Trinity Grade 5 Piano Scales & Arpeggios
All 12 scales and arpeggios for Trinity Grade 5 piano (syllabus from 2023): 7 scales and 5 arpeggios across 5 keys. Practise each one with the right range, hands and fingering, and tick it off when it's ready.
Scales
2 octaves · hands together · f or p · legato or staccato (examiner's choice) · minors: harmonic or melodic
- D♭ major
- B major
- B♭ minor
- G♯ minor
Contrary-motion scales
2 octaves · hands starting on the same note · f or p · legato or staccato (examiner's choice)
- G minor (harmonic)
Chromatic scales
2 octaves · hands together · f or p · legato or staccato (examiner's choice)
- Starting on D♭
Chromatic contrary-motion scale
2 octaves · hands starting a major 3rd apart · f or p · legato
- Starting on C (left hand) and E (right hand)
Arpeggios
2 octaves · hands together · f or p · legato or staccato (examiner's choice)
- D♭ major
- B major
- B♭ minor
- G♯ minor
Diminished sevenths
2 octaves · hands together · f or p · legato or staccato (examiner's choice)
- Starting on B
In the exam
Trinity's technical work is these scales and arpeggios plus two exercises from the grade book. In a face-to-face exam the examiner picks from everything listed here. In a digital exam you choose set A or set B, which are smaller selections of the same items — so this checklist covers both.
Scales and arpeggios are played from memory, going up and then down, with the right hand an octave above the left when the hands move in the same direction. The dynamics and articulation are part of the requirement: practise every key both loud and soft, and legato and staccato where both are listed. Any logical fingering that gives a smooth legato is accepted.
The speeds are Trinity's minimum speeds, in even quavers. Practise slowly and evenly first, then use the speed trainer to work up to the minimum — a little faster is fine once it's secure.
Requirements checked against Trinity's Piano syllabus for graded exams from 2023 (online edition, February 2026). Music Scale isn't affiliated with Trinity College London — always check the official syllabus before your exam.