ABRSM Viola Grade 3 Syllabus 2026: Repertoire, Pieces and Scales

ABRSM Viola Grade 3 starts to feel more like a first introduction to style. The pieces are still manageable, but the student needs clearer articulation, steadier phrase direction, and more confidence moving between dance, song, and character.

The 2026 guide below follows the official ABRSM Viola Practical Grades syllabus from 2024, which remains the current syllabus for this repertoire. For the practical exam, the candidate chooses three pieces: one from List A, one from List B, and one from List C.

For the broader exam pathway, read this with ABRSM viola repertoire by grade and ABRSM viola exams in Hong Kong: online or live. For scales, use the companion guide to ABRSM viola scales: how to practise them musically.

Other grades: Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8

Cost-saving recommendation: before buying several separate song books, check whether your chosen pieces are available in More Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 1 (ABRSM) or, for higher grades, More Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 2 (ABRSM). These ABRSM collections are often the most cost-effective options because one book can cover several useful syllabus choices. Where a suitable Suzuki Viola School item appears, I also include it as a practical pick because many students already use the Suzuki books during lessons.

Grade 3 difficulty summary

Grade 3 is a first real style checkpoint. Students need steadier articulation, more purposeful phrase direction, and enough listening control to keep rhythm, tone, and character alive at the same time.

Best-value Grade 3 picks

These pieces are useful starting points if you want to avoid buying too many separate books for one exam.

No.	Composer	Piece	Book
A1	Biber	Presto, from Battalia, C. 61, arr. Lamb & Meredith	More Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 1 (ABRSM)
A6	Mozart	Minuet in D, arr. Preucil	Suzuki Viola School, Vol. 3 (Alfred)
B10	Tchaikovsky	Waltz, from The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, arr. Lamb & Meredith	More Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 1 (ABRSM)
C4	G. & I. Gershwin, D. & D. Heyward	I got plenty o’ nuttin’, from Porgy and Bess, arr. Lamb & Meredith	More Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 1 (ABRSM)

How to choose a Grade 3 programme

At this level, choose repertoire that makes the student sound composed. The strongest programmes usually have a clear pulse piece, a lyrical piece that can be shaped without squeezing, and a character piece that shows rhythmic personality.

Grade 3 can also be the point where a family starts to treat exams as the whole goal. I would keep the wider question open: what ABRSM exams can and cannot teach matters just as much as the repertoire list.

Grade 3 repertoire: List A

No.	Composer	Piece	Publication
1	Biber	Presto, from Battalia, C. 61, arr. Lamb & Meredith	More Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 1 (ABRSM) - cost-effective ABRSM collection pick
2	M. Franck	Intrada, 1st movt from Suite de danses, arr. Sturzenegger	M. Franck: Suite de danses (Editions Marc Reift)
3	Handel	Minuet No. 3 in F, trans. Applebaum	String Festival Solos for Viola, Vol. 2 (Alfred)
4	Jean Baptiste Loeillet	Cantabile, 1st movt from Sonata in C, Op. 3 No. 1, arr. Sturzenegger	Jean Baptiste Loeillet: Sonata for Viola (Editions Marc Reift)
5	Mozart	German Dance, K. 600 No. 2, arr. Loy	Viola Music for Beginners (EMB Zeneműkiadó)
6	Mozart	Minuet in D, arr. Preucil	Suzuki Viola School, Vol. 3 (Alfred) - common learning book pick
7	S. Paxton	Sonata, arr. Gregory	Vamoosh Viola, Book 3 (Vamoosh)
8	Trad. English	English Folk Song, arr. C. & K. Sassmannshaus	Viola Recital Album, Vol. 3 (Bärenreiter)
9	Volti	Pas redoublé, arr. C. & K. Sassmannshaus	Viola Recital Album, Vol. 3 (Bärenreiter)
10	Vivaldi	At the Hearth, Winter from The Four Seasons, arr. Arnold	The Young Violist, Vol. 2 (Viola World)
11	Celia Cobb & Naomi Yandell	Kazotsky Kick, No. 19 from Top Banana	Celia Cobb & Naomi Yandell: Top Banana for Viola (Stainer & Bell)
12	F. Price	Rabbit Foot, arr. K. & D. Blackwell	Viola Mix 3 (ABRSM)
13	Winn	A Picture, No. 3 from From the Carolina Hills, Op. 15, arr. Cooper	Viola Music By Women - A Graded Anthology, Vol. 1 (Sleepy Puppy Press)

