Chorale, Op. 68 No. 4
Chorale (Ein Choral), No. 4 of Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68, is a slow hymn in G major and 4/4, Octotune grade 3 of 8. Each hand plays two parts in half and whole notes: a first lesson in reading chords.
At a glance
| Composer | Robert Schumann (1810–1856) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 3 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 1 sharp (F♯) |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 92 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 32 measures, about 1:34 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | B3 to E5 |
| Left hand | G2 to E4 |
| On the path | Unit 10, Keys of G and F |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Chorale (Album for the Young), Op. 68 No. 4 | 3 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Ein Choral is No. 4 of Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68 (1848): a hymn tune set in four parts, as a church choir would sing it. The tune is on top, in the right hand; the other three voices fill in beneath it.
How it is built. Almost every note is a half note or a whole note, in G major (one sharp, F sharp). Each hand usually plays two notes at once: the right hand the tune and the part just under it, the left hand the two lower parts. The piece is a string of short phrases, each coming to rest on a held chord.
The tricky parts
- Reading two notes at a time. Read each pair from the bottom up, and notice its shape: a skip (line to line, or space to space) or something wider.
- Holding. Keep each chord down for its full length. A chorale sounds right when the parts join smoothly.
- C sharp. A few C sharps appear as the harmony leans toward D major.
Practice plan
- The tune with its bass first: the Melody and bass level, both hands. This is how Unit 10 plays it.
- Then the Full level, each hand alone in Wait for me, which waits for both notes of each pair.
- Both hands together, slowly, listening for the top line.
In the path: Unit 10 for grown-ups plays the tune over its bass. The full four parts come naturally after Unit 11, which teaches chords.
Questions
Is Schumann's Chorale easy?
It is a Beginner piece, Octotune grade 3 of 8. The notes are slow, mostly half notes, but each hand plays two at once, so the skill is reading and holding pairs of notes.
Credits and license
- Music: Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
- Typeset by Philippe Hézaine for the Mutopia Project
- License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece