Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6
Chopin's Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6, is a slow, sad piece in 3/4, Octotune grade 5 of 8. The melody is in the left hand, like a cello, under soft chords and repeated notes in the right.
At a glance
| Composer | Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 45 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 26 measures, about 1:41 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | B3 to F♯5 |
| Left hand | B1 to G4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Prelude in B minor, Op. 28 No. 6 | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
The Prelude in B minor is No. 6 of Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28 (1839), and one of the most often played. It is marked Lento assai: very slow. What makes it special is where the tune is: in the left hand.
How it is built. The left hand sings the melody, low and warm like a cello, rising through a B minor chord and falling back. Above it the right hand plays soft chords with repeated notes, pairs of eighths on the same key, like a slow heartbeat. In the middle, the harmony wanders further from home before returning.
The tricky parts
- A singing left hand. Play the tune a little louder than the right hand, and smoothly, joining each note to the next.
- Soft repeated notes. The right hand's pairs must be quiet and even, never louder than the tune.
- Accidentals. A sharp, B minor's leading note, and C naturals and others come often.
- Wide leaps in the left hand, more than two octaves in places. Look ahead.
Practice plan
- Left hand alone in Wait for me, singing, until you know the tune.
- Right hand alone, very soft.
- Both hands slowly, with Loop this measure where the harmony changes; the tune always on top of the balance.
Also try: the Prelude in E minor, No. 4 and the Prelude in A major, No. 7.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches F sharp. The C sharps and other accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
Is Chopin's Prelude in B minor hard?
It is early intermediate, Octotune grade 5 of 8. It is slow, but its melody is in the left hand, which must sing, while the right hand plays soft repeated chords above it.
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