Romance in F-sharp, Op. 28 No. 2
Schumann's Romance in F-sharp major, Op. 28 No. 2 (1839), is a tender, slow piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8: its melody sings in the middle of the texture, shared between the hands, with flowing notes above and a deep bass below.
At a glance
| Composer | Robert Schumann (1810–1856) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 6 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯) |
| Time | 6/8 |
| Tempo | 50 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 34 measures, about 2:02 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C4 to A5 |
| Left hand | C♯1 to B3 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Romance in F-sharp, Op. 28 No. 2 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
The Three Romances, Op. 28, are among Robert Schumann's best-loved piano works, written in 1839. The second, in F-sharp major, is the gentlest: a quiet love song, simple in feeling and rich in sound.
How it is built. The melody is in the middle of the keyboard, not on top: it lies between the hands, played by both, while quicker notes flow around it and a deep bass holds the harmony below. On the page that means reading three layers at once. The key signature has six sharps: F, C, G, D, A and E sharp.
The tricky parts
- Six sharps. Nearly every note is a black key. Play the F-sharp major scale first, and say the note names aloud.
- Finding the melody. Mark it in pencil where it passes between the hands, and play it a little louder than the notes around it.
- Flowing sixteenths. Keep them soft and even, a background to the tune.
- A wide left hand. The bass leaps more than two octaves. Look ahead.
Practice plan
- The melody first: find it, then play it alone with the Melody level.
- Each hand alone at the Full level in Wait for me, slowly.
- Both hands at 40–50% speed with Loop this measure, the melody always on top of the balance.
Before you start: Octotune's path, then other Schumann: Träumerei is a good step before this. The key of six sharps goes well beyond the path.
Questions
Is Schumann's Romance in F-sharp hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8. The tempo is slow, but it has six sharps, and its melody lies in the middle, shared between the hands, with other notes around it.
Credits and license
- Music: Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
- Typeset by a Mutopia Project volunteer for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece