Prelude in C, Op. 28 No. 1
Chopin's Prelude in C major, Op. 28 No. 1, opens his 24 Preludes (1839): about half a minute of restless figures in 2/8, shared between the hands, Octotune grade 6 of 8.
At a glance
| Composer | Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: no sharps or flats |
| Time | 2/8 |
| Tempo | 60 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 34 measures, about 34 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C4 to D6 |
| Left hand | G1 to G4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Prelude in C, Op. 28 No. 1 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28, published in 1839, go through every major and minor key, and this one begins the set in C major. It is marked Agitato, agitated, and it is over in about half a minute.
How it is built. The time is 2/8: very short measures, each one quick figure. A low bass note in the left hand starts each measure, and the figure rises through a broken chord shared between the hands, the right hand's notes carrying the tune. The figure repeats with changing harmonies, builds to an excited peak with many accidentals, then calms to the end.
The tricky parts
- Sharing the figure. Each hand plays part of every group. Practice them slowly together so the join is seamless.
- Speed. It is quick and restless. Begin at half speed and stay there until every group is even.
- Accidentals in the middle, as the harmony moves far from C.
- Wide left hand. The bass leaps more than two octaves.
Practice plan
- Each hand alone in Wait for me, a few measures at a time.
- Both hands at 40–50% speed with Loop this measure, until the groups flow.
- Play along, raising the speed only as it stays smooth.
Also try: the Prelude in A major, No. 7, slow and gentle, graded 5 of 8.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10. The accidentals and the lowest bass notes go beyond it.
Questions
Is Chopin's Prelude No. 1 hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8. It is very short, but quick and restless, with each figure shared between the hands and many accidentals in the middle.
Credits and license
- Music: Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
- Typeset by Donald Axel for the Mutopia Project
- License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece