Gymnopédie No. 2
Erik Satie's Gymnopédie No. 2 (1888), marked Lent et triste (slow and sad), is a quiet piece in 3/4, Octotune grade 4 of 8. A low bass note and a soft chord in every measure carry a long, drifting melody.
At a glance
| Composer | Erik Satie (1866–1925) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: no sharps or flats |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 60 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 65 measures, about 3:15 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | G3 to C6 |
| Left hand | A♯1 to G2 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Gymnopédie No. 2 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Satie wrote his three Gymnopédies in 1888. The second is marked Lent et triste: slow and sad. It is the middle sister of the set, less famous than No. 1, and just as calm.
How it is built. Every measure has the same pattern: a low bass note on beat 1, then a soft chord in the middle of the keyboard on beat 2, held through beat 3. Above them, a long, drifting melody enters and floats in quarter and half notes. The harmony rocks between two chords for long stretches, so the piece seems to hover rather than go anywhere.
The tricky parts
- The leap from bass to chord, more than an octave, in every measure. Let the hand find the chord by feel, so your eyes can stay on the page.
- Long notes. Count every held note fully; the calm depends on it.
- Accidentals. There is no key signature, but black keys are written in throughout. Circle them before you start.
- Soft, even tone. The chords stay under the melody.
Practice plan
- The melody alone with the Melody level, counting each long note.
- The bass and the chords alone, slowly, measure by measure, looking ahead to the next bass note.
- Together at 60% speed; then Play along, as slow as it asks.
Also try: Gymnopédie No. 1, the famous one, graded 4 of 8 as well.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 9 for the low bass notes. The black keys go beyond the path.
Questions
Is Gymnopédie No. 2 hard?
It is a Beginner piece, Octotune grade 4 of 8. It is slow, but each measure needs a low bass note, a soft chord and a held melody, and the whole piece must stay quiet and even.
How are Satie's three Gymnopédies different?
All three, from 1888, are slow pieces in 3/4 over the same rocking bass-and-chord pattern. No. 1 is marked sorrowful, No. 2 sad and No. 3 grave.
Credits and license
- Music: Erik Satie (1866–1925)
- Typeset by Evin Robertson for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece