Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1: II. Andante
The Andante, the slow middle movement of Friedrich Kuhlau's Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1, is a short, gentle piece in F major and 6/8, Octotune grade 5 of 8: a tune with crisp dotted rhythms over rocking broken chords.
At a glance
| Composer | Friedrich Kuhlau (1786–1832) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 1 flat (B♭) |
| Time | 6/8 |
| Tempo | 72 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 16 measures, about 40 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | A3 to B♭5 |
| Left hand | F2 to A4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1: II. Andante | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Friedrich Kuhlau's sonatinas are, with Clementi's, the classic teaching sonatinas. The Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1, has three movements; this is the slow one, in F major (one flat, B flat) and a gently rocking 6/8. It is only sixteen measures long.
How it is built. It starts on a pick-up, a quick dotted figure, then the right hand sings a simple tune, repeated Cs rising to F, with sharp dotted rhythms: a dotted sixteenth and a very short thirty-second before the beat. The left hand rocks in broken chords, F A C, in eighth notes.
The tricky parts
- Sharp dotted rhythms. The short note is very short: a thirty-second, snapping into the next note. Keep it light and precise, not lazy.
- 6/8. Two beats in a measure, each of three eighths.
- Accidentals. B naturals and a few flats (A flat, D flat) are written in as the harmony colors.
- A soft left hand under the tune.
Practice plan
- Left hand alone in Play along, until the broken chords rock evenly.
- Right hand alone: clap its rhythm, then play it in Wait for me.
- Both hands at 60% speed, then Play along.
The whole sonatina: the Allegro before it and the Rondo after.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 10, which teaches B flat. The other accidentals go a step beyond it.
Questions
Is the Andante of Kuhlau's Op. 20 No. 1 hard?
It is an early-intermediate piece, Octotune grade 5 of 8, and the easiest of the sonatina's three movements. It is short and slow; its sharp dotted rhythms and accidentals are what to practice.
Credits and license
- Music: Friedrich Kuhlau (1786–1832)
- Typeset by Bas Wassink for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece