A Child's Wish
A Child's Wish, by G. K. Iliev, shared through the Mutopia Project, is a lyrical piece in 6/8, Octotune grade 5 of 8. A singing tune in E minor over broken chords turns to E major in the middle, then returns.
At a glance
| Composer | G. K. Iliev |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 1 sharp (F♯) |
| Time | 6/8 |
| Tempo | 81 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 70 measures, about 2:36 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | E4 to D6 |
| Left hand | E2 to C♯5 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| A Child's Wish | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
A Child's Wish is a modern piece by G. K. Iliev, shared freely through the Mutopia Project under a Creative Commons license. It is lyrical and gently rocking, in 6/8, about two and a half minutes long.
How it is built. It opens in E minor (one sharp, F sharp): a singing tune in the right hand, starting on a long high B, over broken chords in the left hand, E G B. In the middle the key signature changes to four sharps, and the music brightens into E major. Then the key signature returns to one sharp, and so does the opening mood.
The tricky parts
- 6/8. Two big beats in a measure, each of three eighths: "ONE two three FOUR five six". Let it sway.
- Long notes. The tune often holds a note over a whole measure or more. Count it out.
- Four sharps in the middle. F, C, G and D are all sharp. Play the E major scale before you start that section.
- D sharp in the minor sections, E minor's leading note, written in each time.
- Small ornaments. Octotune plays them for you but doesn't wait for them; add them once the line is secure.
Practice plan
- The tune alone with the Melody level, to learn the whole shape.
- The middle section on its own, hands separately in Wait for me.
- Both hands at 60% speed with Loop this measure on the key changes; then Play along.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches F sharp. The middle section's key goes well beyond it.
Questions
Is A Child's Wish hard?
It is an early-intermediate piece, Octotune grade 5 of 8, and about two and a half minutes long. It changes key twice, and its middle section in E major has four sharps.
Credits and license
- Music: G. K. Iliev
- Typeset by Grigor Iliev for the Mutopia Project
- License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece