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Of Foreign Lands and Peoples, Op. 15 No. 1

Of Foreign Lands and Peoples (Von fremden Ländern und Menschen), the first of Schumann's Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15 (1838), is a short piece in G major and 2/4, Octotune grade 4 of 8: a singing tune over a quiet stream of triplets.

Play it in Octotune

The opening, as the app engraves it: B4, G5, F♯5, E5, D5

At a glance

ComposerRobert Schumann (1810–1856)
DifficultyBeginner: grade 4 of 8
KeyKey signature: 1 sharp (F♯)
Time2/4
Tempo72 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower)
Length22 measures, about 37 seconds
Handsboth hands
Right handB3 to G5
Left handF♯2 to E4
On the pathUnit 10, Keys of G and F

It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.

Levels in the app

VersionGradeLevels
Of Foreign Lands and Peoples (Kinderszenen), Op. 15 No. 14 of 8Melody, Melody and bass, Full

Practice notes

Von fremden Ländern und Menschen opens Robert Schumann's Kinderszenen ("Scenes from Childhood"), Op. 15, thirteen short pieces he wrote in 1838. They are memories of childhood, written for grown-ups to play. This one is a gentle beginning, like the first lines of a storybook: under a minute, in G major and 2/4.

How it is built. Three layers. On top, a singing tune: B, then up to G and down in a dotted rhythm. In the middle, a quiet stream of triplets, three notes to each beat, passed between the hands. At the bottom, the bass, in the left hand. The same tune comes back, so once the first four measures are learned, much of the piece is too.

The tricky parts

  • The triplets. Keep them soft and exactly even, whichever hand plays them. Count "1-trip-let 2-trip-let".
  • Voicing. The tune must sing above the triplets. Play the top notes a little more firmly.
  • Dotted rhythm against triplets. In measure 2 the tune's dotted rhythm meets the triplets: its short note falls after the triplet's last note. Listen slowly.
  • Sharps. A sharp and C sharp in the left hand's first measure, and a D sharp later.

Practice plan

  1. The tune alone with the Melody level. This is how Unit 10 plays it.
  2. The triplets alone, slowly, hands together, until they flow.
  3. Everything at 50% speed, then Play along.

In the path: Unit 10 for grown-ups plays its tune. Its sister piece, Träumerei, is No. 7 of the same set.

Questions

Is Of Foreign Lands and Peoples hard?

It is a Beginner piece, Octotune grade 4 of 8, and short. The tune is simple; the work is the triplets underneath, shared between the hands, which must stay soft and even.

What is Kinderszenen?

Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15: thirteen short piano pieces Schumann wrote in 1838, memories of childhood for grown-ups to play. Of Foreign Lands and Peoples is the first, and Träumerei the seventh.

Credits and license

The Octotune team · Updated