A Curious Story, Op. 15 No. 2
A Curious Story (Curiose Geschichte), No. 2 of Schumann's Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15 (1838), is a lively piece in D major and 3/4, Octotune grade 5 of 8: chords in both hands, dotted rhythms and grace notes, like a story told with gusto.
At a glance
| Composer | Robert Schumann (1810–1856) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 112 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 40 measures, about 1:04 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C4 to A5 |
| Left hand | A2 to A4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| A Curious Story (Kinderszenen), Op. 15 No. 2 | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Curiose Geschichte, "A Curious Story", is No. 2 of Schumann's Kinderszenen ("Scenes from Childhood"), Op. 15, written in 1838. After the quiet first piece, Of Foreign Lands and Peoples, someone starts telling a story with great energy. It is in D major (two sharps) and 3/4.
How it is built. Both hands play chords of two or three notes, the tune on top of the right hand's chords. The rhythm is lively: dotted rhythms and quick sixteenths that lead into the next beat. Little grace notes add flourishes, and naturals and sharps are written in as the harmony moves.
The tricky parts
- Reading chords quickly. Learn each chord as a shape. Read from the bottom note up.
- Dotted rhythms and sixteenths. Crisp and exact: the short notes short, leading into the next beat.
- Voicing. The tune is the top note of the right hand; let it sing over the other notes.
- Grace notes. Octotune plays them but doesn't wait for them. Add them once the chords are secure.
Practice plan
- The tune alone with the Melody level, to hear the story's shape.
- Each hand alone at the Full level in Wait for me, which waits for every note of a chord.
- Both hands at 50% speed with Loop this measure, then Play along.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 11, which teaches F sharp and chords. The C sharps and the other accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
Is A Curious Story hard?
It is an early-intermediate piece, Octotune grade 5 of 8. Both hands play chords of two or three notes in lively dotted rhythms, with grace notes; reading the chords quickly is the main challenge.
Credits and license
- Music: Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
- Typeset by Ying-Chun Liu for the Mutopia Project
- License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece