Melody

About this piece

The first piece in the album Schumann wrote in 1848 for his three daughters. The right hand sings a slow tune while the left hand flows in eighth notes. Both hands read the treble clef here. Play softly, and let each phrase rise and fall like a sung line.

What it practices

• both hands in treble clef
• a singing tune over flowing eighth notes
• phrasing
• dynamics: p and dim.

Where the notes come from

Mutopia Project edition (Philippe Hézaine, from the Peters edition; the music is public domain, the typesetting is CC BY-SA 2.5), compared with this file note by note by our checking script. Fingering and dynamics from that edition. Date from Wikipedia.

How to practice with it

1. Listen first. Press Play and follow the moving line with your eyes. The lit notes and keys show what sounds right now: blue is the right hand, orange the left.
2. Slow it down. Use − and + to set the tempo. 60% is a good place to start.
3. One hand at a time. Choose Right or Left, learn that hand, then put them together.
4. Wait for me. Turn it on and press Start. The lit keys show what to play, and the music waits until you play them, on the screen, on your computer keyboard or on a MIDI keyboard.
5. Loop the hard part. Turn on Loop, pick the bars, and play them a few times in a row.

Click a bar in the music to start from there. Space plays and pauses. The computer keys A S D F G H J K play C D E F G A B C (press ⌨ Computer keys under the music to see them on the piano).