Grade 3 repertoire: List B

No.	Composer	Piece	Publication
1	Daphne Baker	Mist at Dawn, No. 2 from Jungle Adventures	Daphne Baker: Jungle Adventures for Viola (Spartan Press)
2	Bizet	Habanera, from Carmen, arr. K. & D. Blackwell	Viola Time Sprinters (OUP)
3	G. Concone	Andante pastorale, arr. Gazda & Clark	Compatible Duets for Strings, Vol. 2: Viola (Carl Fischer)
4	Patsy Gritton	Floating, No. 1 from Character Pieces, Book 1	Patsy Gritton: Character Pieces, Book 1 (SJ Music)
5	Jacob	When Autumn Comes	New Pieces for Viola, Book 1 (ABRSM)
6	Mendelssohn	Song without Words, Op. 30 No. 3, arr. Birtel	Classical Highlights for Viola (Schott)
7	Reinecke	Bitte, No. 4 from Zehn kleine Stücke, Op. 213, arr. Kreuzer	Reinecke: Ten Little Pieces for Viola and Piano, Op. 213 (Schott)
8	Rieding	Andante, 2nd movt from Concerto in E minor, Op. 35, trans. Sassmannshaus	Rieding: Concerto in B minor, Op. 35 (Bärenreiter)
9	Howard Shore	In Dreams, from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, arr. Galliford, Neuburg & Edmondson	Classic Movie Instrumental Solos for Viola (Alfred)
10	Tchaikovsky	Waltz, from The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, arr. Lamb & Meredith	More Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 1 (ABRSM) - cost-effective ABRSM collection pick
11	Jennifer Bowman	Waiting, No. 12 from Modern Mosaics	Jennifer Bowman: Modern Mosaics for Viola (80 Days Publishing)
12	Carreño	Mi Teresita, arr. K. & D. Blackwell	Viola Mix 3 (ABRSM)
13	Winn	The Sunshine Lad, No. 4 from From the Carolina Hills, Op. 15, arr. Cooper	Viola Music By Women - A Graded Anthology, Vol. 1 (Sleepy Puppy Press)

Grade 3 repertoire: List C

No.	Composer	Piece	Publication
1	Bartók	Pillow Dance, No. 14 from 44 Duos, trans. Maurice & Bigelow	Bartók: 44 Duets for Two Violas (EMB Zeneműkiadó)
2	Kathy & David Blackwell	Wild West	Viola Time Sprinters (OUP)
3	Katherine & Hugh Colledge	Stiffkey Blues, No. 21 from Shooting Stars	Katherine & Hugh Colledge: Shooting Stars for Viola (Boosey & Hawkes)
4	G. & I. Gershwin, D. & D. Heyward	I got plenty o’ nuttin’, from Porgy and Bess, arr. Lamb & Meredith	More Time Pieces for Viola, Vol. 1 (ABRSM) - cost-effective ABRSM collection pick
5	Huws Jones	Banana Skin, No. 5 from Got those Position Blues?	Huws Jones: Got those Position Blues? (Faber)
6	S. Nelson	Toad in the Hole	Technitunes for Viola (Boosey & Hawkes)
7	E. Pütz	Blue Waltz, arr. Birtel	Classical Highlights for Viola (Schott)
8	Philip Sparke	Could You Repeat That?	Skilful Solos for Viola (Anglo Music)
9	Trad. Klezmer	Hevenu Shalom Alechem, arr. Przystaniak	That’s Klezmer for Clarinets or Violas: Viola parts (Peters EP11109B)
10	C. Webster	Scherzo, trans. Gerald	Solos for Young Violists, Vol. 1 (Alfred)
11	Trad. Trinidad & Tobago	I Let Her Go Go, arr. A. & J. Oosthuizen	Duets for Improvers for Two Violas (Wild Music Publications)

Grade 3 scales and arpeggios

All scales and arpeggios are played from memory.

Keys	Range	Bowing and rhythm
Scales
D-flat, A-flat, and A majors	1 octave	Separate bows or slurred, 2 quavers to a bow, at the examiner's choice. Even notes or long tonic at the candidate's choice.
E-flat and G majors; D and G minors, harmonic or melodic at the candidate's choice	2 octaves	Separate bows or slurred, 2 quavers to a bow, at the examiner's choice. Even notes or long tonic at the candidate's choice.
Arpeggios
D-flat, A-flat, and A majors	1 octave	Separate bows or slurred, 3 notes to a bow, at the examiner's choice. Even notes.
E-flat and G majors; D and G minors	2 octaves	Separate bows or slurred, 3 notes to a bow, at the examiner's choice. Even notes.
Chromatic scale
Starting on open G string	1 octave	Separate bows, even notes.

For the broader level-by-level view, return to the ABRSM viola repertoire by grade guide.