The library · Teaching books

Gretchaninov: Glass Beads, Op. 123

Twelve short pieces by Alexander Gretchaninov (1930), a step on from his Children's Album: a morning walk, a bicycle ride, a waltz, a first ball, a tune on the accordion. Teachers give them in the early years, and exam boards set them.

The library has all 12, levels 2 to 4.

Pieces

12

Levels

2 to 4

Key signatures

2 flats to 4 sharps

Length

17 to 89 bars

In the book's order

Each with its number and level, and easier versions made from the score itself, so you can start below a piece's level and work up to it as written.

• Morning Walk, Op. 123 No. 1
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 24 bars
  No. 1 of 12; level 3
• The Little Beggar, Op. 123 No. 2
  no sharps or flats, 4/4, 20 bars
  No. 2 of 12; level 3
• Study, Op. 123 No. 3
  1 sharp, 12/8, 17 bars
  No. 3 of 12; level 3
• A Sad Song, Op. 123 No. 4
  2 sharps, 2/4, 32 bars
  No. 4 of 12; level 3
• On a Bicycle, Op. 123 No. 5
  4 sharps, 3/8, 89 bars
  No. 5 of 12; level 3
• Waltz, Op. 123 No. 6
  3 sharps, 3/4, 80 bars
  No. 6 of 12; level 4
• Hard Work, Op. 123 No. 7
  1 sharp, 6/8, 41 bars
  No. 7 of 12; level 4
• My First Ball, Op. 123 No. 8
  2 sharps, 3/4, 49 bars
  No. 8 of 12; level 4
• Lament, Op. 123 No. 9
  3 sharps, 3/4, 45 bars
  No. 9 of 12; level 4
• In the Fields, Op. 123 No. 10
  2 flats, 2/4, 59 bars
  No. 10 of 12; level 3
• Mother's Caress, Op. 123 No. 11
  2 flats, 3/4, 48 bars
  No. 11 of 12; level 3
• On the Accordion, Op. 123 No. 12
  1 flat, 2/4, 55 bars
  No. 12 of 12; level 2

An order to learn them in

The same pieces from the easiest, by the level fitted to each score; within a level, in the book's order. Teachers skip about in these books, and so can you.

1. Level 2 On the Accordion, Op. 123 No. 12
2. Level 3 Study, Op. 123 No. 3 · The Little Beggar, Op. 123 No. 2 · Morning Walk, Op. 123 No. 1 · A Sad Song, Op. 123 No. 4 · Mother's Caress, Op. 123 No. 11 · In the Fields, Op. 123 No. 10 · On a Bicycle, Op. 123 No. 5
3. Level 4 Hard Work, Op. 123 No. 7 · Lament, Op. 123 No. 9 · My First Ball, Op. 123 No. 8 · Waltz, Op. 123 No. 6

Other teaching books

Every book five or more library pieces are from.

• Köhler's Very Easiest Exercise Pieces, Op. 190 24
• Beyer's Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Op. 101 14
• Gurlitt's The First Lessons, Op. 117 34 of 34
• Duvernoy's École primaire, Op. 176 16 of 25
• Mozart's first pieces, K. 1a–1f 6 of 6
• Streabbog's Twelve Melodious Studies, Op. 63 12 of 12
• Le Couppey's L'Alphabet, Op. 17 25 of 25
• Burgmüller's 25 Easy Studies, Op. 100 25 of 25
• Anna Magdalena Bach's Notebook (1725) 20 of 20
• Gretchaninov's Glass Beads, Op. 123 12 of 12
• Bartók's For Children (original edition) 20 of 42
• Gretchaninov's Children's Album, Op. 98 15 of 15
• Tchaikovsky's Album for the Young, Op. 39 24 of 24
• Lemoine's Études enfantines, Op. 37 29 of 50
• Clementi's Six Sonatinas, Op. 36 6 of 6
• Czerny's 160 Eight-Measure Exercises, Op. 821 19 of 160
• Czerny's School of Velocity, Op. 299 6 of 40
• Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68 21 of 43
• Schumann's Kinderszenen, Op. 15 7 of 13
• Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28 8 of 24