Ballade, Op. 100 No. 15
The Ballade, No. 15 of Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, is a dramatic piece in C minor and 3/8, Octotune grade 6 of 8: a stormy tune in the left hand under the right hand's quick repeated chords, with a calmer middle section in C major.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭) |
| Time | 3/8 |
| Tempo | 104 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 96 measures, about 1:23 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | G3 to C7 |
| Left hand | G2 to E♭6 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Ballade, Op. 100 No. 15 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
The Ballade is No. 15 of Friedrich Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, and one of the most exciting: a ballad is a story, and this one is dark and dramatic. It is in C minor (three flats) and a quick 3/8.
How it is built. The right hand begins with repeated chords, C, E flat and G together, in quick eighth notes, a restless pulse. Under them the left hand plays the tune: a stormy figure of sixteenths, C B C G A B, circling around C. In the middle the key signature clears, and a calmer section in C major follows. Then the storm returns.
The tricky parts
- The left hand's tune. It must be clear and strong under the chords. Play it a little louder.
- Repeated chords. Quick and light, from the wrist, never heavy. All three notes together.
- The key change. Three flats, then none, then three again. Mark where each section starts.
- Wide leaps in both hands in places. Look ahead.
Practice plan
- Left hand alone in Wait for me, until the tune is secure.
- Right hand's chords alone, slowly, then in Play along at 50% speed.
- Both hands with Loop this measure, section by section; raise the speed as the chords stay light.
Also in the book: Arabesque, No. 2, another minor-key study.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 11, which teaches chords. The flats of C minor and the accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
Is Burgmüller's Ballade hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8, and one of the hardest in Op. 100. The left hand carries the dramatic tune under quick repeated chords, and the middle section changes key.
Credits and license
- Music: Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874)
- Typeset by Bas Wassink for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece