Prelude in A, Op. 28 No. 7
Chopin's Prelude in A major, Op. 28 No. 7, is a sixteen-measure miniature in 3/4, Octotune grade 5 of 8: one gentle mazurka rhythm repeated eight times, in chords over a bass note, with three sharps.
At a glance
| Composer | Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 3 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 120 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 16 measures, about 24 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C♯4 to C♯6 |
| Left hand | A1 to A4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Prelude in A, Op. 28 No. 7 | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
The Prelude in A major is No. 7 of Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28, published in 1839: one in every major and minor key. It is one of the shortest of them, sixteen measures, marked Andantino, and one of the easiest pieces Chopin wrote.
How it is built. The whole prelude is one rhythm, eight times over: a short, lilting dotted figure, then chords held under it. That rhythm, with its gentle lean, is the rhythm of a mazurka, the Polish dance Chopin loved. The right hand plays the tune on top of chords; the left hand plays a low bass note and a chord above it. Each two-measure phrase answers the one before.
The tricky parts
- Chords. Three and four notes in the right hand, with the tune on top. Read each from the bottom up, and let the top note sing.
- Three sharps. F, C and G are sharp; a few other accidentals are written in along the way.
- The big chord. Near the end one chord spreads wider than an octave. Roll it quickly from the bottom up, as pianists do with a chord too wide to reach.
- The pedal. Each measure's harmony is held by the pedal. Change it as the bass changes.
Practice plan
- The tune alone with the Melody level; clap the dotted rhythm first.
- Each hand alone at the Full level in Wait for me, which waits for every note of a chord.
- Both hands, slowly; it is meant to be slow.
Also try: the Prelude in E minor, No. 4, the other classic first Chopin.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 11, which teaches F sharp and chords. The C sharps and G sharps go a step beyond it.
Questions
Is Chopin's Prelude in A major easy?
It is one of the easiest Chopin pieces: sixteen slow measures, Octotune grade 5 of 8. The rhythm repeats all through; the challenge is the chords, some of them wide, and the three sharps.
Credits and license
- Music: Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
- Typeset by Magnus Lewis-Smith for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece