Encore Plus Review

I’m sure many piano teachers and students will already be familiar with ABRSM’s Encore collection, which brings together exam pieces from past syllabuses. The original books are a treasure trove of exam favourites, spanning everything from classical masterpieces to modern and contemporary works.

Now ABRSM has released Encore Plus, following the same successful format as the original four books but with an addition: an Initial section for pre-Grade 1 students. This makes the collection useful for students who are looking for fresh and enjoyable repertoire to explore between grades.

One of the biggest strengths of these books is the sheer variety of music. Alongside providing plenty of new repertoire, the pieces offer excellent opportunities to develop sight-reading, technique, rhythm, articulation and musical expression. Even better, all the pieces can be used as an ‘own choice’ piece in the new digital exam grades, making the books a very practical resource for both teachers and learners.

Another particularly useful feature is the inclusion of QR codes with every piece, linking to recordings available across the major streaming services. Being able to hear the music is invaluable for students, especially when tackling pieces with unfamiliar styles or tricky rhythms. This is particularly helpful with some of the jazzier selections, where hearing the characteristic rhythm and feel can make a huge difference to the learner.

The series of books was compiled by the well known music educator Karen Marshall. She writes in the introduction of the books “Above all, the aim is to encourage curiosity, confidence, enjoyment and musical understanding”.

Book 1: Initial, Grades 1 & 2

Encore Plus Book 1 is a great introduction to the collection, covering the Initial, Grade 1 and Grade 2 levels and offering plenty of accessible and engaging repertoire for younger and beginner pianists.

The book opens with a selection of Initial-level pieces, including Sparkling Stardust by Karen Marshall herself. Much of the Initial material comes from composers who specialise in educational piano music, so the pieces are carefully written with beginners in mind. They are straightforward enough to be approachable, while still giving young players plenty of musical interest and opportunities to develop good playing habits.

The Grade 1 section opens with the ever-popular Arietta in C by Clementi—a lovely introduction to the Classical style and a piece that encourages students to develop a clear sense of phrasing and musical shape.

There is also plenty of variety beyond the traditional repertoire. Sneaky Business by Martha Mier brings a jazzier flavour to the collection, with syncopated rhythms that provide a fun challenge and help students develop their rhythmic confidence.

The Grade 2 repertoire continues this broad range of styles, taking students from Handel through to Eric Clapton and Alexis Ffrench, ABRSM’s Artistic Director. This mix of familiar and contemporary styles should appeal to a wide range of students and demonstrates that piano repertoire at this level can be both educational and exciting.

I’m also pleased to see Allegretto by Attwood included. This piece proved to be a firm favourite in the exams and is exactly the kind of repertoire that students can really enjoy getting to know. It provides a nice balance between musicality and technical development without feeling overly demanding.

Overall, Book 1 does a great job of setting the tone for the Encore Plus series. The repertoire is accessible without being dull, varied without feeling disconnected, and gives beginners the chance to experience a surprisingly wide range of musical styles from the very start of their piano journey.

Book 2: Grades 3 & 4

The Grade 3 section offers a wonderfully varied selection of styles, from the Baroque Minuet in G by Bach to show tunes such as Where Is Love? from Oliver!, alongside jazz, ragtime and other contrasting styles.

The Grade 4 section contains several personal favourites of mine. The Reef by Walter Carroll is a particularly dramatic piece, vividly depicting crashing and surging waves. Many of my pupils have loved the huge sound they can create through heavy chords and effective use of the pedal. It’s a great piece for encouraging students to really explore the piano’s sonority.

It’s also always a pleasure to see Bartók included, as his music tends to be a firm favourite with many students. Ninette’s Musette is another lovely choice: a romantic piece with a distinctive lyrical melody, making it an excellent introduction to the concept of rubato and expressive freedom.

As with the other Encore books, each piece includes a short background note at the bottom of the page, together with suggestions for activities and technical exercises linked to the music. These little additions are extremely useful for teachers, helping to turn each piece into an opportunity for wider musical development rather than simply another piece to learn.

Book 3: Grades 5 & 6

Book 3 contains 18 pieces and once again demonstrates the impressive breadth of repertoire available. There are timeless classics such as Scarlatti’s Sonata in A, alongside modern and jazz-influenced pieces including Mike Cornick’s Film Noirand William Gillock’s Mister Trumpet Man.

I was particularly pleased to see Tchaikovsky’s Song of the Lark included. This is a beautiful piece where encouraging students to imagine a story or scene can really help them shape its character and bring the music to life.

The Grade 6 section opens with Over the Rainbow, a piece that many of my students have previously performed in their Grade 6 exams. I’m also delighted to see Schubert’s Scherzo in B-flat. I really enjoy teaching this piece—and playing it myself—so it is wonderful to see it given another opportunity to be discovered by students.

What stands out most in this book is the breadth of styles. Romantic, Classical, Jazz, Baroque, Neo-Classical and Contemporary music are all represented. This gives students the chance to experience a huge variety of textures, rhythms, articulations and phrasing, providing a really solid musical grounding.

For teachers, this variety is especially valuable. It means that rather than simply working through a succession of similar-sounding pieces, students can continually be challenged to adapt their playing to completely different musical worlds.

Book 4: Grades 7 & 8

There is a lot of music packed into Book 4, which is perhaps inevitable given that pieces at the higher grades tend to be longer and more substantial.

There are plenty of familiar favourites that you might expect to see at this level, including Beethoven’s Bagatelle in E-flatand Handel’s Allemande and Courante. However, I was particularly pleased to see some less familiar contemporary repertoire included too.

Ni Hongjin’s Cradle Song, for example, provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop their ability to balance a melody against its accompaniment, while also exploring expressive dynamics and phrasing.

The Grade 8 section opens with Bartók’s Rondo, which demands precision, finger control and rhythmic accuracy. Mozart’s Alla Turca also makes an appearance. Having been such a popular choice in exams over the years, its inclusion here comes as little surprise—and it remains a piece that students love to get their teeth into.

For students wanting to explore ragtime, Johnson’s Over the Bars is a great choice, particularly for developing an understanding of the stride piano style.

The book also includes three substantial Romantic works by Farrenc, Chopin and Clara Schumann. These pieces are undoubtedly demanding, but they are also musically rewarding, giving more advanced students plenty of opportunities to develop their expressive playing alongside their technique.

Overall

What I particularly like about Encore Plus is that it doesn’t feel like simply a collection of old exam pieces. Instead, it provides a rich and varied repertoire library that teachers can dip into according to the interests, strengths and needs of individual students.

There is something here for almost everyone: classical favourites, lesser-known gems, jazz, ragtime, contemporary music, show tunes and plenty in between. The supporting activities, technical suggestions and recordings make the books even more useful as teaching resources.

For students who have just finished an exam and are wondering, “What shall I play next?”, Encore Plus offers a very good answer. It provides plenty of opportunities to keep playing, discovering new styles and developing musicianship—without the pressure of preparing for another exam.