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ABRSM Violin Grade 2 Syllabus 2026: Repertoire and Scales
The 2026 ABRSM Violin Grade 2 syllabus: repertoire list and scale requirements, with practical notes for students choosing their three exam pieces.
ABRSM Violin Grade 2 broadens the musical language while still keeping the pieces accessible. The candidate now needs a steadier bow arm, clearer phrase endings, and enough rhythmic confidence for dances, folk material, and character pieces to feel alive.
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 2 difficulty summary
Grade 2 asks for steadier bow control, cleaner phrase endings, and more reliable contrast between dance, song, and character piece.
Practical Grade 2 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 2 programme
Grade 2 is a good place to prioritise reliability. Three pieces that can settle properly usually teach more than three pieces chosen because they look exciting or familiar. The student should be able to keep a clear pulse, change bow character without tightening, and make the List B piece genuinely sing.
Grade 2 repertoire: List A
| No. | Composer | Piece | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T. Anderson | Da Rod to Moreview, from The Tom Anderson Collection, Vol. 1 SOLO | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 2 | F. Couperin | Gavotte, from Les Nations, Premier ordre, La Francoise, arr. Salter, with first repeat | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 3 | Beethoven | Ecossaise in G, WoO 23, arr. Salter | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 4 | J. S. Bach | Musette, arr. Suzuki | Suzuki Violin School, Vol. 2 (Alfred) |
| 5 | Boismortier | Rigaudon, arr. Mohrs DUET | Duets for Fun: Violins (Schott) |
| 6 | Finger | Air, arr. Mohrs; trill optional | My First Concert for Violin (Schott) |
| 7 | Haydn | Minuet and Trio, arr. Nelson; without DC | Piece by Piece 1 for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 8 | G. B. Martini | Gavotte, arr. de Keyser & Waterman | The Best of Grade 2 Violin (Faber) or The Young Violinist’s Repertoire, Book 1 (Faber) |
| 9 | Trad. Irish | Red-Haired Boy, arr. Huws Jones, violin melody DUET/PIANO | The Fiddler Playalong Violin Collection 2 (Boosey & Hawkes) or Jigs, Reels & Hornpipe (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 10 | Trad. Scottish | Soldier’s Joy, arr. Nelson DUET | Tunes You Know 2 for Violin Duet (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 11 | Chevalier de Saint-Georges | Rondeau Theme, from Sonata for Flute and Harp, arr. K. & D. Blackwell | Violin Mix 2 (ABRSM) |
| 12 | Komorowski | Study in A, from 38 Etudes for Violin, arr. Dezaire | Selected Studies 1 (De Haske Hal Leonard) |
| 13 | Mozart | Papageno’s Song, from The Magic Flute, arr. Spearing & Cohen | Rondo Theme/Papageno’s Song, from Superstart Violin Level 2 (Faber) |
Grade 2 repertoire: List B
| No. | Composer | Piece | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rodgers & Hammerstein | Climb Ev’ry Mountain, from The Sound of Music, arr. Iles | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 2 | L. Cohen | Hallelujah, arr. Iles | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 3 | Shruthi Rajasekar | Lake of Ice | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 4 | Katherine & Hugh Colledge | Weeping Willow, No. 10 from Fast Forward | Katherine & Hugh Colledge: Fast Forward for Violin (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 5 | Edward Jones | Glwysen, arr. Huws Jones, violin melody DUET/PIANO | The Fiddler Playalong Violin Collection 2 (Boosey & Hawkes) or The Celtic Fiddler (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 6 | Mozart | Theme, from Sonata in A, K. 331, 1st movt, arr. Gazda & Clark; grace notes optional DUET | Compatible Duets for Strings, Vol. 2: Violin (Carl Fischer) |
| 7 | Offenbach | Barcarolle, from The Tales of Hoffmann, arr. Gregory, with repeats | Vamoosh Violin, Book 2 (Vamoosh) |
| 8 | Tchaikovsky | Waltz, from The Sleeping Beauty, arr. Cohen | Superpieces (Faber) or The Best of Grade 2 Violin (Faber) |
| 9 | Trad. North American | Simple Gifts, arr. Waterfield & Beach | The Best of Grade 2 Violin (Faber) or O Shenandoah! for Violin (Faber) |
| 10 | Trad. | Greensleeves, arr. Nelson DUET | Tunes You Know 1 for Violin Duet (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 11 | Bacewicz | Lullaby | Bacewicz: Easy Pieces, Book 1 (PWM) |
| 12 | Trad. Hungarian | Through My Window, arr. Kraemer | The Best of Grade 2 Violin (Faber) |
| 13 | Trott | Espressivo, arr. Cooper DUET | No. 26 from Trott: Easy and Progressive Violin Duets (Sleepy Puppy Press) |
Grade 2 repertoire: List C
| No. | Composer | Piece | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carse | Little Dance, No. 12 from First String Tunes | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 2 | Craig Utting | Black Cat Rag | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 3 | Trad. Jiangsu | Lady Meng Jiang, arr. Stock SOLO | Violin Exam Pieces from 2024, Grade 2 (ABRSM) |
| 4 | Arlen & Harburg | We’re off to see the wizard, from The Wizard of Oz, arr. Davey, Hussey & Sebba DUET/PIANO | Abracadabra Violin, Third Edition (Collins Music) |
| 5 | Bartok | Play Song, No. 9 from 44 Duos DUET | Bartok: 44 Duos for Two Violins, Vol. 1 (Universal) |
| 6 | Kathy & David Blackwell | Jacob’s Dance DUET/PIANO | Fiddle Time Sprinters (OUP) |
| 7 | Thomas Gregory | Smooth Operator | Vamoosh Violin, Book 2 (Vamoosh) |
| 8 | Ferdinand Seitz | Gypsy Dance, ending at b. 47 DUET/PIANO | Violin Recital Album, Vol. 2 (Barenreiter) |
| 9 | Trad. | Jack Tar, arr. Huws Jones, violin melody DUET/PIANO | The Seafaring Fiddler (Boosey & Hawkes) |
| 10 | Pam Wedgwood | Siberian Galop | The Best of Grade 2 Violin (Faber) or Up-Grade! Violin Grades 1-2 (Faber) |
| 11 | African-American Spiritual | I want to be ready, arr. K. & D. Blackwell | Violin Mix 2 (ABRSM) |
| 12 | Stephanie Pons | Toulouse Tango, from Carnet de voyage | I Love My Violon (Leduc) |
| 13 | Trad. Spanish | Bolero, arr. K. & D. Blackwell DUET/PIANO | Fiddle Time Sprinters (OUP) |
Grade 2 scales and arpeggios
All scales and arpeggios are played from memory.
| Keys | Range | Bowing and rhythm |
|---|---|---|
| Scales | ||
| C and F majors; G and D minors starting on open strings, natural or harmonic or melodic at the candidate's choice | 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, A, and B-flat majors | 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 | ||
| C and F majors; G and D minors starting on open strings | 1 octave | Separate bows, even notes. |
| G, A, and B-flat majors | 2 octaves | Separate bows, even notes. |
Practical recommendation
Build the set around reliability. A neat dance movement, a genuinely lyrical piece, and a character piece with clean rhythm usually make a stronger programme than three extrovert choices competing for attention.
For the broader level-by-level view, return to the ABRSM violin repertoire by grade guide.
