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ABRSM Violin Grade 1 Syllabus 2026: Repertoire and Scales
The 2026 ABRSM Violin Grade 1 syllabus: repertoire list and scale requirements, with practical notes for students choosing their three exam pieces.
ABRSM Violin Grade 1 is the first point where many students and parents begin to think seriously about programme choice. The exam still uses short, accessible pieces, but the candidate is already expected to show contrast: a clear rhythmic impulse, a singing sound, and a piece with enough character to feel different from the others.
The 2026 guide below follows the official ABRSM Violin 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 level-by-level view, read this with ABRSM violin repertoire by grade. For the bigger teaching question behind exam preparation, see what ABRSM exams can and cannot teach.
Other grades: Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8
Grade 1 difficulty summary
Grade 1 tests whether the student can keep pulse, tone, and character clear in short pieces. The safest programmes sound secure and alert rather than ambitious.
Practical Grade 1 picks
Before buying extra books, check whether the shortlisted pieces are already in the student’s current method books, school library copies, or ABRSM exam-piece collections. The most practical choice is the one the student can prepare musically and consistently.
How to choose a Grade 1 programme
At Grade 1, it is usually better to choose pieces that are secure, clear, and naturally contrasting than to choose the most impressive-looking titles. A good programme might pair a lively List A dance, a simple but well-shaped List B melody, and a List C character piece that lets the student show rhythmic confidence.
For Hong Kong students, I would listen especially for three things before finalising the set: whether the pulse stays calm, whether the left hand is comfortable in first position, and whether the bow can change character without becoming tense.
Grade 1 repertoire: List A
| No. | Composer | Piece | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sancho | The Sword Knott, from Minuets, Cotillons and Country Dances | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 2 | J. S. Bach | Mer hahn en neue Oberkeet, arr. Salter | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 3 | Trad. Irish | The Wind that Shakes the Barley, arr. Litten | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 4 | Arbeau | Mattachins, arr. Huws Jones | Encore Violin, Book 1 (ABRSM) |
| 5 | Kathy & David Blackwell | Patrick’s Reel DUET/PIANO | Fiddle Time Joggers (OUP) |
| 6 | Carse | Minuet, from The Fiddler’s Nursery | Carse: The Fiddler’s Nursery for Violin (Stainer & Bell) |
| 7 | Thomas Gregory | Sinfonia DUET/PIANO | Vamoosh Violin, Book 1.5 (Vamoosh) |
| 8 | Purcell | Rigadoon, arr. Nelson, with repeat | Piece by Piece 1 for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 9 | Suzuki | Andantino DUET/PIANO | Suzuki Violin School, Vol. 1 (Alfred) |
| 10 | Trad. Irish | John Ryan’s Polka, arr. Huws Jones DUET/PIANO | Violin Star 2 (ABRSM) |
| 11 | Chevalier de Saint-Georges | Chevalier’s Rondeau, from String Quartet, Op. 1 No. 3, arr. K. & D. Blackwell DUET/PIANO | Violin Mix 1 (ABRSM) |
| 12 | Eve Hungerford | An Old World Minuet | Violin Music By Women, A Graded Anthology, Vol. 1 Beginning (Sleepy Puppy Press) |
| 13 | Trad. Indonesian | Rasa Sayang, arr. Harris & O’Leary DUET/PIANO | Flexi Violin, Book 1 (Faber) |
Grade 1 repertoire: List B
| No. | Composer | Piece | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B. Shore | Moonrise, No. 1 from A Fairy Ring | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 2 | Trad. Scottish | An Coineachan, arr. Bullard | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 3 | Trad. Yiddish | Tumbalalaika, arr. Gritton | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 4 | Kathy & David Blackwell | Rocking Horse DUET/PIANO | Fiddle Time Joggers (OUP) |
| 5 | Katherine & Hugh Colledge | Full Moon, No. 22 from Waggon Wheels | Katherine & Hugh Colledge: Waggon Wheels for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 6 | Lehar | Waltz, from The Merry Widow, arr. Huws Jones | Going Solo for Violin (Faber) or The Best of Grade 1 Violin (Faber) |
| 7 | Rodgers & Hammerstein | Edelweiss, from The Sound of Music, arr. Davey, Hussey & Sebba DUET/PIANO | Abracadabra Violin, Third Edition (Collins Music) |
| 8 | Schubert | Cradle Song, arr. Nelson DUET | Tunes You Know 1 for Violin Duet (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 9 | Trad. | The Leaving of Liverpool, arr. Huws Jones, violin melody DUET/PIANO | The Seafaring Fiddler (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 10 | Trad. English | A North Country Lass, arr. Huws Jones DUET/PIANO | Violin Star 2 (ABRSM) |
| 11 | Carse | Song Without Words | Carse: First String Tunes (Stainer & Bell) |
| 12 | A. Mendelssohn | Cavatine | I Love My Violon (Leduc) |
| 13 | Sitt | First Solo, arr. Harris & O’Leary DUET/PIANO | Flexi Violin, Book 1 (Faber) |
Grade 1 repertoire: List C
| No. | Composer | Piece | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbera, Hanna & Curtin | The Flintstones, arr. Iles | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 2 | Peter Martin | Hoe Down, from Little Suite No. 3 | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 3 | Trad. Zulu | Siyahamba, arr. Iles | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 1 (ABRSM) |
| 4 | Klaus Badelt & Hans Zimmer | He’s a Pirate, from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, arr. Galliford & Neuburg; with repeat; ending 1st beat of b. 22 | Top Hits from TV, Movies & Musicals for Violin (Alfred) |
| 5 | Thomas Gregory | Fiery Fiddler, with repeats | Vamoosh Violin, Book 1 (Vamoosh) |
| 6 | Huws Jones | Sharks | Going Solo for Violin (Faber) or The Best of Grade 1 Violin (Faber) |
| 7 | Trad. Chinese | Jasmine Flower, No. 4, arr. O’Leary SOLO | No. 4 from 80 Graded Studies for Violin, Book 1 (Faber) |
| 8 | Trad. Czech | Rocking, arr. Nelson DUET | Tunes You Know 1 for Violin Duet (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 9 | Judith Bell | Minor Groove | Easy Tunes for Tamariki for Violin (Wellington Branch IRMTNZ) |
| 10 | Mary Cohen | Gliding Along at the Octopus Ball, No. 9 from Superstudies for Violin, Book 1 | Mary Cohen: Superstudies for Violin, Book 1 (Faber) |
| 11 | Flanders & Swann | The Hippopotamus, arr. K. & D. Blackwell | Violin Mix 2 (ABRSM) |
| 12 | R. & R. Sherman | Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, from Mary Poppins, arr. K. & D. Blackwell | Violin Mix 1 (ABRSM) |
| 13 | Trad. American | Casey Jones, arr. Huws Jones | Violin Star 2 (ABRSM) |
Grade 1 scales and arpeggios
All scales and arpeggios are played from memory.
| Keys | Range | Bowing and rhythm |
|---|---|---|
| Scales | ||
| D and A majors, starting on open strings; E natural minor | 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. |
| G major | 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 and A majors, starting on open strings; E minor | 1 octave | Separate bows, even notes. |
| G major | 2 octaves | Separate bows, even notes. |
Practical recommendation
Choose one piece with obvious rhythmic lift, one piece that encourages a singing sound, and one contrasting piece with a clear character. A Grade 1 programme should sound fresh, secure, and awake rather than over-prepared.
For the broader level-by-level view, return to the ABRSM violin repertoire by grade guide.
