La Gracieuse, Op. 100 No. 8
La Gracieuse (The Graceful One), No. 8 of Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, is a short piece in F major and 3/4, Octotune grade 6 of 8: a tune decorated with quick written-out turns, over soft chords.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 1 flat (B♭) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 100 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 16 measures, about 29 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | G4 to F7 |
| Left hand | F2 to F4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| La Gracieuse, Op. 100 No. 8 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
La Gracieuse, "The Graceful One", is No. 8 of Friedrich Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100. It is a study in ornament: short, elegant and in F major (one flat, B flat), in 3/4.
How it is built. Each beat of the tune is a note followed by a turn: four very quick notes that circle around it, D C B C around C, before the tune moves on. Burgmüller writes the turns out in thirty-second notes. The left hand holds soft chords, F A C, and fills in with light eighths.
The tricky parts
- Quick turns. Four notes in a flash, even and light, from the fingertips. Don't let them rush the beat.
- The pattern. Each turn circles its note: one above, the note, one below, the note. Learn the shape, not each note.
- High notes. The line climbs far above the staff. Read up from high C.
- Accidentals. B naturals and a few others inside the turns.
Practice plan
- Right hand alone in Wait for me, very slowly, a beat at a time.
- Play along with the right hand at 40–50% speed, with Loop this measure.
- Both hands, raising the speed only while the turns stay graceful.
Also in the book: Innocence, No. 5, with gentler turning runs.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches B flat. The highest notes and the accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
Is La Gracieuse hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8. It is short, but its right hand is full of quick turns in thirty-second notes, which must be 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