Melodic Study, Op. 840 No. 1
Carl Czerny's Melodic Study, Op. 840 No. 1, is a lively study in 4/4, Octotune grade 6 of 8: a right-hand tune full of dotted rhythms, leaps and grace notes, over steady left-hand broken chords in eighth notes.
At a glance
| Composer | Carl Czerny (1791–1857) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: no sharps or flats |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 140 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 32 measures, about 55 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | D4 to E7 |
| Left hand | G2 to G4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Melodic Study, Op. 840 No. 1 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Carl Czerny studied with Beethoven, taught Liszt, and wrote studies by the hundred. Most are about fingers; the 50 Melodic Studies, Op. 840, as their name says, are also about melody. No. 1 is bright and lively, in 4/4, and lasts under a minute.
How it is built. It starts on a pick-up. The right hand's tune bounces between a note and one much higher: G, up to E, G, up to D, in dotted rhythms. The left hand plays broken chords in eighths, C E G and G B F, steady as a clock. Small grace notes decorate the tune, and the right hand climbs far above the staff.
The tricky parts
- Wide leaps. The tune jumps nearly an octave and back again and again. Keep the hand light and let it travel.
- Dotted rhythms. Long, then very short. Keep them crisp.
- Very high notes. Read them up from high C, two ledger lines above the staff.
- Grace notes. Octotune plays them but doesn't wait for them. Learn the tune first.
Practice plan
- Left hand alone in Play along, until the broken chords are automatic.
- Right hand alone in Wait for me, slowly, watching each leap.
- Both hands at 50% speed with Loop this measure, then raise the speed.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 9 for the ledger-line notes. The very high notes and the accidentals go well beyond it.
Questions
Who was Carl Czerny?
An Austrian pianist, composer and teacher (1791–1857). He studied with Beethoven, taught Liszt, and wrote hundreds of studies that piano students still play.
Is Czerny's Op. 840 No. 1 hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8. The left hand's broken chords are simple; the right hand leaps widely and climbs very high, with dotted rhythms and grace notes.
Credits and license
- Music: Carl Czerny (1791–1857)
- Typeset by Manuela for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece