Album Leaf in E minor, Op. 12 No. 7
The Album Leaf (Albumblad) in E minor, No. 7 of Grieg's first book of Lyric Pieces, Op. 12 (1867), is a short, wistful piece in 2/4, Octotune grade 6 of 8: a tune with grace notes and dotted rhythms over light broken chords.
At a glance
| Composer | Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 1 sharp (F♯) |
| Time | 2/4 |
| Tempo | 112 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 64 measures, about 1:09 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | F♯3 to E6 |
| Left hand | E2 to A4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Album Leaf in E minor (Lyric Pieces), Op. 12 No. 7 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Edvard Grieg wrote sixty-six Lyric Pieces for piano, in ten books, over more than thirty years. Op. 12, published in 1867, is the first book, and the Album Leaf is its seventh piece: an album leaf being a short piece written as if for a friend's autograph album. It is in E minor (one sharp) and 2/4.
How it is built. It starts on a pick-up, B. The tune rises in a dotted rhythm, E F sharp G, and falls back, with small grace notes flicking into its notes. The left hand plays broken chords in eighth notes, a low E and the notes of the chord above it.
The tricky parts
- Dotted rhythms. The short sixteenth leads into the next note; keep it crisp.
- Grace notes. Octotune plays them but doesn't wait for them. Learn the plain tune first, then add them lightly.
- D sharp. E minor's leading note, written in each time, and there are many.
- Light broken chords. The left hand is busy; keep it well under the tune.
Practice plan
- The tune alone with the Melody level, in Wait for me.
- Left hand alone at the Full level, until the broken chords flow.
- Both hands at 50% speed with Loop this measure, then Play along.
Also by Grieg: Åse's Death, in B minor.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches F sharp. The D sharps and other accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
Is Grieg's Album Leaf, Op. 12 No. 7, hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8. It is short, but the tune is full of grace notes and dotted rhythms, and the left hand's broken chords must stay light.
What are Grieg's Lyric Pieces?
Sixty-six short piano pieces in ten books, published between 1867 and 1901. Op. 12 is the first book; the Album Leaf is its seventh piece.
Credits and license
- Music: Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
- Typeset by Knute Snortum for the Mutopia Project
- License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece