Following my journey learning piano after 30, I realized I was missing a month‑by‑month repertoire plan with pieces that genuinely progress in difficulty. I asked ChatGPT for help and received a draft list—one piece per month. The ordering wasn’t perfect, so I cross‑checked the ABRSM grade syllabi and the difficulty rankings on roadtovirtuosity.com to refine it.
The final plan ends with my stretch goal for December 2025: Beethoven’s Für Elise. For April, the selected piece is Beethoven’s Ecossaise in G Major, WoO 23—a lively little dance that offers a manageable step‑up in challenge.
My Performance
About the Piece
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Composer | Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) |
| Year | c. 1810 |
| Original scoring | Military wind band; the popular solo‑piano version is Carl Czerny’s arrangement |
| Dance type | Écossaise – a brisk Scottish country dance in 2/4 or 6/8 |
| Difficulty | Roughly ABRSM Grade 2 |
| Skills focus | Crisp staccato left‑hand chords, light articulation in the right hand, clear four‑bar phrasing |
Practice Notes & Reflections
Learning this piece was really fun. At first I struggled to coordinate the left hand with the right in the opening accompaniment pattern.
The next hurdle was the left‑hand leaps in the B‑section. To master them I isolated the jumps—practising just the motion, often without sounding the notes. Early on it felt unbalanced and put a lot of tension in my shoulders 😅, but after many slow repetitions the movement became automatic and much easier.
The performance you see in the video still isn’t exactly where I want it. I’d like a slightly quicker tempo, and a few spots still sound muddy to my ear. But overall I think it’s acceptable.
What do you think? Have you learned this Ecossaise? Do you have any tips to share? Drop a comment below—let’s trade experiences!
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