What is The Maestro Online Grade 5 Pop Piano Exam?
Qualification: TLM Level 2 Certificate in Musical Performance — Grade 5 (603/4579/2)
RQF level: RQF Level 2
UCAS points: None
Pieces required: 4 pieces: 1 Traditional Pop/Rock + 2 from 2000 Onwards + 1 own choice
Duration per piece: 2.5 – 4 minutes per piece
Total exam time: Up to 16 minutes total
Price: £63
Results turnaround: Results in 1–5 working days (often 24 hours)
Eligible instruments: Acoustic piano, digital piano, electronic keyboard (full-size, touch-sensitive, sustain pedal, 5+ octaves). Songs performed in original keys.
What’s in the Grade 5 Pop Piano Exam?
The TMO Pop Piano Grade 5 Exam is the gateway into the blues and soul dimension of the popular piano tradition. Four pieces are drawn from the Traditional Pop/Rock list (Bon Jovi, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Rolling Stones and more) and the 2000 Onwards list (Adele, Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo, Gregory Porter and more), plus an own-choice piece. From Grade 5, songs must be performed in their original keys. The 17–20 minute exam window allows space for performances of genuine substance.
Grade 5 formally introduces blues notes, walking bass patterns, 7th chords, and the added 6th chord vocabulary that underpins rock, soul, and R&B piano. Improvisation and stylisation of entire sections are strongly encouraged. Candidates who adapt left-hand patterns from blues traditions, introduce blues licks as melodic embellishments, or add 7th chord voicings to existing songs are actively rewarded. The right hand will encounter more rapidly changing chords and demanding bass riffs that require maintained accuracy. This is the grade where serious popular piano technique truly begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Why must songs be performed in their original keys from Grade 5?
A: From Grade 5 the technical parameter guidelines require performances in the original published keys, reflecting the higher level of musical fluency expected at RQF Level 2 and above.
Q2: What blues elements are expected at Grade 5?
A: The examiner expects to hear blues notes as melodic embellishments, walking bass patterns in at least some of the programme, and 7th chord vocabulary. Improvised blues licks will gain marks for stylisation.
Q3: How is Grade 5 different from Grade 4?
A: Grade 5 raises the duration requirement (2.5–4 minutes per piece), introduces blues and soul harmony, requires original keys, and adds compound time signatures (9/8, 12/8) to the palette.
Pop Piano Song Lists, Related Grades and Supporting Practice Toolkits & Resources
→ Full syllabus & song list: https://www.the-maestro-online.com/pop-piano-grades/grade-5/
→ Practice toolkit for this grade: https://www.the-maestro-online.com/music-courses/piano-exam-practice-toolkits/
→ Previous grade: https://www.the-maestro-online.com/music-masterclass/pop-piano-exam-grade-4/
→ Next grade: https://www.the-maestro-online.com/music-masterclass/pop-piano-exam-grade-6/
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