Sonata in E-flat, Hob. XVI:28: II. Menuetto
The Menuetto of Haydn's Sonata in E-flat major, Hob. XVI:28, is a minuet and trio in 3/4, Octotune grade 4 of 8. The minuet, in E-flat major, has snapped rhythms and triplet runs; the trio turns to E-flat minor, with six flats.
At a glance
| Composer | Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭) |
| Time | 3/4 |
| Tempo | 60 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 48 measures, about 2:24 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | B♭3 to C6 |
| Left hand | E♭2 to B♭4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Sonata in E-flat, Hob. XVI:28: II. Menuetto | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Joseph Haydn wrote dozens of keyboard sonatas, and this minuet is the middle movement of one in E-flat major from the 1770s. Like many minuets it comes with a trio, a contrasting middle section, after which the minuet is played again.
How it is built. The minuet opens with a snapped rhythm: a quick sixteenth, a longer dotted eighth, another sixteenth, then a quarter, E flat E flat G B flat. Soon the right hand runs down in triplets, three notes to a beat. The left hand plays a simple bass, mostly in quarter notes. The trio changes to E-flat minor, with a key signature of six flats, and a darker color.
The tricky parts
- The snapped rhythm. Short-long-short, all inside one beat. Say it before you play it.
- Triplets. Three even notes to a beat, never two and a bit.
- Flats. Three in the minuet (B, E and A flat) and six in the trio. Play each key's scale first.
- Changing between them. Mark where the trio starts and where the minuet returns.
Practice plan
- The minuet alone, hands separately in Wait for me.
- The trio alone, slowly: say each note's name, flats included, before you play.
- Both hands at 50% speed with Loop this measure on the triplets; then Play along.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches B flat. The other flats, and the trio's key, go well beyond it.
Questions
Is Haydn's Menuetto from Hob. XVI:28 hard?
It is a Beginner piece, Octotune grade 4 of 8, at the top of that band. The flats are the main challenge: three in the minuet, six in the trio in E-flat minor.
Credits and license
- Music: Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
- Typeset by Bas Wassink for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece