Does anyone else find this piece really amusing? My teacher has decided that I am going to play it for my exam because she likes it and the other pieces are really boring. However, I've just been playing it and for some reason found it really entertaining. Lets just hope I don't get the giggles in the exam (luckily I'm not doing it until next term).

It is a very 'cute' piece of music, I liked it instantly when my teacher played all pieces from the book for me to decide which ones to learn first. However if you play it at the speed suggested in the book it is tremendously too fast I think (not to play, but it sounds not right at that speed). My teacher thinks the same, that it doesn't sound as good at the speed suggested on book so we opted to play a little slower, it sounds much better.
I found it the easiest piece in book to learn (so far as I still have 3 pieces left to learn and one which I refuse to learn, that is 'moebius' on last page, I can't get to like it one bit). At which speed are you playing it?

I'm still playing it pretty slowly as I've only just started looking at the pieces. I agree though that the last piece in the book is really boring. My teacher played through all the pieces, and as soon as she started that one she said that I was NOT doing that as a piece. I really like the Andante (B2) though

This is a popular one with my students too. I have two playing it for their exam in a couple of weeks, and three for the Summer.

I also like Andante and the 'Industrious Student' (my teacher tells me that's me! ) and I also quite like the 'Mini Rag'.

My students will NOT be doing that piece either. I wonder if they will get any takers at all for it? I have one doing the Old Cuckoo Clock and two more doing Mini Rag - both pieces are well liked.

Yes I think it is supposed to be a bit comical - it's an old clock so could even ham it up a bit (provided you can do that without giggling) - by speeding up and slowing down - I don't think this is a particularly reliable timepiece, and I reckon the cuckoo has a bit of a cough. That's how I've been interpreting it anyway!

Enjoy!

yes - it's one of the few in this current grade one set that I like and think students may like. It's kind of quirky. I'll certainly expect to be doing it - if I have any grade one candidates at all which at the moment is not definite.

Moebius - no, not sure how I could sell this one.

I wonder whether it's one of those that could grow on you....... I was quite interested in it actually (not that I have anyone to inflict it on).

I was quite interested in it actually

I did try !

Just after reading this thread I had a call from one of my students due to sit the exam in the morning saying I've changed my mind I want to do the Cuckoo Clock instead of the mini rag.

Bless her heart she had taught herself to play Cuckoo Clock and loves it. I had to listen to her play it down the phone. Unfortunately it just wasn't as secure as the rag so I had to advise her not to play it - but shows how it can grab the imagination!

(I wonder what she actually played when she got in there...?)

^Bless.

Yes, it is a really fun piece. Although my music teacher was getting annoyed with me bashing it out of the (badly out of tune) piano at school today when she was trying to give flute lessons next door.

I quite like the Cuckoo Clock piece as well but most of mine have gone for the rag in the end.

Haven't had any takers for Moebius yet. Maybe some older students would appreciate it a bit more?

The Andante seems to be a popular choice, but so far the Mozart "Allegro" is winning hands down as the firm favourite with most of my pupils.

I have a 7 year old student who choose Moebius when I played through the list. She likes it because it's different!

Good for her! Quite an unusual choice for a young one - good luck with it

Well, you say that!!

*Hides the fact that shes almost 17 and still likes the fun pieces*

There's no shame in liking the fun pieces!

I attend a music festival every year and always in one particular catagory, I think gr.1-2, someone plays the piece: If you go in you're sure to win (or something along those lines).
I think it's quite cheeky seeing as it's a competition they've entered with the piece.

Alot of the lower standard pieces have got funny names, but I suppose in a way that's good for the younger ones. If they see a great name, it can influence them to play the piece.

I still like the fun pieces and I am 28. (Though I often like others too!)

I'm not sure what's more embarassing....the fact that I'm 16 and still like the pieces designed for little kids, or the fact that I'm an A level music student and taking my grade 1.

You are allowed to be grade 1 and taking A level music.

I'm currently grade 8 on flute, working towards gr. 6 on saxophone and would hope to take gr.1 on cornet some day. Just taken up cornet at the age of 17, wondering why I didn't start sooner.

I'm 28, and teach music, and I did G1 treble recorder in December 05, and doing G1 practical musicianship this session, with plans to take grade 1 jazz flute next session. So what? - I had reasons for taking both exams and it's no skin off the examiner's nose if I were 8 or 58.

Hehe, I just had my Gr 1 on Monday (26/3).

The pieces I have played

1. Saranbanda
2. The Industrious Student
3. The Old Cuckoo Clock

MY teacher liked the Cuckoo Clock piece =) so she recommended it to me. And I picked it up by the next lesson. =)

Whereas for the 1st 2 pieces, it took me weeks and I still do not have confidence for them. =P

I like it its really original
The worsts pieaces are:
Cukoo Clock
Mini Rag
Industrious Student

I Think thats it

morgans munchkin - was just wondering why you are taking your grade 1 piano when it says that you've already done it?

and i don't like the meoebius either, but do like the cuckoo clock.

I loved Mini rag and also love Banges Herzelion (sp) but think it was one of the harder pieces many a tear and tantrum was shed over that on in this house

Sarabande - I like the hemiolas - so natural
Mozart - has obvious appeal
Industrious Student - 2 students transferred from another teacher with this piece - it's taken me a long time to like it - weighting the accents and bringing out the phrase lengths are a lot to ask at this level
Banges Herzelein - so Schumanesque - possibly a bit grown up for some at this level
Andante - has become a favourite (morphs into a Bach organ fugue subject in g minor or number from the art of fugue if I'm not careful [showing off]) - I find the metronome mark a bit fast
Cuckoo clock - my pupil plays it to perfection in my view
Mini Rag - I like it and I'm over 45 - for me it's a good test to see if I can play it with the metronome and keep bang in time. I find the concept of setting a mm at the top and in the footnote saying a slower tempo is fine for the exam a bit strange, though some pieces work at a variety of speeds and I was telling an adult pupils that a slower clock speed with attention to detail of articulation,dynamics etc my seem lively than a faster clock speed.
Moebius - I have tried hard and found nothing (weighed in the balance and found wanting - me or the piece ?!)