Innocence, Op. 100 No. 5
Innocence (L'Innocence), No. 5 of Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, is a graceful piece in F major and 3/4, Octotune grade 5 of 8: light, turning sixteenth-note runs in the right hand over simple chords.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 1 flat (B♭) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 112 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 17 measures, about 27 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | A3 to C7 |
| Left hand | F2 to F4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Innocence, Op. 100 No. 5 | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
L'Innocence is No. 5 of Friedrich Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, and one of the most loved: graceful and light, in F major (one flat, B flat) and 3/4. It lasts under half a minute.
How it is built. The right hand plays runs of sixteenth notes that turn back on themselves as they fall: A G F E, F E D C, D C B flat A. Each run lands on a pair of eighths and a quarter, a small curtsy. The left hand plays simple chords and bass notes, the harmony changing slowly under the runs. Later runs climb upward, and the tune reaches very high.
The tricky parts
- Light, even sixteenths. Keep the hand quiet and let the fingers do the work. Every note the same size.
- The turning pattern. Each group steps back up one note before going on down. Learn the pattern, not each note.
- Landing gently. The eighths after each run are soft and slightly lifted.
- High notes. The line climbs far above the staff near the end. Read up from high C.
Practice plan
- Right hand alone in Wait for me, slowly, until the turns are in your fingers.
- Play along with the right hand at 50% speed, then raise it gently.
- Both hands together, keeping the left hand soft.
Also in the book: La Candeur and Arabesque.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches B flat. The highest notes and the few accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
Is Burgmüller's Innocence hard?
It is an early-intermediate piece, Octotune grade 5 of 8, and short. The right hand's quick turning sixteenths are the skill: light, even and graceful.
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