
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/405-the-secrets-of-experts?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Developing Your Own Recipe for Performance Success </a></h3>
Drawing upon the latest discoveries in psychology and performance science, Adina Mornell’s course introduces the tools and strategies used by experts to learn by examining errors in order to constantly improve. Through a set of video presentations interspersed with exercises you’ll discover how to create your own recipe for enjoyable... Read >>
This series provides a detailed guide to the ABRSM piano examination syllabus for 2023 - 2024, including video walk-throughs with practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of pieces (from initial to Grade 8).... Read >>
This series features video demonstrations of a selection of pieces from Trinity College London’s 2018 - 2020 piano examination syllabus, with examples from each grade from Initial to 8. You will find plenty of tips for practice, as well as suggestions for piano teachers, and guidance on matters relating to... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the main Grade 1 pieces.... Read >>
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/189-how-to-improvise?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">A step-by-step guide to improvisation for classical pianists</a></h3>
Do you know your chords and scales but struggle to think of anything to play when faced with a piano with no sheet music? In these videos, Dave Hall provides a step-by-step guide to improvisation for classical pianists with activities for ear training, fundamental theory and most importantly, ideas to... Read >>
This series features the first two weeks of Inspired Performance which is an online video and audio course which aims to help you move through your performance blocks towards a free, joyful and inspired performing life. It provides an overview of performance anxiety, how we experience nerves and how we... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the Grade 5 pieces.... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the Grade 6 pieces.... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the main Initial Grade pieces.... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the Grade 4 pieces.... Read >>
Dedicated to helping everyone play the music they love and long to play, Lucinda Mackworth-Young introduces her step-by-step system for learning to play by ear and improvise, so that even classically trained piano players can play spontaneously, anywhere, anytime - and say “Yes!” when asked to play Happy Birthday!... Read >>
This collection of video walk-throughs from our guide to the ABRSM 2021 & 2022 piano examination syllabus provides practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for a selection of the Grade 7 pieces.... Read >>
This short course aims to start you on the first steps of a journey to help you find ways to manage those nerves so that you can perform to your full potential and enjoy the whole experience. The course is divided into fives days with a short video for each... Read >>
This series provides a detailed guide to the ABRSM piano examination syllabus for 2021 - 2022, including video walk-throughs with practice suggestions, tips on style and interpretation and other ideas for each of the main pieces (from initial to Grade 8), and a selection of alternative pieces.... Read >>
Spread (or rolled, ripped, broken or arpeggiated) chords are simply chords where we play one note after the other, rather than playing all the notes simultaneously. Although this sounds relatively straightforward, there are questions and problems associated with spreading chords which this series of articles will seek to address.... Read >>
Although sharing your playing with others can be deeply rewarding, most pianists (including many professionals!) suffer from some form of stage fright at the prospect of playing in a public setting. In this video, Graham Fitch shares some of his thoughts and methods for dealing with performance anxiety.... Read >>
