What grade is Flight of the Bumblebee?

Table of Contents Show What grade is Flight of the Bumblebee Flute? Is Flight of bumblebee hard? What grade is Flight of the Bumblebee clarinet? Is Flight of the Bumblebee minor?
OP Full Member Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 437	Hey guys, what level is flight of the bumblebee piano (abrsm). Some people told me that it was only at grade 6 but I found it on the syllabus for the LTCL diploma repertoire. Can someone clarify this please?

Joined: May 2001 Posts: 33,180 Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member Joined: May 2001 Posts: 33,180	If you're talking about the Rachmaninov transcription, then I think it would higher than grade 6 although I'm not much familiar with the various syllabi. I'd say it's one of those piece that can sound quite good and is not so diffcult when played slightly under the ideal tempo, but it's difficulty increases quite a bit if one wants to play it at the ideal tempo.

Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 641 500 Post Club Member
500 Post Club Member Joined: Aug 2008 Posts: 641	Way beyond grade 6. I don't think ABRSM grade 6 level pieces demand anywhere near as much technicality as what this piece contains.. Fast chromatic passages, wide left hand chords etc. Ravel - Une Barque Sur l'Ocean Kapustin - Etude No. 7 Bach/Busoni - Chaconne

Joined: May 2001 Posts: 26,086 Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member
Yikes! 10000 Post Club Member Joined: May 2001 Posts: 26,086	Grade level - for what it may be worth - in this case depends upon whose transcription you are talking about. The original was not written for piano and any piano version, therefore, is a transcription. Since many transcriptions of this work exist, one would have to know which one you have in mind. Regards, BruceD - - - - - Estonia 190

Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 3,919 3000 Post Club Member
3000 Post Club Member Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 3,919	Jeffrey Rush, the actor who played David Helfgott in Shine) claims to have learned it, even though he doesn't play piano. We don't hear his performance in the audio, but he says that's what's responsible (in addition to the stage directions) for the amazed look on the people in the bar when Helfgott sits down and plays. There is no end of learning. -Robert Schumann Rules for Young Musicians

I don't know where I am wrong.I just feel that fingering may be the problem.Because while playing,I noticed that I have been doing ridiculous moves on the keyboard.If you help and post me the correct fingering,I will be sure about the problem and solve it.Thanks

What Grade Level are you? Please also state RCM/ABRSM.

Ahh llamas......is there anything they can't do?

(\_/)
(O.o)
(> <)

I am a self-taught piano player.

prettypianoplaying

Who wrote the Flight of the bumblebee?? What grade level is it?

That was written by Korsakov.Piano transcription was performed by Rachmaninoff.And the difficulty level of this composition is 9/9.

That was written by Korsakov.Piano transcription was performed by Rachmaninoff.And the difficulty level of this composition is 9/9.

Which grading system is this?

"One of the marks of successful people is that they are action-orientated. One of the marks of average people is that they are talk-orientated" -Brian Tracey

I wouldn't say it is that difficult, as compared to some of the other pieces by Rachmaninoff... I don't play the piece yet, but it can be a handful. I had to come up with my own fingering for the part of this piece that I am practicing. I wouldn't recommend it, I believe it is not technically correct... I am also looking for a fingering for that piece...

Mario Barbosa 

Feel free to follow my music blog! themusicalcause.blogspot.com[/url]

alpp,

   Since I know of someone who is learning this piece. This is one speed tip I found working for her. You may try.

       For such a high speed run of finger, even one inefficient movement (from one note to the next) in a stream of notes can cause the phrase to stay slow. So she identifies such an sluggish spot, then work on reducing excessive movement of finger by looking for a movement in which pressing of a note also prepares the next finger for the next note. She practices such two of three notes until it's fluent and fast. Then, she gradually add the note before and after the spot, and finally merges the problematic spot back to the stream.

   Doing this for one place sometimes help in the movement of other places automatically because the piece has very repetitive pattern.

Hope it helps,

namui

Just a piano parent

Mario,I am surely agree about the difficulty of this piece compared to some of the pieces of Rachmaninoff.But that wasn't my comment.I have read it from net.That is https://www.music-scores.com/rimsky-korsakov/composer.php .I am looking forward to read the fingering for this piece from you

fingering is always a problem in this piece. I also can't play it correct. Rachmaninoff's Prelude opus 2-3 is no problem. But this...

Finally! Another music-scores user!! I did some research and it is Grade 8+ ARBSM, and ARCT RCM. If you can list some other pieces you can play well, I can tell you if it's at your grade level or not.

Ahh llamas......is there anything they can't do?

(\_/)
(O.o)
(> <)

i've had this discussion before

Try this

"The only love affair I have ever had was with music." - Maurice Ravel

I truly like the Cello version of this piece (performed by Yoyoma) but it would be interesting to hear it on the piano.  Any good recordings?

I won't ever try to play it to save my life though but here's a clover to alpps.

alpp,
That's not the Rachmaninov transcription. I know about 4 or 5 different transcriptions of the Flight of the Bumblebee, with varying degrees of difficulty. As for the fingering, I could send you mine, if/when I have time. As for the pp leggiero part Dazzer posted, I have allways used 32121432-32121234 and then 14321432. Try that, If it works for me, maybe it'll work for you, too.

I've worked on this piece a bit and I just find it easiest to finger it 5432154354321...You don't have to jump around, but maybe your fingers aren't fast enough. If they aren't try another fingering listed or just test some out for yourself.
Good Luck.

I have tried 5432154354321...But this combination wants your fingers equally strong.My fourth and fifth fingers aren't strong as my other fingers.So notes' volumes aren't equal.
At first I used 131314323213132...Because 1313 combination is good for chromatic notes.But this isn't enough fast.Dazzer's offer looks good.I will try this.

try doing some exercises to speed your fourth and fifth fingers up

What grade is Flight of the Bumblebee Flute?

Is Flight of bumblebee hard?

What grade is Flight of the Bumblebee clarinet?

Is Flight of the Bumblebee minor?