Question 1

How hard is Conquer Your Bête noire by Nanette Van Alstyne?

Accepted Answer

Conquer Your Bête noire is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 6.

Question 2

What level do I need to play Conquer Your Bête noire?

Accepted Answer

You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.

Question 3

How long is Conquer Your Bête noire?

Accepted Answer

A typical performance of Conquer Your Bête noire lasts about 5 minutes.

Question 4

Where can I get free sheet music for Conquer Your Bête noire?

Accepted Answer

Conquer Your Bête noire is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.

Question 5

What pieces are similar to Conquer Your Bête noire?

Accepted Answer

Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include 1.X.1905 by Leoš Janáček, Ballade by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Am Rhein by Hugo Kaun — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.