March of the Wooden Soldiers, Op. 39 No. 5
March of the Wooden Soldiers, No. 5 of Tchaikovsky's Album for the Young, Op. 39 (1878), is a short, crisp march in D major and 2/4, Octotune grade 4 of 8. Dotted rhythms and light chords in both hands, which play high on the keyboard.
At a glance
| Composer | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯) |
| Time | 2/4 |
| Tempo | 140 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 48 measures, about 40 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | E4 to G5 |
| Left hand | A3 to D5 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| March of the Wooden Soldiers (Album for the Young), Op. 39 No. 5 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
March of the Wooden Soldiers is No. 5 of Tchaikovsky's Album for the Young, Op. 39 (1878). A row of toy soldiers marches past: small, stiff and precise, in D major (two sharps, F sharp and C sharp) and a quick 2/4. It is over in well under a minute.
How it is built. The right hand plays the tune, often with a second note under it, in eighths and dotted rhythms: a long dotted eighth and a short sixteenth, the tap of a drum. The left hand plays light chords and short bass notes, and for much of the piece both hands play above middle C, like a toy's small sound.
The tricky parts
- Dotted rhythms. Long, then very short: make the sixteenth quick and snap into the next beat. Uneven dotted notes turn a march into a stroll.
- Two sharps. Every F and C is sharp. Other accidentals, A sharp and G sharp among them, are written in as the tune bends.
- Crispness. Short, detached notes, light from the wrist.
- A high left hand. The left hand plays around middle C and above, well over its usual place. Read its notes carefully.
Practice plan
- Clap the rhythm of the first four measures, then play the tune alone with the Melody level.
- Each hand alone in Wait for me at the Full level.
- Both hands at 50% speed; then Play along, raising the speed toward a brisk march.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 11, which teaches F sharp and chords. The C sharps and the other accidentals go a step beyond it.
Questions
Is March of the Wooden Soldiers hard?
It is a Beginner piece, Octotune grade 4 of 8. It is short and quick, with dotted rhythms and chords in both hands; the skill is keeping it crisp and steady.
Credits and license
- Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
- Typeset by Anonymous for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece